Discover Cube

Discover Cube

Helping you to create a better future

Demonstration User’s Guide Version 3.2

Discover Cube User’s Guide Version 3.2.1 Copyright ©2004 Citilabs, All Rights Reserved. Notice The information contained in this document is the exclusive property of Citilabs. This work is protected under United States copyright law and the copyright laws of the given countries of origin and applicable international laws, treaties, and/or conventions. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as expressly permitted in writing by Citilabs. Information in this document is subject to change without notice Trademarks Citilabs is a registered trademark of Citilabs Inc. All other brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks or trade names of their respective holders.

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Contents Chapter 1 Welcome to Cube .........................1-3

Overview..............................................1-3 The Architecture of Cube ..........................1-3

Cube Base..........................................1-3 Cube Voyager: Forecasting Personal Travel Demand ............................................1-3 Cube Cargo – Forecasting Commodity Demand and Truck Flows ..................................1-3 Cube Dynasim – Multimodal Traffic Microsimulation ...................................1-3 Cube ME – statistically optimized trip matrix estimation .........................................1-3

The Cube User Environment .......................1-4 Integration with ArcGIS ............................1-4 Integration of the Cube Extensions...............1-4

Chapter 2 About this Guide...........................2-6 Installing the Demonstration Software and Data 2-6

Chapter 3 Case Studies: Forecasting Personal Travel with Cube ...............................................3-7

Case Study 1: Studying a New Development ....3-7 Developing the Scenario.........................3-8 Running the Model for the Base Case .........3-9 Running the Model for the Scenario ......... 3-10

Case Study 2: Studying a Proposed Roadway Improvement....................................... 3-11

Developing the Scenario....................... 3-11 Running the Model for the Scenario ......... 3-11

Case Study 3: Studying Improvements in Bus Service .............................................. 3-15

Developing the Scenario....................... 3-15 Chapter 4 Case Studies: Microsimulation with Cube.......................................................... 4-18

Case Study 5: Traffic Microsimulation of a Proposed New Development..................... 4-18 Case Study 6: Sharing Microsimulation Animations with Stakeholders and Making Rendered Animations ......................................... 4-22

Example Exported Animations................ 4-22 Chapter 5 Case Studies: Forecasting Freight with Cube.................................................... 5-23

Running the Base Situation ................... 5-24 Case Study 7: Forecasting Demand for a Proposed New Rail Freight Service ......................... 5-25 Case Study 8: Forecasting the Impact of Rail Pricing on the Level of Truck Traffic........... 5-26

Chapter 6 Developing Base Data in Cube......... 6-26 Developing a Highway Network ................. 6-26 Developing a Zones and Zone Centroids Connectors ......................................... 6-31 Representing Intersections ...................... 6-33 Developing a Public Transit Network........... 6-36 Using Drawing and Other Layers in Cube ...... 6-40

Chapter 7 Developing a Model in Cube ........... 7-43

Developing Catalogs and Applications ......... 7-43 Making the Model Ready for Application....... 7-48

Chapter 8 User Support/Training/Consulting with Cube.................................................... 8-51

User Support ....................................... 8-51 User Forum ......................................... 8-51 Training ............................................. 8-51 Consulting and Assistance........................ 8-51

