PRENETSIM has been superseded by and incorporated into the new TEAPAC Complete product which is described in detail at the main page of www.StrongConcepts.com.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 PRENETSIM to TEAPAC Complete are available.  Contact Strong Concepts for details.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.81 27MAY08

Build 16 - 20AUG08

>Improved handling of bend nodes on external links and one-way links.

Simulating bend nodes on external links and one-way links has been improved for more reliable success exporting to CORSIM.

Build 11 - 27MAY08

>Create full-length turn lane when Storage is longer than link length.

When Storage lengths for turn lanes are detected which are greater than the estimated 'effective link length' in CORSIM, the turn lane is now Exported as a full-length turn lane rather than a turn pocket. If this modeling is specifically desired, the turn lane Storage should be entered as the length of the link to the upstream intersection.

>Export exclusive pedestrian phase as an all-red phase.

An all-red phase is now created in the CORSIM input file to represent an exclusive pedestrian phase, as defined by the PedTime entry. This modeling is only possible when the number of phases for traffic is less than 6.

>Keep offset less than 1/2 system cycle when an intersection is double-cycled.

Offsets which are exported to CORSIM for intersections which have double-cycle timings are now checked to make sure that the offset exported is less than one-half of the system cycle length, as required by CORSIM.

>Better modeling of bends on links that change direction of flow.

When the connection of the legs of two nodes are specified in an arrangement other than rectangular (a diagonal connection, ie, not north-leg to south-leg or east-leg to west-leg), especially when bend nodes exist on the connection, this condition is now detected and the modeling described to CORSIM is enhanced for better appearance in the CORSIM animation.

>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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.80 25APR07

Build 00 - 08JUN07

>Direct Support for CORSIM Ver 6.

Direct support for the latest version of CORSIM, Version 6, has been implemented in PRENETSIM as the default condition. Continued support for older versions of CORSIM and NETSIM still exists by proper selections in the Options-Setup menu and the OUTPUT dialog.

>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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.71 08SEP06

Build 07 - 25JAN07

Scroll down to 'Ver 2.70 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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.70 07NOV05

Build 28 - 28AUG06

Scroll down to 'Ver 2.70 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 2.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC release of this program.

>Fix Problem Simulating Bend Nodes Located Between Real & External Nodes.

The problem which prevented successful simulation of bend nodes located between real nodes and external nodes has been fixed.

>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 2.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC release of this program.

>Default Turn Pocket Length Limit Added.

The default pocket length for turn lanes whose STORAGE value has not been entered remains at 250 feet, but it is now limited to a value 60 feet less than the link length as an approximation of the effective link length which cannot be exceeded by a pocket length.

>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.

If dummy external nodes are provided by the analysis network, these nodes and their coordinates are exported to CORSIM for the most realistic animation in CORSIM. If dummy external buffer nodes need to be created, they are now created starting at 999 (instead of 750) counting backwards, and detailed checks are made to make sure a dummy node number to be used is not already referenced elsewhere in the network. The default external link length for created buffer nodes is now 500 feet instead of 1,320 feet. Bend nodes are modeled using the same method as buffer nodes (side-street stop control with no side-street traffic). The cause of occasional invalid random number seeds has been tracked down and fixed, and better pseudo-random seed creation has been implemented. An inappropriate error which was issued when the Animate option of the Export dialog was selected has been suppressed.

PRENETSIM 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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.61 23MAY05

Scroll down to 'Ver 2.60 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

>Build for Compatibility with Other TEAPAC PRE-processors.

Build 11 of PRENETSIM exists only for compatibility with the corresponding Build 11's of the other TEAPAC PRE-processors - no changes have been made to PRENETSIM.

Build 10 - 04AUG05

>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 PRENETSIM to determine a scale automatically which will include the entire time-space diagram on a single page.

>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.

>New Message Warns User That Changed Values Have Not Been Saved.

A message is now issued when File-Open or Reset [Parameters] is used when edited 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.

>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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.60 08SEP08

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

>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 PRENETSIM.

After 2 years in development, the TEAPAC2004 version of PRENETSIM has been released as Ver 2.60. 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.

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.

>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.

>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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.02 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

>Better Default System Cycle Length Used.

The 'system cycle length' for a CORSIM 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, and 3) providing a Clear button on the Subsytem and Route dialogs so that the lists displayed can be removed with a single click.

Build 10 - 31DEC03

>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.

:PRENETSIM Ver 2.00 02FEB03

Build 54 - 05JUN03

>New Build for Consistency with New SIGNAL2000 and PRESYNCHRO.

Build 54 has been created for consistent numbering with new builds of SIGNAL2000 and PRESYNCHRO. No other changes have been made to the program in this build.

Build 52 - 04JUN03

>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.

>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

>Support for New CORSIM 5.1 Options.

PRENETSIM Version 2 is an upgrade that supports several powerful new options offered by the Version 5.1 update of CORSIM. One such feature is the ability to launch the NETSIM file created by PRENETSIM directly into simulation without the need for the user to navigate through any project files or tool menus. Secondly, the animation of the resulting simulation can be opened automatically after the simulation is complete so the user merely needs to click Play after selecting which entities to animate (vehicles, signal controls, etc.). Along these lines, the Export dialog also allows the animation to be the only result viewed, thereby hiding the simulation results from view, when appropriate.

Another new feature of CORSIM Ver 5.1 is the ability to display a bitmap background underneath the animation or the TRAFED network editor. This bitmap can be an aerial photograph, map, or any such scaled entity which relates to the network being studied. When the bitmap background of PRENETSIM's new View-Network display is used (see below), PRENETSIM will transfer this bitmap to CORSIM along with the necessary coordinate translation and scaling which is required.

>Seamless Integration with SIGNAL2000, PREPASSR, PRETRANSYT, PRESYNCHRO and PRETSPPD.

The option to enter and manage SIGNAL2000 data which is not required by PRENETSIM has been added to PRENETSIM with the new Edit-SIGNAL2000 menu which now makes PRENETSIM data files completely compatible with SIGNAL2000. This allows a seamless exchange of information between PRENETSIM and SIGNAL2000 Version 2, as well as the other TEAPAC preprocessors. To this end, a new LinkTo menu has been created in PRENETSIM that allows immediate transfer of control to SIGNAL2000, PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT, as well as the two new TEAPAC programs PRESYNCHRO and PRETSPPD. This transfer of control includes closing the current data file, with a prompt to save unsaved data, and passing that file to the new program. This permits immediate use of SIGNAL2000 or any of the other preprocessor functions with virtually no overhead of data file or program management. This is due primarily to the new multi-intersection feature added to SIGNAL2000 Version 2 and the presence of all SIGNAL2000 data in PRENETSIM.

>Maximum Network Size Increased to 500 Intersections with Improved Management Tools.

