If you have material items of different types in your model with specific custom attributes (width, length, processing cost, etc.) and you want them to look different at model runtime, you should create custom material item types and generate material items of different types in your model. This document describes how to do it.
Name - The name of the material item type.
Since AnyLogic generates Java class for each material item type, you should follow Java naming guidelines. Please start name with an uppercase letter.
Ignore - If selected, the material item type is excluded from the model.
Parameters preview properties are available only when this material item type has any parameters.
Here you can rearrange parameters of this material item. Material items of this type will list parameters in their property view in this well-defined order.
The parameters in this section are derived from agent type and are rarely used for material item. For details refer here.
Use in flowcharts as - Here you choose the role for this agent in the flowcharts. To enable using this agent as material item in the blocks of the AnyLogic Material Handling Library, leave the Material item option selected.
On enter flowchart block - Here you can write the code to be executed when this material item enters the flowchart.
On exit flowchart block - Here you can write the code to be executed when this material item exits the flowchart.
On seize resource - Here you can write the code to be executed when this material item seizes the resource while being in the flowchart.
On release resource - Here you can write the code to be executed when this material item releases the resource while being in the flowchart.
Length - The length of the material item.
Width - The width of the material item.
Height - The height of the material item.
Initial speed - [Visible if Space type: Continuous or GIS] The speed of the material item.
Rotate animation towards movement - [Visible if Space type: Continuous or GIS] The heading of the material item.
Rotate vertically as well (along Z-axis) - If selected, the material item shape will be headed towards the target during the material item movement.
The parameters in this section are derived from agent type and are rarely used for material item. For details refer here.
The parameters in this section are derived from agent type and are rarely used for material item. For details refer here.
The parameters in this section are derived from agent type and are rarely used for material item. For details refer here.
Since material items are typically handled in the physical space (they are transported by conveyors and occupy a certain space on them), the dimensions of the material items are essential to obtain valid simulation results. The size of each material item is defined by three dimensions (length, width, height), which are set to 1 meter by default. Please refer to the Material item dimensions article to know how to set and adjust material item dimensions.
To generate the material items of a custom type you should choose this type (e.g. Box) in the New agent parameter of the corresponding Source block (the property is located in the Agent section of the block's properties). This will make the flowchart use material items of this custom type, and you will be able to explicitly address the additional functionality of this material item type in the flowchart blocks.