Routing Rules
Flows use Routing Rules to dictate where Entities go first when traveling on a Flow Path with branching paths. This section provides the available Routing Rules and descriptions.
Edit a Flow's Routing Rules
- With the Simulation Browser open, go to ProModel > Simulation Properties. The Simulation Properties panel opens in the Simulation Browser.
- Select the Flows tab. The model's flows open.
- Select the Route icon
. The Route's Simulation Properties information opens. - Use the Type menu to see possible Routing Rules.
Routing Rule Descriptions
The following Routing Rules are available in ProModel AutoCAD® Edition:
First Available
The Entity within the Flow moves to whichever Location opens to receive. If multiple Locations are available, the Entity defaults to using the Route listed higher on the Simulation Browser panel within that particular group of Routes.
Percentage
A portion of Entities following the Flow go to each Location listed from the Entity’s current Location. What portion is based on the Percent value, which opens for this Type. Type a number to indicate what percentage of the total Entities coming from the source Location must follow the Route. Ensure that all Routes in a particular group using the Percentage Routing Rule have values in Percent that add up to 100.
Conditional
The Conditional Routing Rule is used when you must route entities to multiple locations depending on a specified circumstance. For example, suppose you have two entity types, Entity1 and Entity2, and must route them to two different locations, Location1 and Location2. Select the route to Location1, set Flow > Type to Condition, and choose the following options:
<Entity> = Entity1
This tells ProModel AutoCAD Edition to send only Entity1 to Location1. Use the same process to send Entity2 to Location2. Suppose you have several entities and only want to route Entity1 to Location1 while the remaining entities go to Location2. Use the following condition for Location2:
<Entity> <> Entity1
Another situation where you might want to use a Conditional Routing Rule is when a location reaches capacity, and you must route entities to a holding or storage location.
If Join
The If Join Routing Rule is used when a model portion is assembling parts. If a Flow segment is set to the If Join Routing Rule, then it remains in its previous Location until the Entity at the destination Location calls for it using a Join statement. The Route using the If Join Routing Rule should be the route that starts where the joining Entities are waiting and which leads to where the base Entity that executed the Join statement is waiting.
If Send
The If Send Routing Rule is used together with the Send Logic statement. The Route that leads Entities called for in the Send statement to the Location should be set to the If Send Routing Rule. This ensures that Entities wait at the Route's Source Location until a Send statement is made for them.
If Load
The If Load Routing Rule is used together with the Load Logic statement. A Route using the If Load Routing Rule leads the loading Entities to the base Entity where the Load statement is defined. Setting a Route to If Load ensures that Entities wait at the Route's Source Location until a Load statement is made for them.
Until Full
Entities continue to a Location until the Location has reached its capacity. If multiple Routes in a particular group are set to the Until Full Routing Rule, Entities continue to use the Route that is ordered highest on the Simulation Browser in that group until the destination Location of that Route is full, and then start using the second Route, and so on.
Most Available
Entities following the Flow determine which Locations has the most available capacity and travel to that Location.
Alternate
The Route is marked as an alternate path for Entities following the Flow. Entities follow this Route if the destination Location has available capacity and the condition for another primary Routing Rule is not met. For example, if a Location has three different Routes leading to three separate new Locations, two Routes could be set to the Until Full Routing Rule, and the third could be set to the Alternate Routing Rule. If the destination Locations of the two first arrows are at full capacity, meaning that their Routing Rule condition cannot be met, the Entity following the Flow is able to use the third Route as an Alternate path.