The maximum size of a PRENETSIM network has been increased from 100 to 500 intersections with the addition of a new Usage Level 3. All Usage Levels use a new NODELIST dialog to manage the list of intersection numbers which have been used and a new INTERSECTION dialog to select the 'current' intersection from the NODELIST. The current intersection can be selected by using the drop-down list in the INTERSECTION dialog, or by 'walking' through the NODELIST with the new +/- buttons found on the main toolbar and relevant entry dialogs. The current intersection is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the main window. Intersection numbers can now range from 1 to 999.

New intersections can be added to the network by first adding it with the NODELIST dialog, then selecting it from the INTERSECTION drop-down list (or typing it in the INTERSECTION combo box). As a shortcut, the new intersection number can be typed (with a description) in the INTERSECTION combo box, in which case the user will be prompted with an option to add the intersection to the end of the NODELIST automatically.

INTERSECTION 0 is a selection which represents all intersections in the NODELIST. When this is selected, certain actions like View-Summary will be performed for all intersections. Otherwise, View-Summary will now summarise the data only for the current intersection.

>View-Network Menu Added to Display Connected Intersection Network.

This new menu option permits viewing the interconnections between intersections which have been defined, primarily in the NETWORK dialogs. The graphical display shows all of the relationships between intersections which have been established in a proportional diagram layout that can be scrolled across the entire network area. If desired, a bitmap of an aerial photograph or map of the study area can be defined as a background for this display to show the study network in relation to the information reflected by that background. The bitmap should be stored in the same folder as the associated data file, and should have the same name as the data file, but with a .BMP extension. An example bitmap background is supplied with the sample data file PRENETSI.FOR.

>Explicit Ability to Represent Nema-style Controllers.

When entering or viewing controller timings, a new Convert button appears on the GREENTIMES and YELLOWTIMES dialogs which allows the user to select the style of entry or view, either 'By Phase' which is the traditional HCM method, or 'By Movement' which is more similar to the way timings are used on NEMA and other dual-ring controllers. If any timings are present, they will be converted to the other format at the same time, including YELLOWTIMES if the GREENTIMES dialog is displayed, and vice versa. When timings are Converted, the conversion will also include reviewing the allowed SEQUENCES list and moving the appropriate sequence code to the top of the list according to the timings present.

Allowing timings 'By Movement' makes it apparent that for certain overlap phases, phase lengths which are apparently negative in the 'By Phase' method are, in fact, perfectly valid timings for dual-ring controllers, as long as the negative value of the overlap phase greentime does not exceed the yellowtime of that same phase. This permits a wider range of timings to be represented by the traditional 'By Phase' (HCM) methodology. 'By Movement' timings are not allowed when special phasings represented by negative SEQUENCE codes are used, and 'By Movement' timings are converted, as necessary, for representation by the NETSIM/CORSIM program.

>More Generic and Consistent Definition of Cycle Lengths.

For the compatibility with SIGNAL2000 described above, as well as future compatibility with other traffic modeling software, cycle lengths are now defined individually for each intersection of the network, instead of providing the one cycle length for the system offered previously by PRENETSIM. When a 'system cycle length' is required, the cycle defined for the intersection indicated as the MASTERNODE is used. In the case where a MASTERNODE has not been defined, the first node of the NODELIST is assumed to be the masternode. This change in cycle length definition will still accommodate the old style of system cycle definition which might be encountered when opening or LOADing an old PRENETSIM data file by assigning this system cycle to each intersection defined in the NODELIST read from the file.

>Modelling Changes for Sign-Controlled Intersections.

Since saturation flows are not required by NETSIM/CORSIM for sign-controlled movements, the validation check for the presence of non-zero satflows is now skipped for sign-controlled intersections. This allows satflows to remain at their default values of zero without creating an apparent input error, especially for the case where estimated satflows come from SIGNAL2000 (which will not estimate satflows for unsignalized locations).

Also, the default satflow used for uncontrolled movements at sign-controlled locations has been changed from its prior value of 1800 to the entered ideal satflow rate multiplied by the entered number of lanes for the movement. Sign-controlled intersections are also skipped by the TIMINGS report, and in a time-space PLOT the nodes are displayed with 100% green time.

>Exclusive Pedestrian Phase Considered from New PEDTIME Entry.

The new SIGNAL2000 data support which has been added (as described above) includes the possible definition of an exclusive pedestrian phase via the PEDTIME entry. If this is used, PRENETSIM recognizes this entry when displaying the phasing with TIMINGS by showing the word PEDPHASE in the vertical divider line which separates the two vehicle phases which surround the exclusive ped phase. In addition, the existence of the ped phase is accounted for when calculating offsets for every interval displayed in the TIMINGS report.

>Definition of Up to 9 Special Phasings Allowed.

Prior versions of PRENETSIM allowed up to 5 special phasings to be defined by referencing SEQUENCE codes -1 to -5. With the increase in the maximum number of intersections to 500, the number of special phasings allowed has been increased to 9 through use of the SEQUENCE codes -1 to -9.

>Phasing Diagrams in Dialogs use Better Arrow Representations of Movements.

Arrows shown in dialog boxes depicting turning movements have been improved in design so they are easier on the eye and more clearly depict the movement intended. In addition, permitted movements in phasing diagrams in dialogs are depicted with dashed lines for added clarity. Also, arrows have been added to some dialogs for improved clarity.

>Preview of Pending TEAPAC Interface Version 6 Changes (Interface Version 5.11).

A number of generic enhancements which will appear in all TEAPAC programs as TEAPAC Interface Version 6 are being previewed in PRENETSIM Version 2. Licensees of this version will be entitled to receive free updates to the Version 6 release when it is made official. These enhancements are described below:

>Output and Edit Window Management Changes.

The output window has been vastly enhanced with a number of important new features which the user will find helpful. These are: 1) The output window can be left open to accept additional subsequent output in situations where having all the output together in one place will make its assessment easier. 2) The maximum size of output held in the output window has been increased from a nominal amount to a virtually unlimited amount, limited only by available memory. 3) Toolbar buttons and status-bar/tool-tip help has been added for all output window menu items. 4) The output generated by long calculations or multi-intersection computations can be viewed progressively in the output window as they are generated, rather than needing to wait until they are all completed. 5) In control files, the HEADING -1 command can be used to force a display of results generated so far. 6) The output window is sizable and moveable, and the size and location is remembered throughout the remainder of the session. Most of these changes apply to the Edit window as well.

>Moveable Dialogs, Location Remembered.

All dialog boxes and message boxes are now moveable to any location on the screen, and the location is remembered for future dialogs throughout the remainder of the session. This allows for custom organization of the user's desktop which matches the immediate needs of his/her analysis. This can be particularly helpful in highly multi-tasked environments, on ultra-high resolution screens, and on systems with dual monitors.

>New Refresh Button for Normal and Tabular Views of Visual Mode.

A new Refresh button has been placed on virtually every dialog box for the purpose of refreshing the dialog with the current values in each entry cell, in the event there is any confusion about whether a given entry has been accepted. This is particularly helpful after certain errors have been encountered or in a Tabular View display where one entry may change another entries values without changing the display (eg, when a WIDTH entry changes a LANES entry in a different place of the dialog). It can also be used to reset an action dialog's entries to the defaults after first being changed by the user.

