PRESYNCHRO has been superseded by and incorporated into the new TEAPAC Complete product which is described in detail at the main page of www.StrongConcepts.com. Upgrades from PRESYNCHRO to TEAPAC Complete are available. Contact Strong Concepts for details.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.81 27MAY08
Build 11 - 27MAY08
>Support added for offset-only optimization.
Users can now select the Offsets option of the Edit-System-Optimization dialog
so that any optimization in SYNCHRO will hold the green times at the values they
had prior to the SYNCHRO optimization. This allows the green times (splits) to
be optimized by other methods, such as SIGNAL2000's critical-movement-based HCM
optimization, and limit SYNCHRO's optimization to offsets-only.
>Default file type for Import is .CSV to match SYNCHRO Ver 7.
The default file type for the Import dialog has been changed to .CSV so it is
consistent with the most recent version of SYNCHRO, Ver 7. This is also the
default file type of the file selection dialog which pops up when the Browse
button is used.
>Temporary solution devised for SYNCHRO Ver 7 1-file CSV Export problem.
A problem has been discovered in the SYNCHRO Ver 7 1-file CSV format which is
preventing accurate exporting of signal timings from PRESYNCHRO to SYNCHRO using
this format. While this problem is researched by TrafficWare, a temporary
workaround has been devised which circumvents the problem. After the 1-file
Export to SYNCHRO is accomplished and with no intersections selected, the user
should use the Transfer-DataAccess-Version6 menu in SYNCHRO to Read the _PHASING.CSV
data file which is created as a part of the process which creates the 1-file CSV
file for SYNCHRO Ver 7. This file has a prefix name which matches the name of
the 1-file CSV file -- for example, by default Export Auto creates a file called
TMPSYN.CSV and the additional file to read is called TMPSYN_PHASING.CSV. Reading
this file will correct the timings which were incorrectly received by SYNCHRO
from the 1-file Export for Ver 7.
>Import Browse button shows all possible SYNCHRO file types.
The file selection dialog which pops up when the Browse button is used for
Import now defines all of the various file types associated with all versions of
SYNCHRO, using descriptions of the file types which describe which version of
SYNCHRO each extension belongs to.
>Better initialization for Import to avoid crash for null Import.
Certain variables are now initialized before an Import so that if the process
encounters no importable conditions the program will not crash.
>Only include RT phase module when overlap actually exists, not just allowed.
A right turn overlap phase module had the potential of being included in an
Export when such a condition was allowed by the inputs but didn't actually
exist. Now a right turn overlap phase module is only included when a right turn
overlap actually exists.
>Include CBD condition in Export & Import for SYNCHRO Ver 7.
CBD conditions are now included in both Exports and Imports when SYNCHRO Ver 7
(which includes these parameters) is involved.
>Dialogs identify need for consistency between Yellowtimes & ReqClearances.
The dialogs for GreenTimes and YellowTimes have been updated with additional
text to clarify the importance of maintaining a consistency between the
YellowTimes and ReqClearances entries. This consistency is especially important
when the entry format is Converted from By-Phase to By-Movement and when
Exporting to ring-based software.
>Correct offsets displayed in time-space diagram for exclusive pedestrian
phase.
When an intersection included an exclusive pedestrian phase, as defined by the
PedTime entry, it was possible that the offsets and/or phases displayed in the
time-space diagram of a Plot would not be correct. This possibility has been
eliminated.
>No attempt to Export, Plot or Timings if no real nodes have been selected.
Any attempt by the program to perform an Export, Plot or Timings directive will
now be aborted in the event that no real nodes have been selected for the
desired action, thus avoiding a potential crash due to lack of adequate data to
perform the selected action.
>Error message for improperly connected node has detailed help text.
Error #15 which is issued when a node is detected that is not properly connected
to the rest of the network now includes a reference to the Help text for the
message which gives details about potential causes and resolutions. In
particular, diagonal connections between nodes which have not been created
properly are described in detail.
>Include manual distance status for dummy nodes in View-Summary (SUMMARISE).
The status of a link's Network distance entry is now displayed properly for
dummy nodes, eliminating the garbage that could potentially be displayed in its
place in the View-Summary or Summarise output report.
>Plot & Timings only check for valid data of intersections to be
plotted/listed.
The Plot and Timings actions will now only check that data entries appear valid
for nodes to be plotted or timings listed, rather than all nodes in the defined
network. This allows portions of a large network to be plotted or timings listed
before data for the entire network has been entered.
>Widen timing field in TIMINGS report to allow intervals over 99.9 seconds
long.
The display fields for the TIMINGS output report have been increased so that
timing intervals with values larger than 99.9 seconds can be displayed properly.
>Generic changes made to all Ver 7.81 TEAPAC programs.
Allow negative percentage on ASSIGNMENT for Passbys and Diverted trips.
Use Shift while dragging mouse to define development area on network display.
Dialogs identify need for consistency between Yellowtimes & ReqClearances.
Display dummy node dot and node number if it is current node or in Subsystem.
Note in CrdSysMgmt dialog that NewLinkDist button assumes coords are in feet.
Able to save from OpenIntoEdit if it was first file opened into program.
NOTE shows 'Issue X Not Selected' when case selection does not select an Issue.
File-OpenMerge does not allow existing Network data to be overwritten by zeros.
File-SaveAs to an existing file name with Scenario conditions doesn't hang.
File-SaveAs shows file type of current file & better file type descriptions.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.81 08OCT07
Build 00 - 08OCT07
>Synchro Ver 7 1-File CSV Format Is Supported for Export and Import.
When Synchro Ver 7 is involved, the UTDF file format used for both Export and
Import from/to PRESYNCHRO is now the new 1-file CSV UTDF format. This is a
vastly easier format to work with at the user level, providing the ability to
automatically launch Synchro with this file already open for Export, and the
need to create only a single file when saving a UTDF file from Synchro to be
Imported by PRESYNCHRO.
When using Synchro Ver 7, use the Transfer-DataAccess-OpenCombinedDataFile and
Transfer-DataAccess-SaveCombinedDataFile menus to read or write 1-file CSV UTDF
files from/for PRESYNCHRO. When using the AUTO options of Export and Import in
PRESYNCHRO, the single file name TMPSYN.CSV will be used. When Exporting, the
file will be opened automatically.
This is a free update for Ver 1.80 licenses and a $95 update for Ver 1.7x licenses. Upgrade fees apply for earlier versions of PRESYNCHRO.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.80 25APR07
Build 00 - 08JUN07
>Synchro Ver 7 CSV Format Is Supported Automatically for Export and
Import.
The most recent version of Synchro installed on the user system is now
determined automatically by PRESYNCHRO from the name of the executable in the
installed folder, and the UTDF 2.1 file format used for both Export and Import
from/to PRESYNCHRO is adjusted accordingly. For the last two versions of
Synchro, Ver 6 and Ver 7, the CSV format of UTDF 2.1 is used, while for Ver 5
the original DAT format of UTDF is still used (as with previous versions of
PRESYNCHRO).
When using Synchro Ver 7, use the Transfer-DataAccess-Version6 menu to read or
write UTDF files from/for PRESYNCHRO. The correct file names will be
automatically entered into the UTDF dialogs, so they simply need to be read one
after the other in order (first Layout, then Lanes, then Phasing and then
Timing). The new 1-file CSV format offered by Synchro Ver 7 will be coming in a
later release of PRESYNCHRO, permitting the automatic launching of the complete
data file from a PRESYNCHRO Export.
>Intersection and Street Name Labels Are Exported and Imported for Ver 6 & 7.
The CSV format now used by PRESYNCHRO for Export to and Import from Synchro
Versions 6 and 7 permits the inclusion of street names and intersection
descriptions, so these descriptions are now included for all Exports and Imports
from/to PRESYNCHRO when these versions of Synchro are involved. When Exporting
from PRESYNCHRO, use the normal TEAPAC orientation convention when describing
the intersection via the Intersection dialog (put the north-south street name
first and the east-west street name last, separated by an ampersand '&') and
these descriptions will be properly transferred to Synchro (no intersection or
street names are exported when this convention is not followed). When Importing
a complete network from Synchro, the TEAPAC convention will observed when
combining the street names used in Synchro. Commas must be omitted from any
intersection or street name description.
>Long File Names and Longer Path Names Implemented, Plus New File Format.
All aspects of TEAPAC data file storage, including SCENARIO condition files,
have been extended so that file names can have as many as 70 characters in their
names, and file path names can have as many as 180 characters, both including
upper or lower case characters and spaces. Since SCENARIO condition files and
certain file switch options can add as many as 6 characters to file names, it is
best if user-entered names are no more than 64 characters.
A new, higher capacity data file format with a new file extension (.tpc) has
been introduced which will be used by default for all new files created by all
TEAPAC programs. This format is text-based like the old .for format so it is
still easy to see what is in a file, as well as write such files from other
programs, but with a look to the future this format has line length maximums of
256 characters per line (254 useable) instead of the more limiting maximums of
the .for format which had maximums of 128 characters per line (80 useable). The
old format can still be read and written simply by continuing to use the .for
extension, but users are encouraged to convert files to the new format simply by
saving .for file with the new .tpc extension (then archive the .for files so
they are not used by mistake). The long file names and paths mentioned above are
valid for either extension.
