Quick start

This chapter will guide you through the basic process of building a simple digital twin scene using templates and models from the Virtual Factory DLC in FactVerse Designer. It will help you understand the fundamental steps of creating digital twin scenes.

Basic steps to set up a digital twin scene:

1. Create Digital Twin Templates: Start by creating templates for your digital twins, defining their attributes and behaviors.

2. Create Digital Twins: Use the templates to create instances of digital twins, each representing a unique object or entity in the scene.

3. Scene Layout and Connection: Arrange the digital twins in the scene and configure their connections.

4. Logic Configuration: Configure the logic of the scene, including setting up digital twin properties, scene behaviors, and creating behavior trees to define their interactions and actions.

5. Playback and Visualization: Run the simulation and observe the digital twins’ behavior in the scene.

Create a “Box” template

In this section, we will create a template named “Box” that will serve as a template for the items produced in the scene. In the following chapters, we will explain in detail how to bind this “Box” template to production equipment. Once the binding is completed, when you play the scene, the production equipment will produce boxes based on the bound “Box” template.

Follow these steps to create the “Box” template:

1. Click on the New button located below the Digital Twin Template on the left side of the homepage to open the Template Editor.

2. In the Template Editor, drag the box model (<DLC storage path>/DLC/model/box) from the resource library into the Scene Area.

3. Rotate and drag the box model to change its pose as desired.

4. Modify the height of the box model to “0.5” (X, Y, Z values in the scale attributes).

5. Click the save button to save the “Box” template.

Create digital twins using templates from the Virtual Factory DLC

This section will guide you on how to create the following digital twins using templates from the Virtual Factory DLC:

• • A flat conveyor belt
  • A generator
  • An Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)
  • A temporary storage area

The Virtual Factory DLC contains common factory elements such as generators, conveyors, transformers, transport vehicles, and handlers. You can directly use these pre-designed factory elements or customize them according to your needs.

To create these digital twins using templates from the Virtual Factory DLC, follow these steps:

1. Firstly, ensure that you have obtained the Virtual Factory DLC. If you haven’t obtained it yet, please contact support@datamesh.com to get access.

2. In FactVerse Designer, click on the New button located below the Scene section on the left side of the homepage to open the Scene Editor.

3. Click the Save buttonin the toolbar to save the scene. Name the scene as “Simple Scene Demo”.

4. Create a conveyor:

a). Click the button in the Digital Twin tab of Resources to open the New Digital Twin window.

b). In the New Digital Twin window, fill in the digital twin information.

• • • Digital Twin Name: “Conveyor 1”
    • Digital Twin Template: Choose the conveyor template from the Virtual Factory DLC, for example: <DLC storage path>/DLC/TwinTemplate/Conveyor.
    • Storage Location: “My Space”

5. Create a generator:

a). Click the button in the Digital Twin tab of Resources to open the New Digital Twin window.

b). In the New Digital Twin window, fill in the digital twin information.

• • • Digital Twin Name: “Conveyor 1”
    • Digital Twin Template: Choose the conveyor template from the Virtual Factory DLC, for example: <DLC storage path>/DLC/TwinTemplate/Conveyor.
    • Storage Location: “My Space”

5. Create a generator:

a). Click the button in the Digital Twin tab of Resources to open the New Digital Twin window.

b). In the New Digital Twin window, fill in the digital twin information.

• • • Digital Twin Name: “Generator 1”
    • Digital Twin Template: Choose the generator template from the Virtual Factory DLC, for example: <DLC storage path>/DLC/TwinTemplate/Producer.
    • Storage Location: “My Space”

6. Create a storage area:

a). Click the button in the Digital Twin tab of Resources to open the New Digital Twin window.

b). In the New Digital Twin window, fill in the digital twin information.

• • • Digital Twin Name: “Storage area 1”
    • Digital Twin Template: Choose the storage area template from the Virtual Factory DLC, for example: <DLC storage path>/DLC/TwinTemplate/Staging Area.
    • Storage Location: “My Space”.

7. Create an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle):

a). Click the button in the Digital Twin tab of Resources to open the New Digital Twin window.

b). In the New Digital Twin window, fill in the digital twin information.

• • • Digital Twin Name: “AGV 1”
    • Digital Twin Template: Choose the AGV template from the Virtual Factory DLC, for example: <DLC storage path>/DLC/TwinTemplate/AGV.
    • Storage Location: “My Space”

8. Drag and drop “Production 1,” “Conveyor 1,” “Storage area 1,” and “AGV 1” into the scene.

Scene Layout and Connection

Adjust the length and height of “Conveyor 1”

You can adjust the length and height of the conveyor belt using the conveyor belt editing tool to suit your requirements. Here are the steps to adjust it:

1. In the Scene Area, select “Conveyor 1” and click on Edit.

2. In the editing mode, you can use the conveyor belt editing tool to stretch the conveyor belt, adjusting its length, and also modify the conveyor belt’s height.

a). Stretching the Conveyor Belt: In editing mode, click on one endpoint of the length adjustment line (red) of the conveyor belt editing tool, then hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to adjust the conveyor belt’s length.

b). Adjusting Conveyor Belt Height: In editing mode, click on the height adjustment line (green) endpoint of the conveyor belt editing tool, then hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse up or down to adjust the conveyor belt’s height.

