How to read imported data as source time?

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shanice.c asked Jan 17, '22 shanice.c commented Jan 17, '22

How to read imported data as source time?

I'm using Excel Import/Export Interface to import historic log data as my simulation product creation time. As the Excel Import/Export Interface could import user self-defined data, this will make it different from defaulted 3 columns(ArrivalTime, ItemName, Quantity).

Then if I import the following data like the picture(The coulmns of imported data has been different from defaulted). I want FlexSim to use first column(Receive_Time) as the time it create a product(I want FlexSim read this column to create product). Then, how does FlexSim read the data imported?

I tried to set Start Time of the simulation a little bit earlier than 2021/12/1 10:40:10, but the simulation seems not starting at all. So is this because of the column format has changed so that FlexSim could not read. Or because I make mistake in setting the Model Start time?

Thank you very much!

TestImport.fsm

Station1 task.xlsx

Software Version:

FlexSim 21.1.0

source import data starttime

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1642399074595.png (12.5 KiB)

1642399927820.png (270.7 KiB)

testimport.fsm (61.4 KiB)

station1-task.xlsx (11.5 KiB)

Answer 1 · 2022-01-17T07:22:14Z

Felix Möhlmann answered Jan 17, '22 shanice.c commented Jan 17, '22

You imported the excel values as text, which FlexSim can not read as time data (Text data is aligned to the left in table cells, numbers to the right). To import the date times as numbers check the respective option in the excel inport interface.

This will automatically convert the excel time format (days since 01.01.1900) to the format FlexSim uses (seconds since 01.01.1601). So in order to use the values as arrival times the date time values have to be converted into model time. This can be done using "Model.getTime(datetime value)".

The following code goes through the nodes of the source where the schedule data is stored and converts the values.

treenode schedule = Model.find("Source1>variables/schedule");
for(int index = 1; index <= schedule.subnodes.length; index++)
{
schedule.subnodes[index].first.value = Model.getTime(schedule.subnodes[index].first.value);
}

You can either run this manually in the script window or paste it in as "Post Import Code" in the import interface and have it run automatically after each import (activate with the checkbox).

Finally, I would suggest to insert the "ItemName" and "Quantity" columns into excel, so you don't have adjust those after importing.

testimport_fm.fsm
station1-task_fm.xlsx

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testimport-fm.fsm (63.5 KiB)

station1-task-fm.xlsx (10.9 KiB)

· 1

shanice.c commented · Jan 17, 2022 at 08:03 AM

@Felix Möhlmann Thank you! I have succeed in importing data and convert them to FlexSim time.

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