>New User Discussion Forum Is Accessible Directly from the Help Menu.
The new User Discussion Forum which has been implemented for TEAPAC users and is
available 24/7 for posting questions and searching through answers to previous
questions can now be accessed directly from the Help menu of the program. The
Forum can also be accessed directly using any internet browser at
www.StrongConcepts.com/Forum.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.71 08SEP06
Build 07 - 25JAN07
Scroll down to 'Ver
1.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>SCENARIO Program Makes its Debut.
SCENARIO is a new Visual TEAPAC program that can create multi-scenario data
files either from scratch or from data files of earlier versions of TEAPAC.
Users can 1) select from pre-defined typical scenario structures like multiple
volume conditions or multiple timing plans, 2) create completely unique scenario
conditions for their analyses, or 3) customize a pre-defined scenario structure
to meet their specific needs. The primary advantage of using SCENARIO is that
all the scenario data is saved without dangers of duplicated data which often
occur when scenarios are managed by the typical use of File-SaveAs.
The SCENARIO program also functions as an automatic plugin for all other Visual
TEAPAC programs so that each program automatically understands the SCENARIO file
structure which has been created, and at no additional cost (see below).
SCENARIO can easily define both single-issue and multi-issue conditions, and any
data dialog can be assigned or re-assigned to any defined issue for as many as
five independent, mutually-exclusive Issues. 25 Conditions can be defined for
each Issue. For example, a very common and simple single-issue scenario would be
having multiple volume conditions for one or more intersections for which
capacity analysis, intersection design and/or signal timing optimization would
be needed. Other examples of a single-issue analysis could be multiple years of
traffic count data for TURNS or WARRANTS, or multiple years or zones of land use
for SITE's projected traffic estimation.
Multi-issue scenarios could be combinations of any of these, where the variation
of one variable is independent of the others. Another example of a multi-issue
scenario could be where one Issue is changing volumes based on the time-of-day
and/or day-of-week while the other Issue is independently changing intersection
geometrics which depend on differing funding possibilities.
>SCENARIO Support in All Visual TEAPAC Programs.
All Visual TEAPAC programs have been updated so that support for multi-issue
data files created by SCENARIO is automatic and seamless. The SCENARIO program
serves as a plugin to the other Visual TEAPAC programs so that they
automatically support the SCENARIO-structured files for both File-Open and
File-Save. A new File menu option labeled Get-Scenario-Case allows the user to
select any of the Conditions for all of the Issues which have been created, and
any subsequent changes to data which are made are automatically saved in the
correct Condition files which have been defined. SCENARIO has also been added to
all LinkTo menus so that SCENARIO is immediately available to modify the defined
scenario structure, as necessitated by changing project assumptions.
>Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.
A number of additional generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the
original Ver 7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver
7.01 Build 07. These are documented below. Ver 7.01 Build 07 changes are free
updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.
Data entry dialogs that don't apply to dummy nodes have been modified so that if
they are inadvertently displayed while pointing to a dummy node they will not
display unpredictable values or cause the program to crash.
The LinkTo menu has been adjusted so that if no data file path has been defined
it will attempt to use the program's file path, but will not crash if neither of
these is defined. The file menu options for Open, SaveAs and IntoEdit have been
adjusted similarly for the condition when no data path has been defined.
A bug has been fixed that could cause a crash when clicking within an output
being displayed at a zoomed-out scale on some low-resolution monitors.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.70 07NOV05
Build 28 - 28AUG06
Scroll down to 'Ver
1.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>V7.00.28: Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.
A number of generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the original Ver
7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver 7.00 Build
28. These are documented below and use heading lines that begin with V7.00.28:.
In addition, minor program-specific changes have been made, as summarized here
and detailed in the program's own specific list of updates and changes. Ver 7.00
Build 28 changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.
>V7.00.28: Number of Access Drives Increased From 5 to 10 for SITE
Computations.
The permitted number of driveways which provide access to a development area for
SITE computations has been increased from 5 to 10 in all TEAPAC programs,
allowing greater flexibility in modeling all driveways which may exist or be
proposed for a development. Along with this change comes a quicker way of
entering driveway locations by combining the intersection leg direction
(N/E/S/W) with the node number of the drive, such as 1N or 132E.
>V7.00.28: Input Limit for VOLFACTORS Adjusted for Consistency with Save.
The largest VOLFACTOR which can be saved in a TEAPAC data file has always been
9.99, but it's been recently noticed that the input dialog error checking
permitted factors as large as 20.0 without an error, resulting in subsequent
problems if an attempt was made to save such an entry. The input error checking
has been modified to match the save limitation to resolve this problem. At the
same time, the discussion in the documentation has been modified to reflect the
same precision of save accuracy to avoid any further confusion.
>V7.00.28: Multiple Copies of a Program Can Be Open Simultaneously Again.
The source of a problem which has recently prevented multiple copies of any
given program from being open at the same time, such as when comparing
alternatives side-by-side. This problem has been resolved and the ability to
have multiple copies open simultaneously has been re-enabled.
>V7.00.28: Minor Fixes to Drag-and-Drop Network Interface.
An occasional problem connecting T-intersections properly when bend nodes were
present in the network has been resolved. Build 21 versions of the programs
would notify the user of the problem immediately upon creation of a link under
these circumstances. If an earlier version was used to create the network, the
problem is easily detected (if it exists) with the Analyze function in the new
Coordinate System section of the Setup button dialog in the main window. the
problem would manifest itself with upstream connections to the wrong node and/or
incorrect distances. Creation of most T-intersections were not affected by this
problem.
If an old TEAPAC data file saved from a program prior to Visual TEAPAC was
opened using a LinkTo, drag-to or from a command line, a crash could result when
an attempt was made by the program to update the Nodelist format to the new save
format. This problem has been resolved.
Build 21 - 27JUL06
Scroll down to 'Ver
1.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>Imported Offsets Are Rounded to Maintain Consistent Units.
Imported offsets which lie in the range between 0.0 and 1.0 are rounded to the
nearest whole second so that their implicit units remain as seconds instead of
changing to seconds/second.
>Check for Problematic Offset Entries When Producing Time-Space Diagram.
Problematic offset entries that might crash a time-space diagram plot are
detected before they cause a crash.
>V7.00.21: Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.
A number of generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the original Ver
7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver 7.00 Build
21. These are documented below and use heading lines that begin with V7.00.21:.
In addition, minor program-specific changes have been made, as summarized here
and detailed in the program's own specific list of updates and changes. Ver 7.00
Build 21 changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.
>V7.00.21: New Coordinate System Management Features.
A new set of options to help manage the network coordinate system for any given
data file has been added to all programs that use the Visual TEAPAC
drag-and-drop network editing and display (all TEAPAC programs except NOSTOP,
TED and TUTOR). The options appear in a new dialog which is displayed when the
Coord Sys button is pressed in the network Setup dialog.
The Coordinate System Management dialog offers three main function - 1) to
Analyze the current network for possible coding errors such as
improperly-connected nodes and scaling issues, 2) to create a New Coordinate
System by shifting and/or scaling the current coordinate system, and 3) to
compute New Link Distances based on the current coordinate system. For the
Analyze function, a percentage error can be input to define the threshold which
identifies potential scaling problems between the coordinate system scale and
each link's entered distance, and an option can be selected to check the
approach angle of each intersection leg.
One of the motivations for this new option is to be able to identify and adjust
network coordinate systems from older TEAPAC programs which exercised the option
to specify the units of the coordinate system in something other than feet.
Although this is still possible, it can be problematic with the new
drag-and-drop Visual TEAPAC interface, and is not recommended. In combination
with the new Manual Distance option described below and the functions of this
new dialog, old coordinate systems can be easily converted for more predictable
use under the new Visual TEAPAC methods.
>V7.00.21: New Manual Distance Option Added to NETWORK Dialog Entry.
A new option can be selected in the NETWORK dialog individually for any given
link of the network that indicates that the distance entered for that link is
intentionally inconsistent with the network coordinate system and apparent
network scale. Links which have this option selected are specifically excluded
from the computation of the average coordinate system scale used and reported in
the network Analysis function described above. Although not recommended,
selecting this option allows a link's distance to be inconsistent with the
coordinate system without adversely affecting the management and checking of the
rest of the network.
In addition to this option, the NETWORK dialog also shows the calculated link
distance based on the coordinate system (and the average coordinate system
scale, if not equal to 1.0), and if this calculated distance is outside of the
allowed error specified in the Coordinate System Management dialog, it is
displayed in red. The Manual Distance option status is also shown in all data
summaries which include NETWORK data, and new distances which are required due
to any network editing are now always based on the coordinate distance, unless a
link is previously marked for Manual Distance.
>V7.00.21: Automatic Network Relationship Checks Made.
