Failed to connect to the license server   Have you ever encountered this error?   ERROR: flxActAppActivationSend - (50041, 41143, 34) "Failed to connect to the license server or Operations server. Recover: check connection and that server is operational."       This error indicates that your computer is not able to communicate with FlexSim's license server.   If your computer is purposely air-gapped, please use the Manual XML licensing methods listed at the bottom of this article.   Protocols, ports, and addresses   A license activation or return will attempt to make HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) connections, currently with the following servers:   flexsim-fno.flexnetoperations.com license.flexsim.com www.flexsim.com sw.flexsim.com sw1.flexsim.com   Make sure these communications are allowed on your network.   To make sure you maintain compatibility with any possible future changes to our server configurations, consider configuring your network to allow communication with any *.flexsim.com subdomain.   Troubleshooting   Any of the following could prevent your FlexSim software from communicating with FlexSim's license servers:   Your computer is air-gapped or otherwise blocked from communicating over the Internet. The FlexSim software is not allowed to communicate over the Internet. FlexSim's above-listed addresses are blocked on your network or computer. Your network communicates through a proxy service but you haven't configured the proxy server settings inside FlexSim. FlexSim's license server may be down due to some outage or maintenance.   Let's look at solutions for each possibility:   1. No communication / connection issues   If your computer is disconnected from the Internet, you will need to connect in order to activate or return a license online. If this is not possible, please use the Manual XML licensing methods listed at the bottom of this article.   You may also see this error if you're on a flaky wi-fi connection, or a slow network connection. The communication must be solid enough that it does not time-out, where the client software is able to receive a response in a timely manner. If you are connected to the Internet but on a slow or unreliable connection, you can fall back to the Manual XML licensing methods, or you can retry the online activation multiple times - it may eventually complete successfully after several attempts.   2. FlexSim's communications are blocked   If your computer is connected and you can visit other sites, but FlexSim's licensing actions are still blocked, it could be due to an anti-virus solution or other security measure preventing the FlexSim Software's communications. Work with your IT team to disable such measures and test if FlexSim is allowed to communicate. If so, configure your security measures to allow FlexSim to communicate for licensing purposes, or if that is not possible, use the Manual XML licensing methods listed at the bottom of this article.   3. FlexSim's license server is blocked   Perhaps one or more of FlexSim's license server addresses (listed above) is blocked on your network. This could be a deliberate blocking of a specific address, or more likely a general block of a wider range of sites or IP addresses. Work with your IT team to determine if this is the case and if the block can be removed. If that is not possible, use the Manual XML licensing methods listed at the bottom of this article.   4. Proxy is not configured   If your network settings require that FlexSim communicates through a proxy server, you'll need to configure the software to do so.   For FlexSim version 23.0 and higher you'll do this directly in the software. From FlexSim's main menu, navigate to Help > License Activation > Advanced > Proxy Details. Fill in your proxy server information and click the Apply button.     If you're using an older version of FlexSim, you can download this attached model. This is an older model file compatible with FlexSim version 5.0 and up. It has a Model Control GUI that is an extension to the License Activation window that includes this extra tab where you can put proxy details.   proxy-details-v5.fsm   5. License is already activated but fulfillment is broken   The license you're trying to activate may already be activated on your computer, but in a broken or unusable state.   Follow the instructions for your license hosting situation to remove the broken fulfillments:   Standalone - Delete fulfillment License Server - Delete fulfillment   6. License server offline   There are circumstances when FlexSim's main license server can go offline. Most commonly this is due to regular updates or patches being applied. In this case the server will return to normal operation shortly. Please be patient and try again in a few minutes.   In cases where longer maintenance is planned you will find a notification at the top of this community indicating the purpose, date/time, and expected duration of such maintenance. This notification will be given as early as possible to help you plan around such downtime.   In rare circumstances an outage could be caused by a failure in one or more of the license server's databases, operating system, server hardware, networking, or data center. When such an outage occurs, we will post a notice at the top of this community and work to restore service as quickly as possible.   Help! I need support!   If none of the above suggestions work for you, please open a support ticket and include as many details as possible about what you've already tried and what you see happening.   