Hierarchical Modeling Rules

Defining a Process > Hierarchical Modeling > Hierarchical Modeling Rules

The following rules apply when attempting to simulate a hierarchical model.

If multiple hyperlinks are defined for an activity, the first hyperlink found that references another page or a .vsd file with simulation properties is used. All other hyperlinks are ignored, even if they reference another page or .vsd file.
If the Use Submodel checkbox is checked for an activity, but no hyperlink is found referencing a page or .vsd file with simulation properties, then an error message will appear when the simulation is run.
Resources, entities, attributes, variables, macros, and subroutines with the same name in the parent model or other submodels are assumed to be the same.

If the same resource, entity, attribute, variable, macro, or subroutine is defined in both the main model and any submodels, the duplicate object definitions in the submodels are ignored.
If the same attribute, variable, macro or subroutine definition is in two separate submodels (and not the main model), the first instance encountered will be the one defined, any others are ignored.
If the same resource or entity is defined in two separate submodels (and not the main model), the two objects will be given unique names and treated as two separate objects. For example, if two submodels have a resource named Res1 defined, where submodel 1 is linked to activity Act1 in the main model and submodel 2 is linked to activity Act2, then the resources will be renamed Act1 Res1 and Act2 Res1, respectively.

Entities return to the parent model from any activity in the submodel that has either no further route connection or a route to Exit connection with the Output from Submodel checkbox checked. If the Output from Submodel checkbox is unchecked, the entities will simply exit the model.

Models and submodels cannot be recursively/circularly referenced. For example, ModelA can reference SubmodelB but SubmodelB should not then also reference ModelA.
When simulating a hierarchical model, all activity names in submodels are prefixed with the name of the parent activity to which they are linked. This is necessary in order to maintain name uniqueness. For example, if a parent activity in a model is named "Act1", and the submodel it links to has an activity called “Act2”, at simulation time “Act2” will be identified as “Act1 Act2”. For this reason, it is recommended your keep activity names short if they are linked hierarchically. For instances when the names of submodels begin to get lengthy because they reference a longer named, or more than one, parent, then place parent (prefix) names in brackets [], and shorter names will be used in the submodel. For example, if the parent (prefix) is Activity A, put "A" in brackets, [A], and then the model knows the naming convention, [A] refers to Activity A.
Only Scenario Parameters in the main model will be used, and those in submodels will be ignored. See Scenario Parameters and Hierarchical Modeling and Scenario Management.
At simulation time, all models are merged into a single large model with each layout being offset slightly from the other. To view only the main model or one of the submodels, right-click anywhere on the layout and select a view from the Views menu.