TURNS has been superseded by and incorporated into the new TEAPAC Complete product which is described in detail at the main page of www.StrongConcepts.com.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 TURNS to TEAPAC Complete are available. Contact Strong Concepts for details.
:TURNS Ver 3.81 27MAY08
Build 11 - 27MAY08
>Remove requirement that extension for Import files be upper case (eg, .DFL).
The requirement that file extensions for files being imported, such as .DFL
files, need to be upper case has been removed. Now either upper case or lower
case use is acceptable.
>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.
:TURNS Ver 3.80 25APR07
Build 00 - 08JUN07
>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.
:TURNS Ver 3.71 08SEP06
Build 07 - 25JAN07
Scroll down to 'Ver
3.70 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.
:TURNS Ver 3.70 07NOV05
Build 28 - 28AUG06
Scroll down to 'Ver
3.70 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
3.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>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
3.70 07NOV05, Build 07 - 11NOV05' below for the major changes which
were implemented for the original Visual TEAPAC
release of this program.
>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.
A new entry in the CountType dialog is provided which can be used
to describe the count which was made for each intersection. 40
characters can be entered to describe the date, weather, count
station, etc. and this information is listed in most output
tabulations and analyses. Import of electronic count data also
fills this field with available information from the count file,
and the intersection description of the Intersection dialog is
also filled. Except for a 1-intersection analysis, this
information is no longer placed in the Project/Description/Note
title entries which now apply generally to all intersections in
the study network, not an individual intersection (as before).
Dummy nodes in the network are now skipped for all tabulation and
analysis functions without any message. The demo version of the
program allows certain limited Conditions inputs to be made in
order for the sample data file and example problem of Chapter 2
to be entered without error.
TURNS output reports which are significantly enhanced by the new
color-graphics results produced by Visual TEAPAC include: the
plot of changes in daily traffic counts; and intersection peak
volume diagrams.
:TURNS Ver 3.61
23MAY05
Scroll down to 'Ver 3.60 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 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.
>Imported Site Code Increased In Size.
The size of site codes which can be imported from Jamar .DFL
files has been increased from 8- to 9-characters.
Build 00 - 23MAY05
>New Message Warns User That Calculated and/or Imported
Values Have Not Been Saved.
A new message has been created which warns a user when calculated
and/or imported values will be lost when the program is closed or
File-New is used. This provides a check against inadvertently
losing data results which could otherwise be saved in a file for
future use or use by another program. The existence of unsaved
calculated and/or imported values is indicated in the window
caption with an asterisk (*) in the same fashion as changed user
entry values. In the case of TURNS, the protected values are the
calculated peak period data (VOLUMES, PEAKHOURFACTORS and
TRUCKPERCENTS), and any IMPORTed or RECONFIGUREd count data. A
similar message is now issued when File-Open or Reset
[Parameters] is used when edited, calculated and/or imported
values have not been saved.
>Edit Window Contents Can Be Printed, Including Line
Numbers.
The contents of the TED Edit window, either within TED or the
built-in edit window in any TEAPAC program, can now be printed
using the normal print menu or toolbar buttons, including line
numbers.
>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.
>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).
>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.
>Better Graphics for Phasing Display and Bitmap Buttons.
The arrows used to represent phasing in various dialogs have been
improved in quality and appearance, and if timings for phasings
are defined by-movement instead of by-phase, the by-movement
phasing diagrams are now shown in every relevant dialog. In
addition, the pan and zoom button bitmaps within the View-Network
display have been improved for better clarity.
>Option to Select Pages to Print; Page 0 for Current Page.
An option has been added to the Print-Setup dialog which allows
the selection of specific pages to be printed instead of always
printing all pages in the output window. Selection of page 0 will
print only the current output page (the page which contains the
insertion point cursor).
>View-Network Works Without Defined Network Distances.
Previously it was not possible to perform the View-Network
function unless all NETWORK distances had been entered. This was
due to the function's attempt to establish a scale factor between
the network distances entered and the potentially arbitrary
coordinate system used. Now, if distances are not entered,
View-Network simply assumes the scale factor is 1.
>Warnings Issued If Too Many Characters Entered or Number
Too Large in an Input Field.
If a user enters more characters in a dialog's input field than
the dialog expects or can process, a warning is now issued and
the entire entry is ignored, rather than just ignoring the extra
characters. This allows for better understanding by the user that
the entry may not have been processed correctly. The F5 Refresh
button should be used in all cases to see the current dialog
values after the warning. On a similar note, if an entry has a
numeric value too large for the intended internal variable, this
condition is also noted with a message rather than allowing the
possibility of a more catastrophic reaction by the program at a
later point.
:TURNS Ver 3.60 08SEP04
Scroll down to 'Build 06 - 22SEP04' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original TEAPAC2004 release of this program.
Build 07 - 07DEC04
>New IRD Machine Counts Supported by Import.
IRD machine count data files with the .PRN file extension can now
be Imported directly into TURNS and WARRANTS by specifying an
Import file with a .PRN extension. This operates much like the
Numetrics Import, where a Periods entry should already be in
place before the Import, and several Imports to different
movements can be accomplished, as needed. Multiple counts cannot
be accumulated to a single movement (this is different than the
Numetrics Import).
>Manual Mode Entry Permitted for Machine Count Import
Dialog Entries.
The parameter values which are normally entered in the special
dialog which appears for TAS, Numetrics and IRD machine count
Imports can now be entered at the end of a manual mode Import
command. When this is done, the special dialog will display the
manual mode entries so no further adjustment is required.
Further, if an additional non-zero entry is made after these
values in the manual mode, the special dialog will not be
displayed at all. This feature allows the Import command to be
included in a control file and thus run unattended.
>INTERSECTION Format In Tabular View Standardized.
The representation of the Intersection entry in a Tabular View
has been modified in its appearance so it is consistent with all
other TEAPAC programs. The change includes representing the
intersection number and description as a single entry field, as
well as providing a button to 'Execute' the entry.
>ACTUATIONS Saved Value Corrected.
The saved values for ACTUATIONS (for use by signal operations
programs such as SIGNAL2000) may have been corrupted in the
initial TEAPAC2004 version of the program. This has been
corrected. If legitimate ACTUATIONS values existed in any data
file which was subsequently saved by this program, these values
should be checked carefully for validity. If an attempt is made
to read such corrupted values, error messages will be issued
which should be ignored, then the values should be verified
and/or corrected.
>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 TURNS.
After 2 years in development, the TEAPAC2004 version of TURNS has
been released as Ver 3.60. The highlights of the changes since
its prior release include the following:
Multi-intersection data management in one data file with up to
500 intersections per file.
Completely seamless, one-click, one-file exchange of all input
and results with SIGNAL2000, SITE and all the PRE-processors,
especially to deliver peak-period traffic volumes to all these
programs as existing or background traffic conditions, as well as
calculated peak hour factors and truck percentages.
Complete implementation of the enhanced TEAPAC2004 (Ver 6) user
interface, as described below.
>Tabulate or Analyze up to 500 Intersections with a Single
Click.
TURNS now has the same data structure as SIGNAL2000 and all the
PRE-processors, in that multiple intersections can be entered and
stored in a single data file. The list of intersections is
managed with a new NODELIST entry which lists all the available
intersection numbers which have been used, and the INTERSECTION
entry which selects the 'current' intersection from the NODELIST.
The current intersection is the one for which data entry will be
accepted and for which analysis functions like TABULATE, ANALYZE
and WARRANTS will be made. The current intersection can be
selected by using the drop down list in the INTERSECTION dialog
again, or by 'walking' through the NODELIST with the +/- 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 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
TABULATE, ANALYZE and WARRANTS will be performed for all
intersections.
Usage Level 1 of TURNS will perform TABULATIONS and ANALYSES only
for up to 12 intersections. Usage Level 2+ of TURNS includes the
Warrant Analysis feature of WARRANTS. Usage Level 2 handles up to
12 intersections, Usage Level 3 is up to 100, and Usage Level 4
is up to 500.
>Additional System Commands Help Manage Multiple
Intersection Activities.
Several additional entries have been created in TURNS, as found
in SIGNAL2000 and the TEAPAC preprocessors, which assist in
managing the activities which surround multi-intersection
analyses. In Usage Level 3 and above, the SUBSYSTEM entry can be
used to select a group of intersections which is a subset of the
NODELIST for subsequent analysis when INTERSECTION 0 is selected.
A ROUTE entry can also be used to define up to 8 predefined
subsets, usually, but not limited to arterial routes, which can
then be used as shortcuts in the SUBSYSTEM entry by entering the
negative route number.