Please be aware that if FlexSim's license server is online and other clients are able to activate and return their licenses successfully, that the issue is within your organization's network or on your computer. The proper place to turn to for support will be to your own internal IT teams. The above information, including the protocols, ports, and addresses and the different troubleshooting suggestions should be enough information to solve the issue.   Manual XML licensing   If you are not able to allow FlexSim to communicate over the Internet, please use our manual XML activation/return methods for offline systems:   Standalone - Activation - XML / Offline Standalone - Return - XML / Offline License Server - Activation - XML / Offline License Server - Return - XML / Offline  

A common question is whether the version of FlexSim must match the version of AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, Factory Design Utilities, or Vault.   The answer depends on whether you are importing a file or using a connected Autodesk product workflow.   Importing CAD drawings as model backgrounds   AutoCAD drawings can be imported into FlexSim as model backgrounds—for example, to provide a floor plan that helps you position simulation objects and accurately represent distances within a facility.   There is no requirement to create or resave a drawing in the same version of AutoCAD as FlexSim. In general, DWG imports are not tied to a matching AutoCAD annual release.   However, successful translation can still depend on the contents and version of the individual file. It is not possible to guarantee that every file produced by every historical version or third-party CAD application will translate identically. For the best results before importing a floor plan:   Remove unnecessary text, hatching, layers, and geometry. Check the drawing’s units and scale. Move relevant geometry reasonably close to the drawing origin. See Importing CAD Drawings and Floor Plans for additional guidance on DWG preparation and troubleshooting.   Importing CAD as the visual shape of a FlexSim object   CAD and 3D graphics files can also be used to change the visual appearance of an object in a FlexSim model. This is a file-import workflow rather than a live connection to the application that originally created the file.   In FlexSim versions 2024.2 to 2026, a separate AdskInterop module is required for Autodesk specific workflows. In Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and beyond, that functionality is baked into the software, no longer requiring a separate module.   Autodesk CAD formats that can be imported into FlexSim include:   .dwg .dxf .ipt .iam .rvt .3ds .fbx FlexSim also supports many non-Autodesk formats including:   .ac .dae .igs .jt .obj .skp .stp .usd For the comprehensive list of formats and additional information on working with 3D objects in FlexSim, refer to Creating and Importing Custom 3D Objects.   As with model backgrounds, these imports do not normally require the originating design application to have the same annual version as FlexSim. Compatibility is determined by the file format, the way the file was written, and the translation technology available in the installed FlexSim release.   Factory Design Utilities interoperability   Using Factory Design Utilities in conjunction with FlexSim is considered a connected product workflow, so its version requirements are different from ordinary file import. When using interoperability workflows such as connecting a layout between FlexSim and FDU, the version years need to match for each product involved. For example, when using FlexSim 2027, use:   Factory Design Utilities 2027 Inventor 2027 AutoCAD 2027 The annual versions should remain aligned. Using FlexSim 2027 with an earlier or later FDU installation is not a supported version combination. FlexSim releases will be updated as necessary to support the latest compatible Factory Design Utilities release.   This constraint does not apply to using the Factory Asset Browser within FlexSim. Using this feature does not require FDU to be installed at all, let alone matching versions. For more information about the FDU integration with FlexSim, please visit: FlexSim 2027 Help | Factory Design Utilities (FDU) | Autodesk   Vault interoperability   The FlexSim Vault integration is also considered a connected product workflow, so versions need to match between the products to access Vault features directly within FlexSim. For example, FlexSim 2027 should be used with Vault 2027. However, FlexSim models can be saved directly through the Vault interface, regardless of what version used.    The version requirement of using the built-in integration applies only to FlexSim and Vault Client. Vault Client and Vault Server compatibility vary slightly, where Vault Server may work with up to 2 earlier versions of Vault Client.   For more information about the Vault integration with FlexSim, please visit: FlexSim 2027 Help | Autodesk Vault | Autodesk   Summary   DWG or DXF model background: No matching AutoCAD annual release is required. Translation depends on the individual file. Imported custom 3D shape: No matching authoring-application release is generally required. Use a supported file format. Factory Design Utilities workflow: Match the annual release—FlexSim 2027 with FDU, Inventor, and AutoCAD 2027. Vault integration: Match the annual release—FlexSim 2027 with Vault 2027.

