Understand Calculations
Use the Calculation tab to perform a precise calculation of the production process. The quantity, work rate, and duration parameters are connected, e.g., duration = quantity/ work rate. This is the simplest equation. To model real site conditions with changing quantities or changing work rates along the distance axis, many parameters can be used.
Ways to access
The most important parameter is the Calculate field. This sets the base for all further entries. The value you select from this combo defines, which parameter of the equation above is calculated. E. g. If the work rate is selected, then this value is calculated and can not be entered.
The field: Calculate
The entry <none> indicates that no calculation is done to set the duration of the Activity.
The entry Quantity | work rate | Duration is based on a simple equation: Duration = Quantity/work rate.
The entry Length can only be set in combination with the distance-based calculation of Quantity. In this case, a Quantity factor unit is set. Length = Duration * work rate / Quantity factor. The value Set Quantity by needed to set to Distance.
The advanced models, that are described below, are not based on a linear Activity. The Activity gets split into segments.
The entry Duration (Data From Profile) means that the duration is calculated based on the quantity of the Activity and the work rate. Select a profile that contains the information for the Activity calculation. Both quantity and work rate can be derived from the profile, but must not.
Option: Use Apply only total quantity. This option is visible if the Calculation Duration (Data from profile) is selected and the work rate is constant along the whole Activity (Set work rate by is "Plan work rate" or "Resource calculation"). The result of this option: The Activity gets no longer cut into segments based on the profile stations and a straight Activity line is built from the start to the end of the Activity. The quantity is still calculated based on the start and end location points. Use this option for example on earth movements, where you have many measurement points, but only the sum of quantity is important. This may speed up the calculation.
The entry Duration (Speed From Sector Types) means the duration is calculated based on the length of the Activity and the speed of the process set in the field planned speed. A Sector Profiles, which contains hindrances, can be set. In addition, a base speed needs to be set; this is the default speed if not specified at the sector level. For each Sector Type a different speed can be set. This is ideal for railway work, where crossing forces a speed reduction and setup time. The Calculate Activity Speed button allows you to recalculate the speed based on an entered end date/time or duration.
The entry Duration (With Setup Times) means, the duration is calculated based in the same way as it would be = Duration, but a Setup time at start and end can be added.
In the advanced models based on work rate, also a Seasonal Profile can be applied. This sets based on periods of different Quantity rate percentage values.
In the advanced models, a setup time at the start and end can be applied.
See further detailed information in the Getting Started: Calculate Activities.
Set working speed based on a sector
Note: You can no longer define speed in a sector profile. The Speed token (now obsolete) and Speed column have been removed from the Sector Profile Properties dialog. If you have an earlier project in which sector speed was defined in this way, the column and values will remain visible in that project.
Select an Activity.
In the Object Properties Toolbar, click the Calculation tab.
Select Duration (Speed from Sector Profile) as the Calculate type.
Click the Define sector-based working speed icon.
Click the Add icon, and enter a value in the Speed cell. Base speed remains the default speed if you have not specified a speed at the sector level.
The fields: Length, work rate, and duration
In advanced calculation, the Quantity field shows the total of the Activity, which is the sum of all Activities segments and can then not be edited. It is mainly controlled by the option Set Quantity by. The Unit refers to the list in Units in the library.
The field work rate shows the average work rate along the activity; it is not edited. The work rate time unit refers to the list in Units in the library. It is mainly controlled by the option Set work rate by.
The duration is displayed in the select duration time unit set in Option/Setting.
Based on the value of the field Calculate further dialogue edit fields are presented. These options are described in the chapter Activity calculation.
The field: Set quantity by
There are different ways to calculate the quantity of an Activity.
Input Field - The quantity can be entered directly in the field quantity.
Activity Length x Quantity Factor - The quantity is calculated based on the field Quantity factor unit times the length of the Activity. If distance is selected, then 2 Further input fields appear - Quantity per distance unit and the selector field for the distance unit to apply. If the distance unit is not set the default distance unit is applied.
Summary Activities - the quantity is calculated based on the quantity of the next upper summary Activity multiplied by the value of the field Multiplier, which appears after selecting Summary as Set quantity by value. if the Activity is not assigned to a summary, then the result will be zero.
Sub Activities - This option can be set only for summary or hammock Activities, those which have sub Activities assigned. Quantity is calculated as the sum of the field quantity of all direct assigned sub Activities.
Profile data - This option can only be set if the field Calculate has been set to Duration (Data from Profile). If Profile is selected then the drop-down menu data field appears and the user can select which data field should be used for calculating the Quantity. Quantity is calculated based on the profile data, while the profile line describes the quantity between its profile station point (distance coordinate) and the previous profile line.
Cut Area - Only Available in Combination with existing Mass Areas. Take the quantity from the selected Mass Area.
Fill Area - Only Available in Combination with existing Mass Areas. Take the quantity from the selected Mass Area.
The field - Set work rate by
The field work rate can be set in different modes.
Planned work rate - In the simplest case the work rate is directly entered by the user in the field planned work rate.
Resource Calculation - The work rate is taken from the driving resource allocations. Only those resource allocations are evaluated where a model is set to Resource work rate (Drives Activity work rate).
The following options can only be set if the field Calculate has been set to Duration (Data from Profile).
Profile data - The work rate is now taken from the profile assigned to this Activity. A further drop-down menu data field appears and the field containing the work rate for this Activity can be selected.
Planned work rate and % from - the work rate is calculated based on the planned work rate and a percentage value taken from the profile. A further drop-down menu data field appears and the field containing the % work rate factor for this Activity can be selected. in the field planned work rate.
Resource and % from profile - the work rate is calculated based on the resource work rate (see above Set work rate by Resource) and a percentage value taken from the profile. A further drop-down menu data field appears and the field containing the % work rate factor for this Activity can be selected.
The average work rate for the whole Activity is shown on the left side of the Quantity field.
Seasonal profile
During the rainy periods, it might be smaller than in other periods. For the advanced calculation models, a seasonal profile can be assigned. The seasonal profile line contains a date and a percentage value that should be applied to the work rate after this date.
Activity segment description
For each activity calculated in advance calculation mode where the Activity is split in segments, each segment can have an individual text description. This gets set in the Activity description properties.
A start and end setup time can be edited.
Activity summary
The activity summary is printed In the right area. This is a read-only text field representing activity data. The content of these fields can be set in Dialog > Options > Activity. Tokens can be used to set the content of that field.
Train calculation
Click the icon 'Enable railway features. These features are used to calculate the setup of the train performing the Activity Quantity. This feature allows one to calculate the train setup: The number of wagons used, the lengths, and also the weight of the train. The shape of the train can be calculated based on the lengths of the train using the display type parallelogram distance.
Train setup - This field describes which kind of train you and our calculation. [ <none> | Track Renewal Train | Spoil Train | Ballast Train | Support Train ]
Calculate end distance based on train setup. This option allows you to calculate the lengths of the train based on working time or on the workload.
Note: The icon is only visible if train setup is set to 'Ballast train' or 'Spoil train'.
Direction - this option is only used in context ballast trains or support trains. It controls whether the locomotive is at the start or at the end of the train. This affects the drawing of the shape only. [ Pushed | Pulled ]
Set lead/lag on shape - This option activates the calculation for the shape of the train displayed as a parallelogram where the lead and lag is calculated based on train lengths.
Note: The options are only evaluated, as the Activity display type is set to parallelogram distance in the tab display.
How far can I go? Calculate end distance
If Activity Length x Quantity Factor is set up for quantity a button appears:
With the following dialog you may calculate the distance you may go from a given end date.
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