Simul8 COM Properties

There are many benefits to using COM with Simul8, some of these include:

• An even deeper analysis of your simulation results by connecting Simul8 to Python or VBA.
• Opens up options to automatically run Models without opening Simul8

The following presents Simul8 COM Properties, Methods and Events. This list uses Visual Basic syntax for ease of understanding. You can also find this list in a .pdf form in your Simul8 installation directory (for example, C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SIMUL8\COMDocumentation.pdf) with the name COMDocumentation.pdf. 

For instructions on how to establish the connection between a COM language and Simul8 see the VBA and COM, and the Python and COM help files. 

The Events can be utilised to trigger a section of code by using the specific time events such as on end run in the example below. Alternatively, the Custom Event command below can be utilised to be triggered in an event within Visual Logic code such as once's a Work item of a certain label has exited an object.

An example is the use of the event “S8SimulationEndRun()” to call out the model results on end run using two S8Simulation object Properties to loop through the KPI list.

Call Custom DLL 

Event S8SimulationCustomEvent(TextInfo As String) 

Call event on End Run 

Event S8SimulationEndRun() 

Call event on End Trial 

Event S8SimulationEndTrial() 

Call event on Simulation Open 

Event S8SimulationOpened() 

Executes before Simul8 closes down 

Event S8SimulationReadyToClose() 

Call event on Reset

Event S8SimulationReset() 

Call event on Custom message open 

Event S8SimulationUserMessage(Answer As Long, TextMsg As String, ValidAnswers As Long) 

This class applies to the entire Simul8 system and returns overall simulation information as seen in the Event example above.

Method includes commands that call on something within the simulation e.g. an event such as deleting Work Items. An example of this, is the code below which opens a specific simulation file.

Block Current Routing 

Sub BlockCurrentRouting() 

CodeName is the name of a block of Visual Logic in the currently open simulation. 

Sub CallVL(CodeName As String) 

Close the currently open simulation

Sub Close() 

Copy Selected Objects 

Sub CopySelectedObjects(XOffset As Long, YOffset As Long) 

Delete Current Work Item 

Sub DeleteCurrentWI() 

Delete Selected Objects  

Sub DeleteSelectedObjects() 

CodeLine is a single line of Visual Logic or multiple lines separated by CRLF 

Sub ExecVL(CodeLine As String) 

Returns the Profit total 

Sub GetProfitTotals(Cost As Single, Revenue As Single) 

Link Simulation Objects 

Sub LinkSimObjects(SourceObject As S8SimObject, DestObject As S8SimObject, TravelTime As Single) 

Closes the currently open simulation without saving and opens FileName.  This can be any file type supported in SIMUL8 File/Open. 

Sub Open(FileName As String) 

Close SIMUL8 without saving currently open simulation 

Sub Quit() 

Schedules a return to time zero.  The simulation is not actually reset until all outstanding windows events are processed.  This should be your last line of code before user interaction, or, if this is not possible, call DoEvents (or equivalent) until all events are processed. 

Sub ResetSim(rns As Long) 

Run Simulation 

Sub RunSim(endtime As Double) 

Save Simulation 

Sub Save(FileName As String) 

Set Work Item Label value

Sub SetCurrentWILabelValue(LabelName As String, Value As Single) 

Set Shift Times 

Sub SetShiftTimes(ShiftName As String, startTime As Single, endtime As Single) 

Set Travel Times 

Sub SetTravelTime(SourceObject As S8SimObject, DestObject As S8SimObject, TravelTime As Single) 

Set Work Item Image 

Sub SetWIImage(ImageName As String)

Step Simulation one event 

Sub StepSim() 

Stop Simulation 

Sub StopSim() 

Run Trial 

Sub TrialSim(Runs As Long, dispResults As Boolean) 

Unlink Simulation Objects 

Sub UnLinkSimObjects(SourceObject As S8SimObject, DestObject As S8SimObject) 

Unselects objects on the Simulation window 

Sub UnSelectObjects() 

Name should be set to the name you want for the object, but if it is invalid it will be adjusted as the object is created. 

Function CreateSimObject(Name As String, ObjType As String) 

ObjType must be one of: 

• 'WORK CENTER' (Activity) 
• 'STORAGE' (Queue) 
• 'ENTRY' (Start Point) 
• 'EXIT' (End Point) 
• 'CONVEYOR' 
• 'TANK'
• 'PIPE' 
• 'PROCESS' 
• 'RESOURCE' 
• 'LOADER' 
• 'UDOBJECT'; 

Return Current Work Item Label value 

Function GetCurrentWILabelValue(LabelName As String) As Single 

Get a current result value from any simulation object or other type of result giving item in SIMUL8. ItemName is the name of the objects (eg “Group 1”).  For Code 1 and 2 add such a result interactively to the results summary and save as XML.  Inspect the XML file to see the code1 and 2 values. 