The following article applies to FlexSim versions 26.0 and older. For Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and onward, please visit Autodesk FlexSim 27.0 Licensing and Sign-in Experience   Names and version numbers   FlexSim releases have names like “FlexSim 2016 Update 1” (also known as FlexSim 16.1), with corresponding version numbers in the format year.update.bugfix.   The year version number tracks with the “release year” when the software was released. For example, FlexSim 2016, having version number 16.0.0, was released for the 2016 “release year”. A “release year” roughly follows the calendar year, but a 2017 release could come at the end of the 2016 calendar year, for instance. The update version number is a count of how many feature-updates have been produced for a “release year”. For example, version 16.0.0 is the first feature-release for 2016. It is not an update, so the update version number is “0”. FlexSim 2016 Update 1 has version number 16.1.0 – it is the first update to the 2016 release. 16.2.0 is the 2nd update, and so on. Bugfix version numbers change when software is released without significant new features, but where errors, inconsistencies, or other bugs are fixed. For example, the first bugfix release for FlexSim 2016 Update 1 is 16.1.1, the next 16.1.2, and so on. Release schedule   New versions of FlexSim are released on a loose schedule:   Yearly release: November beta, December release. Update 1: March beta, April release. Update 2: July beta, August release. Bugfixes: as needed As with all future-looking plans, this schedule is subject to change. You should not rely on this schedule for making purchasing decisions.   How licensing works for a given version number   A new license is required for feature releases (i.e. year and update releases). Bugfix releases do not need a new license. For example, if you have a 16.1 license, you can license any FlexSim 2016 Update 1 releases, including all its bugfix releases, like 16.1.0, 16.1.1, 16.1.2, etc.   Licenses can also be used for older versions – i.e. they are backward compatible. For instance, if you have a 16.1 license, it can license any 16.1.x release, plus all older versions of the software back to 5.0.0. However, your 16.1 license will not work for any newer versions, such as 16.2.x or 17.0.x.   License Codes   Your license code should look something like mycompany.com03-A9B8C-7D6E5-F4G3H-FSENT17.1. Each part conveys some information:   mycompany.com- means this seat was initially licensed to mycompany. 03 is a unique index number for the license, but the actual number is meaningless. This number persists across upgrades. The mycompany.com03 license, if upgraded to version 18.0 or 18.1, etc, would still begin with mycompany.com03, even though the random characters and version number would change. A9B8C... The middle part of a license code is a unique, random mix of letters and numbers. It is different for each license, and changes when a license is upgraded for the next FlexSim version. FSENT signifies the product, in this case FlexSim Enterprise, but you may also see FSEDU for Educational, or OPTQU for OptQuest, etc. Each FlexSim product has a unique product code. 17.1 specifies the version number this license is good for. It can be used to license any FlexSim 17.1.x version or earlier, back to version 5.0. The license won't work for later software versions, like 17.2 or 18.0. For that, the license must have current maintenance and be upgraded for use with the new version. Upgrading Licenses   To use a new year or update release, your FlexSim license will need to be upgraded.   The exact steps for upgrading your license differ based on your type of license:   License Server - Upgrading your hosted licenses Standalone - Upgrading your license If your maintenance agreement has expired, or if you have timed licenses, your licenses will not upgrade. In either case, please contact your local FlexSim representative.   If you install and run a version of FlexSim software greater than your license’s version number, that newer software won’t be licensed, but will run in the feature-limited "Express" mode. To use a fully-featured, licensed copy of the software, make sure that the software’s year.update version number is not greater than your license’s year.update version number (which is typically visible in the license code itself as the final digits of the code - see License Codes above).   Long-term support (LTS) versions   From Wikipedia: Long-term support (LTS) is a product lifecycle management policy in which a stable release of computer software is maintained for a longer period of time than the standard edition.   FlexSim maintains the year release for more than a year, overlapping with the release of the next yearly release for a few months.   Here is an example of how it works:   In December 2017, the current LTS release was version 17.0.11. That same month version 18.0.0 was released. Because 18.0 was brand new, it was not yet considered the LTS version - we let it mature a bit before promoting it to the current LTS. During the time when 18.0 was the latest version, new bugfix releases were added for both 18.0 and 17.0. Finally, in April 2018, 18.1.0 was released. At that time the 18.0 branch was on its 4th bugfix release, 18.0.4, and the 17.0 LTS branch was up to 17.0.13. With the release of 18.1.0 the 18.0 branch was promoted to our current LTS release, and the 17.0 LTS was retired - it receives no further bugfix releases.   As with all future-looking plans, our LTS plan is subject to change. You should not rely on this plan for making purchasing decisions.   Downloading an appropriate version of FlexSim software   To download the version of FlexSim software that best matches your license version:   Log in to your FlexSim Account at https://account.flexsim.com/login/. Visit the downloads page at https://account.flexsim.com/downloads/. Download the latest bugfix release for your license’s version.   If a version of the software most appropriate for your license version is not listed on the main download page, click the More Versions button next to the product matching your license (see screenshot). This will open an expanded view with older versions of that product. Older software versions are not available for download from within unlicensed guest accounts. Additionally, software that has reached End of Life (no support) may no longer be listed for download. Contact your support representative for more information or to inquire about a specific legacy version.     