>Warning of Possible Incompatible Advanced File Usage.

Advanced users of multiple files and/or multiple data sets in a single file are warned if a normal, simple Windows file command such as File-Save is used that appears inconsistent with the prior advanced file usage for the currently opened files. This is intended to prevent inadvertent saving of data on top of unintended places in advanced usage files.

>Help Available for Errors and Warnings from Manual Mode.

The Help button has been enabled in error and warning boxes which are issued as a result of actions initiated from the Manual Mode. Previously, these helps were not available.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.31 25APR02

Build 16 - 14JUL02

>Updated Build for Consistency with Release of Build 16 of Full TEAPAC Ver 5 System.

Build 16 of PRENETSIM has been created for consistency with the complete release of Build 16 of the full TEAPAC Ver 5 system (which includes the generic TEAPAC2000 interface update to Ver 5.02). Since these updates were included in the previous build of PRENETSIM, no changes other than the build number have occurred for this program.

Build 00 - 25APR02

>Many New Entries Allow Advanced Modeling.

A vast array of new entries have been added to the inputs which are used to describe intersection conditions. These match inputs by the same labels allowed in the SIGNAL2000 program, and thus can be input directly from SIGNAL2000 data files. They also match corresponding updates in PRETRANSYT and PREPASSR so the same information can be shared with these programs as well. These new entries permit a large number of enhanced modeling possibilities for special conditions found at intersections to be modeled. The specific new models which are supported are disccused later, but the new inputs allowed are described briefly here. The new inputs are also displayed by the View-Summary menu and the SUMMARISE command. Also, if an attempt is made to Save information into a file written by an older version of the program, a warning will be issued to guard against the possibility of over-writing stacked data sets in a file due to the additional space required by the new entries for each scenario saved.

GROUPTYPE can be used to define special lane group conditions, such as DualOptional lanes, FreeFlow lanes, and Stop controlled lanes. The default is Normal. Its usage now permits specific modeling for dual-optional lane usage, free-flow lanes and sign-controlled movements in CORSIM.

LANES can be used to define the number of lanes found in each lane group defined by a non-zero WIDTH entry. Its default value is deduced from the WIDTHS entry using the tens digit of the WIDTH entry. Its usage permits more accurate depiction of intersection conditions where CORSIM needs to know information based on the number of lanes (RT 11), rather than the educated guess used for number of lanes in the past.

STORAGE can be used to define the distance in feet available for the storage of vehicles for a given lane group. This is the space available before queued vehicles in this particular lane group will start to interfere with the performance of other lane groups. The default is 0. Its usage now permits explicit definition of the queue capacity for turn bays, limited by the minimum (20') and maximum (1000' or effective link distance) imposed by CORSIM. A default turn bay length of 250' will be used when no STORAGE entry is made.

TRUCKPERCENTS can be used to define the truck activity in each lane group as a percentage of total traffic. Its default value is 2%, consistent with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000. Its usage permits more realistic link simulation.

RIGHTTURNONREDS can be used to indicate that RTOR is permitted on a given approach. Its default value is 0, indicating RTOR is not permitted, consistent with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000. Its usage permits specific modeling of RTOR activity by CORSIM.

STARTUPLOST can be used to define an explicit amount of startup lost time for each individual movement of each intersection. Its default value is 2 seconds, consistent with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000. Its usage replaces prior usage of the system-wide total lost time value found on the LOSTTIMES entry, and permits better modeling of movement-specific conditions and consistency with the Highway Capacity Manual.

ENDGAIN can be used to define an explicit amount of end gain time for each individual movement of each intersection. Its default value is 2 seconds, consistent with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000. It is not used by PRENETSIM.

NETWORK has two new options added at the end of the entry, one to define the upstream-downstream assignment method to be used on links of the TRANSYT network (not used by PRENETSIM), and the other to define the link curvature for CORSIM. Their defaults are Default and None, respectively. Usage of the link curvature option permits better graphical display of curved links in CORSIM.

SIMULATION has a new option which defines the default link assignment method to be used by PRETRANSYT if not specifically selected on a NETWORK entry, as described above. It is not used by PRENETSIM.

>New Dual-optional Lane Use Model.

The new GROUPTYPE entry allows definition of DualOptional lane usage, as defined and used in SIGNAL2000. This is where a turning movement has both an exclusive and a shared lane for its turning movement. When this lane usage is defined, entered volumes are transferred between the lane groups in order to achieve balanced v/c, as performed in SIGNAL2000. This means that GROUPTYPE and SATFLOW entries from SIGNAL2000 are now directly useable in PRENETSIM without modification in order to model dual-optional lane usage.

>New Sign-controlled Model.

Stop and Yield sign-controlled movements can now be defined using the new GROUPTYPE entry by selecting Stop or Yield for any lane groups controlled by these signs. When this is selected, RT 35 and 36 are adjusted to show the designated sign control.

>New Free Flow Model.

Free-flow movements can now be defined using the new GROUPTYPE entry by selecting FreeFlow for any lane groups not under signal control and not impaired in their movement through the intersection by other movements (Yield). If selected, the movement is defined as protected in every phase of RT 36 and is displayed in the phasing diagram of TIMINGS. A SATURATIONFLOW entry can be entered to control the free-flow discharge rate, or it can be left zero (as will be the case in SIGNAL2000). It must be recognized that CORSIM cannot exactly represent free-flow conditions at a signalized intersection, so the best possible representation allowed by CORSIM is used.

>New Right Turn on Red Model.

The new RIGHTTURNONREDS entry can define the permissibility of RTOR with a non-zero entry. As in SIGNAL2000 and the Highway Capacity Manual, the defualt is zero (RTOR not permitted). The permissibility of RTOR is coded in the appropriate field of RT 11. Note that in the HCM and SIGNAL2000, the RTOR entry describes exactly how many right turn on red movements are made, but in CORSIM the number of RTOR movements are estimated by the model. Thus, the only meaning a RTOR entry has in PRENETSIM is that a non-zero entry indicates that RTOR is permitted and that CORSIM should model conditions that way. Conversely, a RTOR entry of zero indicates RTOR is not permitted and will be modeled as such.

It is important to note that in prior versions of PRENETSIM, the RTOR model was always turned on for all movements exported to CORSIM because there was no RTOR indicator in PRENETSIM. With the new entry of RIGHTTURNONREDS and its intended compatibility with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000, this is no longer the case. The default RTOR entry in the HCM and SIGNAL2000 is zero RTOR, so by default the RTOR model will be always turned off if not specifically selected. This is the opposite of the prior behavior and needs to be recognized when using the new version.

>New Lost Time Model is More Consistent with Highway Capacity Manual.