>Combine Prior TURNS Files into a Single Data File.
Since prior versions of TURNS only handled one intersection in
each data file, it will be desirable to merge all of these files
into a single file in this Version of TURNS. This can be done
quite easily by opening each prior file using the
File-OpenMerge/Shared menu, as long as each of the intersections
loaded used a different intersection number or no number at all
(in which case you will be prompted to enter a number). The list
of intersection numbers to be used can be entered in the NODELIST
in advance of the OpenMerge, or the user will be prompted to
automatically add each intersection number to the end of the
NODELIST as new numbers are encountered. When all intersections
have been loaded, use File-SaveAs to save the single combined
file into a new file name. If OpenMerge is not used, the
possibility of losing all data previously entered into the
program exists due to the way the older versions initialized the
older programs; under certain circumstances, this condition is
detectable and a warning is issued to that effect.
>New VOLUMES Entry Carries Results of TURNS Peak-Period
Computations.
VOLUMES is a new entry for TURNS into which the results of TURNS
peak-period computations are placed. The volumes placed here are
the peak-period volumes computed with the effect of VOLFACTORS
removed. This allows the VOLUMES to be saved in the same file as
the VOLFACTORS after an ANALYZE so that other programs such as
SIGNAL2000 can re-combine the VOLUMES and VOLFACTORS to get the
same peak-period volumes computed by TURNS.
>Minor Organizational and Usability Changes.
Wording in the CONDITIONS dialog has been improved to more
clearly indicate that the number of 'approach' lanes is the
required input, not the number of 'total' lanes on the street.
The default OUTPUT destination has been renamed from Terminal to
Window to better reflect the actual destination of the results.
The OUTPUT dialog has also been moved from the Edit-Targets
menu/group to the Edit-Setup menu/group and the now-empty
Edit-Target menu/group has been deleted.
>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.
:TURNS Ver 3.52 22NOV03
Build 16 - 16JUL04
>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
>Confusing Display Fixed for
CSV Numetrics Import Dialog.
A display problem in the CSV Numetrics import dialog caused the
dialog to display a default movement number of 1 when internally
the default was actually 0. This caused problems when importing
movement 1 if an actual entry of '1' was not entered over the
apparent '1' already in the field. This has now been corrected
with the display of the actual default value of 0, thus clearly
requiring the input of a movement number value from 1-12 for any
meaningful action to be taken.
Build 10 - 31DEC03
>2003 MUTCD Methodology
Change Implemented as Default.
The 2003 MUTCD made a formal change to the Millennium (2000)
MUTCD for signal warrant analyses to allow the 80% warrants
tables to also use the 70% reduction factors for high-speed and
low population approaches. This change makes a 2003 warrant
analysis consistent with the 1988 method in this regard. An
earlier FHWA interpretation indicated that the intent of the 2000
MUTCD method was to dis-allow this combination of factors (also
known as the 56% rule), and Ver 3.51 briefly implemented this
interpretation, but this is now reversed by the 2003 change in
Ver 3.52.
As a result, the default for use of the 56% rule in TURNS has
been changed back to 'Yes' in the Warrants dialog, which is
consistent with all prior versions of TURNS except Ver 3.51. The
default methodology has also been changed from '2000' to '2003'.
If a warrant analysis is to be conducted in strict accordance
with the formal FHWA interpretation of the 2000 method, the
method should be changed to '2000' and the 56% rule changed to
'No' in the Warrants dialog.
Also, the note in the resulting warrant analysis produced by
TURNS which describes what status of the 56% rule is being used
is now only displayed when the conditions are such that the 56%
rule would come into effect.
>MUTCD Warrant Analysis Refinements and Interpretations.
In the Peak Hour Delay Signal Warrant 3A (2000/2003) and Warrant
10 (1988), the line of the warrant table labelled 'Major Volume'
has been re-labelled 'Total Volume' to more clearly reflect the
values which are displayed in that row of the analysis. No change
to the analysis itself has been made.
In the Multi-way Stop warrant analysis (2000/2003) a recent FHWA
discussion and interpretation has indicated that although many
analysts for years have analyzed warrants C and D based on 8
individual hours (including prior versions of TURNS), a proper
analysis performs these analyses based on 8-hour average flow
values (not individual hours). As a result, TURNS has been
modified to perform its warrant C and D analyses on 8-hour
averages, not individual hours. The analysis has also been
corrected to be based on the sum of the minor street volumes, not
the highest minor leg volume. As a result of these changes,
re-analysis of the same conditions could produce different
results.
>Numetrics Machine Counts Can Be Imported; Option to Browse
Files.
The Import feature of TURNS has been enhanced to include the
'machine' count .CSV data files which are produced by Numetrics
count equipment. Multiple 'tubes' can be imported to cumulate
each lane to make up the complete count for individual legs of an
intersection. In addition, a new option allows any Import files
to be located via the new Browse button to pick the desired file
from a file list rather than just type the file name directly.
>Intersection Number Range Expanded from 0-327 to 0-999.
For consistency with other TEAPAC programs, the largest
intersection number allowed as an entry for the Intersection
dialog has been increased from 327 to 999.
:TURNS Ver 3.51 25MAY02
Build 16 - 14JUL02
>Updated Build for Consistency with Release of Build 16 of Full TEAPAC Ver 5 System
Build 16 of TURNS 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 TURNS, no changes other than the build number have occurred for this program.
Build 00 - 25MAY02
>2000 MUTCD Multi-way Stop Warrant Analysis Implemented.
The WARRANTS dialog now provides the option to perform a 2000 MUTCD multi-way stop warrant analysis, in addition to the 2000 and 1988 MUTCD signal warrant analyses provided previously. Two new entries have been added to the CONDITIONS dialog to support the multi-way stop analysis -- the number of accidents correctable by a multi-way stop and the average delay for all minor approaches.
>56% Rule Change and New Option.
FHWA has issued a ruling that the definitive intent of the 2000 MUTCD is to eliminate the so-called '56% rule' which is used in the 1988 MUTCD. This situation occurs in a signal warrant analysis when a high-speed or low population approach (70% factor) is analyzed with the Combination of Warrants (1C, 80% factor). In the 1988 MUTCD, the two factors can be combined (56% factor result), and our prior implementation of the 2000 MUTCD continued this tradition since it was not explicitly disallowed in the 2000 MUTCD. FHWA's recent ruling clarifies the intent of the 2000 MUTCD to disallow the combination of factors, so the signal warrant analysis now disables the combination of factors under these conditions, by default. This may generate different results, so any previous analysis which depended on the Combination of Warrants (1C) where high speeds and/or low population exists should be checked.
FHWA has also indicated that in the next set of pending revisions to the 2000 MUTCD they will be requesting that the 56% combination of factors be reinstated by the NCUTCD Committee. The final outcome of this is unknown, so in this light the use of the '56% rule' has been made an option in the WARRANTS dialog. The default is currently No to match the current intent of the MUTCD, but can be toggled Yes by the user. The status of the 56% rule used will be displayed in the warrant analysis results.
>New Warrant Analysis Summaries Provided.
Both the Signal and Multi-way Stop warrant analyses are now followed by a summary table which displays the status of each of the warrants tested and the final warrant disposition for the control device under study. The final disposition of the analysis is also included in the optional log file, if the log option is selected.
>Minor Changes in Output Terminology.
The representation of the delay and accident targets in the Peak Hour Delay and the Crash Experience warrant tables has been modified to more closely match the language used in the MUTCD and to precisely reflect the test that is being made to meet these specific elements of these warrant analyses.
>New Default for Traffic Count TYPE.
Historically, the default count type in the TYPE dialog has always been Cumulative, in light of the 'normal' way that traffic counts have been performed historically (manual counts with cumulating totals each count interval). With the prevelence of electronic count devices of various forms, this default has been changed to Reduced to better reflect the 'normal' type of traffic data which might be manually entered into the program (each count period entered represents the actual count for that interval).
>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.
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.
:TURNS Ver 3.50 25SEP01
Build 10 - 25SEP01
>2000 MUTCD Warrant Analysis Implemented.
The 2000 MUTCD method for performing a Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis has been implemented in the Usage Level 2 option of the TURNS program. The inputs required for the analysis are the same as the previous 1988 method. Note that the 2000 method now requires that the un-disrupted progression condition be met for any of the warrants to be satisfied. With this in mind, the sample problem data in the TURNS.FOR sample data file has been modified to include this condition, as well as measured stop sign delay and accident history, as a more realistic example.
