Softwood sawmill designers, engineers and managers may benefit from computer simulation analysis of proposed and existing sawmill systems. Simulation models exist that allow users to construct and execute discrete event simulations, but these have incorporated compromises or limitations that reduce the accuracy of the results, or preclude special considerations and observations. The proposed microcomputer discrete event simulation model will allow for real log shapes, explicit lumber orders, learning curves and catastophe scheduling with emergency actions and transient response analysis.