add_constraint_action_requires: Require companion actions in each planning unit

In multiscape: Multi-Action, Multi-Objective Spatial Planning

Require companion actions in each planning unit

Description

Make the selection of one or more actions conditional on selecting companion actions in the same planning unit. With sense = "all", every companion is required; with sense = "any", at least one is required.

Usage

add_constraint_action_requires(
  x,
  actions,
  requires,
  sense = c("all", "any"),
  pu = NULL,
  name = NULL
)

Arguments

x	A Problem with actions registered by add_actions().
actions	Non-empty vector of triggering action IDs or existing actions$action_set classification labels. For excludes and together, this is the group of related actions and must resolve to at least two distinct actions. Identifiers registered through add_action_sets() are not selectable actions; supply their individual members.
requires	Non-empty vector of companion action IDs or existing classification labels, disjoint from actions.
sense	"all" (default) requires every companion; "any" requires at least one companion.
pu	Optional external planning-unit IDs. NULL applies the rule to all planning units.
name	Optional unique, non-empty constraint label. If omitted, a label is generated automatically.

Details

How the relation works

Suppose restoration is effective only when threat control is also carried out. If restoration is selected, control must also be selected; if restoration is not selected, the relation imposes no requirement. With several triggering actions, each independently activates the requirement.

For binary action decisions x_{ia}, requiring all companions gives x_{ia} \le x_{ib} for each required action b. Requiring any companion gives x_{ia} \le \sum_b x_{ib}. When there is only one companion, "all" and "any" are equivalent.

Value

A new Problem with the relation appended to x$data$constraints$action_relations. The input problem is unchanged.

Scope and feasibility

Each relation applies separately within each unit specified by pu; pu = NULL applies it to all registered planning units. Relations do not select actions by themselves or make unavailable actions feasible. By default, at most one action can be selected per planning unit. Use add_constraint_action_cardinality() when a requires or together rule needs simultaneous selections. Unavailable or locked-out actions are treated as unselected: missing companions may prohibit a trigger, and a missing together member may prohibit the other members. Combined rules, budgets, and locks can also make a model infeasible.

Relations do not imply a temporal sequence or dependencies between different planning units. They can be combined with joint effects registered through add_action_sets(), but defining a joint effect does not itself require actions to be selected together.

Repeated calls

Distinct rules accumulate and are enforced simultaneously. Duplicate rules with the same type, action groups, sense, and PU scope are rejected; names must be unique across requires, excludes, and together relations. To revise a rule, start from the problem before that rule was added.

See Also

add_constraint_action_excludes(), add_constraint_action_together(), add_constraint_action_cardinality(), add_action_sets()

Examples

# EXAMPLE 1: Create a problem where concurrent actions are possible

# Three planning units offer restoration, control, fencing, and monitoring.
# Allow up to three actions per unit: the default one-action maximum
# would otherwise prevent restoration and its companions being selected.

base <- create_problem(
  pu = data.frame(id = c(10L, 20L, 30L), cost = 0),
  features = data.frame(id = 1L, name = "habitat"),
  dist_features = data.frame(
    pu = c(10L, 20L, 30L), feature = 1L, amount = 100
  )
) |>
  add_actions(
    data.frame(id = c("restore", "control", "fence", "monitor")),
    cost = 1
  ) |>
  add_constraint_action_cardinality(3, "max")

# EXAMPLE 2: Require all companions in a specific unit

# In unit 10, restoration must be accompanied by both control and fencing.
# This is a conditional requirement: it does not force restoration.

required <- add_constraint_action_requires(
  base,
  actions = "restore",
  requires = c("control", "fence"),
  sense = "all",
  pu = 10L,
  name = "restore_with_both"
)

# EXAMPLE 3: Require at least one alternative companion

# In unit 20, either control OR fencing is sufficient for restoration.
# These rules have different PU scopes and can coexist.

required <- add_constraint_action_requires(
  required,
  actions = "restore",
  requires = c("control", "fence"),
  sense = "any",
  pu = 20L,
  name = "restore_with_either"
)

# EXAMPLE 4: Multiple independent triggers

# In unit 30, choosing either restoration or monitoring requires control.
# The triggers need not both be selected.

required <- add_constraint_action_requires(
  required,
  actions = c("restore", "monitor"),
  requires = "control",
  pu = 30L
)

# Inspect the three registered rules (not an optimised solution).
required$data$constraints$action_relations[, c("type", "sense", "name")]

# EXAMPLE 5: Map where a requirement applies (no solver needed)

if (requireNamespace("sf", quietly = TRUE)) {
  sim <- load_sim_multiaction()

  # Apply the restoration-protection requirement to the first 16 cells.
  # Both actions may be selected in these cells, so permit cardinality 2.
  scoped_pu <- head(sim$planning_units$id, 16)
  spatial <- create_problem(
    pu = sim$planning_units,
    features = sim$features,
    dist_features = sim$dist_features,
    cost = "cost"
  ) |>
    add_actions(sim$actions, cost = sim$action_costs) |>
    add_constraint_action_cardinality(2, "max", pu = scoped_pu) |>
    add_constraint_action_requires(
      "restore", "protect", pu = scoped_pu
    )

  # The map shows the SCOPE of the requirement, not selected actions.
  mapped <- sim$planning_units
  mapped$requirement <- ifelse(
    mapped$id %in% scoped_pu, "Applies", "Does not apply"
  )
  plot(mapped["requirement"], main = "Restoration requires protection")
}

multiscape documentation built on Oct. 12, 2026, 5:08 p.m.