A new parameter has been added to the WARRANTS command which describes which version of the warrant analysis is desired. Selecting 2000 (the default) produces a 2000 MUTCD signal warrant analysis, while selecting 1988 produces a signal warrant analysis using the 1988 method as produced by earlier versions of TURNS.
>Machine Counts Using TAS File Format Can Be Imported.
TURNS is now able to import electronic machine (tube) count files which use the TAS file format. This includes Jamar and TimeMark electronic traffic counters. This new feature allows machine counts to be easily input into TURNS for the purposes of a traffic signal warrant analysis. Multiple machine counts can be combined to include the counts for all approaches of the intersection, and multi-channel (multi-tube) counts can be processed by selecting which channel to use, or the sum of the channels, or the difference of the channels. A specific day of a multi-day count can also be selected, and the count can be directed to any of the twelve movements in the program.
>TEAPAC2000 User Interface Version 5 Implemented.
The WinTEAPAC2000 Version 5 User Interface has been implemented in TURNS 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.
:TURNS Ver 3.43 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
>Improved Wording for Progression Condition.
The wording describing the input progression condition used for a warrant analysis has been modified to more closely match that which appears in the MUTCD. Previously, the expressions 'good progression (no/yes)' and 'conducive to progressive traffic flow (no/yes)' were used, but these suggested that a signal must in fact promote progression to be warranted, which is not the intent of the MUTCD. The intent of the MUTCD is that a signal should not be disruptive to an existing progression if such a progression exists. In response to this situation, the phrase 'not disrupt progression (no/yes)' is now used. This fine point is especially important for an isolated signal location or a location where a progression does not exist. Although the double-negative now used in the input phrase is also potentially confusing, it mimics the language used in the MUTCD, and also allows all of the default CONDITION inputs to be 'NO' so that a 'YES' entry always means that a required condition has been met. This change has been made in all locations of the program, including the input dialog and output reports which document that input condition.
>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.
:TURNS Ver 3.42 10DEC99
>Minor Enhancements to First Windows Release.
Several changes have been made to TURNS since its original Windows release which clean up some minor problems in that release. These changes include enabling the SetAll buttons on several dialogs, especially VEHICLECOUNTS and TRUCKCOUNTS, as well as dialogs with drop down lists and radio buttons; more coordinated operation of the PERIODS dialog with other entries in the Edit-Basic menu; ability to select the RECONFIGURE item of the Edit-Counts and Edit-Trucks menus; and the addition of accelerator keys to certain radio button dialogs. The file name and save status is also now displayed in the main window caption.
:TURNS Ver 3.41 07NOV99
>First Windows Version of TURNS is Now Available.
Version 3.41 marks the first time
the TURNS/TEAPAC program is available for the Windows operating
system, featuring the Visual Input Mode and the new TEAPAC2000
Interface 4.00 (see below). WinTURNS now supports both the Win32
(Windows 95/98/NT) and Win16 (Windows 3.1x) environments, in
addition to continued support for the DOS environment. Updates to
this version for DOS from Ver 3.40 are free via Internet download
at www.StrongConcepts.com. Upgrades from any prior DOS version to
the new Windows versions are available from Strong Concepts for a
significantly reduced upgrade fee.
WinTURNS Uses the New TEAPAC2000 Interface Version 4.00.
WinTURNS is one of the first TEAPAC programs 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 with other running programs.
-- New Toolbar buttons for common functions.
-- 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 the TEAPAC program desired. These downloads are available to the general public, but will be rendered as demos for those who do not qualify for the free update.
>Peak Hour File Output is Enhanced for PHF and Truck Percentages.
When File or Both is selected for file output with the OUTPUT command, the way peak hour factors (PHF) are written to the file has been improved for consistency with SIGNAL97 and other software. In all cases, 12 PHF values will be written to the file, even if the source of the PHF values is the one single intersection value or the four approach values. In the case of the intersection value being used, all 12 movements will be written with the same PHF value; in the case of the four approaches, each movement on a given approach will be written with that approach's PHF value. In the case where a movement has no volume, in all cases that movement will get a PHF value of 1.00 rather than 0.00 or an asterisk '*' which was used previously.
If a movement is calculated to have 100% trucks on it, the value written to the file will be 99% so it is consistent with the same limitation which is imposed by SIGNAL97 when inputting truck percentages.
>Zeros in PERIODS List Terminates List.
A list of time periods on the PERIODS entry can now be deleted easily by simply entering 0,0 for the first period to be deleted. That and all subsequent period ranges in the input will then be deleted.
:TURNS Ver 3.40 27AUG98
>Minor Improvements to Displayed Results for WARRANTS and MAP Commands.
Two changes have been made to displayed results which under certain conditions will help make the results clear. The first is in the event that a Warrant Analysis is performed when count data was recorded for 30- or 60-minute intervals instead of the normal 15-minute intervals. In this case, the times displayed will now always be for the start of a 30- or 60-minute period. Previously, a period with a 15-minute start time would be displayed, which although not incorrect, was disconcerting when the counts were not in this form.
A second change has been made to the peak time displayed in the MAP results when the MAP is produced as part of a peak hour analysis of the ANALYZE command. Previously this time displayed was the start time of the peak period being searched; now the displayed time is the start time of the peak hour being tabulated.
TEAPAC Ver 2 and Ver 3 Interfaces Through Ver 3.03 Installed.
The latest releases of the standard TEAPAC Interfaces, V2 L2.3 07NOV93, V2 L2.4 17JUN94, Ver 3.00 27JUN96, Ver 3.01 17DEC97, Ver 3.02 05MAR98 and Ver 3.03 27AUG98 have been installed in the TURNS program. The following paragraphs summarize the improvements and changes implemented.
>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.03 Changes:
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 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).
>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.02 Changes:
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.
>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.01 Changes:
The sample data file included with the program no longer echoes the input data which is read.
The command spec file now has the extension .CMD rather than .HLP so it does not conflict with the normal Windows Help file extension.
In Windows versions, 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 the program. This is equivalent to using the File-Open dialog of the program for the dragged file.
The maximum amount of output which can be viewed in the Results window has been increased to 64,000 characters from the previous 20,000 characters to allow larger multiple-scenario analyses to be observed directly within the program.
When error messages are displayed during file open processes, the messages now more clearly depict the name of the file for which the errors have been generated.
The maximum size of file names (including the path defined in the .CFG file) has been increased to 64 characters. Under Win32 versions 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 DOS versions, a new entry has been added to the end of the 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.
>TEAPAC Interface Ver 3.00 Changes:
This version is only an internal change in order to support a new compiler and functions necessary for Windows support. No new user version of the program was delivered with this change.
>TEAPAC Interface V2 L2.4 Changes:
Better ESCape Processing Provided.
An improved method for detecting and trapping ESCape depressions has been implemented to provide quicker response to a user's desire to escape from a current activity in the program. This problem has become more of an issue in recent years as computer processing speeds have increased. More frequently the user finds himself pressing ESCape after the computer has checked for it because the computer processes the intervening activities so quickly. This has led to the need to press ESCape repeatedly to abort, and sometimes never actually executing the abort process. The new method used nearly eliminates this problem completely allowing the program to respond to the ESCape key instantly almost any time it is pressed.
Better Error Message Procedures Used.
Faster and more screen-compatible error display procedures are now used to minimize the occurrence of spurious error display problems which sometimes locked up the screen or displayed gibberish. Several minor clarifications in the text of some of the standard error messages have also been made.
Better Diagnostic Response if HELP File Not Found at Program Start.
An improved error message is now displayed if the program's .HLP file cannot be located when the program is first started.
Dynamic Pointer Key Operation Enhanced.
The dynamic pointer increment/decrement function using the Ctrl-Page-Down/Up key combination has been enhanced from its initial implementation in V2 L2.3. Now the command on which the cursor resides is not executed when these keys are pressed and the cursor is not moved to the next line of the screen display.
Manual Mode Message from Opening Screen Doesn't Over-write Loading Message.
The Manual Mode message given at the opening screen when the Manual Mode is entered has been shortened so that it does not over-write the "Loading Command File" message which also appears on the same line. This comes into play when a command file is loaded directly from the DOS prompt, particularly during an EXPORT AUTO operation. A similar message has also been added when the Manual Mode is entered directly from a full-screen display with the F4 key.
Prevent Saving Problem with PROJECT Command in Certain Manual Mode Cases.
Earlier versions of the TEAPAC Interface may have experienced a spurious occurrence of a problem SAVing the PROJECT command. This would only occur if the Manual Mode is entered directly from the opening screen using the ESCape key and then a SAVE is performed before any other full-screen operations. In this rare instance, the PROJECT information is SAVEd at the first line of the SAVE in a manner that cannot be LOADed without an error. This has been corrected.
