SilviA 7 is a newly developed version of the original program SilviA2007 (last version produced in 2007 and was Windows XP dependent). Primarily SilviA 7 is used to create new cutting instructions (bucking rules for product pricelists) for distribution to mechanised harvesting systems that support StanForD data standards. Recently at an industry workshop chaired by Interpine in Rotorua, it was discussed the need to evaluate alternatives to SilviA version 2007 as this is no longer supported by Windows 7 and above, and many forest managers were in need in an alternative to maintaining any Windows XP operating systems.
Why is an alternative needed?
An equipment independent solution is required for creation of cutting instructions that is capable of providing product pricelists and associated metadata to harvesting machines. Initially the priority from the Industry Adoption Group is just for StanForD classic data formats (*.APT files), but also having the capability to deal with StandForD2010 data formats will become important.
Initial Review of SilviA7
Similar to Silvia2007, SilviA7 caters for selection of system type. This allows validation of the StanForD Classic *.APT file against different manufacturer system types it is intended for. This control checks the properties of the file to ensure it meets constraints about the number of assortments, species etc.
Figure 1 – SilviA 7 interface showing the selection of various system types during creation of APT files.
Most of the normal functionality of an *.APT file editor is present, with *.APT being able to be created from a fresh. It has the ability to analyse price lists for product competition and comparison, and to simulate (with an extended license) against stem files.
Of interest is the ability to create new instructions in StanForD2010 formats and export back to the older *.APT format. This provides for future proofing as machines are slowly adopting the new formats.
Interpine are currently engaging with the developers in Europe, and this fills a gap in having a manufacturer independent solution, and we aim will work with them on these. We will extend this blog post with more detail as needed as we dig deeper into the software and its capabilities.
If you would like to try SilviA 7 or need help with creating StanForD cutting instructions, please contact our team.