FlexSim 2018 Beta Available

[#1]

FlexSim 2018 Beta is available. (updated 8 Dec 2017)

To get the beta, log in to your account at www.flexsim.com, then go to the Downloads section, and click on More Versions. It will be at the top of the list.

If you have bug reports or other feedback on the software, please email dev@flexsim.com or create a new idea in the Development space.

Release Notes

• Added a new People module. (Try out the Sample Models)
• Added new dashboard chart templates to quickly collect and display statistics.
• Legacy charts are hidden by default in the Library and can be enabled through Global Preferences.
• Removed the basic Person flowitem and renamed the TaskExecuterFlowItem to Person.
• Added functionality to the List's pull method to allow you to pull an object/node directly (without writing SQL).
• Updated ODA to be compatible with DWG 2018 shapes.
• Updated Assimp to be compatible with the latest FBX file format.
• Added a RegExResult class for iterating over the matches in a regular expression.
• Lists can now use arrays as partition ids.
• Added a mechanism for automatically setting the reset position of objects after moving them by setting their resetposition variable to 1.
• Added a By Lazy Interval update mode to the calculated table.
• Improved calculated table performance by reducing the amount of table updates.
• Improved statistics collector performance by reducing the number of updates to Always columns.
• Table views can now be set as read-only using the grayed attribute.
• Added an Ignore Warmup option to statistics collectors.
• Updated OptQuest so that it can run more than 10,000 solutions.
• Added a pick option for restoring default values in the Global Table's On Reset trigger.
• The Query test field is now a multi-line text box.
• The Source now adds labels to items before calling the OnCreation trigger.
• Updated the table selection for the Excel Import/Export.
• Improved color options in various dashboard charts.
• Changed the model update dialog to be able to autosave the model with an incremented number.
• Added many new animations for the operator and the person flowitem.
• Updated many stochastic pick options to use getstream() as the default stream parameter.
• Updated the TaskExecuter to connect to the DefaultNavigator when created.
• Improved the Group UI.
• Updated the Library view to not change when clicking on the User Manual view.
• Changed the Tree view's Explore > As Code so that it closes the tree's edit view.

• Fixed a bug with list initial contents having old values in label fields.
• Fixed a bug with the statistics collector chart interface checkboxes.
• Fixed an OnDropWindow exception.
• Fixed some exceptions in the Table View when viewing an Array that no longer exists.

Process Flow

• Added a Date Time Source activity.
• Added a Wait for Simultaneous Arrivals Before Entry option to the Zone.
• Added autocomplete for instanced flow labels (current).
• Added a zoneistokeninsubset() command.

Conveyor

• Added a Round Robin destination option to the Send Item pick option.

AStar

• Added a visual option to show the travel threshold for objects.
• Improved the draw performance and fixed the timing of some graphical updates.
• Fixed a bug caused by using the distancetotravel() command in conjunction with collision avoidance.

AGV

• Fixed a bug with redirecting AGVs at times other than On Pre-Arrival of way points.

[arunTTT2P]

Hi,

How's the new random stream function getstream() functions in a statistical distribution?

Regards,

Arun KR

[philboboADSK]

The commands are documented in the software:

Do you have a specific question about getstream()?

[arunTTT2P]

Thanks.

[matt_long]

Known issue:

1. Dashboard Quick Library throws exceptions. (Fixed Nov. 20)
2. Location objects (People) throw exceptions when opening their properties page. (Fixed Nov. 20)

[support5CRPZ]

I expect 2018 version will make customers and us happy.

I hope the Date Time Source activity will be included in the 3D Source object as a pick option list of Arrival Style.

I think the feature of it to be needed right now.

[philboboADSK]

You can add a Create Objects activity after the Date Time Source to generate flowitems in the model.

We have no plans to add this functionality to the 3D Source object.

[clair_augsburgerZGWRZ]

I agree with David, I suggest you add this feature in the dev list. Users will wonder why we can use dates in a process flow source but not in a 3D source.

