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Most objects in the FlexSim Library can be moved, rotated, or resized using either the Quick Properties pane or your mouse. You can use these two methods to change a conveyor's properties as well. However, the process is slightly different than the process for other FlexSim objects:

• You can move or resize a conveyor as a single unit, but you can also move or resize the head and tail ends of a conveyor as separate units.
• You can reverse the direction items travel as they move along the conveyor.
• Conveyors cannot be rotated on their X, Y, or Z axes, but you can change the height (Z axis) of either the head or tail ends of the conveyors.
• In addition to the usual X, Y, and Z axes, the Curved Conveyor has controls that allow you to edit its radius, start angle, and sweep angle.
• The editing controls also look and function differently on a conveyor. When a conveyor is highlighted, it will have a set of resizing arrows on both its head and tail end, as shown in the images below. The Curved Conveyor also has an additional green resizing arrow for adjusting its radius, start angle, and sweep angle. Each conveyor also has a direction indicator, which is a large unfilled arrow that shows you the direction the conveyor belt will move while operating.

The following sections will discuss how to move, resize, and reverse a conveyor using either the Quick Properties pane or the mouse. Using the mouse to change a conveyor's properties is a little easier, but the Quick Properties pane will allow you to make the conveyor's properties more precise.

Use Conveyor Types to Make Duplicate Conveyors
If you know that you're going to build many similar conveyors with similar properties and behaviors, you should create a specific Conveyor Type for your conveyor. That way when you build any other conveyors, you can assign it to that particular Conveyor Type and it will immediately import the pre-defined settings you saved. See Conveyor Types for more information.

Using the Mouse to Move or Resize a Conveyor

In order to use your mouse to move or resize a conveyor, you must first click once on the conveyor to highlight it. After you've taken that step, use the steps listed in following table, which explains the process for using the mouse to change the conveyor's various properties:

Task	Process
To move the entire conveyor	Click anywhere on the conveyor (except on the resizing arrows) and drag the conveyor to the desired position.
To move either the head or tail of the conveyor	Click on the resizing arrow on either the head or tail of the conveyor. Drag the head or tail to the desired position.
To change the height (Z-axis) of the entire conveyor	Click anywhere on the conveyor (except on the resizing arrows) and scroll the mouse wheel up or down until the conveyor is at its desired height.
To change the height (Z-axis) of either the head or tail of the conveyor	Click on the resizing arrow on either the head or tail of the conveyor. Scroll the mouse wheel up or down until the head or tail is at its desired height.
To change the length of the conveyor	Click on the resizing arrow on either the head or tail of the conveyor. Drag the head or tail to the desired length.

Additional Resizing Options for Curved Conveyors
Everything in the preceding table applies to Curved Conveyors, but you can also use the green resizing arrow to change its length. See Changing the Radius and Angle of Curved Conveyors for more information.

Using Quick Properties to Move or Resize a Conveyor

You might possibly want the location, rotation, and size of the conveyor to be more precise in your model. In that case, it's generally a good practice to use your mouse to move or resize your conveyor until it is in the approximate position or size you want it to be. Then you can use the Quick Properties pane to make it more precise.

When you highlight a conveyor by clicking on it, the right pane displays the Quick Properties for that specific conveyor. The controls that appear in Quick Properties will vary depending on whether you clicked a Straight or Curved Conveyor. Both kinds of conveyors have boxes that adjust the position and size of the head and tail of the conveyor, as illustrated in the following image. However, Curved Conveyors have additional boxes that adjust the radius, start angle, and sweep angle. The following image shows the Quick Properties for a Curved Conveyor:

Start adjusts the X, Y, or Z position of the conveyor's tail. End adjusts the conveyor's head.

A conveyor's length is based on the position of the head relative to the tail. For example, if a conveyor is parallel with the X-axis on the grid with its tail at the 0.0 position and the head is in the 10.0 position, the conveyor will be 10 units long. The same is true for the other axes. Experiment with some of the Quick Properties to get your conveyor exactly the way it should be.

Use Conveyor Types to Adjust Settings
The width of conveyors can be edited in the Conveyor Type properties. You can also adjust many other conveyor properties and quickly import conveyor settings that you use frequently. See Conveyor Types for more information.

Reversing the Direction of a Conveyor

To change the direction that items travel on a conveyor:

1. Click on the conveyor to highlight it.
2. In the Quick Properties pane, under the Straight Conveyor or Curved Conveyor group, click the Reverse Direction button, as shown in the preceding image. The direction indicator on the conveyor will now point in the opposite direction.

Repeat this process if you want to change the conveyor's direction back to its original setting.

Changing the Radius and Angle of Curved Conveyors

Curved Conveyors have three additional properties:

• Radius - The radius of the conveyor relative to the midpoint of the hypothetical circle around which the conveyor is drawn. Changing the radius will affect the length of the conveyor because it makes this hypothetical circle larger.
• Start Angle - The angle of the tail end of the conveyor relative to the simulation model grid. For example, if the start angle is set to 90, the edge of the conveyor's tail will be perpendicular to the simulation grid.
• Sweep Angle - The angle of the head of the conveyor relative to the start angle. For example, if the start angle is set to 45 and the sweep angle is set to 90, the edge of the conveyor's head will appear to be at a 45 degree angle relative to the simulation grid.

You can use either the mouse or Quick Properties to change the radius, start angle, and sweep angle of Curved Conveyors. It's generally a good practice to use your mouse to move or resize your conveyor until it is in the approximate position or size you want it to be. Then you can use the Quick Properties pane to make it more precise.

To adjust the radius, start angle, or sweep angle using Quick Properties, go to the Quick Properties Pane and look under the Curved Conveyor group. Then type or select a value in the Radius, Start Angle, or Sweep Angle boxes.

In order to use your mouse to move or resize a conveyor, you must first click once on the conveyor to highlight it. After you've taken that step, use the steps listed in following table, which explains the process for using the mouse to change the conveyor's properties:

Task	Process
To change the radius	Click the green resizing arrow in the middle of the Curved Conveyor and drag the mouse to the desired radius.
To change the start angle	Click the red resizing arrow on the tail end of the Curved Conveyor and drag the mouse until the edge of the tail is at the desired angle.
To change the sweep angle	Click the red resizing arrow on the head of the Curved Conveyor and drag the mouse until the edge of the head is at the desired angle.