Sequence Editor

The Sequence Editor is a Gantt chart-like navigator that displays the operations in the system and their sequence. You can view information about operations including referenced physics objects, start time, duration, end time, and some runtime parameters.

What you can do with the Sequence Editor

Use the Sequence Editor to do the following:

• Add new operations to the system.
• Modify the start time and duration of the operation from the table.
• Link operations using AND and OR logic.

Tip: You can select one or more operations then right-click to delete any linkers associated with the operations.

• Modify the sequence of operations.
• Activate or deactivate single or multiple operations.
• Control signals using MCD or externally mapped signals.
• Control and sequence inverse kinematics motion using independent operations, runtime parameters, and linkers.
• Play simulations until an operation is started.
• Adjust the relative width of the parameters side and event side by dragging the vertical bar.
• Right-click in the objects involved with selected operations. Controlled objects are displayed in red and conditional objects are displayed in blue.

Operation and link types shown in the Sequence Editor

Element	Description
Time-based operation	An operation that is triggered by time. Shown as a blue bar. To reset the run time of all time-based operations, click Update Time.
Event-based operation	An operation that is triggered by a non-time-based event. Shown as a green bar.
Linked operation	An operation that is linked to another operation.
Compound operation	A collection of one or more operations defined at a lower assembly level than the current work part. This operation is read-only and shown as a gray bar. A compound operation cannot be linked to other operations.
Pause operation	An operation that pauses the simulation when triggered.
Link condition	A link that connects two or more operations to create a sequence. The link condition applies AND or OR logic to the connection and can be changed later.

• An AND logic link requires all linked operations to be completed to trigger the next operation.
• An OR logic link requires only one complete operation to trigger the next operation. OR links must be explicitly defined.

Note: While you create operations, you can use the Undo command but not the Redo command.

Organizing and optimizing the Sequence Editor view

You can organize and optimize the Sequence Editor view using:

• The Create Group option to create a folder in the Sequence Editor for the selected operations. Create groups to organize operations by function.
• Create linkers between components, or a component and an independent operation. You cannot create a linker to an operation within a component.

Optimizing the Sequence Editor display

You can do the following to optimize the Sequence Editor display during a presentation or when you are viewing long simulations:

• To update the Sequence Editor display asynchronous to the simulation, set the Use User Defined Refresh Interval and Refresh Interval Mechatronics Concept Designer preferences.
• To display a fixed view of the existing operations during the simulation instead of actively scrolling the operations in a different color to indicate it is the critical path, use the Critical Path option.

Where do I find it?

Accessing operations in the Sequence Editor

• Application: Mechatronics Concept Designer
• Resource bar: Sequence Editor

Adding an operation above an existing operation in the Sequence Editor

• Prerequisite: You must have an operation in the Sequence Editor.
• Resource bar: Sequence Editor
• Location in editor: Right-click an operation → Insert Operation

Grouping operations into folders

• Prerequisite: You must select one or more operations in the Sequence Editor.
• Resource bar: Sequence Editor
• Location in editor: Right-click a selected operation → Create Group

Linking components

• Prerequisites: You must have at least two components in the Sequence Editor.
• Resource bar: Sequence Editor
• Location in editor: Drag the component to the operation

Moving an operation to a group

• Prerequisite: You must select an operation in the Sequence Editor.