Selecting and flowing containers

You can quickly select and flow multiple containers from the yard to the vessel. This method works well when you plan containers with the same discharge port and similar container types and weights from block-stowed yard positions to the vessel.

In the XPS client, selecting and sequencing containers are closely related. When you select containers, XPS sequences them in the selected order. You place containers onto the vessel by clicking or flowing them into the vessel bay.

As you plan containers, XPS checks for stowage errors and reports them through alert boxes, the Status box, warning symbols on container icons, and text warnings in error windows. For more information, see Stowage checking.

The following procedure assumes that you have preplanned the vessel. For a shortcut for planning containers from common areas of the yard, see Using the flow tool to determine the fetch sequence (on page 1).

To flow containers from a yard section into a preplanned vessel bay:

1. Open the vessel profile view.

2. With the Magnifying tool , shift-click the required bay to open a section view.

3. In the section view, do the following:

1. Set the timeframe to Stow to view projected and real containers.

2. With the Pointer tool , double-click a projected container to open a list of real containers that match the projection group.

4. In the list window, do the following:

1. Sort the container list by the following attributes:

Port of discharge

Equipment type

Current position

For more information on sorting lists, see Working with list views.

2. Select containers in the same block.

5. Press Shift and, from the Yard menu, select Scan & Filter Yard Position.

A filtered section view (on page 1) of the current yard positions of the selected containers opens.

6. In the yard view, do the following:

1. Set the timeframe to Current.

2. With a flow tool, select the containers in the required fetch sequence.

7. Flow the containers into the bay.

With containers selected, you can switch flow techniques with the Power Flow tool (or switch flow tools) to place the containers on the vessel in a different sequence pattern than you selected them from the yard.

8. In the section view of the bay, set the icon format to Sequence so that you can review the vessel plan for stowage errors (on page 1) and proper sequencing.

The height and weight numbers display the remaining amount that you can add before exceeding the limit. If a container exceeds a limit, the number displays the over-the-limit amount as a negative number in red typeface. For more information, see also Vessel section views.

9. In the section view of the yard block, set the icon format to Sequence so that you can review the yard fetch sequence.

10. If required, make changes to the sequence. Otherwise, continue with Preventing changes to planned moves.

Notes

• If the stack and height limits do not appear, check with your N4 administrator or see the manual Using ShipEditor to verify that the limits are defined in the vessel's ship file.