2023.1.116.1 Staging Area

1 Overview
2 Where to find
3 Asset Layout
- 3.1 Staging Area Cue Settings Layout
- 3.2 Staging Pattern & Positions Layout
- 3.3 Transfer Positions Processor Layout
- 3.4 Assignment Instructor Layout
  - 3.4.1 PickUp - & DropOffAssignment Layout
    - 3.4.1.1 Positions to Test Layouts
      - 3.4.1.1.1 Nth Layout
      - 3.4.1.1.2 Custom Layout
      - 3.4.1.1.3 Interval Per Point Positions to test Layout
  - 3.4.2 Transfer Assignment Layout
4 How to use the Staging Area in a single product transfer setup

Overview

This feature is used to set up an area at which products can be staged in an IA application. As all action cues, a Staging Area can be snapped to a Spline Module. With the staging Area you can manage several things: firstly positions on the spline can be defined, to manage and interact with product parts on the spline; secondly the transfer positions where manipulators move to to manipulate/transfer a product; Thirdly assignments can be set to be triggered at wanted positions within the Staging Area.

Where to find

The Staging Area can be found in the Asset Library (Prespective > Menu > Industrial Assets > Asset Library) under the category Action Cues.

Asset Layout

The Staging Area consists of five segments:

Staging Area Cue Settings: Manages the settings of its main cue.
Staging Recipe Processor: Not implemented yet!
Staging Pattern & Positions: Manages the support positions on the spline within the Staging Area.
Transfer Positions Processor: Manages the transfer positions to be used by Manipulators & Free Agents to preform their actions at.
Assignment Instructor: Manages the assignment within this Staging Area which can be triggered at its support positions.

Staging Area Cue Settings Layout

	Staging Area Cue Settings
Owner Module	The module to which the staging area is snapped to.
Spline Length	The length of the owner module spline in meters.
Draggable In Scene	When toggled off, you will not be able to move the main cue of the Staging Area using the transformation gizmos in the scene.
Distance From Start	The position of the main cue of the Staging Area in meters measuring form the beginning of the spline.
Distance From End	The position of the main cue of the Staging Area in meters measuring form the end of the spline.
Area Size	The size of the main cue in meters.

Staging Pattern & Positions Layout

	Staging Pattern & Positions

	Staging Pattern & Positions
Action Sequence Category	The selected type of Action Sequence generated when the 'Add Staging Positions Pattern' button is pressed.
Add Staging Positions Pattern	Adds a new Staging Position Pattern to the Staging Area.
#0: Staging Pattern	The first Staging Position Pattern of the Staging Area.
Pattern Name	The name of the Staging Position Pattern.
Pattern Type	The type of this Pattern: Fixed: fixed position on the spline. Region: Not implemented yet!
Same Recipe for all positions	Not implemented yet!
	The list of all the (support) positions of this Staging Pattern
Cue Reference	The reference to the cue game object of the position.
Position #0	Indicates this position is at index '0' of the positions list.
Offset	The offset of this position relative to the main cue position.
Recipe	The recipe for this position (Not implemented yet!)
X	Remove button for this position.
Add Position	Adds a (support) position.
Scene Preview	Not implemented yet!

Transfer Positions Processor Layout

	Transfer Positions Processor

	Transfer Positions Processor
Action Sequence Category	The selected type of Action Sequence generated when the 'Add Transfer Positions Pattern' button is pressed.
Add Transfer Positions Pattern	Adds a new Transfer Position Pattern to the Staging Area.
Transfer Positions Pattern	The first Transfer Positions Pattern of the Staging Area.
Pattern Name	The name of the Transfer Position Pattern.
Staging Pattern	The Staging Position Pattern this Transfer Positions Pattern is linked to.
Manipulator	The type of manipulator for this Transfer Positions Pattern (Not implemented yet!)
Manipulator transfer position	The first Manipulator transfer position of this Transfer Positions Pattern.
Position Name	The name of this Position.
Transfer Point	The reference to the game object of the corresponding Manipulator Transfer Point of this position.
Position Offset	The position offset of this point relative to the Staging Area.
Rotation Offset	The rotation offset of this point relative to the Staging Area.
Used Pattern Positions	The list of Used Pattern Positions of this transfer point. A used pattern position links a position of the Staging Pattern Position to an Assignment to trigger at this position.
Add Position	Adds a Used Pattern Position to the list.
Left dropdown	The position of the Used Pattern Position.
Right dropdown	The assignment to trigger of the Used Pattern Position.
Manipulator Transfer Action Points	The list of Manipulator Transfer Action Points corresponding to this transfer point. Manipulator Transfer Action Points are not implemented yet!
Add Action Point	Not implemented yet!

Assignment Instructor Layout

	Assignment Instructor

	Assignment Instructor
Action Sequence Category	The selected type of Action Sequence generated when the 'Add Staging Area Assignment Sequence' button is pressed.
Add Staging Area Assignment Sequence	Adds a new Assignment to the Staging Area.
PickUpAssignment#1	The first Assignment of the Staging Area.
Assignment Type	The type of assignment. The selectable assignments are: PickUpAssignment DropOffAssignment TransferAssignment
Name	The name of the Assignment
On Assignment Started	Settings of the actions to do before the assignment starts.
On Start Action	The action to do before the assignment is started. Options are: Do Nothing
On Assignment Staged	Settings of the actions to do when the assignment is staged.
On Staged Action	The action to do when the assignment is staged. Options are: Do Nothing
On Assignment Complete	Settings of the actions to do when the assignment is completed.
On Compete Action	The action to do when the assignment is completed. Options are: Do Nothing