Chapter 9 Acquiring Cube........................... 9-52

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Chapter 1 Welcome to Cube

Overview The transportation system touches almost every element of our daily lives, from how we go to work, how our children go to school, how we move goods from place to place and how we communicate in general. This system is intimately tied to land use, the environment and to the economy. The planning of the transportation system requires vision, intelligence, political savvy and sound estimates of future travel demand. Cube is designed to accurately estimate future travel demand and the impacts of alternative transportation policies and improvements. Cube and its modules are used in more urban areas in the world than any other system: from planning some of the great cities of the world (Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Paris, London), to helping others prepare for the Olympics (Sydney, Atlanta, Norway), to improving the quality of life in many others. Cube provides robust methodologies, intelligent graphics and accurate information within a user friendly modern software platform. Cube’s broad range of capabilities provides answers to all of your planning questions from testing new public transit alternatives to road pricing strategies to new developments to new freight terminals. With Cube, you can generate decision making information quickly using powerful modeling and GIS techniques, statistics and comparisons, high-quality graphical output, and a variety of reporting methods. Cube empowers you to make smarter decisions more quickly by uncovering key indicators for evaluating your planning alternatives. Cube is a modular, tightly integrated, full featured product line for the transportation planning process, covering passenger demand, freight demand, microsimulation, air quality and reporting. Key features of Cube:

Cube provides two explicit working environments:

The developer environment providing advanced methods and techniques for the design and development of transport models.

The application environment for quick and easy application of the models to build, test and evaluate scenarios.

Cube has a series of Cube Extensions working within one integrated

software environment using one data source. These extensions provide capabilities for:

Passenger forecasting Freight forecasting Traffic microsimulation Trip matrix optimization

Cube has an intuitive model design and model application

workspace with extremely easy to use data manipulation features.

Cube provides direct access to and from ArcGIS, the industry standard for GIS systems.

Cube has tools for the development and sharing of high quality 2D

and 3D animations.

The Architecture of Cube Cube is a modular system comprised of a main component, Cube Base, and Cube Extensions which may be acquired for undertaking one or more specialized transportation techniques.

Cube Base

Cube Base provides tools for the:

development, editing, manipulation, mapping and graphing of data using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and other functions.

design and application of the modeling and microsimulation

process.

creation, management, comparison and analysis of scenarios.

Cube Base also provides for the direct use of ArcGIS from ESRI providing compatibility with ESRI data standards as well as the use of advanced GIS functions. In addition to serving as the user interface for all of the Cube Extensions, Cube Base may also be used to update and apply models developed in Citilabs’ other travel forecasting systems, TP+, TRIPS and TRANPLAN. Cube Extensions

Cube Voyager: Forecasting Personal Travel Demand

Cube Voyager combines the latest in Citilabs' technologies for the forecasting of personal travel. Cube Voyager uses a modular and script-based structure allowing the incorporation of any model methodology ranging from standard four-step models, to discrete choice to activity-based approaches. Advanced methodologies provide junction-based capacity restraint for highway analysis and discrete choice multiroute transit pathbuilding and assignment. Cube Voyager includes highly flexible network and matrix calculators for the calculation of travel demand and for the detailed comparison of scenarios. Cube Voyager was designed to provide an open and user-friendly framework for modeling a wide variety of planning policies and improvements at the urban, regional and long-distance level. Cube Voyager brings together these criteria within a comprehensive library of planning functions applied under the general Cube framework. This makes the management of data a snap, and the coding of complex methodologies simple via a step-by-step approach.

Cube Cargo – Forecasting Commodity Demand and Truck Flows

Test a wide variety of policies and infrastructure improvements, from pricing strategies to freight-specific facilities. Cube Cargo is the Cube Extension for freight forecasting, offering specific methodologies for studying freight demand using a commodity-based approach. Cube Cargo operates seamlessly with all of Cube including Cube Voyager and Cube ME. Cube Cargo also works with TP+ and TRIPS. With Cube Cargo you can add freight forecasting by leveraging your existing passenger data and models. Cube Cargo forecasts:

Matrices of tons of goods by commodity type by mode for use in the analysis of goods flows, and

Matrices of the number of trucks by truck type ready to be assigned

to estimate truck vehicle flows.

Cube Dynasim – Multimodal Traffic Microsimulation

Cube Dynasim is a powerful software system that helps the planner and engineer to design and analyze the interaction between alternative infrastructure, operating characteristics and travel demand. Cube Dynasim enables the user to simulate any size system in a user friendly graphical environment. Data are easily shared with other Cube functional libraries. Cube Dynasim captures the full dynamics of time dependent traffic phenomena using sophisticated driver behavior models. Cube Dynasim performs detailed operational analysis of complex traffic on roadways while realistically emulating the flow of automobiles, trucks, buses, rail and pedestrians. Cube Dynasim provides stunning 2D and 3D animations and graphics for clear evaluation.