The usage of the system-wide LOSTTIMES entry has been discontinued, now being replaced by the more detailed, movement-specific STARTUPLOST and ENDGAIN entries described above. LOSTTIMES entries were never used in PRENETSIM, since they represent total lost time, so such entries found in prior data files will be ignored without message and in these cases default values of STARTUPLOST will be used unless otherwise changed by the user. The user should note, however, that the startup lost time used in RT 11 was previously 2.5 seconds, where now the default STARTUPLOST value is 2.0 seconds, so a slight difference in startup modeling will occur if the STARTUPLOST value is not entered.

>New Link Curvature Options.

A new NETWORK entry option defines the link curvature to be used for RT 196 for the given leg of the intersection. Allowed values are None, Right and Left. None means that the link has no curvature, Right means that traffic approaching the intersection travel on a curve to the right (clockwise in plan view), and Left means that traffic approaching the intersection travel on a curve to the left (counter-clockwise in plan view). If curvature is defined, CORSIM will determine the radius of the curve based on the coordinates of the link endpoints and the given length of the link on the NETWORK entry.

>Turn Bay Length Coded from New STORAGE Entry.

The length of turn bays is now coded in the appropriate field of RT 11, as defined by the new STORAGE entries. Previously, this field always carried a default value of 250' which is still the default field value if no STORAGE value is entered. The field value is also limited according to CORSIM limits: 20' minimum and 1000' maximum. The user must also be aware of a maximum value called effective link length which is determined by CORSIM at run time.

>Allowable Limits Increased for Coordinate Entries via NODELOCATION.

Coordinate values entered via the NODELOCATION entry can now have a range of plus or minus 2,147,483,647 instead of the prior limited range of -9999 to 32,768. This greatly increases the flexibility and ease with which coordinate values can be derived and used.

>New Features for Export-Auto Host Definition and Launching.

The Options-Setup dialog now allows the name of the Host executable file to be added at the end of the Host path, in the event that this executable name is different than used by default. This is most likely when Exporting to releases of CORSIM earlier than the most recent version supported by PRENETSIM. The dialog also displays the 64-char limit for path\file names which must be observed. When the AUTO option of Export is executed, the program will now first look for the designated Host program (either the default or specified name) and issue a message if it is not found, cancelling the Export. Also, some systems may have experienced problems returning to PRENETSIM after Export AUTO due to a random loss-of-focus problem which could occaissionally occur; this has been corrected. The window which controls the launching of CORSIM is also now minimized so it is not visually distracting.

>Time Periods Changed on Run Control Records.

The simulation time interval has been changed on RT 04 from the cycle length to 60 seconds so that the simulation period defined by SIMULATION does not need to be a multiple of the cycle length. By its definition as an even number of minutes of simulation, it will always be a multiple of the new 60" time interval, so no such contraint need be observed anymore. A compatible adjustment has been made to the interim statistics entry on RT 05. Also, the name of the graphics file has been removed from RT 05, since it is no longer used, and the simulation period on RT 03 is automatically limited to the largest numebr of minutes of simulation allowed by CORSIM, 9960 seconds (166 minutes).

>Adjustments Made Due to New TRUCKPERCENTS Entry.

TRUCKPERCENTS is a new entry which allows the coding of heavy vehicle percentages which can be used for more accurate simulation of each link's performance. For compatibility with the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000, these percentages are provided on a movement-by-movement basis, but CORSIM only accepts the input for an entire leg of an intersection. Thus, the combined truck percentage for all movements on the link is determined and coded in RT 50 for each link and CORSIM assumes this percentage for all movements on the leg.

Another minor complication enters the picture with regard to satflow, however. Although it is not stated in the CORSIM manual, experiments make it clear that the queue discharge headway (saturation headway, or inverse of saturation flow rate) entered on RT 11 is for auto traffic, not heavy vehicles -- CORSIM applies an independant heavy vehicle model for their departure headways. The industry standard terminology for through vehicle satflows entered via the SATURATIONFLOW entry represents all vehicles in the through lane group, and in particular, this is the value computed by the Highway Capacity Manual and SIGNAL2000, and the value which will be used when the SATURATIONFLOWS entry is read from a SIGNAL2000 file into PRENETSIM. Thus, PRENETSIM, calculates the heavy vehicle factor used by the HCM calculations and in SIGNAL2000 and removes this factor from the saturation headway provided on the RT 11 entry (reducing the headway by the heavy vehicle factor). This value then represents the HCM satflow headway without the effect of heavy vehicles, as expected by CORSIM, and thus the separate heavy vehicle departure model applied by CORSIM is not inconsistent with the saturation flow initially provided by the HCM methodology.

>TEAPAC2000 Version 5.02 Generic Interface Fine-tuning.

In the first release of the TEAPAC2000 Ver 5 Interface, users may have experienced difficulty using the Advanced Datafiles LOAD and SAVE functions from the Tabular View. These functions have been updated to work properly from the Tabular View.

Error messages generated from the Manual Mode, data files or control files will list the specific line of input which generated the error, with the offending item highlighted in red. If the information came from a file, the file number and line number of the error is also listed.

The File-New function has been updated to make sure that previous NETWORK entries are set back to default values, not just hidden. This assures that the old values do not unexpectedly appear later when an incomplete NETWORK entry is made.

Shortcut keys have been added to the File-RecentFiles and File-Save dialogs for more expediant keyboard manipulation.

Certain warning and error messages shouldn't be closed automatically by the new AutoClose option if these messages expect or require user response. The AutoClose option is now ignored for these cases.

The Help-Messages menu item has been changed to Help-RecentChanges to better reflect its purpose.

The Help-About menu item now shows the specific program name.

The default size of the Help window has been increased in size vertically to better display the contents of the complete, on-screen manual and context-sensitive help topics.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.30 25SEP01

Build 10

>Direct Support for TSIS 5.

PRENETSIM has been updated so that it directly supports the newest version of CORSIM, TSIS 5. This includes the new executable name used by TSIS 5, as well as the new default installation folder used by TSIS 5.

>Enhanced Dialog Buttons to Navigate Through Intersection Data.

New buttons have been added to each dialog which contains intersection data which makes it easy to move through the NODELIST of intersections when viewing that dialog's data. Pressing the '+' button in the dialog will change the intersection being viewed to the next one in the NODELIST, while pressing the '-' button will change to the previous intersection in the NODELIST.

>TEAPAC2000 User Interface Version 5 Implemented.

The WinTEAPAC2000 Version 5 User Interface has been implemented in PRENETSIM to provide the latest standardized TEAPAC interface found in all TEAPAC programs. The following lists the many changes which this new interface provides:

>New Tabular View Option Provides Dense Data Entry Displays.

Two views for Visual Mode, normal and tabular.
More data inputs per dialog, less helps and cues.
Toggle view between Normal and Tabular with View menu or F3 key.
Tooltip help and status line help for each entry field.
Context-sensitive help button for access to complete help in .HLP.
Execute button for action functions.
Next & Prev buttons if input list takes more than one dialog (PgUp & PgDn).
Alt-X accel to move through input keywords (commands) with keyboard.
Create custom Tabular View input dialog with ASK command from Manual Mode.
IODEV param #1 changed to toggle View.
Options-Setup allows option to startup program in Tabular View.

