What is the best way of getting the input object of a conveyor?

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Axel Kohonen asked Jun 6, '16 Matthew Gillespie commented Jun 7, '16

What is the best way of getting the input object of a conveyor?

Hi,

How does one access the objects connected upstream of a conveyor? With the previous conveyor library one could use inobject, but how do you do it with then new conveyor library? Inobject from Sink5 gives the exit transfer, but the transfer does not have any input connections defined.

For example: How do you do if you want to get a reference to Queue6 when the item enters Sink5 in the attached image below?

Thank you!

Kind regards,

Axel

Software Version:

FlexSim 16.0.1

conveyor inobject

fueld.png (13.3 KiB)

Answer 1 · 2016-06-06T11:50:09Z

jing.c answered Jun 6, '16 Matthew Gillespie commented Jun 7, '16

Hi,Axel

You can try the code below. It will works even if the object have different upstreams (not only Conveyor Module but also ordinary objects)

treenode ob = node("Sink5", model()); //the upstream object you want to get
int innum = 1; //the input number
treenode inob = inobject(ob,innum);
if(classobject(inob) == node("/conveyor/ExitTransfer",library()))
//Get downstream you can change "ExitTransfer" to "EntryTransfer"
{
	inob = ownerobject(node("/1+",getvarnode(inobject(ob,innum),"transferPoint"))); 
} 
return inob;

· 4

Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented · Jun 07, 2016 at 07:03 PM

Keep in mind that a conveyor can have multiple entry and exit transfers. Conveyors have a conveyorPoints variable that has subnode pointers to all the transfers and decision points/photo eyes on the conveyor.

Here's a way to get at the entry or exit transfers of a conveyor:

treenode points = getvarnode(conveyor, "conveyorPoints");
for(int i = 1; i <= content(points); i++) {
	//The "+" will go to the node pointed at by the coupling data
	//The "~" will get the ownerobject of that node since the
	//pointed at node is in the object's variables
	treenode pointObject = node("+/~", rank(points, i));
	if(isclasstype(pointObject, "Conveyor::EntryTransfer"))
		//This is an entry transfer
	else if(isclasstype(pointObject, "Conveyor::ExitTransfer"))
		//This is an exit transfer
}

3 ·

Axel Kohonen commented · Jun 06, 2016 at 12:49 PM

Thank you Jing,

It works well although it is harder to use this than the older inobject that worked for all object types. Could you explain what the "/1+" syntax means? /1 is rank 1 right, but what is 1+?

Axel

0 ·

Mischa Spelt Axel Kohonen commented · Jun 06, 2016 at 01:14 PM

Hi Axel. The + follows the reference in the given node. So node("1/+", x) is equivalent to something like node(getnodestr(node("/1", x))).

2 ·

jing.c Axel Kohonen commented · Jun 06, 2016 at 01:43 PM

Hi Axel, As Mischa said "node("1/+", x) is equivalent to something likenode(getnodestr(node("/1", x)))". And this type of data call Coupling Data, you can use command createcoupling() to connect two nodes. When we use "A" or "S" connection, it will make a coupling with two object in fact.

Cause I am a user not a developer of FlexSim and I'm not major in programming, I can not give you more advice or explain the theory. Maybe someone can tell you more about Coupling Data.

Hope this can help you.

1 ·

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