Cube ME – statistically optimized trip matrix estimation

One of the most valuable pieces of data in transportation planning is an accurate origin-destination matrix of existing travel. It is the basis for forecasting and for almost all important comparative analyses. Cube ME is the Cube Extension developed specifically for estimating and updating base year automobile, truck and public transit trip matrices. Cube ME enables the user to exploit a wide variety of data that contribute to matrix updating and matrix development. Cube ME uses mathematical techniques to find trip matrices that are consistent with observed transport demand and count data. It does what many do by hand, but in a much more accurate and efficient way.

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The Cube User Environment The user environment of Cube has 3 principal windows:

Graphics: for network development, editing and high quality charting and mapping

Application Manager: the flow chart interface for building and

documenting the model process

Scenario Manager: the left-hand column used for managing scenario and associated input and output data and reports.

Cube Base – the user interface of Cube

Cube has two specific modes of operation known as:

Developer Mode, and Appliers Mode

When Cube is operating in Developer Mode, the environment is set for designing a model structure, manipulating the associated data and for creating all of the interfaces for efficient use of the model system. The primary interface in Developer Mode is the flow-chart style Application Manager.

Cube in Developer Mode

By selecting Appliers Mode, much of the model system itself including the model steps, model coefficients and other parameters are put in read-only mode. The primary interface in Appliers Mode is Scenario Manager and its associated model menu screen. The model menu can be customized in any way to make the use of the model system very easy to use eliminating the need for experts in travel modeling when developing and testing scenarios.

Cube in Applier Mode

Integration with ArcGIS In addition to the three principal Cube windows, Cube provides direct access to ArcGIS from ESRI. Moving data to ArcGIS is facilitated by switching from Cube Graphics to ArcGIS via the clicking of the ArcGIS icon located at the bottom right of the Cube interface. All of the layers and all of their data are transferred to ArcGIS along with a standard ArcGIS *.mxd file. These data are put within ArcGIS in ESRI standard shape format. The analyst can then use the data within ArcGIS and easily bring this data back to Cube for modeling and simulation.

Integration of the Cube Extensions The Cube Extensions, Cube Voyager, Cargo, Dynasim and ME, are addressed through the Application Manager window. Other products from Citilabs, such as TRIPS, TP+ and TRANPLAN may also be integrated in this way.

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Accessing Cube Extensions in Cube

This programs or functions are then used within Application Manager as the functions to be used in developing a modeling and simulation process. Other User Programs (specialized routines in C++, C, Fortran or any other programming language) can be easily incorporated in this way. Equally, third party software products such as Microsoft Excel and Crystal Reports from Crystal Decisions may be integrated within the Cube working environment.

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Chapter 2 About this Guide Discover Cube was developed to help you to understand and to learn how to use Cube. It is not intended to be a comprehensive users guide or to replace training courses, but is intended to help you understand how Cube works, what Cube can do and how to start using Cube in your transportation analysis. Discover Cube takes you through a series of interactive exercises to discover the functionalities provided by Cube. Discover Cube concludes with a discussion of services offered by Citilabs to help you migrate your existing model or to develop a new model system, our training courses our user support and our user forum. Included with Discover Cube is a CD containing data to be used in the lessons contained in this guide. You should run the installation prior to starting the lessons outlined below.

Installing the Demonstration Software and Data Insert the Cube Demo & Update CD into your system. A startup menu should appear. Select “install demonstration version” to install the demonstration version of Cube and follow the instructions on the screen.

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Chapter 3 Case Studies: Forecasting Personal Travel with Cube The following section takes you through three case studies showing how you would apply a typical travel forecasting model in the following situations. All of these examples use a forecasting model and datasets included on the Cube CD. If you have not yet installed the software and datasets, please refer to Chapter 2. It is best to do these case studies in their order.

