Resource Releaser

Release entity resources

• 

Libraries:
SimEvents

Description

The Resource Releaser block releases resources when an entity enters the block. The block accepts one entity and the entity departs the block immediately provided it is accepted by the next block or extracted by the Entity Find block.

You can specify that the block release certain resource types or release all resources.

Available Resources

Use the Available Resources controls to:

• Select the resources from the resources defined in all the Resource Pool blocks in the model.

• Add the resources to the Selected Resources table, where you can modify them.

The list displays all the resources in the model. (If there are no resources, the Available Resources list is empty).

If the resource list is long, you can type the resource name in the text box to filter the list.

Use the buttons in the Available Resources section to help build the resources table. The buttons perform these actions.

Button	Action
	Refresh the Available Resources list. The list updates with any upstream model changes you make while the block dialog box is open.
	Add the selected resources to the Selected Resources table.
	Move the selected resource from the Selected Resources table to the Available Resources list. If the selected resource is one you added manually, this button appears dimmed.

The message area below the available resources list displays additional messages about the resources, as they apply.

Message	Meaning
> Resource already selected	You have already added the resource to the Selected Resources table. You cannot add the resource to the table again.

Selected Resources

Use the controls under Selected Resources to build and manage the list of resources to release. Each resource appears as a row in a table.

Using these controls, you can:

• Add a resource manually.

• Modify a resource that you added to the table from the Available Resources list to release.

• Choose the amount of resources to be released by setting the Amount Source parameter to Dialog or Attribute.

  • Dialog — Specify the amount of resources to be released under the Amount column.

  • Attribute — Specify the name of the attribute that defines the amount of resources to be released.

The buttons under Selected Resources perform these actions.

Button	Action	Notes
	Add a template resource to the table.	Rename the resource and specify its properties.
	Add a copy of the selected resource to the table to use as the basis of a new resource.	Rename the copy. Two resources cannot have the same name.
	Remove the selected resource from the Selected Resources table.	When you delete a resource this way, no confirmation appears and you cannot undo the operation.
	Move up the selected resource in order in the Selected Resources table.	N/A
	Move the selected resource down in order in the Selected Resources table.	N/A

Note

If you delete a row and apply the change, the deletion can affect signal output ports corresponding to other attributes. For example, if the block has a signal output port A2 and you delete the attribute with a port marked A1, the block relabels A2 as A1. Verify that any signal that connects to the relabeled port is still connected as you expect.

Property	Specification	Usage
Name	The name of the resource. Each resource must have a unique name.	Double-click the existing name, and then type the new name.
Amount Source	Whether the resource amount, that an entity requests, comes from the dialog box or an attribute.	Select Dialog or Attribute. If you select Attribute, the source of the resource amount comes from the attribute of the entity. This option allows each entity to acquire varying amounts of resources. For more information, see Set Resource Amount with Attributes.
Amount	The value to assign to the resource (when the resource comes from the dialog box).	Double-click the value, and then type the value you want to assign. This value is the number of resources released per entity. For example, if Amount is three, each entity that arrives at the Resource Releaser block must wait to release 3 resources before departing the block. Granularity of the resources to be released matches the granularity of the resources in the Resource Pool block.

Examples

Using Custom Visualization for Entities

These examples show how you can create MATLAB®-based custom visualization for entities. The example illustrates the visualization of a restaurant layout with customer entities entering, dining, and leaving.

• Open Script

Resource Allocation from Multiple Pools

A technique for allocating resources from multiple resource pools. It shows how to choose a pool from which to draw a resource, based on given criteria.

• Open Model

Optimization of Shared Resources in a Batch Production Process

Identify resource deficiencies and improve capacity planning in a system that shares resources.

• Open Script

Ports

Input

Port_1 — Input entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Input entity port for entities entering the block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | enumerated | bus | fixed point

Output

Port_1 — Output entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Output entity port for entities exiting the block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | enumerated | bus | fixed point

Port_d — Number of entities that have departed the block

scalar

Number of entities that have departed the block.

Dependencies

To enable this port, click the Statistics tab and select the box labeled Number of entities departed, d.

Data Types: double

Port_n — Number of entities that have not yet departed the block

scalar

Number of entities that have not yet departed the block.

Dependencies

To enable this port, click the Statistics tab and select the box labeled Number of entities in block, n.

Data Types: double

Port_ex — Number of entities extracted

scalar

Number of entities that are pulled out of this block.

Dependencies

To enable this port, click the Statistics tab and select the box labeled Number of entities extracted, ex.

Data Types: double

Parameters

Resource to release — Select the resources to release

All (default) | Selected

Select the resources to release.

• All

  Release the use of all resources for a passing entity.

• Selected

  Release selected resources. Selecting this option enables the Available Resources table.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ResourceToRelease

Type: character vector

Values: 'All' | 'Selected'

Default: 'All'

Event actions — Specify the behavior of the entity on certain events

Entry (default) | Exit | Blocked

Define the behavior in the Event actions. For example, the Entry action is called when an entity enters the block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: EntryAction, ExitAction, BlockedAction

Type: character vector

Values: MATLAB® code

Default: ''

Number of entities departed, d — Outputs the number of entities that have departed the block

off (default) | on

Selecting this check box outputs the number of entities that have exited the block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: NumberEntitiesDeparted

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Number of entities in block, n — Outputs the number of entities present in the block, which have yet to depart

off (default) | on

Selecting this check box outputs the number of entities present in the block, which have yet to depart.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: NumberEntitiesInBlock

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Number of entities extracted, ex — Number of entities extracted from this block

off (default) | on

Number of extracted entities that are pulled out from this block by the Entity Find block. For more information about finding and extracting entities, see Find and Extract Entities in SimEvents Models.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: NumEntitiesExtracted

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Version History

Introduced in R2016a