8/12/2019 Witness 2006

1/16

WITNESS 2006 Release 1

The theme of this major release is experimentation with a completely new experimentationframework offering easy scenario setups and model runs, and powerful scenario comparisontables and charts. Also included in the release are innovative profile distributions based on the

latest research, a range of new date and time functionality, many new ease of use features,and exciting support for product extension through a new module type enabling the linking ofCOM Server DLLs.

WITNESS Scenario Manager

The new Scenario Manager is a key highlight of this release. It is a new and exciting way toconduct and report on experiments. A separate installation program adds this functionality to aWITNESS installation and the scenario manager can either be run from the Start menu or fromthe Model menu inside WITNESS.

When run the Scenario manager offers an interface where different investigations andscenarios can be defined and run. After running the experiments it also provides many tableand chart options across different model runs in order to compare results.

The following show some of the output tables and charts that are possible

An example of a simple run of 3 replications the labor statistics report showing a 95% confidenceintervals

An example of a run where both a quantity and a cycle time have been varied the machine statisticsreport has been grouped by machine and the experimentation parameters are listed alongside the resultsto enable easy flexible charting.

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

2/16

Some example charts

1. showing a key result against a selected input parameter.

2. A status report with edited scenario names to identify key data against each result

3. A radar chart to show variance of replications

There are many, many types of chart possible with an easy to use toolbar to facilitate setup in each chartwindow as an option.

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

3/16

Please refer to scenario manager documentation for further information.

WITNESS Profiles

A new type of WITNESS distribution is available a profile distribution. This is in effect a realcontinuous distribution but with a time axis. It is used for applying factors to values that varyby time. For example recent research into human performance indicates many factors canaffect performance for example different temperatures at different times of day, differentnoise levels, humidity levels, the after lunch effect, etc. This new distribution type allows youto easily model factors that may affect your processes and apply different timings or other

calculations at different times in a model.

When defining a profile distribution the distribution type Profile should be selected from the

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

4/16

pull down list. The distribution will be set to be of type real automatically.

(A new designer element is included in the Startup model Profilein the data tab).

Example of a Profile Distribution - this may be used to affect timings of activities over a tenhour shift. The cycle time for a machine could be divided by a reading from the profile toreflect a different level of efficiency at different times on the shift.

The WITNESS function ReadProfile(Profile Distribution. Time, line)will return a value based onthe time supplied. The time supplied to the function may be any time it may be the actualtime in the simulation or it may be the time a person allocated to a task has been on shift (a

new function TimeOnShiftis available to calculate this). The value returned by the function canthen be used in many ways, for example a cycle time could be multiplied by the value in orderto represent different efficiencies at different times of the day or shift.

The screen shown above is the edit dialog from the detail for the distribution. To add a newpoint either double click on the graph or add a new value in the * box. Existing values can bedragged with the left mouse button on the chart or adjusted in the table. When dragging onthe chart the dragging is along one axis only at a time (dependent on the first drag direction).The profile range is defined in the settings box and the time unit to be used can be chosen too.

A right mouse button menu offers a number of other options including drag granularity and theability to add fitted lines to the data points. The default line is a linear spline i.e. just asimple straight line joining of the data points. There are a number of other options and each

fitted line can be read from in the ReadProfile Distribution.

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

5/16

Example of a Profile Distribution showing linear and quadratic lines of best fit. Cubic lines of best fit andcubic splines are also available. All fitted lines may be used in the simulation model if required.

A range of new Date and Time functionality

WITNESS will now automatically accept date and time information held in real variables. Thesimulation model will accept a model start date and time and times may be entered intoexpressions in terms of clock values e.g. 00:01:22 would represent a time of 1 minute and 22seconds.

To use the date and time functionality you need to select the new clock mode offered inModel/Clockmenu. Here you can select whether your model will use seconds, minutes, hoursor days as the fundamental simulation time unit (or you can select custom mode which offersthe classic WITNESS clock functionality that allows you to define time units of your choice).

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

6/16

Setting of the clock using this dialog must be done at the start of the model. On this dialog youcan select a clock start date for the model using the calendar component accessed with the pulldown arrow. The format for representing dates will be determined automatically from thecountry settings in your operating system.

On the right hand side of the Model/Clock menu dialog is the choice of how the time will bedisplayed in the time window. For example the time and date option (long option) may appear:

The periods and holidays tabs offer global settings for the model and must not be confusedwith shift patterns which may be applied to individual elements within a model.