3. Once you finish adjusting, click the End edit button to exit the conveyor belt’s editing mode.

4. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Add a new node to “Conveyor 1”

To add a new node to ” Conveyor 1″, follow these steps:

1. Select “Conveyor 1” and click on the Edit button to enter the editing mode.

2. In the Scene Area, double-click the mouse on a blank space to add a new node to the conveyor belt. If you need to delete a node, click on the Delete node option to remove the end section of the conveyor belt.

3. Once you finish adding the node, click the End Edit button to exit the editing mode for the conveyor belt.

4. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Connect the entry and exit points of the digital twins

In the virtual factory scene, to enable the transportation of goods between twins on the production line, it is necessary to connect the entry and exit points of the digital twins.

This section will connect the following entry and exit points:

• • Exit of “Generator 1” () and entry of “Conveyor 1” ()
  • Exit of “Conveyor 1” () and entry of “AGV 1” ()
  • Exit of “AGV 1” () and entry of “Storage area 1” ()

Note: There is no need to connect the exit and entry points of the same digital twin.

Follow the steps below to connect the exits and entry points:

1. Click on the exit point of “Generator 1” () in the scene, then click on Connect.

2. Move the mouse over the entry point of “Conveyor 1” () and left click to finish a connection between the exit point of “Generator 1” () and the entry point of “Conveyor 1” ().

3. Repeat the same process to connect the following exit and entrance points:

• • Exit of “Conveyor 1” () and entry of “AGV 1” ()
  • Exit of “AGV 1” () and entry of “Storage area 1” ()

4. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Logic Configuration

Configure main functions of “Generator 1”

In this section, we will explain how to set the main functions of ” Generator 1″ to enable simulation of the production process in your virtual factory scene. Follow these steps to set the main function of ” Generator 1″:

1. In the Scene Area, select “Generator 1”.

2. In the Attribute Pane, locate the option to set the identifier for generating digital twins under the Main Functions section, and click the adjacent edit button.

3. In the opened template list, select the previously created “Box” template. This will ensure that the generator produces specific items according to the “Box” template.

4. In the Attribute Pane, modify the Time Interval between Digital Twins for ” Generator 1″ (i.e., the time interval for the generator to produce items). You can set the time interval to an appropriate value to simulate the production pace in an actual factory.

5. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Modify the speed of “Conveyor 1”

In this section, we will adjust the speed of “Conveyor 1” to “5” meters per second, allowing the conveyor to operate at a faster pace during the simulation.

1. In the Scene Area, click to select “Conveyor 1.”

2. In the Attribute Pane, modify the value of the Conveyor Speed to “5.”

3. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Create a travel path for “AGV1”

Creating a travel path for “AGV1” allows it to move according to the defined route. Follow these steps to create a travel path for the AGV:

1. Click on the path map button in the toolbar to open the path planning interface.

2. Click on the build button  in the toolbar to enter build mode.

3. Click on three different positions in the Scene Area to create three path points for the AGV:

• • point0： Pick Up point
  • point1： Delivery point
  • point2： Charge point

4. Click on the select button  in the toolbar to enter select mode.

5. Select the connecting line between point0 and point1 and set the connection direction to bidirectional ↔.

6. Select the connecting line between point1 and point2 and set the connection direction to bidirectional ↔.

7. Click on the < button to exit the path planning interface, return to the Scene Editor interface, and a prompt window to save the path will appear.

8. In the prompt window, click on the YES button to save the path.

9. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Set the main functions of “AGV 1”

Setting the main function of “AGV1” ensures that it follows the predefined path and executes tasks based on the set parameters. Follow these steps to set the main function of “AGV 1”:

1. In the Scene Area, select “AGV 1.”

2. In the Attribute Pane, make the following modifications:

a). Change PickUp Point to the previously set path point name, e.g., point0.

b). Change Delivery Point to the previously set path point name, e.g., point1.

c). Change Charge Point to the previously set path point name, e.g., point2.

d). Set the Maximum load to “4” (indicating that it can carry up to 4 items).

e). Loading and Unloading Time to “0.5” (representing the time taken to load or unload goods, which is 0.5 seconds).

3. Click the save button in the toolbar to save the scene.

Preview the scene

To preview the scene and see its effects, click on the play button located in the top-right corner of the Scene Editor interface.