Case Study 1: Studying a New Development One of the most common uses of a travel forecasting system is to estimate the traffic generated to and from a new housing, commercial or office development. In this example, we will use the Cube Demonstration Model to estimate the consequences of a new development on travel flow.

Start Cube by double-clicking the Cube icon on your computer desktop. (Alternatively, click the Start button on the Windows taskbar, point to Programs, point to Citilabs, click Cube.)

When Cube opens, you see the Cube start-up dialog on top of the

application window.

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Demo Data. This will open a Cube Catalog. A catalog holds all of the models, data and scenarios.

The demonstration catalog is shown with 3 sub-windows:

Scenarios: these are where we will develop our scenario and apply the model.

Data: holds the input and output data for each of the scenarios. This provides quick access to these files.

Applications: these are the available model processes that we can apply. In this section, we will be using the Cube Demonstration Model.

Prior to setting up the scenario for our new development, let’s get familiar with the model that will be used to test this new development.

Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration Model.app in the Applications sub-window. The model should open.

This window of Cube is known as Application Manager. It is a flow-chart view of the model process. Cube is operating in what is called ‘Appliers Mode’. This has taken the model and put it in a form that is easy to use

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by those that develop and run scenarios. In this mode, you cannot change the model, but you may apply the model. Later chapters in this book take you through exercises in developing model structures where you can learn how to design and calibrate the model. This model is a ‘4-step’ model of Trip Generation, Trip Distribution, Mode Choice and Assignment. It has other ‘steps’ for developing networks and for doing various analyses of the results. Cube is very open and flexible. Model developers are provided the tools to build almost any structure that might be desired including emerging methods in activity models and tour based approaches. We have used a 4-step model in the demonstration system as it is the most commonly used structure in most locations in the world. The flow chart shows the steps in the model. Each of these steps show light blue boxes on the left-hand side and green boxes on the right-hand side. The light blue boxes are inputs to the step and the green are the outputs of the steps. Linkages are made taking outputs to serve as inputs, etc. This model also includes a ‘loop’ and a ‘branch’. In this model, a loop has been placed around the distribution, mode choice and assignment stages of the model. This is what is known as a ‘feedback loop’ taking the travel times from the assignment model (congested travel time) and bringing that back to distribution to distribute the trips from zone to zone using these congested times. These are also used in the mode choice stage. The model iterates between these steps until a criteria has been achieved. The branch is used to select whether detailed analyses are requested or not.

Developing the Scenario

In this case study we will apply the model to see the impacts associated with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown. The model already has a ‘base case’ setup. It is located in the Scenarios sub-window and called Base.

Double-click on ‘Base’ in the scenario sub-window. The interface for applying the model opens as shown below.

This interface along with the questions, the colors and logo have been designed by the developer of the model using ‘developer mode’ in Cube. A model interface can have any questions that you would like to ask, any colors and any logos or other images. This allows you to build a customized interface for your model. First, let’s get familiar with Cubetown by looking at the highway system.

Click the ‘Edit’ button next to the highway network. This is the first Edit button on the right. This will open the highway network that we are using in the Base scenario.

The highway network is shown with a legend and several layers open. The Cube GIS system allows you to have unlimited layers. Layers that can be used include the standard Cube data formats, industry standard ESRI shape files and image formats (jpg, tif, etc.). In a future version of Cube, Cube will use directly data stored in ESRI geodatabase format.

Click on the layer control to see the layers that we have open. A dialog opens as shown below.

We have a highway network open and active, a public transit layer open but not shown on the screen and various shape and image layers. A drawing layer is also open. This layer is where you can place roadsigns and other information on the map.

Click on the check mark next to the TRN layer

Click Save Configuration

Click Close The map is now re-drawn with the transit layer shown.