Real variable value displays now also offer formats which will display the date and time valuesheld and in addition there are many new functions that allow access to date and timeinformation held in a real variable These include:

FormatAsDate(S) (date (R), option (I))

Extracts the calendar date portion of a real date value and converts this into a string in the format "DD/MM/YYYY" (orwhatever date format your PC has been set to).

FormatAsDateAndTime(S) (date_and_time (R), option (I))

Converts a real date value into a string in the format "DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS". Note that the date format depends onthe date format set on your PC.

FormatAsTime(S) (time (R))

Converts a real time value into a string in the format "HH:MM:SS" . Note that this function returns the total number ofhours (that is, HH can be a value greater than 24) unlike the FormatTimeOfDay function, which returns an actual time ofday.

FormatAsTimeOfDay(S) (time_of_day (R), option (I))

Extracts the time of day (from 00:00am to 12:00pm) from a (real) date value and converts this to a string in the"HH:MM:SS" 24 hour clock format. Note that this function ignores how many days result from the value, unlike theFormatAsTime function.

GetActualTime(R)( )

Returns the current actual time, taken from the clock on your PC.

GetDay(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the day of the month from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 1 to 31.

GetDayOfWeek(I)(Time (R))

Converts the day of the week from a variable or time/date expression into an integer in the range 1 (Sunday) to 7

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

7/16

(Saturday).

GetDayOfWeekAsString(S)(Time (R))

Converts the day of the week from a variable or time/date expression into a string, e.g. "Monday".

GetDayOfYear(I)(Time (R))

Converts the day from a variable or time/date expression into an integer indicating a day of the year from 1 (January 1st)to 365 (December 31st) or 366 (December 31st in a leap year).

GetHour(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the hour from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 0 (midnight) to 23 (11 pm).

GetMinute(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the minute from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 0 to 59.

GetMonth(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the month from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 1 (January) to 12(December).

GetMonthAsString(S)(Time (R))

Converts the month from a variable or time/date expression into a string.

GetSecond(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the second from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 0 to 59.

GetYear(I)(Time (R))

Extracts the year from a variable or time/date expression and returns an integer in the range 100 to 9999.

New Used report functionality

It is now possible to directly access a relevant element dialog from the used report. Forexample if a function shows it is used in Actions on Start for ShiftA then the ShiftA detail dialogcan be opened directly from that line on the used report.

Extract from the a Used Report showing underlined elements which can be clicked to offer access to theelements detail dialog

Display Locking

This release sees a change to how display locking is implemented in WITNESS. Control oflocking settings has been moved to the display toolbar

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

8/16

The four options on the toolbar set the current lock status for all element displays in a model.This enables rapid changes between different locking options.

Display Selection

There are a number of changes to the way in which screen selection is shown. These newoptions depend too on the display locking option chosen at the time. The main changes are:

A solid outline now surrounds the display element that is clicked on. A dotted linesurround all other items that will move if the selected element is moved. In the picture tothe left individual locking is turned on and hence the display shows that all the displayitems linked with the third indexed machine will move if the yellow square status icon ismoved.

When in a dialog that offers the ability to update an icon all the icons that will be affected

are now shown on the display. In the picture to the left each of the three yellow squarestatus icons are shown with a solid surround.

New Direct Display Option

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

9/16

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

10/16

Display Offset for elements on a path element path display

For all path element path displays there is a new option to allow more varied offsetting ofelements which are at the same point on the path. In the last version of WITNESS elementswere placed at a fixed distance away from each other. It is now possible on the path displaydialog to specify that offset and to choose between two different placement direction options.With path is in the direction of the path (in front or behind) at the side is right or left of thepath direction.

(Negative numbers are allowed for the placement gap)

Improvements to the Assistant toolbar and Tree operation.

A major upgrade in this area sees the introduction of a second list option in the tree display.

The tree now provides all the functionality of the different assistants in WITNESS. Whereas

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

11/16

previously the assistant would open up a list of, say, functions and then close this when usedthe new tree display enables the lists to remain for use again and again.

There are three different tree display options chosen using the tabs above either the modeltree (as before), the assistant tree or both as shown here.

When one of the assistant toolbar buttons is chosen then the assistant tree is automaticallyopened at the appropriate section.

Use of the assistant is easier too with double clicking on the required item automaticallyplacing it in the open actions box or expression with focus.