>TEAPAC Interface V2 L2.3 Changes:
Control-key Option Increments/Decrements Pointer Commands Like INTERSECTION.
Ctrl-Page-Down and -Up can be used to increment and decrement a pointer command (such as INTERSECTION) in programs that use pointer commands; this is most useful for programs like PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT to move between INTERSECTIONS, and SITE to move between either INTERSECTIONS or PATHDISTRIBUTION types.
Multiple LOADs Allowed with SHARE Option without RESET Execution.
RESET is not executed when multiple SHAREd LOADS are executed; this is most useful for programs like SITE, PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT when they LOAD a complete set of SIGNAL85 intersection data from a single file with a single LOAD command, e.g. LOAD 1 1 SHARE 20.
Version/Level Number of Program Listed in All Printed Output.
The program's Version/Level number is now included as a part of all printed report titles to make it clear what version of the program generated the results.
Improvements to CALCULATE Command.
A bug is fixed in assigning CALCULATE results to variables in a full-screen display; CALCULATE results are displayed in a bigger format which accommodates all possible integer results; and better overflow error checking is performed.
New Editing Keys and On-line Help Update.
Using Ctrl-END has the same effect as using the END key; on-line help screens have been updated with this and other changes, such as Ctrl-ENTER.
Improved Error Checking and Processing.
An invalid command in the SAVE list now generates a more reasonable response by terminating all file access before any SAVE is made.
An invalid command in the ASK list now aborts the ASK function, rather than proceeding without the invalid entry.
Error messages listed as WARNINGS in the documentation are now labeled as WARNINGS in the screen displays.
Improved Drive, Subdirectory and DOS Enviroment Support.
Disk drives A: through Z: are now supported, rather than A: through P:.
Dynamic program linkages, such as to and from HCS, can now be performed from the root directory in addition to any subdirectory.
A bigger DOS environment can be scanned when searching for the system PATH, now 1024 bytes rather than 512.
Helpful Prompt when Entering Manual Mode Directly from Opening Screen.
Pressing ESC at the opening screen to enter the Manual Mode generates the "Use F4 for Menu Mode" message, in the event the Manual Mode was not intended.
Demo Time-out Period Decreased for Faster Demos.
The time-out period between demo screens is reduced from 10 sec. to 7 sec.
:TURNS V3 L3.0 25APR93
>New Commands Added to SAVEd Data; Use Caution Saving Over Data Files.
Several new commands have been added to the list of commands which is saved in data files when the default SAVE command is used. This has the impact of taking up more disk space than a previous SAVE of the same data. The only time when this may have an impact on users is if an old data file with stacked data is LOADed, then re-SAVEd in the same file using the default SAVE command list of [PARAMETERS]. Stacked data is where other data is saved in the same file following the first set of data. In this case, it is likely that the re-SAVE action (which will take up more file space than the original SAVEd data), will overwrite the beginning of the next set of data, with a probable loss of data. To avoid this situation when several data sets are stacked one after another in a single file, SAVE the edited data to another stacked file rather than the original file, then delete or archive the original file.
>New ADFACTOR Can be Entered to Estimate 24-Hour ADT Volumes.
A new command has been added called ADTFACTOR, along with a new 24-Hour Volumes Estimates report. The single factor entered on the ADTFACTOR command is used to multiply the total counted volume of each movement to estimate the 24-hour volume of each movement. This 24-Hour Volume Estimates report is produced at the end of the ANALYZE outputs when the default ANALYZE command is used. It is not produced if a specific time range is selected for the ANALYZE command. In Level 2 of TURNS, the REPORTS command can also be used to produce the 24-Hour report using the new ADT option in the list of reports. When the ADTFACTOR is zero, the default value, the 24-Hour Volume Estimates report is omitted under all conditions.
>New MAP Command Produces Schematic Diagram of Intersection with Volumes.
A new MAP command has been added which produces a schematic diagram of the intersection with hourly volumes and turn percentages. Approach and exit volumes and percentages are also shown in the diagram. The single input value for MAP is the start time of the hour which is to be displayed. The MAP has also been added as an optional output of the ANALYZE command, so that peak hour volumes which are found can be displayed in graphical form, as well as the normal tabular form.
>New IMPORT Command for Direct Input of IMC Count Files.
A new IMPORT command has been added which allows direct input of IMC traffic count data files into TURNS. The previous mechanism for using IMC data files consisted of a two-step process executed outside of TURNS which produced a TURNS data file (this is still available). Now a single IMPORT command can be issued from within TURNS, naming the IMC .DFL file, and the IMC data is immediately loaded into TURNS. An option allows display of the data as it is being IMPORTed, and another option describes whether the "special key" counts should be added to the adjacent right turn counts as right-turn-on-red counts. At that point, any of the TURNS analyses can be executed, and/or the data can be SAVEd as a standard TURNS data file.
>New RECONFIGURE Command to Re-organize Movements of Count.
On occasion an analyst will find that count data has inadvertently been entered in the wrong "columns", that is, a right turn has been recorded as a left turn or vice versa, etc. A new RECONFIGURE command makes easy work of correcting this type of error. This command enters a list of movement numbers from 1 to 12 which designate where each column of counts (movement) should be reconfigured to. Specifically, the first number given tells where the current movement #1 should be moved to, the second number is where the current movement #2 should move to, etc. For example, if the left turn from the north (movement #3) has been switched with the right turn from the east (movement #4), then RECONFIGURE * * 4 3 will swap the counts for these two positions (the other movements will remain unchanged). If a movement's counts are to be deleted from the data, putting a zero in it's position takes care of that in short order. For example, RECONFIGURE * * 0 would delete the left turn on the north approach.
>15-Minute Rates Can be Searched for Peak Hour and Exported.
For greater compatibility with the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual, a new option has been added to the OUTPUT command which causes ANALYZE to search for the highest 15-minute flow rate rather than the highest 60-minute volume. Entries of 15 or 60 for the fourth OUTPUT parameter make these two selections. When ANALYZE results are exported to a data file under this new option, the 15-minute flow rate is exported along with a peak hour factor of 1.0, allowing continued analysis of the peak 15-minute period by other programs such as SIGNAL85, PREPASSR, PRETRANSYT and SITE.
>New Peak Hour Factor Options for Export of Peak Hour.
An additional fifth OUTPUT parameter has been added which directs the ANALYZE command as to how many peak hour factors (PHFs) should be exported when the export option is selected. The default value of this parameter is 0, indicating that no PHFs should be exported. This prevents inadvertent export of bogus PHF values due to poor counting techniques or random fluctuations of traffic during the count period. PHF values should be inspected carefully before they are arbitrarily used in additional analyses.
When it is desired that the surveyed PHFs are exported, an entry of 1, 4 or 12 may be used to direct the program as to how to calculate the PHFs which are to be exported. When 1 or 4 is entered, PHFs will be exported for each of the four approaches. In the case of entering 1, the overall intersection PHF will be used for each of the approaches, this being the most statistically stable number to use. When 4 is entered, each PHF for the four approaches will be calculated individually. This provides reasonably stable results as long as none of the approaches are particularly low volume. When 12 is entered, each movement's PHF is calculated individually and exported as 12 unique values. Future versions of SIGNAL85, PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT will support the use of 12 PHF inputs, although this can be dangerous because very low PHFs can be calculated for with low volumes and/or wildly varying count data. In no case will a PHF less than 0.50 be exported to an output file.
>New WARRANTS Command Produces Complete Signal Warrant Analysis (Level 2).
A new Level 2 of TURNS has been created which performs a signal warrant analysis for the input traffic count data. To conduct the warrant analysis, the WARRANTS command is all that needs to be executed. A new CONDITIONS command can be used to enter specifics about the intersection conditions in support of the warrant analysis. This includes, in order, which direction is the major street (NORTHSOUTH or EASTWEST), how many approach lanes for the North/South street and the East/West street, is the approach speed on the major street >40 mph (NO/YES), is the intersection in an isolated community with a population of < 10,000 (NO/YES), would a signal be conducive to progression (NO/YES), have trials of other remedies failed to improve conditions (NO/YES), how many accidents are correctable by a signal, and what is the stop sign delay for the minor approach (hours). This warrants analysis is the same as the one performed by the new WARRANTS program.
Level 2 is now the only place where the REPORTS command can be used. This command allows more flexibility in which
output reports are selected to be produced and what order they are produced.
>New Intersection Command Labels Output and Export Data.