If your FlexSim Account is a guest account (does not own a FlexSim license), only the latest software versions are available for download. Your FlexSim Account must own a license directly, or a license owner can share their license info with you, in order for you to see the More Versions button and have access to download older versions of the software. Visit your Licenses page to see if your account has access to licenses and have them loaded into your account session, then go back to the Downloads page and look for the More Versions button. Older software versions are not available for download from within unlicensed guest accounts.   Model compatibility across FlexSim versions   FlexSim versions are backward compatible, meaning that when a model built in an older year.update release of the software is opened in a newer year.update version, the model is put through an upgrade process that updates the model for use in that later version:     We recommend always saving this updated model under a new file name in order to preserve the original, non-upgraded model file, which you should archive for safe keeping.   FlexSim is NOT forward compatible, meaning that a particular year.update version of FlexSim does not support opening model files saved in newer year.update versions of the software. This is due to changes that are introduced to objects, data structures, added features, etc., that an older version of the software would not support.   A FlexSim model built with a particular year.release version of FlexSim can be opened by any bugfix release of the same year.release version, forward or backward. Bugfix releases do not change objects, data structures, etc., in such a way as to break model compatibility across different bugfix versions of the same year.update FlexSim release.   You should use judgment and care in upgrading models and continuing model development in newer versions of the software. If your simulation team has licenses that have expired at different times, and a colleague is on an older license and you are not able to renew maintenance at this time, you may want to standardize on that lowest version number of FlexSim so that models your team creates and edits can be interoperable among teammates.   FlexSim's model upgrade functionality is fairly robust, but if you are upgrading a model from a version of FlexSim many years older than the version you're opening it in, it may be necessary to open and save the model in an intermediate version (or two). Contact your FlexSim support representative if you encounter any problems upgrading your FlexSim model to a later version.   Opening Files from different versions (Flexsim Version Selector)   If this is a first time install of the FlexSim software, you can double click on any .fsm file and Windows will ask you what software you'd like to open .fsm files. In the program selection scroll down to the version entitled Flexsim Version Selector. This application will automatically open any .fsm file in the version that the file was originally saved or created in.   Alternatively, you can right click on a .fsm file in Windows and navigate to the option Open With > and then navigate to Flexsim Version Selector from here. This will set the version selector application as the primary method for opening .fsm files in the future.  

The following article applies to FlexSim versions 26.0 and older. For Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and onward, please visit Autodesk FlexSim 27.0 Licensing and Sign-in Experience   Pools of features, organized by version   A license is actually a set of features. Different license types are made up of different sets of features. This table shows the various features that make up different FlexSim license types (Enterprise, Educational, Runtime, etc):     Each license is set to a given version, and each of the contained features is at that version.   With that background, once a license is activated on a license server, its features are added to a pool of license features at a given version. So for instance, let's say you have the following 2 licenses activated to your license server:   Enterprise 23.0 - 2 seats Runtime 22.2 - 1 seat   Once these licenses are activated to your license server, the server actually has no idea it has 2 Enterprise and 1 Runtime. It sees only the following pools of license features:   dragdropconnect 2 seats [23.0: 2 seats] (the Runtime license didn't provide one of these) compile 3 seats [23.0: 2 seats, 22.2: 1 seat] xmlsaveload 2 seats [23.0: 2 seats] (the Runtime license didn't provide one of these) ... commercialuse 3 seats [23.0: 2 seats, 22.2: 1 seat] createobjects 2 seats [23.0: 2 seats] (the Runtime license didn't provide one of these) modeltree 1 seat [22.2: 1 seat] (not a feature of Enterprise licenses)   FlexSim software is feature-greedy   By default, when a FlexSim install contacts a license server for a license, it will try to get 1 of every feature at the software's version or later. In this way we say that FlexSim software is "greedy". For instance, under the above scenario, when you start FlexSim 22.2, the software will default to pull the following features:   dragdropconnect compile xmlsaveload stochastics consolescript nomodellimit entiretree commercialuse createobjects modeltree   The italicized features are Enterprise-specific. The bold feature is Runtime specific. The software just tries to get one of each feature, so now its feature set is a hybrid of Enterprise+Runtime. In the software it reports a "Custom" license:     If a 2nd person were to open the 22.2 software, they would get that same set, minus the one modeltree feature from Runtime, essentially giving them the 2nd Enterprise seat.   If a 3rd person tried to open the software in version 22.2, they would get a slightly hobbled version of a Runtime license, without the modeltree feature. Any in-software features that relied on that being present would be blocked.   Only checkout features for license type   The software includes an option to limit what features it will ask for:     In this way you can ensure that the right people are getting the right feature set.    

