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Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Use variables as shared assets within your process flow
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
3 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
In FlexSim, a shared asset is an asset that can be utilized by multiple entities or processes within your model.
00:11
Shared assets help you manage dependencies within your process flow and allow you to set specific criteria for the use of the shared asset.
00:19
There are four main types of shared assets, one of which is variables.
00:24
Variables are data elements that can be shared, read, and changed by multiple entities within your process flow,
00:31
without delaying or interrupting your flow.
00:34
Unlike other shared assets, variables are not limited assets.
00:39
They are used to store information that can influence how your simulation operates,
00:43
enabling the creation of dynamic and flexible process flows.
00:48
Here, a model and ProcessFlow have been set up to illustrate how variables operate.
00:53
When a new item enters the Leader Queue, a token is created with a Type label between 1 and 50.
00:59
A color will then be assigned to each type.
01:02
Select the item to view its Properties, where the Type is set to 15.
01:07
In the ProcessFlow, select the token in the Delay activity to see that the Type value is set to 15 here as well.
01:15
Next, in the ProcessFlow, click the Set Variable activity.
01:20
Here, the Variable Reference is set to ActiveColor, and the Value is set to token.Type.
01:26
This means that the token will set the active color based on its type value.
01:31
When a new item is received by the processor,
01:34
the corresponding token will move to the Get Variable activity,
01:37
which—if you click to view its properties—you see will add a label called ActiveColor to the token.
01:45
Next, the Change Visual activity will change the object color.
01:49
Again, click to view the properties,
01:52
then click Edit next to Set Object Color
01:56
to see that the visual of the item is set to update from the palette based on the ActiveColor of the token.
02:02
Now, Run the simulation to view the variable in action.
02:06
When an item reaches the Processor, its color is changed to the color of the leading item.
02:12
Variables can be used to access information globally throughout the model.
02:16
To see the value of a variable, in the ProcessFlow, select the Variable.
02:23
Then, in Properties, click View Variable.
02:27
In the corresponding window you can see the Current type assigned.
02:31
Notice that when the Type changes, the color of the leading item changes,
02:35
and the color of the items being processed change as well.
02:38
A variable can be a number, a string, an array, a tree, a node, or essentially any other data type.
02:49
Now you can use variables to store, read, and change data in your model.
Video transcript
00:03
In FlexSim, a shared asset is an asset that can be utilized by multiple entities or processes within your model.
00:11
Shared assets help you manage dependencies within your process flow and allow you to set specific criteria for the use of the shared asset.
00:19
There are four main types of shared assets, one of which is variables.
00:24
Variables are data elements that can be shared, read, and changed by multiple entities within your process flow,
00:31
without delaying or interrupting your flow.
00:34
Unlike other shared assets, variables are not limited assets.
00:39
They are used to store information that can influence how your simulation operates,
00:43
enabling the creation of dynamic and flexible process flows.
00:48
Here, a model and ProcessFlow have been set up to illustrate how variables operate.
00:53
When a new item enters the Leader Queue, a token is created with a Type label between 1 and 50.
00:59
A color will then be assigned to each type.
01:02
Select the item to view its Properties, where the Type is set to 15.
01:07
In the ProcessFlow, select the token in the Delay activity to see that the Type value is set to 15 here as well.
01:15
Next, in the ProcessFlow, click the Set Variable activity.
01:20
Here, the Variable Reference is set to ActiveColor, and the Value is set to token.Type.
01:26
This means that the token will set the active color based on its type value.
01:31
When a new item is received by the processor,
01:34
the corresponding token will move to the Get Variable activity,
01:37
which—if you click to view its properties—you see will add a label called ActiveColor to the token.
01:45
Next, the Change Visual activity will change the object color.
01:49
Again, click to view the properties,
01:52
then click Edit next to Set Object Color
01:56
to see that the visual of the item is set to update from the palette based on the ActiveColor of the token.
02:02
Now, Run the simulation to view the variable in action.
02:06
When an item reaches the Processor, its color is changed to the color of the leading item.
02:12
Variables can be used to access information globally throughout the model.
02:16
To see the value of a variable, in the ProcessFlow, select the Variable.
02:23
Then, in Properties, click View Variable.
02:27
In the corresponding window you can see the Current type assigned.
02:31
Notice that when the Type changes, the color of the leading item changes,
02:35
and the color of the items being processed change as well.
02:38
A variable can be a number, a string, an array, a tree, a node, or essentially any other data type.
02:49
Now you can use variables to store, read, and change data in your model.
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