Broken in 2018.4: Optimization Tool ?

[nathandwalker]

I think the Optimization tool is broken in version 2018.4.

I downloaded the Baseball Optimization workflow from this helpful post and it worked great. It's made with Alteryx 10.5.

If I look at the Optimization tool's source workflow, it breaks.

If I delete the Optimization tool from the workflow and drag in a new Optimization tool (and configure it the same), it breaks.

If I copy/paste the tool from one workflow to another, it breaks in both places.

If I connect different data to the original Optimization tool, it...works fine.

I can't get the 2018.4 Optimization tool to work in any context.

In every case, I get the "Error in UseMethod("as.constraint"):" error. 

I've attached a trimmed-down version of the original version, which works.

I've attached a copy/paste of the original version's data with a 2018.4 Optimization tool swapped in (same configuration), which doesn't work.

I haven't been able to open these packages on a different computer to see if they work/break, so the error could be in my install -- please let me know if they both work for you.

If anybody has a fix for this, or can give me a copy/paste of the underpinning R code from a version that works, I'd appreciate it.

-Nathan

[mmenth · Accepted solution]

Looks like some others have had similar issues-- I found this answer on another post

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Prescriptive-optimization-R-Error-help...

Changing the constraint mode to 'Dense matrix, variables in rows' instead of 'Dense matrix, constraints in rows' worked for me.

Best,

mmenth

[nathandwalker]

Hey mmenth,

Thanks for this. I read that article yesterday and thought people were just using the wrong constraint mode in general for their data. I didn't realize that the actual Optimization tool itself had the options flip-flopped in the latest release. So I copy/pasted my "working" workflow (which normally breaks it) and changed the constraint mode from "constraints in rows" to "variables in rows" and ... well, it worked! I was all ready to hand-code a workaround today.

You just saved me hours of frustration!

Thank you,

Nathan