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AnyLogic V User’s Manual

the structure diagram. However, the name of a variable object is the name of the variable in the structure diagram with the _ref_ prefix.

• Use Port.connect(objectA.portA, objectB.portB), or objectA.portA.connect(objectB.portB) code for ports

• Use VariableRef.connect(objectA._ref_varA, objectB._ref_varB), or objectA.ref_varA.connect(objectB.ref_varB) code for variables.

For more information on connecting ports and variables refer to section 7.4.12, “Connecting ports at runtime” and section 4.3.2.2, “Connecting variables at runtime”. For more information on the Port and VariableRef classes, refer to AnyLogic Class Reference.

2.3.5Creating a ring of cells

Suppose you want to build a ring of cells.

Create the Ring replicated object with the number of individual elements defined by numberOfCells parameter of int type. Then connect the output port with the input port and define the interconnection as shown in Figure 22 (the first case).

Connect ports of the leftmost and the rightmost objects manually to form a ring. Type the onCreate() method in the Additional class code section of the Code window of the Ring active object class to connect the ports on object creation.

public void onCreate() { ring.item(0).input.connect(ring.item(ring.size()-1).output);

}

The resulting structure is shown in Figure 23.

Root

Figure 23. The ring of cells

AnyLogic V User’s Manual

}

…

The resulting configuration of encapsulated objects is shown in Figure 25.

Figure 25. Pattern of cell configuration

The technique presented here provides the ability to create periodically organized structures of objects of arbitrary size and topology.

AnyLogic V User’s Manual

2.5 Animating a replicated object

AnyLogic animation is constructed from animations defined for active objects and composed according to the model hierarchy.

You can display an animation of a replicated object on an animation of a container object, displaying

•Animations defined for all the elements of a replicated object, or

•Animation(s) of the certain element(s) only.

To animate a replicated object, you define an animation for a replicated object class and place it on the animation of a container object. It is drawn as a rectangle showing the content of the animation of either all the individual elements or only of the certain object copies of a replicated object. You can move, scale, and rotate an encapsulated animation shape in the animation editor, or you can assign expressions to necessary properties to allow a model to move, scale, and rotate an encapsulated animation shape at runtime. The detailed information about animating encapsulated objects is given in section 12.1.2, “Animating hierarchical models”.

If an animation for an encapsulated object class is already defined when you create an instance of this class, the encapsulated animation shape automatically appears on the animation of a container object.

If you create a replicated object, and the replicated object class does not have animation defined for it, then the encapsulated animation shape is not created. If you define animation for the encapsulated object class after that, you have to manually create an encapsulated animation shape.

You may also need to manually place an encapsulated animation shape on the animation of the container object if you wish to display only the certain elements of the replicated object on the animation.

There are two options to place animations of a replicated object on the animation of a container:

•To display all elements of the replicated object, you draw an encapsulated animation shape with the encapsulated object name set to the whole vector of objects, e.g. cars,

AnyLogic V User’s Manual

3. Parameters

Active object may have parameters. Using parameters, you can parameterize active objects in your model. It is needed when object instances have the same behavior described in class, but differ in parameter values.

All parameters are visible and changeable throughout the model execution. Thus, you can simply adjust your model by changing parameters at runtime. If you want, you can define a handler method that is invoked on a parameter change.

A parameter of an active object class can be associated with a parameter of its encapsulated object. In this case, the class parameter change propagates to the associated object parameter.

There is a clear difference between variables (see Chapter 4, “Variables”) and parameters. A variable represents a model state, and may change during simulation. A parameter is commonly used to describe objects statically. A parameter is normally a constant in a single simulation, and is changed only when you need to adjust your model behavior.

Use a variable instead of a parameter if you need to model some data unit changing over time.

3.1 Parameter types

Alike other simulation tools AnyLogic supports parameters of primitive types: real, integer, boolean. But only AnyLogic gives you infinite possibilities in parameterizing your objects by supporting parameters of any Java classes.

You can define parameters of common Java classes – e.g., a parameter of the String class to represent character strings, or of the Vector class to create a parameter representing a dynamic array of objects. You can create a parameter of the Object class (the base class for all Java classes) and assign an instance of any Java class to this parameter. Later on you will need to check the actual type of this parameter and cast it explicitly to the original Java class. For details on Java classes, see Java SDK documentation available at http://java.sun.com/docs.

AnyLogic V User’s Manual

3.2 Defining parameters

Parameters of active object classes are defined in the Parameter dialog box.

►To add the parameter to an active object class

1.In the Project window, click the active object class.

2.In the Properties window, click the New Parameter button. The Parameter dialog box is displayed (see Figure 27).

3.In the Parameter dialog box, set up the parameter properties.