[Swarm-Support] simple scheduling question

[Jurgen van der Pol]

Hi,

I can't quite grasp/get the hang of the Swarm scheduling mechanism. 
What I want is the following (repeated) activity schedule in my supply 
chain model (fixed width font, tabbed, * == 'do your thing'):

time                    t       t+1     t+2     t+3     t+4
-----------------------------------
trucks          *       *       *       *       *       // swarm objects 
representing trucks
cargo           *       *       *       *       *       // swarm objects 
representing cargo
market          -       *       -       -       -       // swarm object 
representing (the) market(s)
retailer                -       -       *       -       -       // swarm object 
representing (a) retailer(s)
manufacturer    -       -       -       *       -       // swarm object 
representing (a) manufacturer(s)
supplier                -       -       -       -       *       // swarm object 
representing (a) supplier(s)


I've managed it (after various different approaches, including multiple 
schedules/actiongroups) via the following set-up (in Modelswarm.m):

//***********************
- buildActions
{
	// put each group (trucks+cargo, market, retailer, manufacturer, 
supplier)
        // in separate ActionGroups + M(do-your-thing)
        modelActions = [ActionGroup create: self];
	[modelActions createActionForEach:	truckList message: 
M(goTrucks)];	[modelActions createActionForEach:	cargoList message: 
M(checkState)];	
        marketActions = [ActionGroup create: self];
        [marketActions createActionForEach:     marketList message: 
M(goMarket)];

        retailerActions = [ActionGroup create: self];
	[retailerActions createActionForEach:	retailerList message: 
M(goRetailer)];

        manufacturerActions = [ActionGroup create: self];
	[manufacturerActions createActionForEach:	manufacturerList message: 
M(goManufacturer)];

        supplierActions = [ActionGroup create: self];
	[supplierActions createActionForEach:	supplierList message: 
M(goSupplier)];

        // next, combine all ActionGroups into ONE modelSchedule
        // and play around with setRepeatInterval and such
        modelSchedule = [Schedule createBegin: self];
        [modelSchedule setRepeatInterval: 5];
        modelSchedule = [modelSchedule createEnd];
  	[modelSchedule at: 0 createAction: modelActions]; // trucks & cargo 
at t
  	[modelSchedule at: 1 createAction: modelActions]; // trucks & cargo 
at t+1
  	[modelSchedule at: 2 createAction: modelActions]; // trucks & cargo 
at t+2
  	[modelSchedule at: 3 createAction: modelActions]; // trucks & cargo 
at t+3
  	[modelSchedule at: 4 createAction: modelActions]; // trucks & cargo 
at t+4

        [modelSchedule at: 1 createAction: marketActions]; // market at t+1
  	[modelSchedule at: 2 createAction: retailerActions]; // retailer at 
t+2
  	[modelSchedule at: 3 createAction: manufacturerActions]; // 
manufacturer at t+3
  	[modelSchedule at: 4 createAction: supplierActions]; // supplier at 
t+4

        return self;
}

//***********************
- activateIn: swarmContext
{
        // only one schedule to activate
        [super activateIn: swarmContext];
        [modelSchedule activateIn: self];
        return [self getSwarmActivity];
}
//***********************


...But I feel that there must be a more elegant solutions? How do I 
elegantly tell agents to 'skip a beat', in a way, anyway?

Much obliged for any insights...

Cheers,
Jurgen van der Pol
Tilburg University


P.S. Looking forward to Turin!