The new Analyze function of the Coordinate System Management dialog mentioned
above is invoked automatically any time a data file is Opened or Saved, or any
time NETWORK or NODELOCATION information is changed (either via drag-and-drop
actions or direct keyboard entry), thereby giving immediate feedback when a
network definition problem could be corrupting an analysis. The Analyze function
is also invoked prior to other program functions which make significant use of
the spatial arrangement of the network, such as Exporting in PRENETSIM,
PRESYNCHRO and PRETSPPD and FindPaths in SITE.
>V7.00.21: Frequency of Automatic Update Check Can Be Set By User.
A new user entry can now be made which controls the number of days between
automatic checks for program updates. The entry can be found in the Help-Check_For_Newer_Updates
menu dialog. With this new feature, the maximum frequency of automatic checks is
once per day, not every time the program is run. Automatic checks can be
disabled by entering a frequency of 0 days, but this is not recommended
(checking for updates every 10-30 days is recommended).
>V7.00.21: Improved Initial Zoom-All View for Large Coordinate Range.
The initial Zoom-All display for a network when a file is opened has been
improved for all networks, especially those with a wide range of coordinates,
such that the zoom level used is more appropriate for all combinations of
networks and display resolutions.
>V7.00.21: Improved Network Editing Features.
A number of enhancements have been made to network editing functions to improve
the response to various user actions, as follows. If a new link connection will
over-write an existing leg of a node, the user is warned and given the option to
select another leg or abort. If a new link creation is aborted for any reason,
any new dummy nodes created as part of that process are deleted (including
clicking on the network without dragging, now deleting the single node which was
previously created). If a third leg is added to a bend node as part of a new
link creation, the bend node is converted to a real node (and re-numbered
accordingly). If deleting a node removes one leg of a bend node, the bend is
converted to an external node. Default source movements for a new link which
connects existing nodes with a diagonal are determined more reliably. Left-click
can be used while in the Create New Link mode to select the current node.
>V7.00.21: Fixes to SIMULATION Dialog.
The 'Use TRANSYT or PASSER Actuated Model' option of the SIMULATION dialog is
now both properly selectable without any error messages, and displayed properly
in the dialog, and a random glitch which garbled part of the main window Network
display when the SIMULATION dialog opened has been fixed.
>V7.00.21: Make Help File Useable When a Data File is Double-clicked.
A problem locating the .HLP file when a user data file was double-clicked in
Windows Explorer to open it has been fixed.
Build 14 - 20APR06
Scroll down to 'Ver
1.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>Fix Default PLOT Function When Dummy Nodes are Present.
A problem with the PLOT function using the default list of nodes
has been fixed. This only occurred when dummy nodes existed in
the network.
>V7.00.14: Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC
Programs.
A number of generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the
original Ver 7.00 release of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively
included as Ver 7.00 Build 14. These are documented below and use
heading lines that begin with V7.00.14:. Ver 7.00 Build 14
changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.
>V7.00.14: Color Selection Added to Options Menu.
The Options menu now provides a Colors option for selecting
colors which are used when generating formatted output reports
and the main window network display. Any selections made are
retained and used during future program sessions. Most of the
default colors for formatted output reports are taken from the
user's desktop color scheme (DisplayProperties-Appearance), so
changing the color scheme will automatically change the output
colors used when the defaults are selected. All colors selected,
including actual selections and defaults, are displayed in the
Color management dialog produced by the Options-colors menu
selection.
>V7.00.14: Browse Button Added to Select a Bitmap File.
A browse button has been added to the Network Display and Edit
Management dialog which is displayed when the Setup button of the
main window is pressed. This can be used to select a bitmap
background file in the data file folder as an alternative to
simply typing the file name in the entry field.
>V7.00.14: INTERSECTION Dialog Options Added.
The INTERSECTION dialog which is used to select the 'current'
node has been significantly enhanced with several new features,
as follows. A check box enables the inclusion of dummy nodes in
the drop-down list so dummy nodes can be selected from the
dialog; and nodes in the drop-down list can be ordered in any of
three arrangements - the order they appear in the NODELIST,
numeric order by node number, or alphabetic order by intersection
description.
On a related note, the network display is now updated any time a
new current intersection is selected, including when it is
entered from the Manual Mode, when it is entered from file input,
etc. Also, when a dummy node is selected as the current node, it
is always highlighted in the network display, even when the zoom
level is such that other dummy nodes are not displayed.
>V7.00.14: Option Added to Delete All References to Deleted
Node.
When a node is deleted or cut from the network, either from the
main window network display or from the NODELIST dialog, a prompt
to verify the deletion is now always issued, and the prompt now
includes a new option to include the deletion of all other
references to the deleted node elsewhere in the network. The
option to delete all references is pre-selected by default on
each deletion, but can be de-selected in the prompt dialog box.
On a related note, the manipulation of nodes in the NODELIST
dialog has been extended to include dummy nodes as well as real
nodes, offering greater flexibility in managing the entire node
list from this dialog. A problem with the Copy and Paste
functions (to and from the clipboard) has also been fixed.
>V7.00.14: Improved Support for PDF Creation.
Difficulties producing PDF files for formatted output reports
with certain PDF writers have been resolved.
>V7.00.14: Improved Constraint In Use of SUBSYSTEM
Function.
The use of the drag function in the main window network display
to create or edit a SUBSYSTEM has been constrained for better
consistency with the allowed use of the SUBSYSTEM feature based
on the program's licensed Usage Level. This prevents inadvertent
setting of the SUBSYSTEM which then causes an error when opening
a file which has this feature saved.
>V7.00.14: Maximum Link Length Increased from 9999 to
32000.
The maximum link length allowed by all TEAPAC programs has been
increased from 9,999 feet (<2 miles) to 32,000 feet (> 6
miles), and a warning message is now issued if a link is created
in the main window network display that exceeds this limit.
>V7.00.14: File-OpenMerge Function Enhanced.
The File-OpenMerge function has been enhanced in several ways, as
follows. First, if a file being merged contains information about
a bitmap file and its scaling, this information is ignored in
deference to the bitmap/scaling information currently in effect
in the program. The help strings for this function have also been
updated, and the function is initialized more completely each
time it is used to avoid overlap with responses to previous error
situations.
>V7.00.14: Help File Formatting Restored to Previous Style.
The numbering of the indented paragraphs in the Notes section of
Appendix B of the Help file has been restored, as appeared
previously.
>V7.00.14: Minor Cleanups and Fixes Implemented.
A number of (mostly internal) cleanups and fixes have been
implemented for more reliable operation of Visual TEAPAC
programs. Most of these will not be noticeable to users, but a
couple will resolve certain problems a few users have
experienced. For example, opening an old TEAPAC data file which
does not contain valid NODELOCATION entries for each intersection
will not crash, and moving a bend node under certain conditions
will not cause the program to close prematurely.
Build 07 -
11NOV05
>Visual TEAPAC - A Whole New Way of Seeing TEAPAC.
All 13 modules of the TEAPAC suite of programs have been upgraded
to the Visual TEAPAC (Version 7) interface. Primarily, this means
each program sports a much more visual input and output system to
make entering and viewing data for the analysis network much
easier and to make the resulting output reports clearer and
easier to read. The general aspects of the two major enhancement
areas, visual input and visual output, are described below,
followed by the many other supporting enhancements that go along
with the Visual TEAPAC upgrade.
When combined with the unparalleled 1-file, 1-click,
500-intersection, completely seamless data sharing introduced
with each of the 13 TEAPAC2004 (Version 6) programs, Visual
TEAPAC provides an unmatched experience of fully-integrated
visual traffic engineering and traffic planning software. Read on
for the details.
>Visual TEAPAC - Graphical Input and Display of Analysis
Network.
All TEAPAC programs (except NOSTOP and TUTOR) now provide a
drag-and-drop user interface as a way to create and/or display
the study network in the main window of the program. The network
can be drawn schematically or to precise scale with the aid of an
underlying grid, or a bitmap can be displayed under the network
to make drawing easy and/or display of the network more
meaningful. The bitmap file can be an aerial photograph, a street
map, as-built drawings, or any other such display which would be
helpful, and this bitmap is exported to third-party program such
as CORSIM and TRANSYT as permitted.
Streets can be drawn by clicking on the grid or scaled bitmap and
dragging across the extent of the street section, creating
analysis intersections where the new street segment crosses
existing street segments. The Setup button can be used to
identify the bitmap, scale the bitmap and establish an axis
origin, either before the network is drawn or afterwards for
pre-existing data files. Special display adjustment modes allow
quick re-orientation to new bitmaps, such as when using
higher-resolution bitmaps for a zoomed-in study area versus a
regional area bitmap.
Dummy nodes are automatically created to orient external legs of
intersections around the periphery of the study network, and
internal dummy bend nodes are easily created for better network
representation between analysis intersections. Proper treatment
of all dummy nodes (externals and bends) are fully integrated
into all of the TEAPAC application programs, as well as the
eleven+ third-party programs to which TEAPAC analyses can be
exported. Dummy nodes do not count against the maximum number of
intersections allowed by each Usage Level.
Intersections and dummy nodes are easily moved within the network
by simply dragging them across the grid or bitmap, with the
option to freeze the associated link distances, or have them
adjust automatically as they are moved.
