Entity Selector

Select entities

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Libraries:
SimEvents

Description

The Entity Selector block selects entities from multiple streams of ready-to-leave entities, and matches them to a reference entity. You can use this block for modeling scenarios which involve items to be matched based on input. For instance, you can model a facility that produces parts which are matched to the corresponding order.

The block first accepts a reference entity with its Key entity attribute name. Then the block selects a matching entity with Matching entity attribute name(s) from each of the other input ports accepting incoming entities. The match is based on the equality of the specified attribute values. When a match is found across all the entity streams, the set of matching entities and the key entity become ready to depart.

The Entity Store block can be used as a temporary container for entities to be selected by the Entity Selector block. For an example, see Match Entities Based on Attributes.

Examples

Match Entities Based on Attributes

Build a model to store and match entities representing bicycle components. The model uses an Entity Store block for storage and an Entity Selector block to match a set of bicycle wheels to the corresponding size frame for assembly.

• Open Model

Inventory Management

Build a simple inventory management system for a retail store. This example includes:

• Open Model

Job Scheduling and Resource Estimation for a Manufacturing Plant

Model a manufacturing plant. The plant consists of an assembly line that processes jobs based on a pre-determined schedule. This example walks you through a workflow for:

• Open Script

Ports

Input

Key — Incoming reference entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Input entity port for reference entities entering the block.

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

Port_1 — Incoming entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Input entity port for matching entities entering the block.

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

Output

Port_1 — Exiting reference entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Output entity port for reference entities exiting the block.

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

Port_2 — Exiting matched entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Output entity port for matching entities exiting the selector.

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 Statistics and select the Number of entities departed, d check box.

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 block, click Statistics and select the Number of entities in block, n check box.

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

Number of matching streams — Determine how many input entity streams the block accepts

1 (default) | numerical

Specify the number of entity streams to be matched to the reference entity. The block can accept at most 8 matching streams.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumberOfStreams

Type: character vector

Values: '1' | scalar

Default: '1'

Key entity attribute Name — Specify name of reference attribute

{'ID'} (default) | character vector

Name of the reference attribute that is used to evaluate a match.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mKeyEntityAttributeName

Type: character vector

Values: '{'ID'}' | character vector

Default: '{'ID'}'

Matching entity attribute name(s) — Specify name of selected attribute names

{'Type'} (default) | character vector

Name of the matching entity attribute that is used to evaluate a match. You can specify one attribute name, or an array of attribute names that are compared with the key value to evaluate a match.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mEntityAttributeName

Type: character vector

Values: '{'Type'}' | character vector

Default: '{'Type'}'

Number of entities source — Source to determine the number of entities to be matched

Dialog (default) | Attribute

Source that determines the number of entities to be selected from each stream.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mMatchingNumberSource

Type: character vector

Values: 'Dialog' | 'Attribute'

Default: 'Dialog'

Number of entities to select — Number of entities to select from each of the incoming entity streams

1 (default) | scalar

Number of entities to be selected from each matching stream. You can specify 0, a positive integer, or an array of positive integers to determine the number of entities to select from each matching entity stream.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set the Number of entities source parameter to Dialog.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumberOfMatches

Type: character vector

Values: '1' | scalar

Default: '1'

Key attribute for number of entities — Key attribute name that determines the number of entities to be matched

Name (default) | character vector

The name of the key attribute that determines the number of entities to be selected from each matching stream. The attribute value can be an integer or an array of integers of size equal to the number of incoming entity streams.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set the Number of entities source parameter to Attribute.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumberOfMatchesAttribute

Type: character vector

Values: 'Name' | character vector

Default: 'Name'

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

off (default) | on

Number of entities that have exited the block.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumEntitiesDepOpt

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

Number of entities present in the block, which have yet to depart.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumEntitiesInBlockOpt

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Number of entities extracted, ex — Outputs the number of entities extracted from the block

off (default) | on

Outputs the number of extracted entities which are pulled out from this block by the Entity Find block. If a key entity is extracted, the Entity Selector block waits until all the matching entities arrive at the block. Then, the matching entities depart from the corresponding output port. If a matching entity is extracted, the block looks for another matching entity. When an entity is extracted, Number of entities departed, d, and Number of entities in block, n statistics are updated accordingly.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: mNumEntitiesExtractedOpt

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Version History

Introduced in R2018a