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Now, let’s zoom to the area that will hold our shopping center.

Click View

Click Restore

Select Shopping Center This moves the map to the area where the shopping center will be located. We had previously bookmarked this zoom. You can bookmark up to 16 views and save this in the GIS workspace.

Our shopping center will be located as shown in the image above. It will have access to the roadway and transit line running in front. We also have a major road located not far away, route 81.

Running the Model for the Base Case

Close the map window by clicking on the small ‘x’ in the upper

right-hand corner. Save the project file when prompted. You should now see our scenario window.

The base scenario has previously been prepared. Run the scenario

by clicking on run at the bottom of the menu. The ‘task monitor’ window appears and shows the progress of the model run.

When the model has finished, a dialog box will appear. Click OK. Let’s look at the traffic assigned to our shopping center area, prior to implementing the shopping center.

Move your mouse to the Data sub-window in the column. Click on the ‘+’ on the Outputs.

Click on ‘+’ next to Highway Assignment

Double-click the HW Intersections file.

This opens the assigned network and estimated intersection flows for the tested scenario. The map has opened to the previously zoomed area (f not select View, Restore, Shopping Center).

Turn-off the transit layer, by selecting the layer control . Uncheck the box next to TRN.

Click Save Configuration.

Click Close.

Click on the pull-down arrow on the node color icon .

Click on Level of Service

Click on the pull-down arrow on the link color icon

Click on V/C ratios

We can now see the current traffic conditions around the shopping center. The intersections and roadways are at a good quality of level of service.

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Close the map window by clicking on the small ‘x’ in the upper right

hand corner.

When prompted to save the project file select Yes. This saves the selected node and color settings and location.

Running the Model for the Scenario

Let’s add in the shopping center and create a new scenario.

Right-click on ‘Base’ in the scenario sub-window

Select Add Child

Type in: Future Year

When the description dialog appears, click OK. You could add notes here about the scenario.

Right-click on Future Year

Select Add Child

Type in: Citimart

When the description appears, click OK.

The user menu now opens and is using, by default, all of the values from the Base scenario. We will make one change: adding in the proposed shopping center in the demographic data.

Click on edit next to the demographic data (TAZ).

When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and name the file “tazfuture.dbf”.

Cube has made a copy and opened the new file.

Our shopping center will add 1500 retail jobs. Replace the existing values in total jobs and retail jobs as follows:

Type in: 2885 for total jobs and 1557 for retail jobs for zone 1 After making the changes click on a different row so that you exit edit mode before closing the file by clicking on the small ‘x’. The file will automatically be saved. Note: there is currently no undo feature when editing DBF files.

Click the Run button This will now apply the model for the new scenario. A dialog will appear when the model run has completed. Close that dialog. Now, let’s look at the assignment results.

Make sure that the scenario Citimart is highlighted in the scenarios sub-window.

Double-click on HW intersections in the Data window.

The map opens in the same zoom as before with the same color sets selected except now we see the results from the Citimart scenario. The level of service and volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new Citimart.

Cube can be used to obtain an enormous variety of results and tables. Not all are shown here in this document. We have seen the volume and capacity and intersection level of service with and without the Citimart. It may also be useful to see the location and volume of travelers coming to and from the Citimart. This will show us the roadways that are being impacted by the development.

Click on Path, Click on Use Path File

Navigate to c:\cubetown\model\base\future year\citimart

Select roadpaths.pth as shown below.

Click Open

An information box appears with a summary of the information contained within this file.

Click OK. A new menu is added

Pull-down on the Mode menu

Select Selected Zones

You can either click on the zone centroid for zone 1 or just type in 1 for the origin.

For the destination, enter 2-25

Check Post Volumes

Check Single Color and select Red

It should appear as shown below.

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Click Display. The volumes coming from Citimart are displayed as shown below. It shows the routes that they use as well. A bandwidth is displayed of the level of traffic and the actual value is posted.

Click on the full extent button . This shows the entire network along with the information.

