WARRANTS has been superseded by and incorporated into the new TEAPAC Complete product which is described in detail at the main page of www.StrongConcepts.com.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

:WARRANTS Ver 2.81 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.

>Fix Import dialog field width to accommodate new longer file names.

The definition of the Import dialog field for the import file name has been updated so that it now works properly with the new longer file name conventions added earlier in Ver 2.80.

>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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.80 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.71 08SEP06

Build 07 - 25JAN07

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

>SCENARIO Program Makes its Debut.

SCENARIO is a new Visual TEAPAC program that can create multi-scenario data files either from scratch or from data files of earlier versions of TEAPAC. Users can 1) select from pre-defined typical scenario structures like multiple volume conditions or multiple timing plans, 2) create completely unique scenario conditions for their analyses, or 3) customize a pre-defined scenario structure to meet their specific needs. The primary advantage of using SCENARIO is that all the scenario data is saved without dangers of duplicated data which often occur when scenarios are managed by the typical use of File-SaveAs.
 

The SCENARIO program also functions as an automatic plugin for all other Visual TEAPAC programs so that each program automatically understands the SCENARIO file structure which has been created, and at no additional cost (see below).

SCENARIO can easily define both single-issue and multi-issue conditions, and any data dialog can be assigned or re-assigned to any defined issue for as many as five independent, mutually-exclusive Issues. 25 Conditions can be defined for each Issue. For example, a very common and simple single-issue scenario would be having multiple volume conditions for one or more intersections for which capacity analysis, intersection design and/or signal timing optimization would be needed. Other examples of a single-issue analysis could be multiple years of traffic count data for TURNS or WARRANTS, or multiple years or zones of land use for SITE's projected traffic estimation.

Multi-issue scenarios could be combinations of any of these, where the variation of one variable is independent of the others. Another example of a multi-issue scenario could be where one Issue is changing volumes based on the time-of-day and/or day-of-week while the other Issue is independently changing intersection geometrics which depend on differing funding possibilities.

>SCENARIO Support in All Visual TEAPAC Programs.

All Visual TEAPAC programs have been updated so that support for multi-issue data files created by SCENARIO is automatic and seamless. The SCENARIO program serves as a plugin to the other Visual TEAPAC programs so that they automatically support the SCENARIO-structured files for both File-Open and File-Save. A new File menu option labeled Get-Scenario-Case allows the user to select any of the Conditions for all of the Issues which have been created, and any subsequent changes to data which are made are automatically saved in the correct Condition files which have been defined. SCENARIO has also been added to all LinkTo menus so that SCENARIO is immediately available to modify the defined scenario structure, as necessitated by changing project assumptions.

>Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.

A number of additional generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the original Ver 7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver 7.01 Build 07. These are documented below. Ver 7.01 Build 07 changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.

Data entry dialogs that don't apply to dummy nodes have been modified so that if they are inadvertently displayed while pointing to a dummy node they will not display unpredictable values or cause the program to crash.

The LinkTo menu has been adjusted so that if no data file path has been defined it will attempt to use the program's file path, but will not crash if neither of these is defined. The file menu options for Open, SaveAs and IntoEdit have been adjusted similarly for the condition when no data path has been defined.

A bug has been fixed that could cause a crash when clicking within an output being displayed at a zoomed-out scale on some low-resolution monitors.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.70 07NOV05

Build 28 - 28AUG06

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

>V7.00.28: Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.

A number of generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the original Ver 7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver 7.00 Build 28. These are documented below and use heading lines that begin with V7.00.28:. In addition, minor program-specific changes have been made, as summarized here and detailed in the program's own specific list of updates and changes. Ver 7.00 Build 28 changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.

>V7.00.28: Number of Access Drives Increased From 5 to 10 for SITE Computations.

The permitted number of driveways which provide access to a development area for SITE computations has been increased from 5 to 10 in all TEAPAC programs, allowing greater flexibility in modeling all driveways which may exist or be proposed for a development. Along with this change comes a quicker way of entering driveway locations by combining the intersection leg direction (N/E/S/W) with the node number of the drive, such as 1N or 132E.

>V7.00.28: Input Limit for VOLFACTORS Adjusted for Consistency with Save.

The largest VOLFACTOR which can be saved in a TEAPAC data file has always been 9.99, but it's been recently noticed that the input dialog error checking permitted factors as large as 20.0 without an error, resulting in subsequent problems if an attempt was made to save such an entry. The input error checking has been modified to match the save limitation to resolve this problem. At the same time, the discussion in the documentation has been modified to reflect the same precision of save accuracy to avoid any further confusion.

>V7.00.28: Multiple Copies of a Program Can Be Open Simultaneously Again.

The source of a problem which has recently prevented multiple copies of any given program from being open at the same time, such as when comparing alternatives side-by-side. This problem has been resolved and the ability to have multiple copies open simultaneously has been re-enabled.

>V7.00.28: Minor Fixes to Drag-and-Drop Network Interface.