>New Recent File Dialog in File Menu.

Review list of last nine files and paths used.
Can select/edit file names and re-open selected files.
Option to include list of recent files and paths in File menu.
List of recent files can be cleared from the dialog.

>New Features for Saving Files.

Files now contain name & version of program which wrote the file.
-- also include the date & time of the Save
-- easily viewable information at the beginning of the file
Message advising of successful save remains visible until closed by user.
-- option to close the message automatically for subsequent Saves
Warning if Save is attempted into a file that may over-write other info.
-- warning condition is if file was written by another program or unknown
-- certain earlier versions of the same prog may provide warning if relevant
-- option to cancel save or to permit save anyway

>New Feature for Opening Files.

If data from another prog or earlier ver of same program read from a file,
-- that file is protected from Saves that may over-write other information
In particular, for file from another program, Share is automatic.
-- makes File-Open same as File-OpenShared & LOAD * * * same as LOAD * * Share
-- eliminates the need to use the OpenShared or LOAD * * Share explicitly

>New Results Log Option.

Ability to create text file with results of primary functions of program.
Log Results item in Options menu.
Log On/Off toggles whether computed results are currently being logged.
Start New Log clears all prior logged results and toggles Log On.
Log file is always the program name with .log extension.
-- located in folder where program was installed

>Improvements Regarding Output Titling Information.

Any time a title line is read from a file, displayed in the title bar.
-- provides feedback when loading multiple stacked files or control file
Blank title entries are saved in such a way that they will be restored.
-- previously, blank entries were ignored, leaving the prior entry
The option to use %F in a title line entry is noted in the input dialog.

>TED Edit Window Available in Advanced Edit Option of File Menu.

Option to edit current open file (#1) contents directly.
-- particularly for control files
-- also option to open a different file into the editor
-- -- converts to TEAPAC format when Saved
-- -- CONVERT.exe no longer needed for small files
-- available only when licensed copy of TED is installed
Upon saving the edits, option to open the edited file into the program.
-- e.g., to Launch an edited control file

>Printer Setup Supported Directly in File Menu.

Option to Setup printer only, or Setup and Print.
-- ability to select printer and printer options while in the program
-- prior method only allowed printing to current selected printer and option
Toolbar button and Ctrl-P accelerator print immediately with current setup.
Same print options are provided in the File menu of the Output window.

>Improved Context-sensitive Help Features.

Tooltip popup help has been added for any dialog box input field or button.
-- display after delay when mouse cursor hovers over input field or button
Status line help also appears for the input field with the input cursor.
HELP in manual mode for a single command displays the relevant part of .HLP.
As before, Help button or F1 key to display the relevant part of .HLP.

>New Save and Linkage Features Provided When Exiting the Program.

Warning message for unsaved data has been reversed with option to Save.
-- message now consistent with most other Windows programs
-- -- (in the way the question is asked)
-- option to Save or not save, or to Cancel the exit
New ability to link to another program using the File-Control-Stop dialog.
-- name the next program to run, as well as file to use, if desired
-- can be used from a control file to link programs or control files
-- also link from Manual Mode
The Quit menu which duplicated the File-Exit menu has been removed.

>Command History in Manual Mode.

Remembers last 10 manual mode commands used.
Use up- and down-arrows to see history of commands.
Re-use previous command or adjust to create new command.

>WinTEAPAC2000 Ver 5 Menu Program Enhanced.

A data file can be named in the display for the next selected program.
A Browse button has been added to assist in naming the data file to be used.
-- provides standard extensions for typical files of supported programs
A data file from a TEAPAC2000 Version 5 program can be dragged to WinTEAPAC.
-- will launch the program that created the file and use the dragged file
-- can drag the file to the WinTEAPAC window or desktop icon
The .FOR extension used by TEAPAC is registered when WinTEAPAC runs.
-- allows double-clicking .FOR files in Explorer and START command in .BAT

>Other Changes:

A 'Getting Started' help button is now available in the main window.
The option to Save output to a text file now allows the user to name a file.
A more informative message is issued if a file to open is already in use.
Better message if attempt to Open a non-TEAPAC file.
TEAPAC programs can now be installed in a folder with spaces in path name.
A new option exists to automatically close subsequent warnings and errors.
-- stays in effect until control returned to user
-- for stacked files and control files
Files can now be dragged to a desktop icon to launch the program.
-- uses the dragged file
All keywords now display using title-case instead of all-caps.
All dialog boxes have been enhanced with a more modern look.
-- using depressed input fields
Protect the Options-Setup fields which should not be changed.
-- except by re-installing
Browse buttons have been added for the data and host path entries.
-- to simplify changes
The current data file path from Options-Setup is shown in the FILES dialog.
Reading data from a file during control file execution doesn't set flag.
-- so won't get prompted with message to save data from a control file
Better closure of main window if control file halts program.
-- same function improved if control file dragged to main window halts prog
Hourglass mouse cursor displays while printing.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.24 15JAN00

Build 14

>New Print Module for 32-bit Windows.

A new TEAPAC print module (TEAPACPR.exe) has been created for 32-bit Windows platforms (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows 2000) which has greater compatibility with some 32-bit printer drivers which have been distributed by printer vendors recently. This module also has continued compatibility with older printer drivers. The new module is now distributed as the standard print module for all Win32 versions of TEAPAC programs. The original print module is still distributed as the standard print module for all Win16 versions, and is also distributed as an alternate print module for the Win32 versions.

Build 10

>New CORSIM Ver 4.32 Unpublished Rules for Channelizations.

CORSIM Ver 4.32 processes lane channelizations differently than earlier versions of NETSIM and CORSIM, leading to erroneous lane usage by CORSIM 4.32 if the unrestricted channelization code is used. This is an unpublished change in the processing rules of CORSIM. This means that CORSIM data files which ran fine under previous versions of CORSIM will no longer produce valid results under 4.32, and there will be no message or warning to this effect. The only place it can be observed is in the animation where users will see vehicles turning from incorrect lanes.

Ver 1.24 of PRENETSIM follows the new rules of CORSIM 4.32, and the method implemented will work for older versions of CORSIM as well. Since up until now PRENETSIM has used the unrestricted channelization code, this means files exported from prior versions of PRENETSIM will not create valid CORSIM files for Ver 4.32.

Another unpublished change in CORSIM Ver 4.32 is the need for the project file to have a lower case .tcf extension. This was not required previously and prior versions of PRENETSIM used uppercase .TCF. As a result, prior versions of PRENETSIM will not launch these project file correctly (the TSIS screen will display briefly, then control will return to PRENETSIM with no further action by CORSIM). Ver 1.24 of PRENETSIM addresses this problem.

>Other Minor Changes to Improve Performance.

