Processes
Process definitions, hourly rates, setup times, mass constraints, and material constraints.
Edited in the Database Management window.
Processes
Defines all manufacturing processes, their hierarchy, cost centres, and active status.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| ID | Unique identifier |
| Superior process | Reference to the superior process |
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Name | Display name |
| Cost center | Cost centre identifier |
| Priority | Priority ranking |
| Active | Whether the entry is active |
| Subprocesses active | Whether sub-processes are active |
| Description | Notes |
Processes - Hourly rate
Hourly rate per process for cost calculation.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Hourly rate | Hourly rate |
Processes - Setup time default values
Default setup time per process used when no specific time is defined.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Setup time | Setup time |
Processes - Unit time default values
Default unit time per process used when no specific time is defined.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Unit time | Unit time |
Processes - Handling time
Handling time adjustments per process based on part mass.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Mass | Part mass in kg |
| Setup time delta | Setup time offset |
| Unit time delta | Unit time offset |
Processes - Idle time
Idle/queue time per process between operations.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Time | Time value |
Processes - Mass constraints
Mass limits per process — minimum and maximum part mass.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| min. | Minimum value |
| incl. | Whether minimum is inclusive |
| max. | Maximum value |
| excl. | Whether maximum is exclusive |
Processes - Sheet material constraints
Defines which sheet materials are allowed for each process.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Sheet - Material | Reference to the sheet material |
| Allowed | Whether this combination is allowed |
Processes - Tube material constraints
Defines which tube materials are allowed for each process.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Tubes - Material | Reference to the tube material |
| Allowed | Whether this combination is allowed |
Processes - Purchase part constraints
Defines which purchase part materials are allowed for each process.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
| Purchase part material | Reference to the purchase part material |
| Allowed | Whether this combination is allowed |
Custom Calculations
WSi lets you override or extend the standard cost and time calculation for any process node using custom formulas. You write expressions that read part geometry, material properties, and user-supplied values, then wire the result to one of five entry points.
Processes - Calculation
Links custom calculation configurations to specific processes. The configuration is stored as a JSON blob per processId.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Process | Reference to the process |
How to Open the Dialog
- Toolbar — click Edit Calculation Settings in the main toolbar
- Graph View — right-click any node and choose Edit Calc Parameters
The dialog shows one calculation configuration per process type. When you open it from a specific node, the configuration for that node's process type is pre-selected.
Entry Points
Each custom function must be assigned to one entry point:
| Entry point | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Setup time | Fixed time needed before production starts |
| Unit time | Time per part during production |
| Material costs | Material cost per part |
| Constraint | Boolean pass/fail for validation rules |
| Custom | Any value with configurable precision and optional BOM export |
Variables
Built-in variables are computed automatically from the part geometry and are always available:
Mass, Volume, Surface area (2D/3D), Bounding box volume, X/Y/Z dimensions, Thickness, Quantity, Article count, Component count, Outer/inner contour length, Contour count, Flow nesting length (2D), Coating area/density/cost rate, Operation count, Operation group count, Volume before.
User-defined variables let you add custom inputs:
- Constant — fixed numeric value
- Material constant — value depends on the material group
- Number input — user enters a value via the node context menu (with configurable min, max, precision)
- Enumeration input — user picks from a dropdown of named options
- Loop (filter/map/reduce) — iterates over a parameter table and aggregates results
- Function — calls another named function to reuse logic
- Function parameter — parameter passed into a function when called
Expression Language
Variables start with $ and contain letters, numbers, and underscores (e.g. $mass, $thickness_2). Supported operations:
| Operation | Meaning |
|---|---|
+ - | Addition, Subtraction |
* / | Multiplication, Division |
^ | Power |
( ) | Grouping |
Built-in functions: MIN[$a; $b; ...], MAX[$a; $b; ...], FLOOR[$v], CEIL[$v].
Units are carried through automatically — dividing $mass (kg) by $thickness (mm) gives a result in kg/mm.
Preview
The Preview field at the bottom of the editor evaluates the expression using test values so you can verify the formula before saving. Invalid expressions show a red error message.
Where the Result Appears
- Create a function with built-in and/or user-defined variables
- Write an expression that computes a result from those variables
- Assign the function to an Entry point
- When WSi recalculates a node's cost, it evaluates the expression using the current part geometry and user inputs
- The result feeds into the cost calculation and appears in the Cost Analysis panel
Configurations are stored in the Processes - Calculation table. When restoring database defaults, WSi preserves existing custom calculation function IDs so your formulas are not lost.