The following article applies to FlexSim versions 26.0 and older. For Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and onward, please visit Autodesk FlexSim 27.0 Licensing and Sign-in Experience   Staying up-to-date   FlexSim recommends staying up-to-date and using the latest Software version. New features, improvements, and bug fixes make your simulations more stable, more powerful, and easier to build.   In addition, the Software is developed for use with contemporaneous hardware, operating systems, and drivers. Among other reasons, as third parties phase out these technologies, FlexSim must discontinue support for Software versions developed for use with those technologies.   Finally, as usage of older versions decreases, FlexSim must devote its resources to supporting more recent Software versions to best serve the majority of our customers who stay current on Software maintenance and updates.   Lifecycle and Support Policy   If you must use an older Software version, understanding the Software Support Lifecycle will help you make informed decisions about when to upgrade.   A Software release is generally supported until it is four (4) or more versions prior to the current release. For the most up-to-date lifecycle and support policy information, please see section 17. Software Support of FlexSim's Software License Agreement (SLA).   As with all future-looking plans, our lifecycle and support policy is subject to change. You should not rely on this policy for making purchasing decisions. We attempt to keep this article up to date, but in any cases where this information disagrees with FlexSim's Software License Agreement, the SLA governs.   Lifecycle status terminology   Supported - FlexSim will maintain licensing infrastructure necessary for a given Software version and will provide technical support for that version for licensed users under current maintenance or subscription. Bugfixes - Bugfixes are issued periodically for the latest Software version, as needed. A Software version typically receives bugfixes until the next Software feature release. Learn more about FlexSim version numbering and bugfixes. LTS - Long-term support versions receive bugfixes for a longer period, typically 12-15 months. Beta - Preview the next version of FlexSim Software for demonstration, testing, and validation. Beta versions may not be suitable for day-to-day production use. Beta versions are superseded by their production-release version. No support - After a Software version is 4 or more versions older than the latest release it is no longer supported. Such a version may continue to work on the computer where it is installed and licensed, but it is no longer eligible for technical support and FlexSim cannot guarantee that licensing infrastructure will remain in place to move the license key to another computer.   Supported Versions   The following Software versions are currently supported.    Application   Version   General Availability     Lifecycle Status  FlexSim 26.0 2025-12-09   supported + LTS FlexSim 25.2 2025-08-12   supported FlexSim 25.1 2025-04-14   supported FlexSim 25.0 2024-12-11   supported   Unsupported Versions   The following Software versions are past their supported lifecycle. We recommend updating your software to a supported version.    Application   Version   General Availability   End-of-Life   Lifecycle Status  FlexSim 24.2 2024-08-05 2024-12-09 no support FlexSim 24.1 2024-04-08 2025-08-12 no support FlexSim 24.0 2024-12-06 2025-04-14 no support FlexSim 23.2 2023-08-07 2024-12-11 no support FlexSim 23.1 2023-04-03 2024-08-05 no support FlexSim 23.0 2022-12-05 2024-04-08 no support FlexSim 22.2 2022-08-02 2024-04-05 no support FlexSim 22.1 2022-04-04 2024-04-05 no support FlexSim 22.0 2021-12-06 2024-04-05 no support FlexSim 21.2 2021-08-09 2024-04-05 no support FlexSim 21.1 2021-04-02 2024-04-02 no support FlexSim 21.0 2020-12-04 2024-03-26 no support FlexSim 20.2 2020-08-11 2024-03-26 no support FlexSim 20.1 2020-04-10 2024-03-26 no support FlexSim 20.0 2019-12-06 2023-12-31 no support FlexSim 17.0 - 19.2 various 2023-12-31 no support FlexSim 7.7 - 16.2 various 2022-06-30 no support HC 5.3 2017-10-13 2022-06-30 no support FlexSim < 7.7 various 2020-12-31 no support HC < 5.3 various 2020-12-31 no support   Notes   The date format used is YYYY-MM-DD Bugfix releases follow the same lifecycle as the major release with which they are associated. Versions not listed should be assumed as past their supported lifecycle.  

The following article applies to FlexSim versions 26.0 and older. For Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and onward, please visit Autodesk FlexSim 27.0 Licensing and Sign-in Experience   Preparation   You may want to brush up on how a license version is related to a product version.   When you understand what version of FlexSim will work with your license, download and install an appropriate software version for your license.   Find your licenses   From your FlexSim Account, click the Licenses link in the top menu. In the submenu, choose List. Expand the various product and version folders to find the Activation ID you wish to activate. An Activation ID looks similar to this example: yourcompany.com01-ABCDE-FGHIJ-KLMNO-FSENT21.2 Highlight and copy the Activation ID you will activate.   License your software   Open FlexSim Software. Click Help in the main menu. Choose License Activation. Paste your Activation ID into the field. Click the Activate button. Wait for an indication of success. Repeat for any other Activation ID you wish to activate to this computer.   Your license activates via the Internet, so make sure your computer is connected!   If your computer is offline or has trouble connecting to FlexSim's license server, try the Standalone - Activation - XML / Offline instructions.