An occasional problem connecting T-intersections properly when bend nodes were present in the network has been resolved. Build 21 versions of the programs would notify the user of the problem immediately upon creation of a link under these circumstances. If an earlier version was used to create the network, the problem is easily detected (if it exists) with the Analyze function in the new Coordinate System section of the Setup button dialog in the main window. the problem would manifest itself with upstream connections to the wrong node and/or incorrect distances. Creation of most T-intersections were not affected by this problem.

If an old TEAPAC data file saved from a program prior to Visual TEAPAC was opened using a LinkTo, drag-to or from a command line, a crash could result when an attempt was made by the program to update the Nodelist format to the new save format. This problem has been resolved.

Build 21 - 27JUL06

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

>V7.00.21: Generic Enhancements Made to All Visual TEAPAC Programs.

A number of generic enhancements and fixes have been made to the original Ver 7.00 releases of Visual TEAPAC and are collectively included as Ver 7.00 Build 21. These are documented below and use heading lines that begin with V7.00.21:. In addition, minor program-specific changes have been made, as summarized here and detailed in the program's own specific list of updates and changes. Ver 7.00 Build 21 changes are free updates for Ver 7.00 licenses.

>V7.00.21: New Coordinate System Management Features.

A new set of options to help manage the network coordinate system for any given data file has been added to all programs that use the Visual TEAPAC drag-and-drop network editing and display (all TEAPAC programs except NOSTOP, TED and TUTOR). The options appear in a new dialog which is displayed when the Coord Sys button is pressed in the network Setup dialog.

The Coordinate System Management dialog offers three main function - 1) to Analyze the current network for possible coding errors such as improperly-connected nodes and scaling issues, 2) to create a New Coordinate System by shifting and/or scaling the current coordinate system, and 3) to compute New Link Distances based on the current coordinate system. For the Analyze function, a percentage error can be input to define the threshold which identifies potential scaling problems between the coordinate system scale and each link's entered distance, and an option can be selected to check the approach angle of each intersection leg.

One of the motivations for this new option is to be able to identify and adjust network coordinate systems from older TEAPAC programs which exercised the option to specify the units of the coordinate system in something other than feet. Although this is still possible, it can be problematic with the new drag-and-drop Visual TEAPAC interface, and is not recommended. In combination with the new Manual Distance option described below and the functions of this new dialog, old coordinate systems can be easily converted for more predictable use under the new Visual TEAPAC methods.

>V7.00.21: New Manual Distance Option Added to NETWORK Dialog Entry.

A new option can be selected in the NETWORK dialog individually for any given link of the network that indicates that the distance entered for that link is intentionally inconsistent with the network coordinate system and apparent network scale. Links which have this option selected are specifically excluded from the computation of the average coordinate system scale used and reported in the network Analysis function described above. Although not recommended, selecting this option allows a link's distance to be inconsistent with the coordinate system without adversely affecting the management and checking of the rest of the network.

In addition to this option, the NETWORK dialog also shows the calculated link distance based on the coordinate system (and the average coordinate system scale, if not equal to 1.0), and if this calculated distance is outside of the allowed error specified in the Coordinate System Management dialog, it is displayed in red. The Manual Distance option status is also shown in all data summaries which include NETWORK data, and new distances which are required due to any network editing are now always based on the coordinate distance, unless a link is previously marked for Manual Distance.

>V7.00.21: Automatic Network Relationship Checks Made.

The new Analyze function of the Coordinate System Management dialog mentioned above is invoked automatically any time a data file is Opened or Saved, or any time NETWORK or NODELOCATION information is changed (either via drag-and-drop actions or direct keyboard entry), thereby giving immediate feedback when a network definition problem could be corrupting an analysis. The Analyze function is also invoked prior to other program functions which make significant use of the spatial arrangement of the network, such as Exporting in PRENETSIM, PRESYNCHRO and PRETSPPD and FindPaths in SITE.

>V7.00.21: Frequency of Automatic Update Check Can Be Set By User.

A new user entry can now be made which controls the number of days between automatic checks for program updates. The entry can be found in the Help-Check_For_Newer_Updates menu dialog. With this new feature, the maximum frequency of automatic checks is once per day, not every time the program is run. Automatic checks can be disabled by entering a frequency of 0 days, but this is not recommended (checking for updates every 10-30 days is recommended).

>V7.00.21: Improved Initial Zoom-All View for Large Coordinate Range.

The initial Zoom-All display for a network when a file is opened has been improved for all networks, especially those with a wide range of coordinates, such that the zoom level used is more appropriate for all combinations of networks and display resolutions.

>V7.00.21: Improved Network Editing Features.

A number of enhancements have been made to network editing functions to improve the response to various user actions, as follows. If a new link connection will over-write an existing leg of a node, the user is warned and given the option to select another leg or abort. If a new link creation is aborted for any reason, any new dummy nodes created as part of that process are deleted (including clicking on the network without dragging, now deleting the single node which was previously created). If a third leg is added to a bend node as part of a new link creation, the bend node is converted to a real node (and re-numbered accordingly). If deleting a node removes one leg of a bend node, the bend is converted to an external node. Default source movements for a new link which connects existing nodes with a diagonal are determined more reliably. Left-click can be used while in the Create New Link mode to select the current node.