Right mouse button functionality gives access to insert with prompt.

The second, assistant tree also provides a second list of elements in the model. This enableseasier dragging of an element from one module to another as the displays can be positioned atdifferent areas of the tree.

Searching and Filtering are provided with a new interface at the bottom of the trees.

The search button , when toggled in, will continuously update the tree to show allelements containing the text string typed in the box.

Buffer Path Displays

A new display option of path displays for buffers has been introduced. This enables buffers toqueue items in a non-linear fashion using the same type of path displays as can be defined forconveyors, tracks, sections and path elements.

A maximum display size can be defined for the path display to limit the number of parts thatwill be displayed. If this is chosen then the positioning of parts along the path display will usethis maximum figure to generate the positioning of parts so that when the limit is reached theend position of the path is also reached.

Extra Histogram Report Detail

The histogram statistics report has been altered slightly. By default just the top row the report

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

12/16

will be shown reporting on the mean, s.d, max and min and their times of recording. This isdesigned to give easier access to this key information across several histograms at once.

To access the histogram detail the Detailed report box now needs to be checked. This offersextra detail to before in that cell min/mid/max figures are included.

New options for Error Tolerance

On the Model/Options dialog on the Detail tab there are now two new Error Handling options.

Each of these check boxes when ticked will divert error messages to a file warnings.log in thedirectory where the model is run.

The first suppresses warning messages when an attribute is accessed (for example in a rule)when a part is not present.

The second suppresses warning messages when a Read File is not present all values read areset to zero or null.

Lanner have introduced these warning diverts based on direct customer requests and advisemost customers to leave the warning messages in place to avoid error.

Simple Model Profiling

It can sometimes be useful to know which rules and elements in a model are being checked,

run and scheduled the most. This can show where perhaps a model can be changed to be moreefficient and run more quickly.

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

13/16

A profiling report can be generated for any model. With the interact box open press the keysCtrl, Shift and P at the same time. This turns profiling on and a message in the interact boxconfirms this. Then run the model for a time. After the model is stopped again press the keysCtrl, Shift and O at the same time. This lets you select a filename for the generated profilingreport and outputs the report.

Pressing Ctrl, Shift and P again will turn off profiling.

The report file generated shows the following:

For each element:

the number of events that have been scheduled against that element (including all cycles,breakdowns and setups that have been in the jobs, idle and blocked lists).

The number of times the labor rule for that element has been evaluated and how many

times it has failed to obtain labor successfully

The number of times the input rule for that element has been evaluated and how many

times it has failed to obtain input successfully

The number of times the output rule for that element has been evaluated and how manytimes it has failed to output successfully

Power and Free Carrier Display Options

A new option for the display of power and free carriers has been added. This allows the displayof the part description when loaded and the carrier description when unloaded. To enable thisthe option to individually set and retain each carriers description has been added.

Model Tags

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

14/16

This is a new feature aimed at increasing the amount of information shown as a model runs.Any attribute in the model can now be given tag status.

The display on the left is from an extended version of the new demonstration modelWarehouse.mod where the attribute Storelane has been given a Tag display style (defined offthe display bar). In this example a font of size 5 has been used to economize on display.

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

15/16

In addition the Part (Factory.P1) in its style dialog is instructed to display tags.

Any part attribute data can be displayed in this way including name and string attributes.

Save As File Menu command

This command will now remember the last file type saved and use that type as the defaulttype. Types include .SIM files, .LST files, .MDL files, etc.

ComLinks

This powerful extension to WITNESS connectivity allows users to link in COM Server DLL or EXEfiles compiled in VB, C, C++, C#, etc. A new type of module can now be defined acomponent module. This automatically interrogates the prepared DLL or EXE (or type library)and creates functions inside the module being defined which give direct access to the methodsand properties exposed in the DLL/EXE. These functions include all the syntax necessary forcommunicating properly with the DLL/EXE. All integer, real or string methods may beaccessed. WITNESS users can now make complex calculations more efficient in raw code andobtain external information to the program more easily and much more.

Defining a component module selecting one of the COM Server files

8/12/2019 Witness 2006

16/16

There are eight new WITNESS functions included to help with COM linkage in this way:

ComCreate

ComInvokeInt

ComInvokeReal

ComInvokeString

ComInvokeVoid

ComRelease

CLSIDFromProgID

DispIDFromName