It has been found that TRAFVU objects to certain information found beyond card column 72 in Record Type 1, even when this information is processed without error by CORSIM. This error could occur when Exporting data from PRENETSIM which includes a long NOTE entry. In order to avoid this problem, the generation of the Record Type 1 has been modified to make sure this area of the record remains empty by shortening the amount of title information from PROJECT, DESCRIPTION and NOTE which is used to create Record Type 1. This is accomplished by using only the first 22 characters of each of these entries to create Record Type 1.

>Minor Change in NETSIM Export Choices.

Prior versions of PRENETSIM allowed exporting to different versions of CORSIM's predecessor (NETSIM) using the keyword entries of 4.2 and 5.0 on the OUTPUT command. These have been changed to 4.2_NETSIM & 5.0_NETSIM to prevent any confusion with an earlier version of CORSIM also called 4.2, as well as a pending version of CORSIM which will be called 5.0. No change in the Export process occured with this keyword change.

>Intersection Descriptions Displayed in TIMINGS Output.

Signal timing outputs produced by the TIMINGS command now display the intersection description in addition to the intersection number, if such a description has been provided.

>Changes to Standard TEAPAC2000 Interface, Ver 4.01.

All TEAPAC programs which have Windows versions use the new TEAPAC2000 Interface which was introduced in November, 1999. The following changes have been made to this interface to further enhance its effectiveness:

>Spaces Allowed in Folder Names for Data Files.

Folders which contain data files may now contain spaces in the folder name. Data files themselves are still limited to 11 characters including the extension and may not have embedded spaces (for continued compatibility with supported DOS products), but the restriction on path names (folders) has been removed.

>File Name Can Be Inserted in Title Lines.

The name of the current open file can be inserted anywhere in a title line (PROJECT, DESCRIPTION or NOTE entry) by placing %F at the desired location of the title line. The file name can be placed at a specific column location in a title line by using the +XX form of a title entry (see Help for any of the title commands).

>Bigger Output Window for Higher Resolution Displays.

Output windows containing program results which are displayed at resolutions of 1024x768 or higher now use a larger window so that more results can be displayed and less scrolling is required to observe all of the results.

>Additional Help and Shortcut Features Added.

Several new help features have been added. One of these is a new Help button on the toolbar for direct access to the on-line manual. Help notes in the status line at the bottom of the window for each of the menu items in the File menu have also been added. The File-Close menu item in the main window now uses a shortcut of 'C' instead of 'L' for consistency with other programs, and the File-Exit menu item in the Results window has been changed to File-CloseResults to avoid confusion with the File-Exit menu item of the main window. Lastly, the last used file name is retained in the File-Open and File-SaveAs dialogs, even when a previous dialog was cancelled.

>New Warning Messages.

A new warning message has been generated to warn users if unsaved data values are about to be reset to default values by the File-New menu item. A new message also warns if the installed folder has spaces in its name, which will cause problems in certain operations like printing.

>Potential Problem Running Under Windows NT Eliminated.

In the initial release of the TEAPAC 2000 interface (07NOV99), a technique for dynamic menu building was used which had a conflict with certain service packs and memory configurations of Windows NT. To avoid this potential problem on any given machine, the dynamic menu building has been removed and replaced with a method that will work on all configurations of Windows NT.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.23 07NOV99

>New CORSIM Features Supported.

CORSIM allows a random number seed for the entry headways and this random seed is now created by PRENETSIM for Record Type 2 in cc. 22-29. Previously, the default CORSIM seed was used for all runs.

TSIS 4.2 now allows TSIS (and thus CORSIM) to be launched with a specific project file already opened, so the EXPORT AUTO feature of PRENETSIM makes use of this to pre-open the project file which is created for the export. The user must still select and run the specific simulation file (TMPTRF.TRF for EXPORT AUTO), but this new feature eliminates one extra step from the EXPORT AUTO process.

>Node Coordinates No Longer Required for PLOT and TIMINGS.

Previously the PLOT and TIMINGS functions produced an error message when node coordinates for each intersection were not provided prior to their use. Since coordinates have no impact on these function, their requirement has been eliminated for these functions.

>WinPRENETSIM Uses the New TEAPAC2000 Interface Version 4.00.

WinPRENETSIM has been released with the new TEAPAC2000 Interface (Interface Version 4.00) which offers many new features to enhance the computing experience with TEAPAC programs. The following new features are among those provided by the TEAPAC2000 Interface:
-- Context-sensitive link to Help file for error messages.
-- Context-sensitive link to Help file for program outputs.
-- Modernized dialog box design consistent with Windows 95/98/NT.
-- New radio button and drop-down list input features.
-- Sizable main window for better screen display and integration with other running programs.
-- New Toolbar buttons for common functions.
-- File name and save status displayed in main window caption.
-- Help strings for menu options.
-- Dynamic title display during batch control file execution.
-- New accelerator keys (shortcuts) for common menu selections.
-- New File-Close menu option.
-- Sizable File-Open dialog.
-- Proportional scroll button for viewing output.

Other useful and unique features carried over from the previous Windows interface for TEAPAC include:

-- Visual Mode of input that shows graphically what inputs are needed.
-- Optional Manual Mode of input for blazing fast input by power users.
-- Context-sensitive link to Help file for all Visual Mode inputs.
-- Complete, fully-indexed manual on-line as Help file.
-- Ability to create and run batch/script/macro-type control files.
-- Ability to drag a data or control file from Explorer to the running TEAPAC program.
-- Free program updates via Internet downloads.
-- Complete data file compatibility between old, new, DOS and Windows versions.
-- Complete Y2K compliance.

Updates for the new TEAPAC2000 Interface can be downloaded from the www.StrongConcepts.com internet web page at no charge for users who hold an up-to-date Windows license for PRENETSIM. These downloads are available to the general public, but will be rendered as demos for those who do not qualify for the free update.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.22 27AUG98

>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.03 Changes Made.

A unique new licensing technique has been implemented in the Ver 3.03 Interface which will allow users to download free updates of TEAPAC programs from the Internet, without the need for pre-arranged passwords or download codes. When the demos found at the Strong Concepts homepage are run on the users system, the licensed Usage Level will be automatically enabled. The licensing also allows either Win16 or Win32 operation from the same license, both of which will be available along with the DOS-based version of each program on CD-ROM distribution.

The SaveAs function will now report that a selected file name already exists, asking if it should be overwritten. Also, the brief window giving feedback about the successful Save or SaveAs function has been lengthened from 3 to 5 seconds. The default location of user data files has been changed from '.\' to the installed TEAPAC folder location (usually C:\TEAPAC) for more consistency with normal Windows operations.

A new option for DOS TEAPAC programs in line five of the .CFG file allows the entry of 'HPLJx' to indicate that the printer attached to 'LPTx' is a Hewlett Packard LaserJet compatible printer. This complements the 'LPTx' option added in the Ver 3.01 interface so that required HPLJ printer codes are sent to the printer for each page, and are no longer required as a separate effort by the user. This is most significant in shared and networked printer environments. Note that when LPTx is used, the F6 key functions only when the printer is attached to LPT1 (or PRN).