Close the map window by clicking on the small ‘x’ in the upper right hand corner.

Click on Save then Close in the model user menu. If another user menu remains open, Click on Save then Close. If prompted to create the Future Year scenario, Click Yes. Click Close.

Case Study 2: Studying a Proposed Roadway Improvement We will build on the work done in Case Study 1. Under that case study, we applied the model for our base situation and then created a new scenario with our shopping center, Citimart. We saw that the creation of Citimart leads to increased and unacceptable levels of traffic on the roadways and intersections nearby. We also saw the routes of travelers from the new shopping center. Under this case study, we will make some improvements to the roadway and intersections nearby and test the impact of these improvements.

If Cube is not open: (otherwise, advance to Developing the Scenario)



application window.

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Demo Data.

Open Discover Cube.cat as shown in the following graphic, and click Open.

Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration Model.app in the

Applications sub-window. The model should open in the main window.


In this case study we will apply the model to see the impacts associated with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown and some improvements to the roadway and the intersections.

Running the Model for the Scenario

Citimart has already been added to our demographic datafile tazcitimart.dbf. However, we need to modify the highway network to represent the improvements that we wish to test. First, let’s add in the new scenario.

Right-click on ‘Citimart’ in the scenario sub-window

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Select Add Child

Type in: Citimart with Road


The user menu now opens and is using, by default, all of the values from the Citimart scenario—its parent scenario. We will make one change: adding in the proposed roadway improvements near the proposed shopping center.

Click on edit next to the highway network.

When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and name the file “citimart.net”.

Cube has made a copy and opened the new file.

The highway network opens. Let’s look at the existing roadways.

If you are not zoomed to the Citimart area, click View, click Restore and select Shopping Center

Pull down on the link color menu and select Number of Lanes. This splits the links into their directions and shows the number of lanes by direction.

The roadways around the shopping center have 1 lane in each

direction.

In this scenario, we will add a lane in each direction to the roadways in the area. First let’s zoom out a bit.

Select the zoom out cursor and click once in the center of the map. You should have the following on your screen.

Click Polygon

Click New. This changes the cursor to a crosshair.

Click on points to create a polygon similar to that shown below. To

close the polygon, either click near the beginning or hold C and click. Your polygon should resemble that shown in the image below.

Click Link

Click Compute

On the pull-down, select set 10

In the large white box between Name: and Applies To:, right-click. Select Insert. This will open a space to enter a dialog

Right click in the dialog white space. This will bring a list of the

attributes on your network links.

Using Right-click or typing, type in the formula as shown below.

Click OK

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On the Applies To dialog, pull down and select: All Items Inside and

Crossing Polygon NOW

On the Condition, type in FUNC_CLASS=1-6 This is saying to add 1 lane to all facilities that are within or cross the polygon. However, only add these to links where the roadway type is 1-6 (i.e. not our centroids connectors). Your dialog should resemble the image shown below.

Click Apply

An information box appears saying how many links have been changed. Click OK.

Close the dialog

You should now see that the color of the links has changed. We

have added 1 lane to those links.

Save the network by clicking on the button We will now modify the intersections

Select Intersection

Select Open/Create Input Intersection Data File

Navigate to: C:\cubetown\highway network. Open the file titled: base.ind.

Let’s save this to a new file. Click Intersection

Click Save Intersection Data File As

Enter: citimart.ind and click Save

Click Post

Click Intersection Locations. You should see the following on the

screen.

We will now modify one of the signalized intersections and then copy that new setting to the others.

Make sure you are in Pointing Mode and click on intersection 788 located at the bottom of the screen within the polygon as shown below

The highway node information appears. Click on the cross-hair icon on this dialog.