Function GetResultByText(ItemName As String, Code1 As Long, Code2 As Long) As Single 

S8Simulation properties can be utilised to call out simulation information such as in the Event example below.

An example is the use of the event “S8SimulationEndRun()” to call out the model results on end run using two S8Simulation object Properties to loop through the KPI list.

SIMUL8’s BuildNumber 

Property  BuildNumber As Long 

    read-only 

Returns TRUE is the Professional version of COM is available in this SIMUL8 installation. 

Property  COMProfessional As Boolean 

    read-only 

Returns the path and name of the log file being used for the Results/Detailed log.  Reference this function whenever you need to open and read the file.  Only immediately after it is called can you be sure it is safe the open the file for reading. 

Property  DetailedResultsLogFile As String 

    read-only 

Set to false to have all user questions referred to the S8SimulationUserMessage COM event 

Property  DisplayUserMessages As Boolean 

The path and file name of the currently open simulation. 

Property  FileName As String 

Returns a 32bit word where each bit represents a SIMUL8 plug-in or equivalent. 

Property  InstalledFeatures As <Unsupported variant type> 

    read-only 

For OEM use only 

Property  OEMInstalledFeatures As <Unsupported variant type> 

    read-only 

Returns an object of type S8Result - see also ResultsCount 

Property  Results(Index As Long) As S8Result 

    read-only 

Returns the count of results collected

Property  ResultsCount As Long 

    read-only 

Property GDValue(Name As String, Col As Long, Row As Long) As Single , returns TRUE if COM Warnings are enabled 

Property  ShowCOMWarnings As Boolean 

Returns the Object’s name 

Property  SimObject(Name As String) 

    read-only 

Returns the number of items currently at the Object 

Property  SimObjectCount As Long 

    read-only 

Returns the Index of an Object 

Property  SimObjects(Index As Long) 

    read-only 

The speed of the simulation 

Property  SimSpeed As Long 

Returns Simulation Time 

Property  SimulationTime As Single 

Uses SolutionXML 

Property  SolutionXML As String

Returns the Simul8 Edition 

Property  Version As String 

    read-only 

Returns the version number 

Property  VersionNumber As Long 

    read-only 

States whether you can see Simul8 running or not 

Property  Visible As Boolean 

The Warm Up Period of the simulation 

Property  WarmUpTime As Single 

Gets the name of the simulation window 

Property  WindowHandle(WindowName As String) As Long 

    read-only

This class applies to Simul8 Objects and will return information on specific objects. See example below where a Custom Event is called within Visual logic to COM and the below Object Method ExecVL is used to alter the Efficiency of Activity 1.

Within Visual Logic in Simul8 the Custom Event is called on end of Activity 1 as in the image below, the Call COM Event looks for the matching event name in the COM Call.

The Object Methods can be utilised to alter a set of parameters of specific simulation objects, e.g the example above within the S8SimObject Class.

Add Work to Queue 

Sub AddWI(position As Long, WIType As String)

BreakDown 

Sub BreakDown(RestartDelay As Single) 

BreakReStart 

Sub BreakReStart()Sub Empty() 

Empty Simulation Object 

Sub Empty() 

Get Object Location 

Sub GetLocation(X As Single, Y As Single, WindowName As String) 

Returns the Profit Total 

Sub GetProfitResults(Cost As Single, Revenue As Single) 

Move Work Item 

Sub MoveCurrentWItoPos(position As Single) 

Returns the raw data collected that SIMUL8 uses to calculate result values 

Valid Result types include: 

• Activities: STATES, CONTENT 
• Groups: STATES, CONTENT 
• Queues: DURATION, CONTENT 
• Conveyors: DURATION, CONTENT 
• Exit: DURATION 
• Resources: CONTENT, AVAILABILITY 
• Tank: CONTENT 

Sub OutputRawResultsData(ResultType As String, FileName As String) 

Reschedule Arrival 

Sub ReScheduleArrival() 

Select Simulation Object 

Sub Select() 

Select Current Work Item 

Sub SelectWI(position As Long) 

Select Work Item on Conveyor 

Sub SelectWIinRegion(RegionStart As Single, RegionLength As Single) 

Set Object Location 

Sub SetLocation(WindowName As String, FromLeft As Long, FromTop As Long) 

Set Resources Required 

Sub SetResourcesRequired(ResourceType As S8SimObject, Requirement As Single) 

Set Route out Percent 

Sub SetRoutePercent(DestSimObject As S8SimObject, Percent As Double) 

Set Shift Availability 

Sub SetShiftAvailability(ShiftName As String, UnitsAvailable As Long) 

TRUE if “Show” is checked 

Sub TitlePosition(TitleVisible As Boolean, XOffset As Long, YOffset As Long, WrapPixels As Long) 

Copy Simulation Object 

Function CopySimObject() 

Get Current Run Result Value 

Function CurrentRunResultValue(Code1 As Long, Code2 As Long) As Single 

S8Object properties can be utilised to call out simulation information of specific objects such as in the Class S8Object example above.