When the '&' character is used in the Manual Mode of a Windows program, the next prompt received has been modified to include the '&' character to indicate that the entry to be made is a continuation of the previous entry, not a new command entry. This now behaves similarly to the DOS Manual Mode, in this regard.

>Problem Fixed for Long Time-space Diagrams from Windows Versions.

Time-space diagrams (from the PLOT command) which were longer than a single page may have caused printer overflow problems for certain printers when running any of the Windows versions of the program. The line-counting strategy used has been changed to prevent this overflow. The result is that time-space diagrams which are longer than a single page will have the necessary page breaks, but each successive page will not carry the full headings so the long time-space diagram may be viewed with the least disruption from the multiple paging.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.21 05MAR98

>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.02 Changes Made.

Various support files which are used by the program are now closed after their use so that other TEAPAC applications which are running concurrently on the same or other networked computers have less opportunity to conflict with the use of these files.

In Win32 versions, the vertical scroll button of the Output window can now be clicked and dragged to scroll through the output from top to bottom. Previously, this button's position could only be clicked to change the view of the output.

In Win32 versions, the File-Open and File-SaveAs dialog boxes now display the last file used in the FileName field, as well as the dialog's caption, providing an easier way to retrieve and save files with variations of previous file names.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.20 17DEC97

>First Release of Windows Version of PRENETSIM.

This version of PRENETSIM marks the first release of a Windows version of PRENETSIM, featuring the new Visual Mode of operation. PRENETSIM for Windows is available in a 16-bit version which runs on Windows 3.x and Windows 95, as well as a 32-bit version which runs on Windows 95 and Windows NT.

>CORSIM and NETSIM 5.0 Data Formats Now Supported.

he new data formats for CORSIM and NETSIM 5.0 are now supported directly and can be specified through the <Version> entry of the OUTPUT command. The default is now CORSIM and a new 5.0 entry can be made to create NETSIM 5.0 data files. A 4.2 entry continues to support prior versions of NETSIM. The value of this field also directs PRENETSIM on how to set up the EXPORT AUTO feature of the program, including running the correct host program (CORSIM or NETSIM) and the correct animation program (TRAFVU, GTRAF or ANETG).

>Add Intersections to NODELIST Simply by Using a New INTERSECTION Number.

Intersections may now be added to the end of the NODELIST simply by using an INTERSECTION number which is not currently in the NODELIST. When this happens, the user is prompted as to whether the new number should be added or re-entered. This means the user can avoid the strict use of the NODELIST command entry, if desired, simply by creating the NODELIST every time a new INTERSECTION number is referenced. The most useful place this might occur is when multiple intersection files are being LOADed from files created by SIGNAL94.

>New Actions and Defaults for EXPORT AUTO.

The BOTH option is now the default action for EXPORT AUTO, so that the normal process will be to both VIEW the NETSIM output file which is generated, as well as to ANIMATE it. At the present time, CORSIM does not allow automated execution from an external source, so all of these options are ignored and the effective default is VIEW. A new option NONE has also been created for EXPORT AUTO which performs no additional actions after the EXPORT AUTO is executed.

>Improved File Management by EXPORT.

When EXPORT AUTO is used, previous NETSIM/CORSIM result files (TMPTRF.OUT, etc.) which may exist from a previous NETSIM/CORSIM run are first deleted before the NETSIM/CORSIM run is made. This prevents any possible confusion as to what results were generated by the current run, since the same output file name will be used.

In addition, the EXPORT file is closed after the EXPORT is completed so that in a multi-tasking Windows system this file may be opened by any other program (such as NETSIM/CORSIM itself, or an editor) while PRENETSIM is still running.

>Coordinate Value Checking Disabled for Single Intersection EXPORT.

PRENETSIM conducts a validation of node coordinates which are entered to make sure, among other things, they have been entered. When a single intersection is being exported to NETSIM/CORSIM, the actual coordinates are not important, and the default values (0,0) are perfectly suitable, so now the coordinate check has been disabled when only a single intersection is being exported to NETSIM/CORSIM.

>New Option Available to Disable TRANSYT's Actuated Model.

The use of the TRANSYT actuated model which is used to simulate actuated movements can be quite confusing, and may lead directly to erroneous results and misinterpretations of the results if not clearly understood by the user. On the other hand, the ACTUATIONS input makes it quite simple to implement this model without knowledge of the consequences. In light of this dilemma, a new option has been added to the SIMULATION entry to disable the TRANSYT actuated model, regardless of the ACTUATIONS inputs, and disabling the TRANSYT actuated model is the default and recommended condition. In PRENETSIM, the entry for this option is maintained for file compatibility, but is ignored since the actuated model of NETSIM/CORSIM has not yet been implemented in PRENETSIM.

>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.01 Changes Made.

Minor changes which are now incorporated into Ver 3.01 of the standard TEAPAC Interface have been implemented in PRENETSIM. These include the following changes and enhancements:

In Windows versions of PRENETSIM, data files can be dragged from other applications like Windows Explorer or File Manager and dropped on the main window of a running copy of WinPRENETSIM. This is equivalent to using the File-Open dialog of the program for the dragged file.

The maximum size of file names (including the path defined in the .CFG file) has been increased to 64 characters. Under the Win32 version of WinPRENETSIM the defined paths may now also have embedded blanks, although this is not recommended. Actual file names should still be 11 characters or less (including Win32 versions), and any embedded blanks for a SaveAs name will be replaced by the underscore character, since embedded blanks are still not permitted in file names. Note that if SAVEd files are renamed to include more than 11 characters or embedded blanks, the shortened (8.3) file name displayed by the DIR command of the Command Prompt may still be used, even in the Win32 version of the program.

In the DOS version of PRENETSIM, a new entry has been added to the end of the PRENETSI.CFG file which can be used to define the destination of printed output. The default has been changed from the "PRN" value previously used to "LPT1". This can be changed to any valid DOS printer device name. A file name may also be used for this entry to direct all "printed" output to an ASCII file (in lieu of the IODEVICES option which requires use of the Manual Mode).

New versions of the TEAPAC.BAT and WinTEAPAC shell programs (Ver 3.01) have also been produced, primarily to handle the new CORSIM program. CORSIM is now the default option of each shell. WinTEAPAC also allows running the DOS version (NETSIM) by first selecting a DOS check box. The DOS check box can also be used to over-ride the presence of a Windows version of a TEAPAC program such as SIGNAL94, PREPASSR, PRETRANSYT or PRENETSIM by forcing the running of the DOS version instead. The normal mode is now to search for and run the Windows version of any TEAPAC program before a DOS version is attempted. The newest version of WinTEAPAC also fixes a problem sometimes encountered on WinNT (and some Win95 systems) when trying to run DOS programs from the WinTEAPAC shell. Improved error message have been created as well, and long path names are also supported, although not encouraged, in the WTEAPAC.CFG file.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.12 08APR95

>New Option Allows More Flexibility to Define Simulation Period.