A new INTERSECTION command can now be used in TURNS in the same fashion as other TEAPAC programs like SIGNAL85, PREPASSR, PRETRANSYT and SITE. This command has a field for a unique intersection number which is assigned to each intersection in a study area, as well as a 30-character description of the intersection. This is usually the north-south street name followed by the east-west street name, both separated by "&". When the export option of ANALYZE is used, this intersection number and description is also exported with the peak hour data to help the other programs identify which intersections volumes are in the file.
>New TABULATE Option Can Select 15- or 60-Minute Tables Separately.
A new option is now available on the TABULATE command to select either 15-minute or 60-minute tabulations separately. An input value of either 15 or 60 selects these two options. The default for TABULATE is to produce both of these tabulations. Also, the last rows of the 60-Minute Volume tabulation report which do not contain a full hour's worth of counts are flagged with an asterisk "*" to indicate the lack of complete data in these rows.
>New Group Names Added for Greater Flexibility with Manual ASK Command.
The Special Menu of TURNS has been enhanced with the addition of several new groups names which can be used to reference the commands associated with the full-screen displays in the Special Menu. This is particularly useful when duplicating the Menu Mode displays from the Manual Mode. The new group names are [SETUP], [TRUCKS], [TABULATE] and [ANALYZE]. The [COUNTS] group name has been modified to remove the TRUCKCOUNTS command which is now included in [TRUCKS].
:TURNS V3 L2.2 17MAR93
>Seasonal Adjustment FACTORs Can be Entered for Each Movement.
The seasonal adjustment factor for the intersection, formerly entered with the FACTOR command, may now be entered for each individual movement via the new FACTORS command. Twelve individual factors may be entered for the twelve possible counted movements, giving greater flexibility to adjust actual counts to reflect design conditions. For compatibility with previous data files which have a single FACTOR SAVEd, if a single FACTOR is entered, it will be expanded into twelve FACTORS all having the same value as the single input value. This is also available as a shortcut in the Manual Mode when a single factor is desired to be used for all movements. Each of the twelve factors used are now displayed in appropriate output reports such as SUMMARISE and TABULATE.
>TEAPAC Interface V2 L2.0, V2 L2.1 and V2 L2.2 Installed (Summary).
The latest releases of the standard TEAPAC Interface, V2 L2.0 11NOV91, V2 L2.1 07JAN92, and V2 L2.2 01MAY92, have been installed in the TURNS program, these interfaces being a major update of the version previously used in TURNS (V2 L1.8). The following line items summarise the improvements and changes implemented, and are completely documented in the updated TEAPAC Tutorial/Reference Manual. Check this documentation for complete details of this new interface release.
V2 L2.2 01MAY92
Simplified LOAD and SAVE Commands
Don't Require FILES Command.
New .CFG Files Designate Location of Data Files.
<Next Program> Option of STOP Command Implemented; Also New
SHELL Option.
Improved Error Checking and Status Messages.
New Meaning for ESCape in Program Control Menu.
Command Buffer Size Increased to 10 Lines.
Minor Problems Resolved in Menu Displays.
V2 L2.1 07JAN92
Opening Screen Displays TEAPAC
Interface Version Being Used.
More Editing Keys Added.
DOS Shell Option Added From Menu.
V2 L2.0 11NOV91
Clearer Messages/Response for File
Open Errors.
New LOAD Options Allow Multiple SHAREs and IGNORE Sections of
Files.
Improved Full-screen Editing Options.
New CALCULATE Command and Use of User Variables.
Improved Status Messages.
Improved Manual Mode Operations.
New Options for Header Information.
Commands Included in Menus Adjusted.
Improved Demo Support.
Minor Annoying Bugs Fixed.
>TEAPAC Interface V2 L2.0, V2 L2.1 and V2 L2.2 Installed (Details).
The latest releases of the standard TEAPAC Interface, V2 L2.0 11NOV91, V2 L2.1 07JAN92, and V2 L2.2 01MAY92, have been installed in the TURNS program, these interfaces being a major update of the version previously used in TURNS. The following paragraphs summarise the improvements and changes implemented, as documented in the updated TEAPAC Tutorial/Reference Manual. Check this documentation for complete details of this new interface release.
V2 L2.2 01MAY92
Simplified LOAD and SAVE Commands Don't Require FILES Command.
The LOAD and SAVE commands can now be used without using the FILES command first to define the file to be used. If the FILES command is not used to define the file before the LOAD or SAVE commands are used, the user will now be prompted to enter the file name, if desired. If this is done, the LOAD or SAVE proceeds as normal, with the exception that the file named will not be retained in the FILES list and the LOAD will start at line 1 of the named file regardless of any line number given. The file name must be entered each time the file is accessed in this fashion. Entering the file name once on the FILES command eliminates this duplicate entry, and is recommended if a file will be accessed more than once in a given session.
New .CFG Files Designate Location of Data Files.
New .CFG files can now be used to designate the drive and path where data files are to be stored (among other things). If no drive or path is specified for a file, this location will be used for the data file. A specified drive or path will over-ride the .CFG file location. A TEAPAC.CFG file can be used for any and all TEAPAC programs, but it will be over-ridden by a program-specific .CFG file, if it exists. The definition of the contents of these .CFG files appear in Appendix G along with the discussion of the new TEAPAC Menu System which also uses the .CFG files (see next section).
Data files can now also be preceded by the ".\" notation to refer to the current logged subdirectory or by the "..\" notation to refer to the parent subdirectory of the current logged subdirectory. If no CFG files are located by the program, the default location for any file name entered will be the current logged sub-directory ".\", unless a drive or path is entered in front of the actual file name. If "~" is placed in front of the actual file name, the system PATH will be searched for the file. See the detailed discussion of program installation and CFG files in Appendix G for further information.
<Next Program> Option of STOP Command Implemented; Also New SHELL Option.
The <Next Program> option of STOP has been implemented, allowing the definition of the next program to run when the current program is terminated. In order for this function to work, the current program must be initiated with the TEAPAC Menu System which is described in detail in Appendix G. This is an efficient way to go directly from one program to another. It allows the user to run the next program without returning to the operating system, and is also used by the automatic export features of some TEAPAC programs.
If SHELL is entered in the <Next Program> field, the running program will remain resident in memory and the user will be allowed to enter any single DOS command to be executed. When that DOS task is completed, DOS will return control to the original program. If more than one DOS command is needed, the DOS command for SHELL should be COMMAND. When done, the EXIT command will return control to the original program. This is the DOS SHELL function.
Improved Error Checking and Status Messages.
A number of minor improvements have been made in the arena of input error checking and processing following certain types of errors. Valid ranges of input have been established for certain commands like GOTO, HEADING, IODEVICES, LOAD, NEXTLINES, REPEAT, and SAVE, and no action is taken on these types of active commands if any type of input error is detected. Commands with no parameters (like SUMMARISE) are also verified to make sure no parameters were entered.
A new status message in the opening screen indicates that a DOS command line file entry is being loaded (rather than "press any key"). The error message displays have also been enhanced to indicate if a message is only a warning rather than an error.
New Meaning for ESCape in Program Control Menu.
When the Program Control Menu is displayed, pressing the ESCape key now has the same meaning as pressing Q for Quit. That is, pressing ESCape now places the cursor on the Quit menu selection in preparation to terminate the program.
Command Buffer Size Increased to 10 Lines.
The number of manual mode commands which are remembered has been increased from five to ten. These commands can be retrieved by using the up- and down-arrows in the Manual Mode.
Minor Problems Resolved in Menu Displays.
A few minor bugs have been repaired which sometimes caused unpredictable results. For example, if an active command which was executed from a menu display happened to be displayed on the last possible display line of the menu, the next display of the same menu would have random garbage in it. This has been corrected. Also fixed is a rare problem where the last lines of certain long output reports would be distorted on the screen. A minor enhancement has also been made which eliminates unnecessary pauses in the screen displays when output is being directed to the printer or a file.
V2 L2.1 07JAN92
Opening Screen Displays TEAPAC Interface Version Being Used.
The opening screen of TEAPAC programs now display the version, level and date of the TEAPAC interface being used for easy reference. This will be most useful in the future when checking the interface version being used by TEAPAC programs installed on a given computer.
More Editing Keys Added.
Two new editing keys have been added for compatibility with some word processors and editors which are available. When editing a field in either the Menu or Manual Mode, the cursor can be advanced to the beginning of the next "word" of the field by as using Ctrl-Right-Arrow, as well as ^F. The cursor can be moved to the beginning of the previous "word" by using Ctrl-Left-Arrow, as well as ^A. These additions should be noted in Table G-2 of Appendix G in the TEAPAC Tutorial/Reference Manual
DOS Shell Option Added from Menu.