>V7.00.21: Fixes to SIMULATION Dialog.

The 'Use TRANSYT or PASSER Actuated Model' option of the SIMULATION dialog is now both properly selectable without any error messages, and displayed properly in the dialog, and a random glitch which garbled part of the main window Network display when the SIMULATION dialog opened has been fixed.

>V7.00.21: Make Help File Useable When a Data File is Double-clicked.

A problem locating the .HLP file when a user data file was double-clicked in Windows Explorer to open it has been fixed.

Build 14 - 20APR06

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

>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.

WARRANTS 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.61 23MAY05

Scroll down to 'Ver 2.60 08SEP04, Build 06 - 22SEP04' below for the major changes which were implemented for the original TEAPAC2004 release of this program.

Build 12 - 30SEP05

>Field Width Error Detection Modified for More Useful Performance.

A new error check was recently introduced to warn a user that too many characters for an input field had been entered and that the entry would be truncated. The aggressive response to this condition (ignoring the entry entirely) has been toned back, now accepting the truncated input with a similar warning. This reduces the potential for the need to re-type an entry which may be perfectly fine in its truncated form, or require only minor editing to correct instead of complete re-entry. The new error check has also been eliminated for any entries of the GROUPTYPES dialog, most of whose possible entry values can typically exceed the actual allocated input field width.

Another effect of the overly-aggressive error check was that certain drop-down list values in a number of dialog boxes had pre-programmed entries which exceeded the input field width, thus preventing them from executing properly. These included drop-down lists in the OUTPUT, CONDITIONS, GENERATION and PATHDISTRIBUTION dialogs. The field widths of all of these entries have been modified to accept the full drop-down list pre-programmed entries.

>Extra Warning Message Eliminated When Opening New Files.

If a user is warned about unsaved data or results values when a new file is about to be opened, with an option to first save the values, certain circumstances could cause the same message to be re-displayed a second time, regardless of the user response to the first message. This duplicate warning message has been eliminated.

>Debug Value Removed from Display for Text Search Function.

A spurious debug value was inadvertently left in the production version of the program, displaying each time a text string is searched for in any output window or edit window. The debug display has been removed.

>Key Files Are Now Valid for All Prior Versions of Program.

The key file processing logic has been enhanced to allow a given key file to be used not only for various builds and minor updates for the licensed version, but also for any version of the program prior to the licensed version. This minimizes the hassle of multiple key file management when multiple versions of a program are being used, for example, to maintain consistency in results throughout the course of a project which was begun with an older version of a given program that has been updated.

Build 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 WARRANTS, 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.60 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

>+/- Buttons Added for Convenience.

+ and - buttons have been added to the main window and all relevant dialogs as a convenient way of navigating among the various intersections of the Nodelist without the need to visit the Intersection dialog to select a new 'current' intersection.

>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 WARRANTS.

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

>Analyze Warrants or Tabulate up to 500 Intersections with a Single Click.

WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS, TABULATE and ANALYZE 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 WARRANTS, TABULATE and ANALYZE will be performed for all intersections.

Usage Level 1 of WARRANTS will perform Warrant Analyses only for up to 12 intersections. Usage Level 2+ of WARRANTS includes the peak-period ANALYZE feature of TURNS. 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 WARRANTS, 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 WARRANTS Files into a Single Data File.

Since prior versions of WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS. 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 Level 2+ Peak-Period Computations.

VOLUMES is a new entry for WARRANTS into which the results of peak-period computations available in Usage Level 2+ 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.02 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 2.01 briefly implemented this interpretation, but this is now reversed by the 2003 change in Ver 2.02.

As a result, the default for use of the 56% rule in WARRANTS has been changed back to 'Yes' in the Warrants dialog, which is consistent with all prior versions of WARRANTS except Ver 2.01. 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 WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS), a proper analysis performs these analyses based on 8-hour average flow values (not individual hours). As a result, WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.01 25MAY02

Build 16 - 14JUL02

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

Build 16 of WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS, 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 2.00 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 WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS.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 WARRANTS.

>Machine Counts Using TAS File Format Can Be Imported.

WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS 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 WARRANTS 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 1.23 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 1.22 10DEC99

>Minor Enhancements to First Windows Release.

Several changes have been made to WARRANTS 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 1.21 07NOV99

>First Windows Version of WARRANTS is Now Available.

Version 1.21 marks the first time the WARRANTS/TEAPAC program is available for the Windows operating system, featuring the Visual Input Mode and the new TEAPAC2000 Interface 4.00 (see below). WinWARRANTS 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 1.20 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.

>WinWARRANTS Uses the New TEAPAC2000 Interface Version 4.00.

Win WARRANTS 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.

For Usage Level 2, 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.

:WARRANTS Ver 1.20 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 WARRANTS 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.

:WARRANTS V1 L1.0 25APR93

>First Release of WARRANTS.

V1 L1.0 is the first release of WARRANTS.

this page last updated September 07, 2008