A common problem people have run into is that NETSIM requires a simulation period which is an even multiple of the cycle length, but PRENETSIM defines the simulation period in even minutes, so an unreasonably long simulation period may be required in order to have an even multiple of the cycle also be an even number of minutes. This dilemma has now been resolved by allowing a negative input for the SIMULATION period which represents the number of cycles to simulate. For example, a -5 entry would represent a five-cycle simulation, regardless of the actual cycle length. For a 120 second cycle this would represent 600 seconds which could also be entered as 10 minutes, but for a 95 second cycle this would represent 475 seconds which could not be entered as 7.916666 minutes. Note that this option is not yet allowed in PREPASSR or PRETRANSYT, so if a negative value is SAVEd in a file to be read by these programs an error will be generated by these programs.

>New Error Checking Detects Improperly Connected Network.

A new error check has been added which provides greater reliability in detecting networks which have not been connected properly via the NETWORK command. The message issued points out the node number which is not connected properly and aborts the EXPORT so error messages from NETSIM do not need to be deciphered.

>Bug Fixed to Allow Single Intersection Runs.

An inadvertent limitation was placed on the network scale calculation process which did not work for a single-intersection network definition, resulting in division by zero and aborting the program. This limitation has been removed and single intersection analyses can now be conducted, as designed.

>Better Graphics File Name Used for Card Type 5.

The file name which is used on Card Type 5 for the graphics file location has been modified slightly so that if the user uses a drive designation and/or a subdirectory for the export file, this information is not used on card type 5, since it is not allowed by NETSIM.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.11 22NOV94

>Greater Flexibility Now Allowed for User Coordinates on NODELOCATION.

User coordinates can now be entered on the NODELOCATION command following the standard TEAPAC rules for these entries. This allows the use of a relative coordinate system and/or negative coordinate values. PRENETSIM determines the scale factor to a real ground coordinate system which is required by NETSIM, then factors the user coordinates by this scale factor. Furthermore, if any of the coordinates have values such that they will produce negative coordinates for any intersection (real or dummy), all coordinates will be shifted to eliminate this problem.

PRENETSIM now also checks to make sure that user coordinates have been entered, since they are required by NETSIM. In support of this need for coordinates, the NODELOCATION command has been added to the [BASIC] group for easy access in a basic system entry. The MINIMUMS and OPTIMIZE commands have been removed from [BASIC] since they are not required inputs.

>NETSIM Simulation Period Now Based on SIMULATION Command Entry.

The NETSIM simulation period is now based on the <Minutes Simulated> entry of the SIMULATION command. The default value of this input has been changed from 60 minutes to 15 minutes. This is consistent with the prevailing analysis concepts in the Highway Capacity Manual which dictates an analysis period of 15 minutes, as well as the use of the PEAKHOURFACTORS inputs which are allowed in PRENETSIM.

>Single Intersection Analysis with NETSIM Permitted.

Error detection logic in PRENETSIM has been improved to allow a single intersection to be exported to NETSIM. Previous logic perceived this condition to be an error because no connections to other intersections were found. This new feature provides the opportunity to use NETSIM for sophisticated, single-intersection analysis not available with other single intersection models.

>Minor Adjustments Made to SUMMARISE Report.

Minor enhancements to the SUMMARISE report have been made to eliminate certain data values which are not pertinent to the use of NETSIM. Specifically, the cycle range and optimization conditions have been removed.

>LOAD of Blank SUBSYSTEM Entry Ok for Level 1, Especially for EXPORT AUTO.

An unnecessary error check has been eliminated which produced an error when certain data files were LOADed with Level 1 versions of PRENETSIM. This occurred when an empty SUBSYSTEM command was detected in a data file, because SUBSYSTEM is not a valid command for Level 1 versions. This must be allowed, however, since under certain conditions an empty SUBSYSTEM command may be SAVEd in a file by a Level 1 version of PRENETSIM (e.g., in the case of an automatic EXPORT).

>Bug Fixed for Certain Entries in Line Three of PRENETSI.CFG File.

Under certain conditions, edits made to line three of the PRENETSI.CFG file may not have performed properly. This line defines the subdirectory where user data files are to be stored. This potential bug has been fixed.

>Division By Zero Prevented if No OFFSET Phase Entered.

A division by zero error has been located when the user uses an old SIGNAL85 file in which the offset phase number has not been entered. Old versions of SIGNAL85 set this phase number to 0, by default, which caused a division by zero error in PRENETSIM. When this case is encountered, the phase number is now set to phase 1 to prevent this error.

>NETSIM's Casename.Log File is Retained after EXPORT AUTO.

he previous version of PRENETSIM deleted NETSIM's CASENAME.LOG file before every EXPORT AUTO execution. This file was replaced by a CASENAME.LOG file with the file name of the automatic export function. Now, if a CASENAME.LOG file exists prior to an EXPORT AUTO, that file is restored following the automatic EXPORT.

>Improved Sharing for PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT Files.

Previously, a shared LOAD of a PREPASSR or PRETRANSYT data file would sometimes produce an error when an OPTIMIZE command was processed, since PRENETSIM does not allow any options on this command other than NONE. This condition is now ignored during a shared LOAD.

>ROUTES Definitions No Longer Checked.

The previous version of PRENETSIM checked defined ROUTES against the rules established in TRANSYT to validate these route definitions for use by PRETRANSYT. Since this is not a requirement of NETSIM, this check has been eliminated in PRENETSIM. It is still the user's responsibility to make sure any ROUTES defined in PRENETSIM which will be used by PRETRANSYT follow the necessary rules which will be checked by PRETRANSYT.

>Ok to SAVE after SUBSYSTEM Use.

An arbitrary limitation in the first version of PRENETSIM has been lifted; that is, that a data file should not be SAVEd after the SUBSYSTEM command is used. It is now possible to SAVE PRENETSIM data at any time during the analysis, whether SUBSYSTEM has been used or not.

>Turn Pocket Length Kept No Bigger than Link Length.

As stated in the documentation, PRENETSIM assumes that all turn pockets are 250 feet in length. On a short link, this assumption may exceed the link length, in which case a NETSIM error will result. PRENETSIM now checks that the assumed turn pocket length does not exceed the link length, and if it does, the assumed turn pocket length is reduced to the same value as the link length.

:PRENETSIM Ver 1.10 08SEP94

>Easy Input to TRAF-NETSIM Now Available.

PRENETSIM can be used to convert standard, simple-to-understand TEAPAC input data into a NETSIM input file. Input to PRENETSIM can be interactive, or data files from PRETRANSYT, PREPASSR and/or SIGNAL85 can be LOADed with the SHARE option. See Appendix C of the documentation for specific assumptions and details about the EXPORT process.

this page last updated September 07, 2008