The Queue’s Capacity 

Property  Capacity As Single 

Collect Number used for Collect Routing In 

Property  CollectQuantity(SourceObject As S8SimObject) As Long

Returns the Work Completed 

Property  Completed As Long 

read-only 

Returns the Current Contents  

Property  CountContents As Single 

read-only

Returns the number of Resources held by the current work item 

Property  CountHeldByCurrentWI As Long 

read-only 

Returns InCount 

Property  CountInRoutes As Long 

read-only 

Returns OutCount 

Property  CountOutRoutes As Long 

read-only 

True if Object Count is visible 

Property  CountVisible As Boolean 

Sets the Display Type of an Object. For example, a Queue could be a Static Image(0), Queue(2), Tank (3), Block (7), Graphic Tank (5), Label Block (8), Graph (6) 

Property  DisplayMode As Long 

Set Pipe Delay which is a preference setting 

Property  Delay As Single 

Sets the FallThroughLevel of a Tank

Property  FallThroughLevel As Single

True if First at Start is enabled 

Property  FirstAtStart As Boolean 

Fixed value for Label Batching In 

Property  FixedTypeLabelValue As Long 

Flow rate of a Pipe 

Property  FlowRate As Single 

TRUE if Object Image is hidden 

Property  HideMainImage As Boolean 

TRUE if Hide Sub-objects under Component Properties> Graphics is checked 

Property  HideSubObjects As Boolean 

TRUE if Ignore Blocked Routes on Circulate Routing out is checked 

Property  IgnoreBlockedRoutes As Boolean 

TRUE if “Ignore hints about lost Work Items” is checked 

Property  IgnoreLost As Boolean 

TRUE if Ignore Starved Routes on Circulate Routing out is checked 

Property  IgnoreStarvedRoutes As Boolean 

Name of Image 

Property  ImageName As String 

Index of Object 

Property  Index As Long 

Start-up Quantity of a Queue 

Property  InitialContents As Single 

Max value of Batching based on the total value of a Label 

Property  LabelBatchingMax As Single 

Min value of Batching based on the total value of a Label 

Property  LabelBatchingMin As Single 

Length of a Conveyor 

Property  Length As Single

Returns Loadspace on Conveyor 

Property  LoadSpace As Single 

read-only 

Locked in Route of the Activity 

Property  LockedInRoute As Long 

Returns the number of Work Items lost at a Start Point 

Property  LostCount As Single 

read-only 

Max Load Quantity of a Loader 

Property  MaxLoadQuant As Single 

Minimum Wait of a Queue 

Property  MinimumWaitTime As Single 

Min Load Quantity of a Queue  

Property  MinLoadQuant As Long 

Name of Object 

Property  Name As String 

Object Output Percentage

Property  OutputPercent As Single 

Position of Loader along Path 

Property  position As Single 

Priority of the Activity Property 

Priority As Long 

Returns ReadyTime of Conveyor 

Property  ReadyTime As Single 

read-only 

RisethroughLevel of Tank 

Property  RiseThroughLevel As Single 

Routing out Discipline 

Property  RouteOutMethod As Long 

Shelf Life of a Queue 

Property  ShelfLife As Single 

Speed of a Conveyor 

Property  Speed As Single 

Returns the State 

Property  State As Long 

read-only 

TRUE if Unlimited at Start Point is checked 

Property  Unlimited As Boolean 

This class applies to all Simul8 Results 

Returns Confidence Limit from Results 

Property  ConfLimit(Limit As Long) As Single 

    read-only 

Visual Logic Text Description 

Property  Description As String 

True if the results summary item is not a result but a decision variable (see OPTIMIZ and OptQuest for SIMUL8) 

Property  IsDecision As Boolean 

    read-only 

Returns average result of a trial 

Property  Mean As Single 

    read-only 

Result Name (i.e. Time in System) 

Property  Name As String 

    read-only 

Object from which the result comes from 

Property  SimObjectName As String 

    read-only