The network view is easily adjusted with buttons for panning in
eight directions, zoom in, zoom out, zoom all to show the entire
network, and a rubber-band selection to outline the desired
zoom-in area. The display of either the bitmap or the network is
easily toggled on or off, as required, and the current
intersection for subsequent dialog data entry or analysis is made
by simply clicking the intersection. Intersections can also be
selected by a right-click which opens a popup menu with all the
data entry and data analysis dialogs immediately available,
either in Normal View or Tabular View (use F3 to toggle the
view). The popup menu also allows the renumbering or deletion of
the selected node. Dragging a rubber-band selection box around a
set of intersections can be used to define or add to (with Ctrl
key) a subsystem of intersections for subsequent analysis.
The on-screen shortest-path FindPath assignment function of the
SITE program is now performed in color directly on the
main-window graphics network display, including the bitmap
background, providing helpful visual cues while performing the
assignment process.
The on-screen Startup Help? button provides immediate assistance
for all of the functions described above. Visit
www.StrongConcepts.com for examples of the new graphical input
front-end now found in Visual TEAPAC.
>Visual TEAPAC - Enhanced Graphical Output Reporting.
All TEAPAC programs now feature enhanced, graphical output
reporting for all results produced. Output reports now make full
use of color and graphics drawing for arrows, phasing diagrams,
permitted movements, time-space diagrams, intersection diagrams,
cycle optimization graphs, daily count variation graphs, etc. All
reports are printable on any color or black & white printer
supported by Windows, including PDF writers. Any graphics output
page can be copied to the clipboard as a bitmap so it can be
pasted into other applications. The prior version's text-only
results are still viewable alone or in parallel with the
graphical results, and selected text can be copied to the
clipboard or saved to a text file for subsequent use, as before.
In Visual TEAPAC, you are no longer limited to the old, archaic,
hard-to-read character graphics which was used when TEAPAC was
originally created (what did your computer look like 30 years
ago?).
All output reports use shades of color from the desktop
theme/style setting to highlight the results, including report
titles, report sub-sections, column headings and alternating
output lines. The proportionally-spaced, sans-serif Tahoma font
is used for easier readability, including right-justified numeric
results in columns.
Viewing options include zoom in, zoom out, zoom all to see an
entire page, rubber-band selection to zoom in, drag the page to
scroll and click to re-center. Text strings can be searched for
within one or many pages of results and multi-page results can be
quickly scanned with controls to advance to the next or previous
page, the next or previous report, or the beginning or end of all
results.
Visit www.StrongConcepts.com for examples of the new graphical
output back-end now found in Visual TEAPAC.
>Other Generic Enhancements Found in All Visual TEAPAC
Programs.
Many other generic enhancements have been made to the Visual
TEAPAC user interface which is now included in every TEAPAC
program. These include:
-- Windows XP style buttons, drop-down lists, scroll windows,
etc.
-- all Edit and Results menus can be accessed by right-click.
-- all demos allow at least 4 intersections to be entered and
analyzed.
-- license keys are valid for any older version of the same
program;
license info displays in Help-About, including site license
address.
-- leading W removed from all program file names for easy
recognition;
LinkTo and Menu looks for new name first, then old name with W,
for
backward compatibility with older versions of other TEAPAC
programs.
-- default node to renumber is the current node, not 0.
-- Startup Help button is located in main window and now in Help
menu;
StartUp.txt can be modified by user with virtually unlimited
size.
-- View-Network and Options-Graphics menu options have been
removed.
>Program-Specific Enhancements Included in Visual TEAPAC
Upgrade.
The new Permissives options for SIGNAL2000 are displayed and
exported properly to all host programs. Dummy nodes are ignored
for any PLOT or TIMINGS result, and bend nodes or unsignalized
locations are ignored for any time-space PLOT. Node number
entries for PLOT and TIMINGS are allowed up to the more recent
upper bound of 999 instead of the older limit of 327. Various
input error checks are skipped for dummy nodes, and dummy node
conditions are reported in abbreviated form at the end of a
Summary of Parameter Values produced for all intersections.
When dummy external nodes are created for the SYNCHRO network, a
comprehensive check for prior use of the new node number is made
before being used, and the default external link length for
created buffer nodes is now 500 feet instead of 1,320 feet.
PRESYNCHRO output reports which are significantly enhanced by the
new color-graphics results produced by Visual TEAPAC include: all
phasing displays, clearly showing permitted movements, either in
HCM 'by-phase' style or ring-based 'by-movement' style; and the
full-color time-space diagram which shows all phases and
clearance intervals, directional offsets and band widths.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.61
23MAY05
Scroll down to 'Ver 1.60 08SEP04, Build 06 - 22SEP04' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original TEAPAC2004 release of this program.
Build 12 - 30SEP05
>Field Width Error Detection Modified for More Useful
Performance.
A new error check was recently introduced to warn a user that too
many characters for an input field had been entered and that the
entry would be truncated. The aggressive response to this
condition (ignoring the entry entirely) has been toned back, now
accepting the truncated input with a similar warning. This
reduces the potential for the need to re-type an entry which may
be perfectly fine in its truncated form, or require only minor
editing to correct instead of complete re-entry. The new error
check has also been eliminated for any entries of the GROUPTYPES
dialog, most of whose possible entry values can typically exceed
the actual allocated input field width.
Another effect of the overly-aggressive error check was that
certain drop-down list values in a number of dialog boxes had
pre-programmed entries which exceeded the input field width, thus
preventing them from executing properly. These included drop-down
lists in the OUTPUT, CONDITIONS, GENERATION and PATHDISTRIBUTION
dialogs. The field widths of all of these entries have been
modified to accept the full drop-down list pre-programmed
entries.
>Extra Warning Message Eliminated When Opening New Files.
If a user is warned about unsaved data or results values when a
new file is about to be opened, with an option to first save the
values, certain circumstances could cause the same message to be
re-displayed a second time, regardless of the user response to
the first message. This duplicate warning message has been
eliminated.
>Debug Value Removed from Display for Text Search Function.
A spurious debug value was inadvertently left in the production
version of the program, displaying each time a text string is
searched for in any output window or edit window. The debug
display has been removed.
>Key Files Are Now Valid for All Prior Versions of Program.
The key file processing logic has been enhanced to allow a given
key file to be used not only for various builds and minor updates
for the licensed version, but also for any version of the program
prior to the licensed version. This minimizes the hassle of
multiple key file management when multiple versions of a program
are being used, for example, to maintain consistency in results
throughout the course of a project which was begun with an older
version of a given program that has been updated.
Build 11 - 22AUG05
>Optimized Timings Can be Imported When Entry Style is
Defined 'By-Movement'.
Optimized timings can now be Imported when the timing entry style
is 'By-Movement'. Previously, this was not possible.
Build 10 - 04AUG05
>Right Turn Overlaps Handled by Import and Export.
Right turn overlaps which were previously not covered by Import
and Export are now handled completely by both functions.
>Unused Volume File Deleted During Export AUTO.
If a TMPSYN_Volume.dat file exists prior to when Export AUTO is
used, this file is deleted as part of the Export AUTO process so
its data is not inadvertantly mixed with the data currently being
Exported. This situation can easily arise if data from one run of
SYNCHRO is saved upon exit, in which case the TMPSYN_Volume.dat
file might have been created. The automatic deletion of this file
prevents any such potential error.
>Print Problem Resolved from Tabular View.
Difficulties experienced by some users attempting to print
results when using the Tabular View have been resolved.
>Improved Phasing Display in Dialog Boxes.
The currently-selected signal phasing for an intersection which
is displayed in some dialog boxes has been improved so that
improperly-coded permitted left turns display differently than
expected to indicate the error in coding.
Build 00 - 23MAY05
>Enhancements Made to Time-Space Diagram.
The default scale for PLOTting a time-space diagram has been
changed from 100 feet/line to 0, the new default of 0 being a
code that instructs PRESYNCHRO to determine a scale automatically
which will include the entire time-space diagram on a single
page.
>New Message Warns User That Calculated and/or Imported
Values Have Not Been Saved.
A new message has been created which warns a user when calculated
and/or imported values will be lost when the program is closed or
File-New is used. This provides a check against inadvertently
losing data results which could otherwise be saved in a file for
future use or use by another program. The existence of unsaved
calculated and/or imported values is indicated in the window
caption with an asterisk (*) in the same fashion as changed user
entry values. In the case of PRESYNCHRO, the protected values are
any imported CYCLES, GREENTIMES, YELLOWTIMES and/or OFFSETS. A
similar message is now issued when File-Open or Reset
[Parameters] is used when edited, calculated and/or imported
values have not been saved.
>Edit Window Contents Can Be Printed, Including Line
Numbers.
The contents of the TED Edit window, either within TED or the
built-in edit window in any TEAPAC program, can now be printed
using the normal print menu or toolbar buttons, including line
numbers.
>Global Entry of Additional Sequence Codes Now Includes All
Extra Codes.
