What's new in SIMUL8 2019?

SIMUL8 users can export simulation results to many other applications to conduct further analysis or present their results to stakeholders in a different way.

R Integration offers another powerful option for analyzing SIMUL8 results using the popular open-source statistical programming language and software environment, used across a wide range of data analysis and visualization applications.

This feature enables you to quickly export the results of simulation runs and trials directly to R, reducing the steps needed to start filtering and aggregating your data. We’ve even included built-in template scripts, including box plots, to help you visualize your results in new ways without the need to write your own R code.

With the ability to also export to Shiny, a package that enables you to build interactive web apps straight from R, you’ll be able to share your simulation results with custom result dashboards.

Benefits of R Integration:

• Directly export the results of your simulation runs and trials to R to filter and aggregate your data.


• Utilize our built-in templates, including box plots, to visualize your simulation results in new formats.


• Share your simulation results as web-based custom dashboards using Shiny.

Learn how to use R Integration in SIMUL8 2019

Multi-task Timing is a powerful SIMUL8 2019 addition that has been introduced through users’ feedback and support queries about how to incorporate sub-tasks into an Activity.

Using one simulation object, this feature allows you to control an Activity's overall process time by defining multiple sub-tasks that occur in that same Activity. Each sub-task can also have its own process time, resource and image.

For example, if you need to simulate an Activity that first requires a preparation task with its own distribution and resource requirements. Using Multi-task Timing, you can easily define the individual timing distributions and resource requirements for both the preparation task and the main task in the Activity using one inutuitive interface.

Benefits of Multi-task Timing:

• Adds more control and flexibility to Activities with the ability to add any number of sub-tasks.


• You can define a different process time, resource and image for each sub-task.


• Save time when setting up your simulations and simplify the number of Activity objects on screen.

Learn how to use Multi-task Timing in SIMUL8 2019

In previous versions of SIMUL8, the Pick and Place feature could be used to simulate Work Items being added to and removed from a Conveyor. With SIMUL8 2019, we've further enhanced this feature with the ability to pick and place Work Items at any point of a Conveyor based on series of conditions you can define.

Pick and Place by Condition provides improved control over how Work items within a SIMUL8 Conveyor object are moved through the system. By using conditional logic, you can easily and accurately simulate complex systems without the need to use multiple Conveyor objects.

Benefits of Pick and Place by Condition:

• Provides a greater degree of control over the behavior of Conveyors in your simulations.


• Easier and faster to simulate equipment such as powered roller Conveyors.


• No need to use multiple Conveyors to simulate more complex systems.

Learn how to use Pick and Place by Condition in SIMUL8 2019

Batch by Condition is a new method of routing in available to Activities and Conveyors. It allows for multiple conditions to be defined which tell the Activity or Conveyors to only accept Work Items when these conditional statements are met.

Batching by Condition allows for multiple conditions to be set using any:

• Simulation property
• Spreadsheet value
• Simulation object property
• Mathematical equation
• Sampled distribution value
• Work Item label value

Benefits of Batch by Condition:

• Provides a greater degree of control over how Activities and Conveyors should select Work items.


• Conditional statements can reference any Formula Editor input allowing for quick and flexible building of complex decisions.

Learn more about using Batch by Condition in SIMUL8 2019

Many SIMUL8 users will have used the Shifts functionality for Resources, Activities or even Start Points. Now with SIMUL8 2019, Shifts can be also assigned to Conveyors.

With Shift Dependent Conveyors, you can control the hours that Conveyors operate over the day with simple set-up. Rounding out SIMUL8 2019's Conveyor improvements, this feature complements the improved Conveyor control that users now have access to and reduces the number of Activities needed to simulate Conveyor intensive processes.

Benefits of Shift Dependent Conveyors:

• Allows Conveyors to be turned on and off based on shift patterns, giving greater control over simulations.


• Familiar set-up if you have already used Shifts for Resources, Activities or Start Points in SIMUL8.

Learn more about using Shift Dependent Conveyors in SIMUL8 2019

• Visual Logic (VL) Command: Results to Sheet – a new VL command that copies all KPIs in the Results Manager to an internal spreadsheet saving time in writing multiple lines and loops in VL to achieve this.


• Visual Logic Event: On Sheet OK/Cancel – a new VL trigger in SIMUL8, this event will be called when a user selects OK or cancel in an internal spreadsheet. Adding this event into spreadsheets allows users to create a trigger once a user has entered data, such as error-checking the data input or automatically running a simulation.


• Named distributions have "Offset" parameter – requested by some Annual Maintenance users, this new feature adds a property to named distributions which allows the user to specify the offset parameter directly within the distribution.


• Conveyor Results for all State Percentages as well as Average Current Contents are now available via the Time Interval feature. The Time Interval feature is now compatible with Conveyors and will recognize the following results:
  
  
  • Average Current Contents
  • Percent of Time Empty
  • Percent of Time Moving
  • Percent of Time Blocked
  • Percent of Time Stopped
  • Percent of Time Off Shift
  
  
• The Off-Shift state result is now included in Conveyor Results, helping users understand the amount of time that a Conveyor spends Off-Shift


• The Visual Logic command Copy Chart Data To Spreadsheet can now be used with Custom Charts. This command has been expanded so that the raw data can be exported from all charts, including user-created Customizable Charts


• User interface improvements to help with adding Conveyors to your simulation:
  
  
  • Lock Length and Display checkbox moved to Conveyor Properties
  • Fixed Pitch Dog Position dropdown moved to Graphics Dialog
  
  
• Routing Out By (single) Condition is now included with SIMUL8 Basic, while Routing Out by (multiple) Condition remains a SIMUL8 Professional only feature


• Activity Timing by Label now accepts custom distributions


• Activity Timing by Label now uses the formula editor for inputting distribution parameters


• Activity Timing by Label now accepts Label ranges e.g. 1-10, 1,2,3


• Activity Timing by Label now displays distribution parameter names


• Visual data improvements: text color formatting, text alignment and background/outline formatting


• Label Editor shows Memos


• VL command Result to Summary now includes Maintenance %


• Spreadsheet dialogs now allow users to define a range to show