PickUp - & DropOffAssignment Layout

	PickUp- & DropOffAssignment Layout

	PickUp- & DropOffAssignment Layout
Transfer Pattern	The transfer pattern the manipulator makes use of during this assignment.
Required manipulator	The required type of manipulator for this assignment. NOT YET IMPLEMENTED!
Manipulator Transfer Point Selection Settings	The settings to select the right transfer point for the assignment.
Selection Conditions	The list with selection condition for transfer points have to pass, to end up as a selectable option.
Selection Condition Category	The kind of category of selection condition that will be added with the 'Add Condition' button. Options: ManipulatorTransferPointSelectionCondition: used to select a Manipulator Transfer Point.
Add Condition	Adds a condition to the list of the selected type at the 'Selection Condition Category' field.
Condition	The first condition of the list.
Selection test	The type of Selection Test to perform. Options: MaterialTransferCueStates: Gives a condition of the states of the corresponding MaterialTransferCues of the Staging Pattern linked to the Transfer Pattern of the Transfer Point.
Positions to Test	The MaterialTransferCue postions to test: Options: First: Checks the ‘first’ position (position at index 0) Nth: Checks the set position Last: Checks the 'last' position (position with the highest index) All: Checks all positions First And Last: Checks the first and last position Custom: Checks the set intervals Interval Per Point: Checks the set interval for the the specific transfer point selected
Target State	The state the checked position should be in. Options: Occupied: There should be at least one product part at those positions. Not Occupied: There should be no product part at those positions.
Fail Action	NOT YET IMPLEMENTED! Action to be done, when the condition fails. Nothing is done for now.
Sorting	Settings of how the selected objects should be sorted.
Sorter	The type of sorter to use. Options: TransferPointPriority: Sorts making use of the priority number of the transfer points, set in its inspector.
Priority	Which has the Priority. Options: Highest: The one with the highest number. Lowest: The one with the lowest number.

Positions to Test Layouts

Nth Layout

	Nth Layout

	Nth Layout
N	The position to check. “1” is the first position.

Custom Layout

	Custom Layout

	Custom Layout
Add Interval	Adds an extra interval to the list.
Intervals	The list of intervals to check.
Interval 1	The first interval of the list.
X	Removes this interval from the list.
From	The start of this interval. Should always be a lower or the same number as in the 'To' Field. The number ‘1' is the first position. When '0’ is set, this interval is skipped.
To	The end of this interval. Should always be a higher or the same number as in the ‘From’ Field. The number 1 is the first position. When '0' is set, this interval is skipped.

Interval Per Point Positions to test Layout

	Interval Per Point Layout

	Interval Per Point Layout
Add point interval	Adds a transfer point interval to the list.
Transfer points	The list of point intervals.
Position#0 TransferPoint	The first point interval of the list.
TransferPoint	The Transfer Point these intervals correspond to.
Intervals	The list of intervals corresponding to the selected point.
Interval 1	The first interval of the list.
X	Removes that interval from the list.
From	The start of this interval. Should always be a lower or the same number as in the 'To' Field. The number ‘1' is the first position. When '0’ is set, this interval is skipped.
To	The end of this interval. Should always be a higher or the same number as in the ‘From’ Field. The number 1 is the first position. When '0' is set, this interval is skipped.

Transfer Assignment Layout

	Transfer Assignment Layout

	Transfer Assignment Layout
Selection Conditions	NOT YET IMPLEMENTED! The selection condition for the manipulator to use for this assignment. For now all manipulator are selected.
Sorting	NOT YET IMPLEMENTED! The sorting settings for the selected manipulator to use for this assignment. For now the list is not sorted.
Transfer destination settings	The destinations settings of this transfer assignment.
Add Transfer Destination Setting	Adds a Transfer Destination Setting to the list.
Destination#1	The first destination in the list and the first destination to travel to.
Destination	The corresponding Staging Area to travel to.
Assignment On Arrival	The assignment to perform when the manipulator arrives at the destination.
When Assignment Failed	NOT YET IMPLEMENTED! Action to do when the assignment failed. For now nothing is done (assignment is aborted).
Sorting	NOT YET IMPLEMENTED! The sorting settings of this destination.

How to use the Staging Area in a single product transfer setup

Drag a Conveyor of choice into the scene.
Drag a Spawner into the scene and snap it to the beginning of the conveyor.
Copy a Product Part id of choice and assign it to the spawn recipe of the Spawner.
Drag a Staging Area into the scene and snap it to the end of the conveyor.
Drag a Sensor into the scene and snap it to the end of the conveyor.
Make sure the Sensor and the Staging Area are at the same position by matching the Distance to Start/End.
Set an ‘OnCenter' trigger of the Sensor to the Trigger Assignment 'Stop Conveyor' of the Conveyor.
Set an ‘OnExit’ trigger of the Sensor to the Trigger Assignment 'Start Conveyor' of the Conveyor.
(Later steps 7 & 8 will be an incorporated setting in the Staging Area, so a Sensor is not needed for this setup anymore.)
Drag a second Conveyor by choice into the scene.
Drag a second Staging Area into the scene and snap it to the beginning of the second conveyor.
Set the first assignment of the second Staging Area to a Drop Off Assignment.
Drag the Fanuc_M-710_with_SuctionCupsManipulator into the scene and align both Conveyors and the robot, so both Staging Areas are in reach of the robot.
Go back to the first Staging Area and Add an Assignment.
Change the type of the Assignment to 'TransferAssignment'.
Add 2 Destination Settings.
Set the first destination to the first Staging Area and the second destination to the second Staging Area. Make sure the Assignment On Arrival of the first destination is set to the 'PickUpAssignment'.
In the Transfer Positions Processor of the first Staging Area, add a Used Pattern Position.
Set the Used Pattern Position to trigger the Transfer Assignment.
If wanted, alter the transfer position offset. (usually to the height of the product to pick up)

20. Press play.