How to design a flow
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 12:48 pm
There are three different flow types in x4Trace.
1. Basic flow.
The basic flow is only a flow. You can design it as you wish but must set a flow from these if you have a product.
2. Flow of product.
The flow of a product is the product flow. If you have a basic flow, you can attach it to a product. If you modify the basic flow, the product flow will not be altered. Products can have more flows. You have to have an activated product flow.
3. Flow of order.
The flow of the order is set when you select the product, and the flow is copied into the order. If you modify the flow, it is saved only to the order, not the product. This flow is executed.
The editing of all flows is the same.
This sample shows you how to edit the order's flow. This order is in the sample data of x4Trace.
Open the order. (Main page -> Orders -> Press Refresh button -> Select "Phone 01" order -> Press Open button -> Select Flow tab)
Drag an operation. x4Trace calls an operation a block, which is the flow block. A block can contain multiple operations.
To edit a block, double-click on the block. Behaviour: Assemble: When a part passes the operation, it will be assembled with the other parts of the inputs. Simple forward: No assembly.
Kanban box: Use or not use the kanban box during the operation.
Display: The terminal's display. Some operations require a different Terminal display. You can select the display, but if you need a completely different one, you can develop a unique one in C# or VB and add it to x4Trace.
Forward type: Individual: All parts have a unique ID, and they pass one by one. Quantity: All parts have no unique ID. For example, if 5 parts passed and 3 parts passed, x4Trace will store 5 and 3.
Department/Line settings: You can select the place of the operation. This is important when the line provides data to x4Trace (passes part, or measures data, etc.). To edit lines, select line menu on main page.
Operations: Operations of this block. Runtime is in minutes. This is the planned runtime. x4Trace will calculate with this runtime.
To define ports, click on the Ports tab. Input: The input port list defines the top ports of the block, which are the input parts. If the assembly is selected at the block behaviour, you can set the "Part" and "Assembly" selections in the assembly column. If you choose the "Part", the part will be assembled in the "Assembly".
Output The output ports are at the bottom side of the block. The part leaves the operation here. The output ports have more results: PASS/FAIL/REPAIR.
1. Basic flow.
The basic flow is only a flow. You can design it as you wish but must set a flow from these if you have a product.
2. Flow of product.
The flow of a product is the product flow. If you have a basic flow, you can attach it to a product. If you modify the basic flow, the product flow will not be altered. Products can have more flows. You have to have an activated product flow.
3. Flow of order.
The flow of the order is set when you select the product, and the flow is copied into the order. If you modify the flow, it is saved only to the order, not the product. This flow is executed.
The editing of all flows is the same.
This sample shows you how to edit the order's flow. This order is in the sample data of x4Trace.
Open the order. (Main page -> Orders -> Press Refresh button -> Select "Phone 01" order -> Press Open button -> Select Flow tab)
Drag an operation. x4Trace calls an operation a block, which is the flow block. A block can contain multiple operations.
To edit a block, double-click on the block. Behaviour: Assemble: When a part passes the operation, it will be assembled with the other parts of the inputs. Simple forward: No assembly.
Kanban box: Use or not use the kanban box during the operation.
Display: The terminal's display. Some operations require a different Terminal display. You can select the display, but if you need a completely different one, you can develop a unique one in C# or VB and add it to x4Trace.
Forward type: Individual: All parts have a unique ID, and they pass one by one. Quantity: All parts have no unique ID. For example, if 5 parts passed and 3 parts passed, x4Trace will store 5 and 3.
Department/Line settings: You can select the place of the operation. This is important when the line provides data to x4Trace (passes part, or measures data, etc.). To edit lines, select line menu on main page.
Operations: Operations of this block. Runtime is in minutes. This is the planned runtime. x4Trace will calculate with this runtime.
To define ports, click on the Ports tab. Input: The input port list defines the top ports of the block, which are the input parts. If the assembly is selected at the block behaviour, you can set the "Part" and "Assembly" selections in the assembly column. If you choose the "Part", the part will be assembled in the "Assembly".
Output The output ports are at the bottom side of the block. The part leaves the operation here. The output ports have more results: PASS/FAIL/REPAIR.