The following article applies to FlexSim versions 26.0 and older. For Autodesk FlexSim 2027 and onward, please visit Autodesk analytics programs | Autodesk   You might be wondering what data is collected when you use FlexSim simulation software. How is it sent to FlexSim? How is it stored? What is it used for? Can you opt out?   Below you'll read all about it, but for those who can't be bothered:   tl;dr: Our customers have complete control when deciding what data is sent to FlexSim. Any data gathering is easily circumvented, disabled, or avoided.   If that interests you, read below for the details.   Introduction There are four ways your data may be sent to FlexSim, and there are workarounds you can implement for each to avoid sharing any data. Each link jumps to its section below: FlexSim Accounts (contact information) Licensing your software or your local license server (license and computer information) Online communications from the software (license and computer information) Support or model building services (customer-sent data) You can also jump to the Conclusion.   FlexSim Accounts We receive user personal contact information when someone signs up for a FlexSim account, or when an account is created for a person in order to give them a license. FlexSim Account information includes required fields (name, email, organization, country) and optional fields (including title, address info, phone). These data are submitted to FlexSim through web forms. Our website is only accessible via HTTPS, with TLS 1.2 or higher enforced. FlexSim's databases are hosted in United States data centers, and this data is encrypted at rest with AES-256. Data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2. FlexSim US's CRM is HubSpot, and US contacts are saved there. HubSpot ensures that your data is encrypted at rest. HubSpot's sites and services are accessed via HTTPS and we've configured our account's security settings to require TLS 1.2 or higher. Contacts from outside the United States are forwarded to their regional FlexSim distributor, who operate independently and may use a different CRM. Our websites track usage information to help us improve our marketing and fix site issues. Basic web browsing logging data is collected, such as IP/location information, browser type, session duration, etc. Additionally, if you are logged in to your FlexSim account, we keep download, license, and profile logs. Check out Autodesk's privacy policy. Workaround A FlexSim Account requires a person's contact information for convenience only. If a customer wishes, an account can be set up with a generic name, like "CompanyXYZ FlexSim Rep," and a generic email, like "[email protected]". Having a real name and email of an actual person is convenient, but also optional. As long as we have a way to communicate with a customer, that works!   Licensing License codes When a client PC communicates with our main license server to activate or return a standalone FlexSim license, it does so over secure HTTPS.   When licensing a local license server using the licensing utility flexsimserveractutil.exe license codes are transmitted in plaintext over HTTP. This means that license codes are transmitted in the clear. The risk to a licensed user is that if your online communications are being monitored your license keys could be compromised, allowing someone else to obtain your FlexSim license keys and potentially use them to activate your FlexSim licenses and consume your seats, leaving you without the ability to activate those seats normally.   If there is ever an issue where a license should be available but for some reason is not successfully activating, customers can contact their local FlexSim distributor for licensing support. These situations can be handled quickly.   License codes are stored in plaintext in FlexSim's main Flexnet Operations server database.   Additional license history information When a license is activated over the Internet, whether by a client PC (standalone license) or when configuring a license server (server license), FlexSim also receives the Windows username of the person logged in doing the action, and the Windows computer name where the license is being activated. When activating a standalone license this information is first AES-256 encrypted before transmission over HTTP. For a license server the username/computer name are transmitted in plaintext over HTTP. Once received by FlexSim, the Windows computer name and username are stored in our database which is LUKS encrypted at rest and are displayed to the customer in their account's license history. The license history allows customers to track license usage and location - a useful feature requested by our customers to help manage standalone licenses shared among multiple people.   When activating a standalone license over the internet, the software also sends basic operating system and FlexSim software version information, which, like the Windows username/computername, is AES-256 encrypted before being transmitted over HTTP. This additional information is AES-256 encrypted at rest.   Workaround We have an alternate method of licensing that applies to both standalone PCs and license servers where a user generates XML requests and manually submits them to FlexSim's website over HTTPS using TLS 1.2 or higher. Licensing by XML avoids the following potential issues: License codes sent in plaintext over HTTP FlexSim receiving Windows username and computer name information, and in the case of standalone licensing, additional operating system and FlexSim software version information. Manual licensing is somewhat less convenient and more time consuming than online licensing - instead of just a button push there are several steps to follow in sequence, including generating requests, uploading requests, downloading responses, processing responses. It is up to you to decide whether easy-online or manual-XML licensing is most appropriate for your organization.   License operations, both automated/online or manual/XML are documented in our article Licensing Procedures.   Online communications Start page FlexSim software has a web-based start page that by default sends basic computer information to FlexSim to request introductory content to display when starting the software. This information includes FlexSim version, and general Operating System properties including Windows version, language, and country. These are used to display appropriate content to the user. For instance, we have localized versions of the start page depending on the country and language settings sent by the client PC. If a computer is licensed, the license information along with Windows username and computer name are also sent, again for a history of license use, and also in the case that FlexSim needs to display specific information only to licensed users, such as expected maintenance windows for FlexSim's main license server, etc.   