The entry of additional sequence codes for intersection 0 (to be
assigned to all intersections) has been expanded so that all
extra sequence codes will be assigned to all intersections, not
just the first extra sequence code. This allows added flexibility
when using this global entry feature for SEQUENCES.
>VOLADDITIONALS Values Now Allowed to be Negative.
The entry or computed values for VOLADDITIONALS is now allowed to
have negative values, with a complete input range permitted from
-9999 to 9999. This is primarily to afford the possibility of
re-assignments of traffic to result in a net reduction of volume
for individual movements, either by manual entry or computations
from SITE. In the case of SITE, this also means that ROUNDing of
results can create small negative VOLADDITIONALS in locations
that receive little or no new traffic and where final volumes are
rounded down (this is appropriate and to be expected).
>LinkTo followed by Another LinkTo Performs Properly.
Multiple LinkTo operations can now be performed smoothly under
all conditions without limitation. Previously it was observed
that under certain conditions, one LinkTo followed by another
LinkTo could cause certain problems successfully connecting to
the next desired program.
>Better Graphics for Phasing Display and Bitmap Buttons.
The arrows used to represent phasing in various dialogs have been
improved in quality and appearance, and if timings for phasings
are defined by-movement instead of by-phase, the by-movement
phasing diagrams are now shown in every relevant dialog. In
addition, the pan and zoom button bitmaps within the View-Network
display have been improved for better clarity.
>Option to Select Pages to Print; Page 0 for Current Page.
An option has been added to the Print-Setup dialog which allows
the selection of specific pages to be printed instead of always
printing all pages in the output window. Selection of page 0 will
print only the current output page (the page which contains the
insertion point cursor).
>View-Network Works Without Defined Network Distances.
Previously it was not possible to perform the View-Network
function unless all NETWORK distances had been entered. This was
due to the function's attempt to establish a scale factor between
the network distances entered and the potentially arbitrary
coordinate system used. Now, if distances are not entered,
View-Network simply assumes the scale factor is 1.
>Warnings Issued If Too Many Characters Entered or Number
Too Large in an Input Field.
If a user enters more characters in a dialog's input field than
the dialog expects or can process, a warning is now issued and
the entire entry is ignored, rather than just ignoring the extra
characters. This allows for better understanding by the user that
the entry may not have been processed correctly. The F5 Refresh
button should be used in all cases to see the current dialog
values after the warning. On a similar note, if an entry has a
numeric value too large for the intended internal variable, this
condition is also noted with a message rather than allowing the
possibility of a more catastrophic reaction by the program at a
later point.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.60 08SEP04
Scroll down to 'Build 06 - 22SEP04' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original TEAPAC2004 release of this program.
Build 07 - 07DEC04
>Assignment Labels Corrected in Diagonal Import Dialog.
The dialog box labels for eastbound movements in the diagonal
import assignment dialog (right side) have been corrected to
properly represent the movements which the graphics in the dialog
clearly depict. This is only a cosmetic change in the appearance
of the dialog box, and does not affect any data entry values as
long as the graphics of the dialog have guided the input process
(most likely the case).
>Separator Lines Inserted In Data File.
Blank lines are now inserted between intersections and site
generation data in TEAPAC2004 data files to aid in distinguishing
the parts of the data file when being viewed as a text file.
>Last Output Window Contents Saved in Text File Upon
Program Closure.
The contents of the last Output Window display are now always
saved in a temporary file (TMPxxx.OUT, where xxx is the program's
abbreviated name) when a TEAPAC2004 program exits, thus leaving
the last output produced in a text file for review and
post-processing, if desired. The file is located in the folder
which contains the authoring program (usually C:\TEAPAC) and is
over-written the next time the same program exits. This feature
also allows viewing of results created by a scripted control file
which contains the Stop command, as well as multiple, linked
control files which link to each other or are run from a batch
command file. Also, a change has been made to make sure that all
output generated by launching a control file from a command line
is captured in the Output Window and/or the TMPxxx.OUT file.
Lastly, if an Output Window is open when a Stop command is
encountered in a control file, that Output Window is now always
closed automatically.
>Automatic Closure of Save Message.
The message which is displayed when File-Save is used is now
closed automatically in all cases after a brief display to
confirm that the save has occurred as desired. Only Advanced file
save messages are displayed until closed manually (unless the
automatic closure checkbox is selected). Any save action directed
from a control file is also closed automatically after a brief
display in order to allow unattended operation.
>View-Network Shows Exiting External Legs.
The schematic network diagram created by the View-Network menu
will now show external intersection legs for one-way street
segments departing from an intersection.
>Longer Window Caption File Path Display.
The number of characters used to display the current file
name(s), path and save status has been increased so that more of
the file path is visible in the top caption line of the main
window.
>Tabular View Caption Overflow Fixed to Prevent Corruption
of Node# Display.
A problem in the caption display of the Tabular View window has
been fixed so it no longer corrupts the display of the Current
Node in the main window.
>File Functions Restored in TEAPAC Menu.
The 'Use this file:' function has been restored to the TEAPAC
Menu so a file can be found by browsing, dragging to the Menu
window, or double-clicking in Explorer. Then use of that file can
be transferred to any TEAPAC program in the Menu. This function
was inadvertantly disabled in the initial TEAPAC2004 release.
Build 06 - 22SEP04
>Summary of TEAPAC2004 Release of PRESYNCHRO.
After 2 years in development, the TEAPAC2004 version of
PRESYNCHRO has been released as Ver 1.60. The highlights of the
changes since its prior release include the following:
Completely seamless, one-click, one-file exchange of all input
and results with SIGNAL2000, all other PRE-processors, SITE,
TURNS and WARRANTS, including calculations of HCM satflows,
optimized timings, peak-period turn counts and estimated site
traffic.
Automated graphical dialog for easier import of diagonal legs
from Synchro/SimTraffic.
New volume adjustment inputs to allow factoring volumes and
adding additional volumes on a movement-by-movement basis.
New sensitivity controls for global testing of factored volumes,
additive volumes, factored satflows, minimums, clearances, etc.
Complete implementation of the enhanced TEAPAC2004 (Ver 6) user
interface, as described below.
>Automated Graphical Dialog for Easier Diagonal Leg Import.
The creation of a MOVEMENTS.DAT file to support the importing of
diagonal intersection legs from Synchro is now augmented by a
graphical dialog which illustrates the diagonal legs that must be
assigned and a suggested assignment to the four legs of TEAPAC
nomeclature. For most situations, this now only requires a
confirming click by the user and the entry in MOVEMETNS.DAT is
automatic.
>New Volume Adjustment Inputs Provide Sensitivity Analysis
Flexibility.
A new input called VOLFACTORS has been added that allows a volume
adjustment factor to be provided for each individual movement of
each intersection. Each volume entry is multiplied by this
factor, with the option of further providing a number of years
the factor should first be compounded. This feature provides the
ability to easily test various traffic growth factor scenarios,
as well as sensitivity analysis for the base volume entry.
Another new input called VOLADDITIONALS has been added that
allows a volume adjustment value to be provided for each
individual movement of each intersection. Each volume entry is
adjusted by adding this additional volume, with the option of
further providing a single factor for each intersection which is
first multiplied by the additional volume before the it is added
to the base volume. This feature provides the ability to test
additive growth scenarios, in addition to the factored growth
scenarios allowed by VOLFACTORS above, such as when evaluating
site traffic development scenarios. The VOLADDITIONALS factor can
also be used to easily 'turn off' the additional volume by using
a factor of zero, and 'turn back on' the additional volumes.
VOLADDITIONALS are computed directly by SITE for site traffic
impact scenarios and saved in data files for immediate analysis
and optimization by other TEAPAC programs.
>Browse Button Added to Import Dialog.
A Browse button has been added to the Import dialog to permit
easier identification of the SYNCHRO results file which is to be
used for Import, especially when the default AUTO option is not
selected. This button opens a normal file-select dialog, and when
a file is selected it is placed in the Import dialog entry field
without the need for the user to type the actual file name.
>T2004v6: TEAPAC2004 Interface Enhancements Found In All
Programs.
TEAPAC2004 (Ver 6) includes a multitude of enhancements which are
part of the generic user interface found in all TEAPAC programs
(some do not apply to NOSTOP, TED or TUTOR, for readily-apparent
reasons). All of the generic enhancements are listed below with
heading lines that begin with T2004v6:.
>T2004v6: One Common Data File Supports All TEAPAC
Programs.
The most significant and obvious change made to each TEAPAC
program in Version 6 is that all programs now share a single,
common data file structure that contains all of the data entries
used by all TEAPAC programs. This means that any TEAPAC program
(except NOSTOP and TUTOR) can open any file from any other TEAPAC
program, make changes to any of the data values it contains, and
re-Save the file with complete retention of all data values for
future use by any other TEAPAC program.
The first implication of this major fundamental change is that
the concept of File-OpenShare of earlier TEAPAC programs is no
longer needed since the sharing of TEAPAC files among TEAPAC
programs is now fundamental and automatic. File-OpenShare has
been re-named to File-OpenMerge/Share to better reflect its
current function, to merge the content of multiple files, and can
still be used to read and merge the content of files from older
versions of SIGNAL97, SIGNAL2000 (Ver 1), SITE, TURNS and
WARRANTS -- OpenMerge is automatic when reading these files.
