How to Use the Process Configurator

The Process Configurator gives you a simple and visual way to understand how your processes behave inside your facility. You can test different setups, visualize sequences, and see how equipment interacts in your space – helping you make faster and more confident decisions.

Core Components of the Process Configurator

The Process Configurator includes six core features. Each one represents a key element of how a process is structured, sequenced, and visualized inside HakoBio.

• Unit Operations are groups of equipment involved in the same part of a process.
• Process Steps are sub-parts of a unit operation. Process steps may have sub-steps with secondary equipment.
  • Primary equipment: The main equipment required to represent the product process.
  • Secondary equipment: Additional equipment needed to perform mandatory sub-steps.
• Process Setups are spatial configurations of a process step or a unit operation, showing how equipment is arranged in a given scenario.
• Equipment Ghosts are visual indicators showing how equipment positions differ across process setups.
• Process Timeline is a visual timeline, in the form of a Gantt Chart, that lets you organize your entire process over time.
• Process Overview is a chronological snapshot that shows a simplified, moment-in-time view of active units, steps, and setups – ideal for quick reviews or presentations.

Create a Unit Operation

A Unit Operation is a group of equipment that works together during one stage of a process. You can create them in two ways: from scratch or from selected equipment.

Create a Unit Operation From Scratch

1. Click the Process Configurator from the Builder menu.
2. At the bottom of the left side panel, click New Unit Operation.
3. Choose a name, add a description (optional), color code, and start time.
4. Click Save.
5. Open the unit operation you just created and begin adding process steps (explained further below).

Create a Unit Operation From Selected Equipment

This method is ideal when your equipment is already positioned in the correct order inside the digital twin.

1. Open the Process Configurator.
2. In the 3D view, select equipment in the order they belong to the process:
   • Double-click to select the first piece of equipment.
   • Hold Ctrl and double-click to add additional pieces of equipment.
3. Go back to the menu on the left and click New Unit Operation from Selection at the bottom.
4. Set a name, description (optional), color code, and start time.
5. Click Save.

The configurator will automatically generate the first process steps based on the order of your selection.

Create Process Steps

Process Steps represent the sub-parts of a Unit Operation and are defined directly through your equipment selection. Each step includes one primary piece of equipment and can include optional secondary equipment to reflect sub-steps in the process.

Create a Step Manually

1. Open the Process Configurator.
2. Click on a unit operation to configure the process steps.
3. To get started, double-click on an equipment to select it. Then, click Set as primary.
4. Enter the name, duration, number of operators, and description. When done, click Save.
5. Select a piece of equipment from your process, and click on “Set as primary” to assign it to the step

Create a Step From Selected Equipment

This is useful when you want to generate a step directly from equipment in your layout.

1. Select one or more pieces of equipment.
2. Click Create Step from Selection.
3. The first item selected becomes the primary equipment.
4. Additional equipment can be added as secondary equipment.

Add Secondary Equipment (Sub-Steps)

You can represent sub-steps that require additional equipment by creating flows.

Primary → Secondary Equipment

1. Open the process step.
2. Double-click the primary equipment.
3. Hold Ctrl and double-click the secondary equipment.
4. Click Create Flow Between Equipment.

Secondary → Primary Equipment

1. Click Create Flow Between Equipment.
2. Select the secondary equipment.
3. Hold Ctrl and select the primary equipment.

Create a Flow Pool to a Central Piece of Equipment

A flow pool represents several pieces of equipment feeding into one central point.

1. Open the Unit Operation.
2. Select the first piece of equipment.
3. Hold Ctrl and double-click the central equipment.
4. Click Create Flow Between Equipment.
5. Repeat for each additional piece of equipment.

The direction reflects the order of selection.

Create Process Setups

Process Setups let you represent different spatial configurations of the same process – especially useful when equipment moves during production.

To create a setup:

1. Open the Setups toolbar, located in the bottom right corner.
2. Next to Initial Setup, click the “+” icon.
3. Select the setup (e.g., Setup 1) to enter it.
4. Move equipment inside your layout. The positional changes apply only in that setup.
5. Add additional setups by clicking the “+” icons in the setup toolbar.
6. To delete a setup, select it and click X.

How to Show Equipment Ghosts

When equipment moves across setups, HakoBio automatically creates ghosts, which are visual outlines showing where the equipment is placed in other setups.

To enable ghost visualization:

1. Open the Setups toolbar.
2. Toggle the Ghosts button to turn it on.

From here, you can try switching between different setups to instantly compare the different layouts and how equipment moves around.

Access the Process Timeline

The Timeline gives you a Gantt-chart-style view of all units, steps, and setups.

To access it:

1. Open the Process Configurator.
2. Click Timeline in the bottom right corner.

What Can You Do with the Timeline?

• Adjust setup duration by dragging the ends of each bar.
• Change start dates by sliding units along the timeline.
• Link units together to show consecutive processes:
  • Hover over the end of a unit until the “+” appears.
  • Drag it to the start of another unit.