The DOS Shell option which has been available with the STOP command is now also available when using the Quit selection in the Program Control Menu. The user is now prompted with "Exit to DOS (No/Yes/Shell)?". If "S" is pressed, the user will be prompted for a DOS command which will be executed, then the TEAPAC program will resume operation where it left off with no loss of input data. As before, the DOS program to be run while using the Shell option must be small enough to fit in memory while the TEAPAC program is still in memory or a DOS error will occur. This is a useful option, for example, for executing a DIR command to determine the name of a file to use for a subsequent SAVE.
V2 L2.0 11NOV91
Clearer Messages/Response for File Open Errors.
Users have frequently been confused by the file-related error messages previously issued by TEAPAC programs. This has been particularly true when a named file did not exist, as well as when a file designated as a "new file" (by using the "/N" switch) already existed. The messages which are displayed under these two conditions have been clarified, as have the action responses which the user may take as a result of these conditions. When a named file does not exist, the user is given the opportunity to re-specify its name or to create a file with that name. When a "new file" already exists, the user is given the opportunity to use the existing file anyway, or to re-specify its name.
New LOAD Options Allow Multiple SHAREs and IGNORE Sections of Files.
The LOAD command has been enhanced in two ways, as described below. An additional parameter has been added which can be used when the SHARE option is used. This indicates how many sets of data should be LOADed during the SHARE operation. For example, if five sets of intersection data for SIGNAL85 are stored sequentially in a file by SIGNAL85, and are to be LOADed by PRETRANSYT, all five intersections can be LOADed with the SHARE option by using the "LOAD 1 1 SHARE 5" command.
A new option has been added to the LOAD command which allows sets of data to be skipped in a file. This is the IGNORE option. For example, if the same file as above is used by TURNS, but only the fifth intersection is needed, the "LOAD 1 1 IGNORE 4" command can be used to skip over the first four intersections, then followed by "LOAD *" to LOAD the fifth. This option can be particularly useful when LOADing the lines which need to be skipped would over-write data already LOADed into the program. Since the IGNORE option does not process the skipped lines at all, the previous data will be retained. This option also assists in moving quickly through a file without the need to know the line numbers where desired section begin.
Improved Full-screen Editing Options.
A frustrating problem with earlier versions of TEAPAC programs was when data values were entered on an active command, then the cursor was inadvertently moved off the active command line, thereby losing the entered information. A check has now been added which prevents the user from moving off of an active command line after changes to it have been made. A message to this effect is now displayed, also offering the ESCape key as a way to abort the active command if the change was unintentional.
Another bothersome trait of the Menu Mode was that the last entry on a command line was not right-justified after it was entered, since the cursor moved to the next line before the justification occurred. This gave the inaccurate impression that the entry had not been completed properly. This condition has been corrected so that before the cursor leaves a line of a full-screen display the line is shown in its completed and formatted form. This is also true after the ESCape key and other abortive-type actions are taken.
Five new cursor editing keys have been added to the full-screen displays which allow improved text editing and cursor control. ^A will move the cursor forward to the start of the next "word" of the current field, ^F will move the cursor backward to the start of the previous "word" of the field, ^T will delete the current "word" of the field, and ^Y will delete the remainder of the field, starting at the current cursor position. These keys will operate in this fashion in any field of a full-screen display, but are particularly useful when editing the text of [TITLES] and INTERSECTION commands. The ^ENTER (or ^J) key may also be used to enter a field on a line of a full-screen display and immediately move the cursor to the first field of the next line. This is particularly useful when the last entry for a line is not in the last field of the line, avoiding the need for several cursor movements which would otherwise be necessary to move to the next input field.
A feature that has been in testing in some programs like SITE, PREPASSR and PRETRANSYT has now been formalized, allowing the clearer display of the field boundaries on active "selector" commands in the full-screen displays. This allows that when the selector field such as the INTERSECTION number is entered, the entire line is blanked so that the previous fields will not inadvertently be entered for the newly selected intersection, but when the cursor is move to the other fields, the field boundaries re-appear for more clear editing.
New CALCULATE Command and Use of User Variables.
A new command called CALCULATE has been added which allows the user to use the program either as a simple calculator, a complex expression evaluator, or even a programmable calculator. Arbitrarily complex arithmetic expressions using the +, -, * and / symbols can be entered and evaluated, using either numeric constants as operands or using previously CALCULATEd variables as operands. Multiple levels of parentheses ( ) can be used. The result is always displayed with four decimal accuracy, and the integer-rounded value can be optionally assigned as the value of any of the 26 user variables A thru Z by preceding the equation with the variable name and an = sign. These user variables can then be used in subsequent CALCULATions, or as numeric parameter values in any command of the program, as described below. The user variables are the same as those used by the REPEAT command, allowing REPEAT variables to be used in the CALCULATion, and vice versa. The CALCULATE command replaces the unused USERMODEL command.
User variables from either CALCULATE or REPEAT commands can now be used as parameter values for any numeric field of any command in the program. This means, for example, that the VOLUMES of TUTOR can be CALCULATEd to include the effects of several iterative growth factors, or that the <Cycle Length> used in a DESIGN can be CALCULATEd from the user variable of a REPEAT command. The value of any of the 26 user variables is entered as the parameter value simply by preceding the variable name with the = equal sign. As an example, if a REPEAT CYC 1 5 is used in a control file, giving the successive values of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to the "C" variable, an actual cycle length to be used can be calculated by the CALCULATE X=25*C command and followed by a DESIGN =X command, to analyze the impact of the five cycles 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125.
Improved Status Messages.
The Error Number which is listed in the program documentation in Appendix E and F is now displayed in the error box on the screen, making it easier to look up the error causes and possible responses in the manual. The "ERROR" display is also now blinking to draw more attention to it, particularly on monochrome displays. Other status flags such as the "ACTIVE", "WAIT", "cont..", and "more..", as well as a new "acknol" flag are also blinking for better visibility, and all such status flags are cleared from the display when they have been acknowledged. The SAVE message also includes the file number and the name of the file in which the data has been SAVEd.
Improved Manual Mode Operations.
The Manual Mode has been substantially enhanced by removing the archaic DOS editing functions and providing full-screen editing capabilities virtually identical to those used in the Menu Mode for full-screen editing of entries. Full-screen editing keys that relate to the multi-line and multi-screen displays are simply disabled. Another feature which has been added to the Manual Mode is a five-line memory of the last five non-blank Manual Mode commands which have been entered. For example, if a DESIGN 120 2 command is issued, but the results indicate that a VOLUME has not been entered correctly, a VOLUME command can be issued, then the previous DESIGN 120 2 entry can be recalled simply by pressing the up arrow twice. Manual commands which are entered or recalled from memory can now be easily edited with cursor keys before the ENTER key is pressed, using the Menu Mode editing keys (including the new keys described above). For example, the DESIGN 120 2 can be quickly changed to DESIGN 130 2 by recalling it and then editing it before ENTER is pressed. The Manual Mode editing line now also displays the status of the INSert mode next to the display of the PRINTR status.
The F4 key can now be used not only to go to the Menu Mode from the Manual Mode, but also to go to the Manual Mode from any display in the Menu Mode. If a field entry has been changed immediately prior to pressing the F4 key, this is equivalent to first pressing the END key before the F4 key. In other words, any full-screen display entry is made before the Manual Mode is entered. Also, when going to the Manual Mode in any fashion, a message is displayed indicating how to return to the Menu Mode, in case the Manual Mode was inadvertently selected.
New Options for Header Information.
A number of improvements to the information which is displayed in the screen header block have been made for clearer understanding and representation of the program's status. First, the PRINTR flag is not displayed in the header block if the display is a result of an action in the Manual Mode (except if the ASK command was used), so that upon return to the Manual Mode at the end of the action the header block does not display an inaccurate status of the printer. The header block also displays the current status of the INSert mode.
The page number of the IODEVICES command will not be incremented if the output display is to the screen so that only subsequent printed pages will be incremented. This allows on-screen interactive analysis to take place between printed pages without the need to reset the page number each time. Another new option for the page number is that if the page number is set to a -1 value on the IODEVICES command, the screen header and the title header on printed output will not display the current date and time.
In a related matter, the [TITLES] commands can now enclose the desired titles in 'single quotes' or "double quotes", thereby providing a means to get leading blank characters in the titles. This also provides a way to remove a title line by entering a ' ' or simply a ' entry for any of the PROJECT, DESCRIPTION or NOTE commands.