Also, the warning message when saving to a file created by one of
these other programs has been removed, again because this
function is now standard procedure and has no risk of loss of
data.
The second implication of this change is that any values computed
by one program and to be used by another (such as peak-period
volumes from TURNS, HCM satflows from SIGNAL2000, optimized
signal timings and phasings from SIGNAL2000, projected traffic
from SITE, etc.) need only be saved into the data file with
File-Save, then the next program launched with the same file
using the LinkTo menu. A single click positions the user in the
next program ready to do the analysis of that program.
Lastly, all programs (except NOSTOP and TUTOR) now have the
ability to store all of this data for up to 500 intersections in
a single file.
>T2004v6: LinkTo Menu In All TEAPAC Programs Includes All
TEAPAC Programs.
All TEAPAC programs (except NOSTOP and TUTOR) now contain the
LinkTo menu which now provides immediate access to all other
TEAPAC programs with a single click which causes the current data
file to be re-opened in that program.
>T2004v6: LinkTo Function Now Allows Direct Link to Host
Programs.
A new function of the LinkTo menu has been added which allows
direct linkage to the six host programs which are supported by
the six TEAPAC preprocessors. These are PRETRANSYT for TRANSYT,
PREPASSR for PASSER, PRENETSIM for CORSIM, PRESYNCHRO for
Synchro/SimTraffic, PRETSPPD for TS-PP/Draft, and now PRENOSTOP
for NOSTOP. Since all programs have access to the control
directives for all the preprocessors, this means, for example,
that a TRANSYT run can be made directly from SIGNAL2000 with a
LinkTo-TRANSYT (assuming a licensed copy of PRETRANSYT is
installed on the system).
>T2004v6: Global Input Option for Most Intersection Inputs.
A powerful new feature has been added to all TEAPAC programs that
allows the value of a single data entry to be made to all
intersections in the NODELIST (or the SUBSYSTEM, if one is
defined). This is done when Intersection 0 is selected, and the
user is first warned of the pending global entry action and
followed by an audible beep when the global entry is made. The
warning message can be omitted for future such actions, if
desired.
Examples of uses for this new feature include the following:
Enter a common cycle length or cycle range for SIGNAL2000
optimization of all signals; designate a full SIGNAL2000 phasing
optimization for all signals; set the new volume adjustment
factor or number of years for compounding a growth factor for all
intersections for sensitivity analysis; enable or disable the new
additional volumes entry for all intersections; designate a
common peak hour factor for specific movements or all movements
of all intersections; set the minimum or required clearance
values for optimization at all signals; set the satflow
adjustment factor for all signals to perform sensitivity
analysis; etc. The possibilities of this new feature are
virtually endless.
>T2004v6: View-Network Function Improved with Easier Pan
& New Zoom.
The View-Network function has been added to all programs (except
NOSTOP and TUTOR), and has been greatly improved in functionality
regarding the ability to pan up/down and left/right, as well as
new functions for zoom in/out and selecting a view area of the
network connections and underlying bitmap with the mouse.
>T2004v6: Output/Edit Window Major Enhancements.
The Output and Edit Windows have been enhanced with menus and
toolbar buttons which provide the ability to Find a user-entered
text string, find the next output report and find the next page
of results. A button also allows moving backwards thru the output
to the previous output page. In the Edit Window, an additional
Find & Replace function has also been provided. Also, the
current line number of the cursor is displayed in the status line
of the window, and the ^A function now performs the standard
'SelectAll' function instead of copying the entire window to the
clipboard.
>T2004v6: Toolbar Button Provided for Intersection
Selection.
A toolbar button has been provided in the main window next to the
+/- buttons which provides direct access to the Intersection
dialog to select the 'current' intersection, allowing quick
access to this common function without the need to use the menus.
>T2004v6: Intersection/Type Description Listed in Dialog
Caption.
If an intersection description has been provided for the current
intersection (via the Intersection dialog), this description is
displayed in the caption of any intersection data dialog in
addition to the intersection number. For traffic impact studies
with SITE, the same function is true for the current distribution
type. These number and description displays are now also included
in the caption of the Tabular View window.
>T2004v6: Check For Internet Update Function Provided.
A new function has been provided in the Help menu of every TEAPAC
program that allows the user to have the program check the
internet for any available downloadable updates. This function
can be set to automatically check for updates every time the
program is launched. If updates are found, this fact is displayed
along with the status of the update (free or if a fee is involved
and what that fee is), as well as a link to a complete
description of what functionality changes the update includes,
the ability to launch an email requesting a new key for a paid
update or a quote for an upgrade. Options to view a complete
price list online, to launch an email requesting technical
support, and to go to the Strong Concepts main web page are also
provided. This feature was partially implemented in the most
recent downloads of several TEAPAC programs and accepted with
great enthusiasm.
>T2004v6: INTERSECTION Dialog Includes Option to Renumber a
Node and All Refs.
The INTERSECTION dialog now contains a feature to renumber any
intersection in the NODELIST to any value not currently in the
NODELIST. When selected, all references to the old node number
anywhere else in the network are also updated, making renumbering
a snap.
>T2004v6: Save Remembers Selected Intersection/Type for
Subsequent Open.
When data files are saved, a directive is placed at the end of
the file which remembers the 'current' intersection and current
distribution type so that these positions can be reset when the
file is subsequently re-opened by either the same program or any
other TEAPAC program.
>T2004v6: Error Message Help Leaves Dialogs Open so Errant
Entries Can Be Seen.
When Help for an error or warning message is displayed, the
dialog entry which caused the error or warning is now left open
so the entered values can be inspected in relation to the help
advise given. Also, a note is provided in the message to use the
Refresh button to see the dialog with the actual current values
which are likely to not reflect the entry attempted (which caused
the error or warning).
>T2004v6: Errors Contain Cancel Button to Abort File-Open
or Control File.
When errors or warnings are issued as a result of reading a data
file, a Cancel button is now provided which allows the user to
abort continued attempts to read the file. This is now a
convenient way to halt attempted processing of a file which is
clearly not what was intended, or for power users, a way to kill
a control file which has gone off the deep end.
>T2004v6: OUTPUT Dialog Contains Entries for All Programs.
The OUTPUT dialog is a common dialog name which has had different
content for most TEAPAC programs. This conflict and impediment
for combining all the TEAPAC data into a single file for
TEAPAC2004 has been resolved by having a common OUTPUT dialog for
all programs which contains the OUTPUT parameters for all TEAPAC
programs. In the manual mode and control files, this involves the
addition of a new parameter #1 which is the name of the program
for which the following values apply, and thus all OUTPUT
parameters for all programs are stored in the file and displayed
in the dialog.
>T2004v6: Wording on Dialogs Used by Multiple Programs
Improved.
The wording on dialogs which are used by multiple programs in
TEAPAC2004 have been clarified so that it is more apparent what
the relevance is to the current program in which the dialog is
found.
>T2004v6: NODELIST Entry Protected from Change in Tabular
View.
The only safe place to change the NODELIST after it has been
entered is in the Normal View NODELIST dialog, so the NODELIST
entry in the Tabular View has been greyed and protected from
change to avoid unintended changes and possible disastrous
results.
>T2004v6: Options-Setup Uses Browse for Folder, not Browse
for File.
The Browse button in the Options-Setup dialog now produces a
Browse-for-Folder dialog instead of the File-Open dialog so it is
more clear what the function will return.
>T2004v6: Dialog Actions Re. ROUTEs with 9+ Nodes Fixed,
Including Save.
Certain problems with ROUTES which contained more than 8 nodes
have been fixed, including saving these route definitions.
>T2004v6: Recent File Menu Option Works Under All Windows
Platforms.
Display of recently used files in the File menu has presented
problems under certain Windows platforms, and thus an option has
been provided to turn this display off so recent files are
accessed only thru the File-RecentFiles dialog. This problem has
been fixed so recent files can be displayed in the File menu on
any Windows platform, and thus the default condition for this
feature has been changed from No to Yes.
>T2004v6: Command-Line Control File Enhancements.
When a user has set a TEAPAC program to start in the Tabular
View, ASK commands in command-line control files could not be
used. This limitation has been eliminated so this feature can be
used, if desired.
The output window for output generated by a command-line control
file now appears in front of the main window so it is immediately
visible without the need to click it to bring it to the front.
A new /x option has been added at the end of a command-line file
name which instructs the program to open the command-line file as
File #x (the default is File #1, as before). This allows the data
file which a control file #2-5 opens to be designated as File #1
so that it is the file which will be open for subsequent
File-Save operations from the File menu. Opening command-line
control files as #2-5 instead of #1 is now the recommended
practice.
>T2004v6: -X Entry for INTERSECTION Number Allowed As
Positional Input.
The intersection number on an INTERSECTION command line or dialog
is now allowed to be a negative number between -1 and -N where N
is the number of intersections in the NODELIST. When this is the
case, the intersection selected is the i-th node of the NODELIST
when -i is used. The expected use of this feature is to allow
REPEAT loops in control files to easily sequence through all the
nodes of the NODELIST when the NODELIST is not in numerical order
and/or not a sequential list of nodes from 1 to N.
