How to set AGV virtual distance

[patrickABAWF]

[ FlexSim 18.1.0 ]

I know this was not possible before but maybe now it is.

I'm modeling a train network with AGV paths. I used AGV paths and not Network Nodes because of complex logic in ProcessFlow that I thought wouldn't work with NN and since I thoughts Network Nodes are the past and AGV Path are the future.

1 - Am I wrong in that thought?

2 - Any way to do virtual distances with AGV path? For example I don't want to model and see a certain 500 miles of tracks but I want the trains to take xyz hours to travel it.

3 - If not should I be able to do all the complex stuff with NN instead of AGV paths?

Thanks a lot,

[JordanLJohnson · Accepted solution]

There is not currently a way to have a path with a virtual distance. In the mean time, you have some options besides going back to NN paths. You can add control points that delay, or you can add path types that force the AGV to go really slow. I suspect the delay option would be easiest.

If you do that, then you need to have a way to redirect the AGV, if the physically shortest path is the wrong path to go down. So I made a demo model:

I added two Connection Types, a Group, and a Process Flow with 9 total blocks, to basically create "if" statements in the AGV travel. It works like this:

If you get to a control point in the group, check if it has a red connection, and if that red connection is pointing at your destination. If so, redirect to where the blue connection goes:

This way, you can us Process Flow to give very simple Travel task sequences, and you can define any necessary redirects as part of the AGV network. In your case, you could use this to have the AGV avoid a "short" path that has a 10 hour delay on it, depending on the destination of the AGV.

agvrouting.fsm

[patrickABAWF]

If I want to add a control point that delays, would I put that logic in the process flow? I can't put it directly in a control point. I don't see it in your model.

Thanks a lot.

[JordanLJohnson]

For making the delay, you can either use Process Flow to listen to the OnPreArrival, or you can make a new Waypoint type in the Network Properties, and add the desired control point to the list.