How to use a state chart as the flow chart for an agent

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I have two processes I want to juxtapose. The first is a Manual workflow that is well represented by the Process library. The second is a software System that performs the same work, but is better modelled as a state transition system (e.g. s/w component level).

Now in AnyLogic, state models are for agents, that can run through processes with animations (counts), or move across space. What if I want to use a state chart to run an agent through? so I have a System state chart/agent and a Job state chart/agent?

I want Jobs from Population A to go through the Manual process flow chart and Jobs from Population B to go through the System state flow chart, so I can juxtapose the processing costs. I then calculate various delays and resource allocations for each of the Jobs going through and compare them.

Can anyone explain how to setup a state chart as the base process, another agent will go through? Is this even possible?

Please help Thanks

1
agentanylogicstatechart

1 Answers

0
votes

This will not work as you would like it to, for these reasons:

  • You can't send an Agent into a flowchart. (Not sure how AnyLogic is handling it internally, maybe a generic token, or no flow at all, just changes to the state).

  • In AnyLogic there can only be one state active (simple or combined state) per state chart, so you can't represent a population with several members.

  • Agents can't be in more then one flow at a time, so even if it would be possible to insert an Agent into a statechart, this limitation would also apply.

The conclusion of this is: State charts are suitable for modeling individual behaviour (inside one Agent), whereas process flows can be both used for individual behaviour (inside one Agent, running a dummy Agent through) as well as for groups (multiple Agents running through process).

The normal use case would be to add the state chart to the Agent type running through your process flow (as you already noted in your question), applying the changes caused by the state chart to the individual agent.