>T2004v6: TEAPAC Menu Enhancements.
A new File menu in the TEAPAC Menu shows recent files which have
been used by the program; a new Options menu allows program
folder setup for all of the third-party programs supported by the
Menu; a new Help menu can list recently installed changes and
check the internet for updates; default support for VISSIM 4 and
TRANSYT-7F Release 10 is provided.
TEAPAC files which are double-clicked to be launched thru the
TEAPAC Menu now open into the menu only without launching the
program that created the file (since any file can now be used by
any program, this old action is no longer appropriate).
>T2004v6: Printable On-screen Manuals Available as PDF
Downloads.
The full documentation for each TEAPAC program has always been
directly available as the on-screen manual which also serves as
the context-sensitive Help document. Options for obtaining
printed/bound copies of this document have also been available at
an additional cost. Now, in addition, this document is available
as a downloadable PDF file which provides the ability to print a
copy locally, as well as search the entire document for
user-defined strings.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.02 22NOV03
Build 16 - 16JUL04
>Fix for >100 Nodes in NODELIST
and SUBSYSTEM Dialogs of 500 Node Version.
A problem has been fixed which could cause difficulties
displaying a node list with more than 100 nodes in the NODELIST
and SUBSYSTEM dialogs of the 500-node version of the program.
>Automatic Check for Updates Added When Connected to
Internet.
A new feature has been added which allows an automatic check for
updates via the internet any time the program is started when an
internet connection is present. The automatic check can be
disabled from the Help menu using the CheckForUpdates option. The
same menu selectiion can be used to manually check for updates,
to review details about any available updates, to download
updates, to see update prices (if they are not free), to request
a quote for updates and to order certain updates.
>Accelerator Key Definitions Added to Tooltip Help for
Dialog Buttons.
Tooltip help strings for certain dialog box buttons have been
updated to include the accelerator keys which can be used in lieu
of the buttons.
Build 14 - 29MAR04
>Installation Setup Modified for
Proper Creation of Shortcuts.
A change has been made to the configuration of the new MSI
installation setup now used by most TEAPAC programs. Now when
shortcuts are created in the start menu or the desktop during
installation, they are configured properly with the installation
folder set as the 'Start In' folder (Working Directory) for the
shortcut. In recent TEAPAC releases which use the new MSI
installation system, this configuration option was not selected,
resulting in a possible problem when running the program in
locating the Help file (on-screen manual, Help-Contents menu,
Help buttons and F1 key) and/or the Recent Changes file
(Help-RecentChanges menu).
Build 12 - 03MAR04
>Improved Lost Time Import
and Export.
SYNCHRO uses an outdated lost time input method that is not
consistent with the current Highway Capacity Manual. This has
previously caused some difficulty in converting imported lost
times from SYNCHRO into the HCM-based STARTUPLOST and ENDGAIN
entries used in TEAPAC. This conflict has been substantially
remedied with a new import method used by PRESYNCHRO that
properly sets the TEAPAC inputs only after the timings have been
input (so the phase YELLOWTIME is known, as needed by the HCM
method). Imported lost times may also now include fractional
seconds with the use of a decimal point in the import field.
Conversely, each movement's lost time is now calculated using the
prescribed HCM methodology, and this lost time is now exported to
SYNCHRO. These two adjustments should go a long way to making the
lost time considerations between TEAPAC and SYNCHRO more
consistent.
>Sum of Phase Times Checked Against Cycle Length.
Timings are exported to SYNCHRO in tenths of seconds, and these
times (which may be rounded from their SIGNAL2000-optimized
values) are now checked and adjusted to make sure they add up to
exactly the cycle length to avoid an errant determination by
SYNCHRO that the cycle lengths are different between
intersections when they are not intended to be.
>Better Export of Phasing and Timings for T and 1-way Ints.
A more consistent Export of both the phasing and timing data for
special conditions such as T-intersections and 1-way streets has
been implemented. Primarily this has to do with approaches which
contain left turns without an adjacent thru movement, or shared
left/thru movements which are 'unopposed' according to HCM
terminology. This provides a more reliable export of such
conditions from TEAPAC to SYNCHRO.
>Check for Coordinate Entry for Export.
SYNCHRO will not display networks correctly and will make certain
inappropriate determinations if intersection coordinates are not
provided for a SYNCHRO analysis. As such, PRESYNCHRO now checks
to make sure coordinates have been provided (for
multi-intersection analyses) and alerts the user when this is not
the case.
>Better Default System Cycle Length Used.
The 'system cycle length' for a SYNCHRO analysis is determined by
the cycle information provided for the intersection which is
designated as the MASTERNODE intersection. In the event that the
MASTERNODE is not defined, or if it points to an intersection not
in the current SUBSYSTEM, the program now uses the first
intersection of the SUBSYSTEM rather than the first intersection
of the NODELIST to define the default 'system cycle length'.
>Better Scale Factor Determined Between User Coordinates
and Ground Coordinates.
TEAPAC programs allow the use of an arbitrary, scaled coordinate
system to be used when entering NODELOCATION values. When this is
the case and ground coordinates are needed, the program deduces
an appropriate scale factor between the user coordinates and
ground coordinates based on link lengths provided, while
recognizing the possibility of certain tolerable errors in
locating each node and the impact of curved links on this
process. An improved method to eliminate outliers from this scale
determination has been implemented for higher probability of a
better result in cases which include NODELOCATION input errors.
>Further Enhancements to Ver 5.12 Interface.
The Ver 5.12 TEAPAC interface found in most TEAPAC programs has
been further refined with additional features to aid in the
analysis process. These include: 1) saving the current
intersection in the data file so that when the file is re-opened,
the same current intersection is re-established (rather than
always being pointed to the last intersection in the Nodelist),
2) providing the ability to scale a bitmap background for a
single intersection analysis by right-clicking on a point 100
feet from the intersection, 3) providing a Clear button on the
Subsytem and Route dialogs so that the lists displayed can be
removed with a single click, and 4) the TEAPAC Menu System now
runs SYNCHRO Ver 6 be default.
Build 10 - 31DEC03
>Direct Support for Version
6 of Synchro/SimTraffic.
PRESYNCHRO now supports Version 6 of Synchro/SimTraffic directly,
creating and launching the native file name extensions for
Version 6 by default if Synchro6.exe is present in the 'Path of
Synchro program files' defined by the Options-Setup dialog. If
Synchro6.exe is not found, PRESYNCHRO will look for Synchro5.exe
in the same location, and if found, launch Version 5 instead
without user intervention.
If the PRESYNCHRO user has both Ver 6 and Ver 5 installed on
their system, the desired Version for exporting can be defined by
placing the name of the executable file (e.g., Synchro5.exe or
Synchro6.exe) at the end of the Synchro path definition of the
Options-Setup dialog.
>Timings Input as Decimal Percentages (sec/sec) are
Exported Correctly.
Timings which are entered as decimal percentages (sec/sec) are
now exported correctly to Synchro/SimTraffic. Previously such
entries were not exported correctly and generated obviously wrong
visual results in the Synchro/SimTraffic displays.
>External 1-Way Link Exported to SimTraffic Properly.
If a network in PRESYNCHRO contained a 1-way link which exited
the network, SimTraffic did not like the way this condition was
exported despite the fact that it was accepted and modelled
properly by Synchro. The method used now to export this condition
has been changed so that it is accepted and modelled correctly by
both Synchro and SimTraffic (Ver 5 & 6) without modification
by the user.
>Pending New PRENOSTOP Program Added to LinkTo Menu.
A pending new TEAPAC program call PRENOSTOP which interfaces the
NOSTOP program to the data of other TEAPAC programs such as this
program and SIGNAL2000 has been added to the LinkTo menu.
>Further Enhancements to Ver 5.1x Interface.
If a NODELIST entry is read from a Shared file, the new NODELIST
is appended to the current NODELIST instead of replacing it. This
effectively allows the merging of separate data files to create a
larger system. Caution must be used when one file is already open
in a program and another file is opened that was not created by
the current program, since this file will automatically be
Open-Shared, and thus appended if it has a different NODELIST.
If an INTERSECTION entry is read from a Shared file and is not in
the current NODELIST, it is automatically appended to the end of
the NODELIST. As with NODELIST above, this makes the Shared
function effectively an automatic Merge function.
Duplicate nodes encountered in a NODELIST entry or an appended
NODELIST are ignored.
The File-OpenShared menu item has been changed to
File-OpenMerge/Shared to better indicate the fuction which this
type of Open normally performs.
When a LinkTo function prompts the user to save changed data
before the LinkTo is performed and a new path/file name is given,
this path/file name is used by the LinkTo function. If no file
has been provided, the LinkTo function performs properly with a
linkage to the next rpogram, but without any data transfer.
:PRESYNCHRO Ver 1.00 02FEB03
Build 54 - 05JUN03
>Unnecessary Debug Trace Statements Removed.
Unnecessary debug trace statements were inadvertantly left in Build 52 and have been removed.