[michael_machado]

Yes, make sense @Clair A and @david.seo.

[thomas_van_de_sande]

hi,

It seems the Excel import is completely broken - is this a problem others are having as well? I can't get it to import either Excel 2016 or Excel 2013 files and it also says the table I have selected doesn't exist every time.

exception: Exception Caught in ExcelAuto::importData(int startrow, int startcol, int rows, int cols, int curtable, double percentdone, double percentmain) object: /Tools/ExcelAuto
exception: Exception Caught in ExcelAuto::importTables(int onreset) object: /Tools/ExcelAuto
exception: Exception Caught in ExcelAuto::doImport() object: /Tools/ExcelAuto
exception: Exception Caught in ObjectFunction101__project_exec_commandlist_excelmultitableimport_node object: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node i: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node class: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node

exception: Exception caught in TreeNode::callMemberFunction() c++/dll execution. Throwing... MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node c: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node i: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node thisClass: MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node
exception: Exception caught in evaluation of MAIN:/project/exec/commandlist/excelmultitableimport/node

[JordanLJohnson]

I'll get this on the dev list. Thanks for the feedback!

[JordanLJohnson]

Can you send in a model and excel file that demonstrate the problem? I tried a few excel files, but couldn't replicate the issue.

[thomas_van_de_sande]

demo-broken-excelfile.zip

Hi Jordan,

Here's an empty model and excel file which cause the same error for me.

demo-broken-excelfile.zip

[matt_long]

Looks like a bug. We'll get this fixed.

[sastanin]

The download page still shows the same version number and the old release date:

But the file itself appears to be updated and signed on 01 December 2017. The product version of this update is 18.0.0.433. The previous update that I have downloaded was signed on 10 November 2017, and the product version was 18.0.0.409. Both files have the same name.

Could you please announce SHA256 and put the full product version or release date in the file name of the installers, just for the sake of being able to distinguish different installers/updates?

[marco_baccalaro]

As in the previous versions, the Time plot is not showing the line (or the dots) if the values don't change during the time. You can see this on the attached model where the value is always 14

time-plot-with-same-value.fsm

Additionally, in my opinion it would be very useful to introduce the possibility to set the Y axis range limits when we don't want to be the graph itself to change them basing on the minimum and the maximum values.

time-plot-with-same-value.fsm

[JordanLJohnson]

Thanks for reporting the chart bug. We'll put that on the list. Also, I'll add a vote to the y-axis custom range idea. A few other people have suggested it as well.

[support5CRPZ]

The new person replacing with the old TaskExecuterFlowItem does not move as expected in Process Flow module.

When making the tutorial model of Flexsim Basics Tutorials 1.4 - Link the Models, the person does not move after creating Object: Customer like followed model.

workshop1-step4.fsm

Please check it again.

workshop1-step4.fsm

[philboboADSK]

This model has an old Person in it; not the new Person.

Where did this model come from? Did you open an older model and then start building the model?

If you start a new model in 18.0, then the FlowItem Bin has a new Person in it. If you open an old model, the FlowItem Bin has whatever was in it before.

[support5CRPZ]

I made the model using the previous beta version of November 10.

I changed the create Object Activity to new one. Is it not valid? If I want to use the previous version model, what should I do? Should I abandon the model and make the new one newly?

[arunTTT2P]

Hi,

Can we use legacy operator for people's module ? Looks like the model doesn't respond after some time, when a legacy operator is used.

Regards,

Arun KR

[philboboADSK]

There is no "new one" Person in this model. The "Person" in this model's flowitem bin is the old, static person that does not animate. In this model's flowitem bin, you don't have any taskexecuter flowitems.

If you add one and then select it in your Create Object activity, then it will work:

On a side note, we will update the Flexsim Basics Tutorial to reference the Person now instead of the TaskExecuterFlowItem, because the TaskExecuterFlowItem is no longer in the list for new models.

[philboboADSK]

This crash is a bug. We'll look into it.

[thomas_van_de_sande]

seems to have been fixed in the beta update, thanks!