Simulating Processes with Tasks Assigned to Resources

This procedure describes the behavior of process simulation when you have tasks assigned to resources within your process. Based on the place from which you select your activities, the simulation runs the selected activity in the context of the task or it runs it in the context of the process.

This procedure has two parts:
The procedure assumes that you have a process with activities loaded, you have created at least one task list assigned to a resource (device, robot, or manikin), this resource is assigned to a generic activity and an active task was set for the resource for this activity.  All these operations are possible only in certain products (e.g., Workcell Sequencing or Human Task Simulation).
This procedure also assumes that you have a configuration that enables you to perform these steps.

Creating the Process

  1. Under the process node on the PPR tree, create a generic activity and assign a resource to this activity.

    See Adding Activities to a Process in the Process and Resource Definition User's Guide.

  2. Click Set Active Task.

    This command is only available in configurations with the Workcell Sequencing or Human Task Simulation products.  For more details on using this command, see the documentation for those products.
     

    1. Select the activity created in Step 1, above.

      The Active Task dialog box appears.

    2. Select the active task from the list on the right side of the dialog box.

      On the PPR tree, the name of the task activated for the resource appears next to the resource, where the resource is assigned to the activity.
 

Running a Simulation
 

  1. (Optional) Select an operation under a task.

    • If you do not select an operation or activity, the process is simulated. 
      The active tasks are part of the simulation and the inactive tasks are ignored.  Also, the simulation ignores the child activities declared directly under activities having resources with active tasks.  If no active task was defined for the resource assigned to an activity, the simulation replays the child activities for that activity, if any.  Otherwise, it replays the activity itself.
    • If you select an operation or task under an assigned resource in the Resource List or Product List of the PPR tree:

    • The simulation replays only the selected activity or task, in the context of the task.  Only the operations from the selected task will be part of the simulation (one task from one resource running).
    • If you select an activity under a task (operation) or task in the Process List of the PPR tree, you have the following options:
      • If the selected task is an active task or if the operation was selected under an active task, the selected operation or task will be simulated in the context of the process.  This means that all the activities from the process will be part of the simulation (e.g., you may have multiple resources running in parallel, different types of activities, etc.).
      • If the selected task is not an active task or if the operation was selected under a task that is not active, the simulation will run in the context of the selected task:  only the operations from the selected task is part of the simulation (one task from one resource running).

  2. Click Process Simulation .

    Depending on the context in which you selected the operation or task to simulate, or whether you are running the entire process, the portions of the simulation described above run.
Users can always ascertain which is the selected activity and which is the context the simulation (current process) uses by clicking Activity Options.