Build 52 - 04JUN03
>Export Volume Unadjusted by PHF.
In Build 50, volumes sent to SYNCHRO by the Export function were errantly adjusted by the peak hour factor entry, while the peak hour factor value was also exported, resulting in double-counting of the effect of peak hour factor. This error has been corrected.
>Import RTOR as 0 or 1
Instead of Using Satflow as RTOR Volume.
The RTOR value available in SYNCHRO UTDF files represents a value
which is unique to SYNCHRO, termed SatFlowRTOR. In the past, this
has been errantly imported as the RTOR value in PRESYNCHRO. Now,
if SatFlowRTOR is non-zero, a 1 will be imported into PRESYNCHRO
to indicate that RTOR is permitted, otherwise it will be set to
zero to indicate RTOR is not allowed. When exporting RTOR to
SYNCHRO, if a 0 is present in PRESYNCHRO a 0 will be exported,
effectively preventing SYNCHRO from allowing RTOR. If the RTOR
value in PRESYNCHRO is non-zero, no RTOR value will be exported,
thus setting SYNCHRO in a mode which will allow its normal RTOR
modeling. Note that a specific number of RTOR manuevers per hour
cannot be specified to SYNCHRO. Note also that when reading the
UTDF LANES file when 0 RTOR is allowed, the LANES file must be
read twice to set this condition in SYNCHRO.
>Fix Export for Shared LT-TH with Protected Phasing.
Build 50 was not exporting the phasing correctly for a shared
LT-TH lane when protected phasing was present. This situation has
been corrected. A more generalized phasing algorithm has been
implemented that will also provide more reliable phasing export,
in general.
>Create Default Link Distance and Speed for External
Approaches.
Under certain conditions, external links in a network which is
exported to SYNCHRO received link distances and speeds of 0 which
cxreated a problem when simulating with SIMTRAFFIC. These
external links now receive a default link distance of 1320 feet
and speed of 30 mph.
>Import Phasing and Timing for Permitted Stem of
T-Intersection Correctly.
If the stem of a T-intersection was defined with a permitted
phasing in SYNCHRO, certain conditions could prevent the proper
import of the phasing and timing. This circumstacnce is now
detected and imported correctly.
>Check for Metric Data and Abort with Message instead of
Crash.
Import from and Export to SYNCHRO are only designed to work when
SYNCHRO data is saved in U.S. Customary units, not metric. A
check is now made to detect metric units in the files, producing
a message to that effect rather than crashing.
>Convert ByPhase to ByMov Uses Reqclearances to Maintain
Individual Y+AR.
The Convert button on the GREENTIMES and YELLOWTIMES dialogs has
been modified so that when ByPhase timings are converted to
ByMovement, the REQCLEARANCES values for each movement are used
to define the ByMovement clearances rather than using the ByPhase
phase clearances. This permits individual movements to maintain
distinctly different clearance times, regardless of how many
timnes the Convert button is used. To this end, entries of
ByMovement clearance times in the YELLOWTIMES dialog are always
transferred directly to the REQCLEARANCES dialog, and
REQCLEARANCES entries are transferred directly to the YELLOWTIMES
dialog if timings are ByMovement.
>More Accurate Import When Y+AR Differ.
Minor inconsistencies between PRESYNCHRO timings and SYNCHRO
timings could exist when the Yellow+AllRed clearance times were
different for movements that both terminated in the same phase.
Using the method described previously, this inconsistency has
been eliminated. A special case of this condition which always
imported incorrectly was the clearance time for the last phase of
a split-phase (SEQUENCE 8) operation. Also, Imported movement
YELLOWTIMES are also entered as values of the REQCLEARNCES
dialog.
>Import Removes Default ALL in SEQUENCE Spec List.
If a SEQUENCE entry includes the default 'ALL' or 'AA' entry in
the list of allowed phasing, this entry is removed when a
specific phasing and timing is imported for a full network
Import. If the list is something other than 'ALL' or 'AA' it
remains unchanged.
>Permitted Split Phase Now Detected on Import.
SYNCHRO allows a split phasing to be defined which shows the left
turns as permitted instead of protected. As a result, PRESYNCHRO
was not detecting the split phase operation since the lefts of
split phase are assumed protected in TEAPAC. A special condition
check has been added so that this definition of split phase is
detected and imported properly.
>Message Warns of Possible Phasing Specification Error.
SYNCHRO allows phasing definitions that do nto necessarily
correspond to those allowed by PRESYNCHRO and TEAPAC in general.
If such a phasing is used in SYNCHRO, the imported results are
somewhat unpredictable. One sign of this situation is when the
imported phase timings do not add up to the cycle length for a
signal in SYNCHRO. When this situation is detected, a new message
to this
effect is issued warning for close scrutiny of the imported
phasing and timings. One case where this is known to be possible
is when split-phasing is specified in SYNCHRO but the left turns
are shwon as permitted instead of protected.
>Fixed Movement Entries on NETWORK for Diagonal
Connections.
Under certain conditions in SYNCHRO networks with diagonal
connections, the Movements values of NETWORK entries may not have
been imported correctly. This could have an improper effect on
subtle aspects of Export functions in PRETRANSYT and PRENETSIM if
the imported data was passed to these programs, as well as in a
VISSIM Import of this data. These connections are now Imported
correctly.
>Improved Translation of Imported T-Intersection
Conditions.
Under certain conditions at T-intersections, the movement data on
the stem of the T may not have been placed in the correct TEAPAC
movement position due to the need to adjust the lane
configuration from the SYNCHRO coding to the TEAPAC coding. This
could occur on 1-lane approaches and on approaches where all turn
lanes go the same direction and only a single lane is shared for
the other turn. This has been corrected, as well as making sure
the Dual-Optional Grouptype is translated properly.
When the stem of the T-intersection is a diagonal leg defined in
the MOVEMENTS.DAT file, it is important that the two movements
are defined as TEAPAC turns, even if one of the movements appears
much like a thru movement due to the diagonal approach angle.
>Dummy Nodes Are Ignored by TIMINGS Report.
Any intersection identified as a 'Dummy node' in the INTERSECTION
description field will be omitted from the TIMINGS results, along
with unsignalized intersections which are already omitted.
Build 50 - 08MAY03
>Initial Release of
PRESYNCHRO Connects TEAPAC to SYNCHRO/SIMTRAFFIC.
PRESYNCHRO provides the first-ever connection between TEAPAC and
the popular SYNCRHO/SIMTRAFFIC program.
SYNCHRO is a popular way of
inputting data due to its intuitive input interface, as well as
providing colorful on-screen displays of quick and easy
performance assessments, optimizations and animations. When
methods that are more time-proven, government-sponsored and
validated are desired for assessment, optimization and animation
using well-understood tools such as SIGNAL2000, TSPPD, PASSER,
TRANSYT, CORSIM and VISSIM, PRESYNCHRO provides the interface to
accomplish exactly that.
PRESYNCHRO can Import an entire SYNCHRO network from its UTDF
files and share this information immediately with other TEAPAC
programs such as SIGNAL2000, PRETSPPD, PREPASSR, PRETRANSYT and
PRENETSIM, as well as with VISSIM through its built-in TEAPAC
interface, thereby allowing the data inputs to SYNCHRO to be used
by any or all of the programs mentioned above for more complete,
proven and trusted results in terms of assessment, optimization
and animation. Upon completion of the assessment, optimization or
animation of the network by these other programs, PRESYNCRHO can
export these results back to SYNCHRO for further viewing and/or
as a final resting place for the optimized parameters.
In the event a network is originally defined within the TEAPAC
umbrella of programs, an entire SYNCHRO network can be created
from the TEAPAC data by a PRESYNCRHO Export so that SYNCHRO's
assessment or animation tools can be utilized to represent the
performance of the network. If SYNCHRO's casual optimization is
of interest to the TEAPAC user, the optimized variables can be
Imported back into PRESYNCHRO for comparison to those obtained by
other techniques, either by visual comparison or analytical
comparison using the time-tested tools described above.
TEAPAC and its related programs provide the following functions
over-and-above those of SYNCHRO/SIMTRAFFIC. SIGNAL2000 provides
for legitimate capacity analysis and signal optimization
according to the strict methods of the Transportation Research
Board's 2000 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM2000).
PRETRANSYT/TRANSYT provides time-proven, FHWA-supported
simulation and optimization of signal networks. PRENETSIM/CORSIM
provides time-proven, FHWA-sponsored microscopic simulation and
animation with NETSIM/CORSIM. PREPASSR/PASSER-II provides true
bandwidth optimization with PASSER-II from TTI/TXDOT/FHWA.
PRETSPPD/TSPPDRAFT provides legitimate time-space and
platoon-progression diagrams following the TRANSYT flow model.
Other programs which read TEAPAC data file formats provide
additional functions, such as VISSIM for sophisticated and
validated simulation and animation of signal networks.
As a result, PRESYNCHRO fully-integrates the visually attractive
SYNCHRO/SIMTRAFFIC programs into the world of fundamentally sound
traffic operations software.
this page last updated September 07, 2008