The start page is enabled by default. The above-described information is AES-256 encrypted and then transmitted to FlexSim over HTTPS using TLS 1.2 or higher. The data remains AES-256 encrypted at rest.   Telemetry A user can also enable additional telemetry as an opt-in feature. This sends additional operating system and hardware information such as CPU, RAM, screen resolution, GPU type and driver version, all of which helps us build an aggregated view of the computer capabilities of our user base. This is useful for development decisions, to make sure we target the simulation software to hardware that is generally available to a majority of our user base. This telemetry info is AES-256 encrypted, transmitted to FlexSim over HTTPS TLS 1.2 or higher, and stored in AES-256 at rest.   Workaround: The start page can be disabled with an in-software setting. Additional telemetry is an opt-in feature. You can read more about online communication in our Sofware License Agreement, item 15. Online Communication. The in-software settings are configured from FlexSim simulation software's main menu > File > Global Preferences > Dynamic Content tab.   Support In the course of using FlexSim simulation software, your simulation engineers may send models or other data to Autodesk's FlexSim support team for help via email, or by posting to this online community. Your employees should only do so according to whatever applicable policies you have in place.   In this online community, questions are asked publicly, allowing our worldwide community and partners to help solve problems and provide answers, insights, and experience. Any information or attachments posted to this community are public.   Workaround Don't post or email confidential data. If you need support but your simulation model contains proprietary/confidential/secret information, you could: Pose a general question without including any attachments. Post a sample model you create that demonstrates the question or issue at hand without using any confidential information. If you have a current maintenance contract, you can also contact your local FlexSim distributor for live phone or web meeting support. You could share your screen so that our support staff could help troubleshoot your issues directly on your PC. In this way you could get the help you need without ever transferring any files or data off your computer.   Conclusion Any data that FlexSim might receive is described above, and any data gathering can be circumvented, disabled, or avoided using the provided workarounds. Our customers maintain complete control when deciding what data is sent to FlexSim. In addition, we're happy to delete any information we may already have on your company or your users. We are responsive to our customer's requests and wish to assure you of our commitment to your privacy and security. Simply contact your local FlexSim distributor with any requests about what data we have about you or to request any deletions.   Thank you for your patience in reviewing this long article! Contact your local FlexSim distributor if you have any questions or concerns.

One method for creating a 4-station rotating turntable using process flow.

Demonstrating Map Array Initialization and Population

FlexSim 2025 LTS is now available for download.   You can view the Release Notes in the online user manual.   FlexSim 25.0.12 Release Notes   If you have bug reports or other feedback on the software, please create a new post in FlexSim Forums.

Gather the statistics of total travel distance of a task executer that is created via process flow

When working with complex hierarchical models in FlexSim, referencing objects deep inside a structure can quickly become difficult to manage. When not using multiple centre port connections (which gets messy)  users often rely on manually created labels and pointers, but that in turn can  introduce extra work and inconsistency—especially when deciding whether a label should reference a single object or an array. This post describes a small set of user commands, packaged as an auto-installing user library, that automatically builds and maintains hierarchical object references based on each object’s role. The goal is simple: allow users to reference objects using intuitive chains like: current.printerCell.rewinder.turret without manually creating or maintaining those labels. What this does This system automatically: creates label pointers based on object roles (functionname) builds those references up the hierarchy optionally propagates system-level references downward handles single vs multiple objects automatically rebuilds everything on reset so it stays consistent How it is set up The functionality is delivered as: an auto-installing user library containing the commands a template container that includes: a reset trigger that calls: containerReset(current) predefined labels: functionname systemContainer Users can drop this container into their model and begin assigning functionname labels to objects. The rest is handled automatically at reset. Core concept Each object declares its role using a label such as: functionname = "rewinder" From this, the system builds references dynamically using only the tree hierarchy. A key point is that this is not limited to containers. Any object, including standard FlexSim fixed resources such as processors, sources, queues, and sinks, can and should also be given a functionname when you want it to participate in the reference structure. That means this system maps not just structure, but function. How it works 1. Reset seeds the reference map On reset, each relevant container calls: containerReset(current) This starts the process of rebuilding all references from the current tree structure. 