A new option for HEADING, an entry of a zero value, has been added which duplicates the F6 printer eject function. The significance here is that F6 cannot be included in a control file, while HEADING 0 can. Furthermore, HEADING 0 will reset the output line count on the printer. This allows the IODEVICES command to be used within a control file to turn the printer on and off, as long as HEADING 0 is used each time it is turned back on to eject the printed page and reset the output line counter.
Commands Included in Menus Adjusted.
The SUMMARISE command has been added to the [APPLICATION] menu selection so that the Summary of Parameter Values report can be produced from the same menu selection as other application-specific commands. An entry selection to set the [TITLES] commands has also been added to the Special Menu so that the report headings can be set in the Special Menu without the need to return to the Program Control Menu.
Improved Demo Support.
The demonstration period has been increased to 60 minutes for demonstration copies of TEAPAC programs, and a new Student Demonstration version with a demonstration period of 240 minutes has been established. Special arrangements with Strong Concepts must be made for such a Student Demonstration version.
Minor Annoying Bugs Fixed.
An apparent intermittent problem when LOADing control files directly from the DOS command line has been corrected. Support for screens which are longer than the normal 25 lines has been improved. A problem which evolves when the ESCape key is pressed to terminate the display of error messages has been corrected.
:TURNS V3 L2.1 08APR91
>New Options Added to PLOT Command.
A new option has been added to the PLOT command which allows the entry of the maximum count value which appears on the PLOT scale. In other words, if PLOT 1000 is entered, the maximum value of the scale in the plot will be 1000, regardless of the intersection volume values which are being plotted. If 0 is entered (the default), PLOT will determine the largest value to be plotted and display a scale which accommodates that value. In either case, if a plotted value exceeds the largest scale value, its value will be plotted off the scale to reflect the larger number.
This option is useful if PLOTs are being made for several intersections which are to be compared to each other, in order to force the same scale on all PLOTs. Protection has also been added to prevent a program crash due to division by zero when a PLOT is made when no data is present.
>Added Support for Counts at Intervals Greater Than 15 Minutes.
Several improvements have been made to accommodate traffic counts where recorded intervals are greater than 15 minutes. The standard option greater than 15 minutes is 60 minute counts, where counts are recorded every hour. When this is the case, the 15-Minute Flow Rate report and the calculation of peak hour factors are suppressed since neither has any meaning for 60-minute counts. Another possibility is that the program expects 15-minute counts to be entered, but 30-minute counts are entered every half hour. When this is the case, every other 15-minute interval is all zeros, making for cluttered reports. To alleviate this problem, when 30-minute counts are detected the output is shortened accordingly by skipping every other count interval. In addition, the peak hour search is limited to only the counted half-hours, and, as with 60-minute counts, the 15-Minute Flow Rate report and the calculation of peak hour factors are suppressed since neither has any meaning for 30-minute counts.
>Peak Hour Export Always Uses Vols>0 for Counted Movements.
Most traffic software requires that if a movement is allowed at an intersection, the movement volume must be entered with a number greater than 0. Conversely, when a value of 0 is entered, many programs assume that the movement does not exist and/or is not allowed. In some instances, however, an allowed/existing low-volume movement may actually be counted with zero activity during any specific 15- or 60-minute period. If this zero value is exported to other programs, an inaccurate impression may be given about the existence or allowance of that movement.
To prevent this problem from occurring, the export of the ANALYZE command (controlled by the OUTPUT command) now performs the following check. If a volume to be exported has a value of zero, the entire movement is first checked for any count activity before the zero is exported. If any activity exists for the movement at any time during the count, a volume of 1 will be exported rather than the 0 so that a non-zero value represents the allowable movement.
:TURNS V3 L2.0 29JUL90
>15-Minute Volume Rates Now Calculated.
The 1985 Highway Capacity Manual suggests that traffic counts be searched for the highest 15-minute count and that the hourly rate of flow during this 15-minute period be used for subsequent capacity analyses using a peak hour factor of 1.00. Although this seems a bit of a radical approach due to the inherent errors of traffic counting methods, it is a technique preferred by some agencies, and at least bears consideration. As such, TURNS now produces an additional table of output for the 60MIN tabulation report which shows these hourly rates of flow. They are labeled "15-Minute Volume Rates", and are simply the 15-minute counts multiplied by 4. The output format used is identical to that of the 60-Minute tabulation for easy comparison. The peak hour searching of the ANALYZE command is still based on the original 60-Minute Volumes table.
>New Command Plots a Graph of Intersection Volumes.
The PLOT command has been added to provide a graphical representation of the traffic flow at the intersection during each of the periods counted. There are no parameters for the PLOT command and the scale of the plot is automatically set to accommodate the highest intersection volume which occurs during the count. The plot lists the time of each count, as well as the actual total 15-minute intersection count which is plotted.
New Options for Truck Counts.
Two new options have been added to provide more support for various means of including counted trucks in the TURNS tabulations. The default method remains the same as previously, this being that the VEHICLECOUNTS numbers include any trucks that have been counted and input on the TRUCKCOUNTS command. A new option has been added to the TYPE command as a second parameter that can indicate that the TRUCKCOUNT values are not included in the VEHICLECOUNTS. The keyword for this condition is SEPARATE. The keyword for the default condition is INCLUDED. When the keyword SEPARATE is used, the entered TRUCKCOUNTS are added to the entered VEHICLECOUNTS before any tabulations are made, so that "All Vehicle" tabulations always include trucks, no matter what method was used.
Additionally, a "Trucks Only" tabulation of 15-minute counts can be produced if the third parameter of the OUTPUT command is set to YES. The default is NO, producing only the "All Vehicles" tabulation. Tabulation report titles have been modified accordingly to make it clear which vehicles are being included in each of the 15-minute tabulations. 60-minute volume tabulations and 15-minute volume rate tabulations are only produced for all vehicles.
:TURNS V3 L1.1 27JUL90
>TEAPAC Interface Updated to V2 L1.8.
The TEAPAC interface installed in TURNS has been updated to the
most recent TEAPAC release, V2 L1.8. This includes improved error
messages, particularly for file opening difficulties, as well as
improved recovery from these errors. The most significant of
these is the option to create a new file when the /N switch was
not used, and the option to overwrite an existing file when /N
was used. In addition, when TURNS is exited from the menu system,
a prompt to the user is given asking to verify this action,
helping to prevent accidental loss of data. Lastly, the old group
name prefix ('.') is again an accepted input, though not
recommended; the SHARE option of the LOAD command has been
improved; and certain licensee information is now displayed in
the bottom line the menus and the output report titles. Use the
MESSAGES command of V2 L1.8 of TEAPAC for detailed descriptions
of all of these changes.
>Demonstration Version of TURNS Now Available.
A demonstration version of TURNS is now available with this
release, using the normal TEAPAC demo limitations in addition to
the limit of only one time period of counts and only seven count
intervals in that period. The new TEAPAC demonstration batch file
is also supported for ease of execution of the demonstration, as
well as listing other important information. Put the disk in A:
and type A:DEMO to review this new process.
:TURNS V3 L1.0 01APR90
>TEAPAC Menu/Full-screen Interface V2 L1.6 Implemented.
The new full-screen, menu-driven interface of TEAPAC programs has
been implemented in TURNS for ease of using and learning the
program. This consists of an initial Program Control Menu which
can be used to direct the entire data entry and analysis process
without the use of commands. It makes use of the new ASK
interface which allows full-screen editing of data entry and
control commands. The previous "Manual Mode" of using
commands for input can still be accessed from the Program Control
Menu, and the Program Control Menu can be re-displayed from the
Manual Mode at any time using the F4 function key at the command
prompt (®). Full details of how to use this new interface can be
found in the first menu option -- "Help on Use of
Program". Further details can be found in the documentation
of the TEAPAC program and on-line HELP of TEAPAC V2 L1.6. The use
of the new interface is self-explanatory for the most part
through the on-line HELP built into the program.
>Approach Labels Expanded to Two Characters.
The APPLABELS command has been expanded to allow two characters
as a label for each approach, instead of the previous 1
character. The defaults are still N, E, S & W
(right-justified), but labels like SB, WB, NB & EB can now be
used. The input order must still be clockwise starting with the
north approach, in either case.
>Improved Sample Data.
The sample data for TURNS stored in the TURNS.FOR file has been
improved for better clarity on screen with the new full-screen
interface.
>Better Error Detection for PERIODS Command.
The PERIODS command has been improved with better validity checks
for the data which has been entered. The entry of null values has
also been improved with more logical results. In the Menu Mode,
it is also important to recognize that PERIODS is an ACTIVE
command, requiring the HOME key to execute it. This will be
necessary prior to entering any VEHICLECOUNTS data in order to
set up the time periods to be accepted by the VEHICLECOUNTS
commands.
