can i set the number of instances as a parameter?

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question

Pablo C4 asked Jul 19, '22 Pablo C4 commented Jul 25, '22

can i set the number of instances as a parameter?

Hello,

a collegue built her model using an operator as a template and then the other operators are instances so they share the same processflow. now she's setting up experimenter and is not sure how can you set up the number of instances of that operator as a parameter for the experiment.

any idea how to preceed?..

thanks in advance.. regards

Pablo

Software Version:

FlexSim 22.0.4

parameters table instances templates

Answer 1 · 2022-07-20T08:21:42Z

Felix Möhlmann answered Jul 20, '22 Pablo C4 commented Jul 25, '22

Option 1:

Add the template operator to a group, set that group as reference in the parameter and choose 'Delete and Copy Group Members' in the On Set trigger. The extra operators won't be instances of the template but complete copies of the original operator though.

Option 2:

If properties of the template are changed and it is thus important that the extra operators are instances rather than copies, you can set the reference to the template operator and use the following code in the On Set trigger.

if(isReset)
{
    // Delete previous instances
    treenode instances = reference.find(">templateinstances");
    if(objectexists(instances))
    {
        while(instances.subnodes.length > 0)
        {
            instances.find("/1+/~").destroy();
        }
    }

    // Create instances until value is reached
    for(int index = 2; index <= newValue; index++)
    {
        Object template = reference;
        Array loc = template.getProperty("Location");
        Object newInstance = applicationcommand("maketemplateinstance", template, template.up, loc);
        applicationcommand("checkcreatetemplateinstancesoncreate", template);
        newInstance.name = template.name + "_" + string.fromNum(index, 0);
    }
}

instance_parameter_fm.fsm

1658303978180.png (9.8 KiB)

instance-parameter-fm.fsm (166.4 KiB)

· 2

Pablo C4 commented · Jul 22, 2022 at 03:03 PM

thanks, indeed, we needed the operators to be instances instead of copiesm so option 2 seems to do the trick

regards

Pablo

0 ·

Jordan Johnson ♦♦ commented · Jul 22, 2022 at 04:17 PM

Option 3:You can modify the Delete and Copy Objects code to delete down to 2, rather than 1, and then copy the second object, which is an instance. This avoids using applicationcommand(), but creates a minimum of 2 rather than 1:

{ // ************* PickOption Start ************* //
/***popup:ParamSetNodeValue*/
/**Delete and Copy Group Members*/
if (/***tag:condition*//**/isReset/**/) {
  Array objects = reference.as(Group).toFlatArray();
  
  if (objects.length < 2) {
    mpt("Error setting parameter " + c.up.up.name + " - Not enough objects in object set"); mpr();
  } else {
    for (int i = 3; i <= objects.length; i++) {
      objects[i].destroy();
    }
    
    treenode firstObj = objects[2];
    int total = Math.max(1, newValue);
    for (int i = 3; i <= total; i++) {
      treenode newObj = createcopy(firstObj, firstObj.up);
      newObj.name = firstObj.name + "_" + i;
      applicationcommand("recreateObjectConnections", newObj, firstObj);
    }
  }
}

} // ******* PickOption End ******* //

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