Converting BPM Objects and Properties into SIMUL8 Objects and Properties

The following PowerDesigner objects are not generated in SIMUL8:

Organization unit
File
Package

SIMUL8 does not support synonyms. Only one SIMUL8 object for all the synonyms of a BPM object is generated.

Invalid Character

When one of the following characters exists in the name of a PowerDesigner object, it is automatically replaced with an underscore character:

- / + * & " # [ | \ @ ] = ? . / !

Diagram

The PowerDesigner display preference "Window Color" is generated as the SIMUL8 window property "Fill Color".

The following default values for SIMUL8 parameters are generated:

Simulation speed: 100%. The simulation speed is set to 100% after generation in SIMUL8
Show Routes Arrows = yes. Flows are always shown after generation in SIMUL8

Atomic Process

Atomic processes are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Process	Work center
Process name and process comment	name and memo
Resource linked to the process	Resource when the Read access mode is selected

SIMUL8 symbols for awaiting work, working, stopped (by efficiency parameter), changing of type of work are replaced with the default symbols of the PowerDesigner process with the "implemented by" and "composite" icons, together with the corresponding display preferences.

Composite Process

Composite processes are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Composite process with sub-objects	Component with sub-objects
Start and end of a composite process	Work centers with "null" working time property
Composite process name	Component name

There are no simulation properties for composite processes.

"Implemented By" Process

"implemented By" processes are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

If the implementation object is composite, the "implemented by" process is generated as a component, which contains the sub-objects of the implementation object
If the implementation object is not composite, the "implemented by" process is generated as a work center
If the same process implements several processes in the diagram, a component is created for each process, because the SIMUL8 component is not reusable (only the component type is reusable).

The PowerDesigner "implemented by" process has no simulation properties.

If you reverse the generated file, these different components are reversed as one component.

Decision

Decisions are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Decision	Work center (without queue)
Condition alias	Name
Comment	Memo

The work center will contain no resource.

Routing in: Contains the list of objects linked on the inputs.

Routing in Discipline property = Circulate: work is taken from the top item in the list of routes.

Routing out: Contains the list of objects linked on the outputs.

Routing out Discipline property = Percent for each output link. All the links have the same percentage with total = 100.

Priority property = 0 % used for resources.

Synchronization

Synchronizations are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Synchronization	Work center (without queue)
Name	Name
Comment	Memo

The work center will contain no resource.

Routing in: Contains the list of objects linked on the inputs.

Routing in Discipline property = Collect (+ number=1): one work item is collected for each route, + Assemble: Each collected group becomes one work item.

Routing out: Contains the list of objects linked on the outputs. If there is more than one output flow there is a split into parallel flows. With the following batching parameters, one input work item will generate one work item for each output flow:

Routing out parameters	Description
Routing out batching	Turns each work item into N work items leaving it
Routing out batch size leaving work center property	Fixed value: N (number of parallel flows) Distribution: Fixed

Timing property = 0 time unit with Distribution property = Fixed.

Priority property = 0 % used for resources.

Start

Starts are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Start	Work entry point
Start (in composite process)	Work center with a null working time
Name	Name
Comment	Memo
Input flow	Routing in
Output flow	Routing out

Both SIMUL8 and PowerDesigner allow more than one start object.

Routing in: For start objects contained in composite processes, the work center Routing in property contains the list of input flows linked to the parent of the composite process.

Routing out: Contains the list of objects linked to the outputs of the start objects.

End

Ends are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
end	Work exit point
end (in composite process)	Work center with a null working time
Name	Name
Comment	Memo
Output flow	Routing out

Both SIMUL8 and PowerDesigner allow more than one end object.

Routing in: The work exit point has no Routing in parameters.

Routing out: For end objects contained in composite processes, the work center Routing out property contains the list of output flows linked to the parent of the composite process.

Resource

Resources are generated into SIMUL8 objects in the following way:

BPM objects and properties	SIMUL8 objects and properties
Resource	Resource
Name	Name
Comment	Memo

A Resource is assigned to a work center via the work center properties.

Flow

Links between SIMUL8 objects are not objects but only symbols.

SIMUL8 objects are linked via the Routing in and Routing out properties of the work center.

Work items that come from the work entry point may be lost, when the next work center is busy (being processing other work items, or waiting for resources).

When a work item is lost, the simulation is suspended and a warning message is displayed (work entry point option that can be disabled)

Some work centers may block work items, because the next work center is busy, slowing down the process.

A single queue to each route object is added in order to get the simulation results of each queue separately.

On the output of a work entry point connected to a work center, there is always a queue, in order to avoid loosing work items during simulation.

On the input of a work exit point connected to a work center, there is no queue, it only accepts work pushed to it, otherwise work items would be blocked in the queue.

Resource Flow

There is no link object and symbol between a work center and a resource. Resource flows that have the "Read" access mode are generated as assignments of resources in the properties of the work center.

Free Symbol

SIMUL8 accepts free symbols only in the main diagram; the components cannot include free symbols.Consequently, free symbols contained in PowerDesigner sub-process diagrams are not generated.

BPM objects	SIMUL8 objects
Text, note, title	Written text
Rectangle, ellipse, rounded rectangle	Box, circle, rounded box
Line	Line

The color, the transparent color, the fill color, the line width and the font of free symbols are generated.