2. Objects register themselves upward If an object has a non-empty functionname, it adds a reference to itself on the next relevant level above it. So if a rewinder contains a turret, the rewinder can gain: rewinder.turret 3. Non-functional levels are skipped If an intermediate object has no functionname, the logic recurses through it rather than making it part of the reference chain. That means purely structural levels can exist in the tree without cluttering the reference path. So a structure like: printerCell   └─ layoutContainer        └─ rewinder             └─ turret can still produce: printerCell.rewinder.turret even though layoutContainer exists physically in the tree. 4. System containers propagate references downward If an object has: systemContainer = true then its own functionname is pushed down to all contained objects. So if printerCell is marked as a system container, nested objects can directly reference: current.printerCell This makes it easy for deeply nested components to find the root system they belong to. 5. Repeated roles become arrays automatically If a label already points to one object and a second different object needs to be stored under the same role name, the value is automatically converted into an array. So if one rewinder contains multiple turrets, then: rewinder.turret becomes an array of turret pointers instead of a single pointer. Users do not need to decide this in advance. Works for both machines and factories A useful feature of this approach is that a “system” does not have to mean a single tightly integrated machine. A system can be: one complex interconnected machine acting as a whole one cell within a larger process a factory made up of linked but physically distinct cells As long as those objects live under a meaningful tree structure, the same logic works. A printer cell can be used as a standalone system, then placed inside a larger factory container and reset again to gain one more level of functional context. That makes the approach scalable from machine-level modeling to line-level or factory-level organization. Example model I’m also including an example printer cell model where the labels are not pre-populated. You can: open the model press Reset inspect the created labels on the objects Then you can place that same printer cell inside a factory container, reset again, and inspect the results after the hierarchy changes. That gives a simple way to see the library working in both a standalone and larger-system context. Implementation details Below are the three user commands that make this work. 1. containerReset(<container>) Purpose This is the reset entry point. It does three things: registers the current object upward on its parent if it has a functionname if the current object is a systemContainer, propagates a reference to itself downward through everything beneath it calls the recursive function that builds the rest of the pointer map below it So this command seeds both the upward and downward context, then delegates the deeper hierarchy building. 2. assertReference(<objectToAddReference>, <referenceName>, <referenceObject>) Purpose This utility adds a reference safely and automatically handles whether the label should be: a single pointer or an array of pointers If the label is empty, it stores a single object pointer. If it already points to a different object, it converts the value into an array. If it is already an array, it adds the new object only if it is not already present. This is what removes the need for users to decide ahead of time whether a role is unique or repeated. 3. assertallobjectpointers(<involved>, <container>) Purpose This is the recursive traversal function. It walks downward through the tree under container and looks for objects with a non-empty functionname. When it finds one, it adds a reference on current using that object’s function name. When it encounters an object with no functionname, it does not stop. Instead, it recurses further downward through that object’s children. This is the key to skipping non-functional levels in the tree. In effect, this command says: Starting from the current functional object, keep searching downward until you find the next lower functional objects, then create references to them. That is what allows the reference chain to reflect logical structure rather than every structural level. Why this is useful This approach gives you: cleaner, more readable code no manual label maintenance automatic support for one-or-many references a functional map of the model rather than just a physical tree better reuse of machines, cells, and factory-level groupings Instead of writing search logic, you can work with meaningful chains such as: current.printerCell.rewinder.turret Best practices Use role-based names Set functionname based on what the object does, not its instance name. Good examples: printerCell rewinder turret infeedQueue Less useful examples: object1 machineA testNode Be consistent across models If you reuse systems or templates, keep the same functionname values so code remains portable. Add functionname only where it adds value Not every object needs one. Use it on objects you want to reference directly in logic. Include fixed resources too Do not treat this as a container-only feature. Fixed resources such as processors, sources, queues, and sinks can also participate and often should as these will be the objects your want to setup, load or listen to. Use systemContainer deliberately Mark the objects that represent meaningful system roots. That may be a machine, a cell, a line, or a factory-level grouping. Expect arrays when a role repeats If multiple objects with the same function appear under the same functional parent, that reference will become an array. Keep the hierarchy meaningful Since this works purely from tree structure, the physical organization of the tree should support the logical organization of the model. Use it to remove search logic If you find yourself repeatedly searching for the same kind of object, that is often a sign that it should have a functionname. Summary This approach turns the model hierarchy into a self-maintaining functional reference map. By assigning functionname labels to meaningful objects and rebuilding relationships during reset with containerReset(current), the model can automatically expose useful object references without manual wiring. That works whether the model represents a single complex machine or a larger factory made up of linked but physically distinct cells. The result is cleaner code, easier maintenance, and a more consistent way to navigate hierarchical models.

Open FlexSim Software. Click Help in the main menu. Choose License Activation. Click the Return tab. Each of your activated licenses will be listed in the dropdown selector. Select a license you want to return. Click the Return button. Please wait while your FlexSim Software communicates with the license server. The status text will update, and should end with an indication of success. Repeat to return any other Activation IDs that need to be returned.