>Better ESCape Detection During Report Output.
The ESCape key is polled more frequently during the report output
process in order to abort an output more quickly. Because of
these additions, using the ESCape key in this manner will now
return control back to the Menu or Manual Mode prompts
immediately.
>Report Headings Always Displayed for First Report.
Report headings are now always displayed on the printer at the
top of the first output report. This eliminates the need for an
extra NEWPAGE command was was needed previously to guarantee the
headings on the first report.
>ANALYZE Skips Output for Periods without Counts.
The ANALYZE command will no longer produce a report of all zeroes
for an analysis period which has no count data. The ANALYZE
report is simply skipped for that period. This makes use of the
ANALYZE command more viable to do standard peak hour analyses for
typical peak periods within whatever counts have been made.
>Hourly Counts Produce More Readable Tabulations.
When hourly counts are taken, the TABULATE report does not
produce separator lines between each count, making the output
much more readable. The line counting algorithm for paging has
also been adjusted to keep better track of what will fit on each
page.
>Peak Hour Factors Disabled in Disk File Output.
When ANALYZE output is directed to a disk file for use by other
programs, the PEAKHOURFACTORS command output has been disabled in
the output file. The data for PEAKHOURFACTORS still remains in
the data file, but the information is preceded by a
"/", which makes any TEAPAC program reading the data
ignore the data line. This has been done to prevent inadvertent
use of the PEAKHOURFACTORS information by other TEAPAC programs,
since the PEAKHOURFACTORS calculated from a single TURNS count
may not be statistically reliable. The "/" can be
removed from the data file with the TED TEAPAC Editor program, if
the use of the PEAKHOURFACTORS is desired.
:TURNS V2 L6.0 07AUG89
>Standard TEAPAC Interface Level 3.0 Implemented.
This release of TURNS implements the Standard Interface Level 3.0
of TEAPAC programs. Detailed descriptions of this interface level
can be found by reading the following messages, until specific
updated documentation is provided.
>Line Continuation Prompt Generated.
Use of the line continuation character, &, now generates an
"&>" prompt on the next line to permit
additional entries for the command on the previous line. This is
useful in entering commands with many parameters that overflow
the 80-column limitation of input for each screen line. It can
also be used for organizing input in data files for future
reference.
>Help File and Sample Problem Format Improved.
A number of omissions and clarifications have been made to the
HELP file. The standard format of a TEAPAC sample data file has
also been changed slightly. Typing FILE TURNS followed by LOAD
will echo the input data to the screen, then pause at a prompt,
®. At this point the data can be inspected and modified at will.
Another LOAD will begin sample calculations for the current data
values. Use of Ctrl-P will copy these calculations to the
printer.
>Minor Enhancements Included.
Attempting to run another program via the STOP command generates
a clearer error message notifying the user that this is not an
enabled function under MS-DOS. An unimplemented USERMODEL now
also generates a more clear message to that effect. Finally, the
initial messages displayed within the first 60 days of their
existence do a clear screen first for easier readability. This,
like the initial copyright notice, uses the ANSI sequences which
require the use of ANSI.SYS or an equivalent in CONFIG.SYS.
:TURNS V2 L5.2 10NOV87
>Improved Greeting Screen; Messages Displayed for 60 Days.
The screen that greets you when you first run the program has
been reorganized and enhanced. The program now clears the screen
and prints the program's name, version and level, and copyright
information at the top. Below this is a brief discussion of some
of the important concepts of running the program. The whole
greeting screen is enclosed in boxes formed with the IBM
extended-ASCII character set.
In addition to the above, the program will now display a summary
of all changes included in the current version of the program for
a period of 60 days after the version date of the program. This
can be reproduced at any time while running the program by
executing the MESSAGES command with a parameter of 1. And, of
course, details about these and past changes can also be
displayed with the MESSAGES command using a parameter of 2 or 3.
>Sub-directories in PATH Command Now Searched for Support
and Data Files.
The MS-DOS PATH command searches a set of specified
sub-directories for a program to run if it cannot find the
program in the current logged sub-directory. However, it will not
search for support files or data files. A new TEAPAC feature is
the ability to search all sub-directories specified in the PATH
command for support files and data files. This feature is
supported only in DOS 3.x, however. It is compatible with the DOS
APPEND program.
>Data File Format Changed.
Data files that are written to disk now use a new format: each
record consists of 128 bytes, delimited by a CR LF. (Only the
first 80 characters may contain data, as before). The old format
may still be read directly and programs still written for the old
format may use data files written with the new format directly.
Error messages caused by an end-of-file or input/output error
have also been enhanced.
>Headings Command Improved.
The negative option of the HEADINGS command has been
re-implemented under DOS to allow printing of headings at the
console even when the rest of the output is directed elsewhere,
e.g., to the printer or a disk file (see next message).
>Re-routing of Report Output Changed.
Output reports may again be re-routed to disk files as well as
the printer via the IODEVICES command, but the method is now a
bit different. Rather than using #11 through #15 as the output
device as stated in Appendix 3 of the TEAPAC Tutorial, a #xx
greater than #15 must be used. The first attempt to output to
that number (device) will cause the program to prompt you for a
file name. Output no longer can be directed to one of the files
opened with the FILES command. Use of #15 or less will result in
an error and unpredictable results.
>Printer Access with Control-P Again Echoes to Console.
When sending output to the printer with Control-P (^P), output
will continue to be displayed on the console device. This feature
may have been lost in an earlier version. In addition, all screen
output (not just report output) can again be directed to the
printer with ^P and the IODEVICES command is no longer affected
by typing ^P.
>ASK Improved.
The ASK command has been improved by first displaying HELP and
DATA for the commands ASKing for new values. This information is
enclosed by boxes as in the initial greeting screen.
>Improved Input Editing.
The DOS function key, F1, F2, and F3 as well as the arrow keys on
the numeric keypad and the INS and DEL keys are now usable any
time input is from the keyboard. In addition, the F10 key moves
the cursor to the first position after the next occurring
delimiter, a space or a comma in TEAPAC programs. (This is in
effect a word-right.) Finally, the ESCAPE key may be used to
clear a line.
>Bug in Input Error Processing Fixed.
When an error is detected during command input, the program is
supposed to immediately enter the ASK mode. A bug causing this
not to happen has been fixed.
>Non-printable Characters Not Enterable.
The set of ASCII characters that are not printable, e.g. control
characters, are not enterable from the keyboard. Exceptions to
this are Control-Z (end file), ESC (abort from command),
Control-L (form feed), Control-C (abort), and Control-S
(pause/re-start the screen).
>Program Terminates with Standard Call to PSTOP.
Like all other TEAPAC programs, the program now terminates with a
standard call to PSTOP.
:TURNS V2 L5.1 01MAY86
>Standard TEAPAC Mods Implemented.
The standard TEAPAC mods have been implemented. These include
improving the comments in the 91 and 92 file; use of PSTRT; use
of FIOF1; renaming the help and message files to TURNS.HLP and
TURNS.MSG, respectively; line counting and ESCaping in DATA; and
improving the MESSAGE file.
:TURNS V2 L5.0 22APR85
>All Output in 79 Columns.
Output from all reports; as well as from data; now fits within 79
columns.
>New Commands Implemented.
Three new commands have been implemented in turns: SUMMARISE,
APPLABELS, and MOVLABELS. SUMMARISE is used and performs just
like it does in all TEAPAC programs. APPLABELS allows the
specification of one-character approach labels. MOVLABELS allows
the specification of two-character movement labels.
>Standard SAVE and IODEVICE Mods Implemented and ##
Changed.
The standard mods to the SAVE and IODEVICES commands have now
been added to TURNS. The sample data file has been modified to
output to 66 line/page paper. In addition, the AM period has been
shortened to better illustrate sample usage of the program.
:TURNS V2 L4.3 26MAY84
>TEAPAC Output Titles.
Standard TEAPAC output titles have been implemented.
:TURNS V2 L4.2 06JUL83
>ANALYZE File Output Bug Fixed.
The bug in the file output option of the ANALYZE command has been
located and removed. The small rounding error in the peak hour
analysis has also been corrected.
:TURNS V2 L4.1 14NOV79
>TURNS Standardized.
The TURNS program has been standardized following the format of
all TEAPAC programs, including standard commands and group names.
:TURNS V2 L4.0 17FEB79
>Welcome!
Welcome to the newest version of TURNS. This version is beginning
to take the form of the other TEAPAC programs.
this page last updated September 07, 2008