We will modify the lane geometry at this intersection. Click on Lane

Geometry. Modify the diagram until you have as shown below. Add a right-turn-only lane in the southbound direction with 2 straight-only lanes, a second straight-only lane in the northbound direction, and add a left-turn-only lane in the eastbound direction. When completed, Click Save. Then, Click Save to Library. Click Browse and select Citilabs.ilb. Click Open. In the Intersection Name dialog type: Cubetown and Click OK. Click OK on the Information Dialog. Click OK to exit.

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Open each of the intersections within the polygon and add a lane to the turning movements

For the intersection that currently has a stop sign, Select Copy from

Library. Select Cubetown.

Go to the Lane Geometry and update to be as shown below:

Click Save

Click OK

After you have adjusted all of the intersections within the polygon, close the dialog and Click Intersection

Click Save Intersection Data File

Overwrite the existing file if prompted

Click Polygon

Click Hide

Click the refresh icon You should now have signals at each of the intersections. Your screen should appear as below.

Close the map. If prompted save, save the project file. You should now be back in the user menu. If not, double click on the Citimart with Road in the Scenario sub-window.

Update the information on the screen for Citimart with Road to use the new Intersection file (citimart.ind) and the new highway network (citmart.net). When completed your screen should appear as below.

Click Save

Click Run. The scenario will be tested. When it finishes a dialog will appear. Click OK.

This will now apply the model for the new scenario. A dialog will appear when the model run has completed. Close that dialog. Now, let’s look at the assignment results.

Make sure that the scenario Citimart with Road is highlighted in the scenarios sub-window.

Double-click on HW intersections in the Data window.

The map opens in the same zoom as before with the same color sets selected except now we see the results from the Citimart scenario. Pull down from the link color icon and select the VC ratio for the links. The level of service and volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new Citimart and Road Improvements. Some intersections continue to have level of service problems and in a real study, further improvements might be considered and tested.

Close the map by clicking on the small ‘x’ in the upper right hand corner. When prompted, Save the project file. Click Close on the model menu.

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Case Study 3: Studying Improvements in Bus Service We will build on the work done in Case Studies 1 and 2. Under those case studies, we applied the model for our base situation, for a base+Citimart and then for base+Citimart+road improvements. We saw that the creation of Citimart leads to increased and unacceptable levels of traffic on the roadways and intersections nearby and that substantial road improvements have helped but not eliminated all of the consequences of Citimart. Under this case study, we will make some improvements to the public transit system and test the impact of these improvements. If Cube is not open: (otherwise, advance to Developing the Scenario)



application window.



Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration. App in the

Applications sub-window. The model should open in the main window.


In this case study we will apply the model to see the impacts associated with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown and some improvements to the public transport system. Citimart has already been added to our demographic datafile tazcitimart.dbf. However, we need to modify the public transport network to represent the improvements that we wish to test. First, let’s add in the new scenario.

Right-click on ‘Citimart’ in the scenario sub-window

Select Add Child

Type in: Citimart with Rail


The user menu now opens and is using, by default, all of the values from the Citimart scenario—its parent scenario. We will make one change: adding in the proposed public transit improvements near the proposed shopping center.

Click on edit next to the public transit lines.

When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and enter the filename “citimart.lin”.

Cube has made a copy and opened the new transit file with the

network.

If you are not zoomed to the Citimart area, click View, click Restore and select Shopping Center. Your screen should appear as below. (note: you may need to zoom out a bit).

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We have one two-way transit line running in front of the shopping center. In this scenario, we increase the frequency of the service, add a stop in front of the shopping center and change mode from bus to rail.

Put the transit line on top for editing by pulling down on the layer selection section and clicking on the TRN layer. Your screen should appear as below.

Make sure you are in Pointing Mode and click on the transit line

A dialog appears with the current settings of the line as shown below.

Click in the white area next to Mode and type 1

Click in the white area next to Headway[1] and type 3

Click in the white area next to Headway_R[1] and type 3. This is the frequency of the service in the other direction

Click the green check mark

Click on the node just outside of the shopping center as shown

below

Click on the highlighted node in the list (1153). Remove the ‘-‘ dash. This makes this node a stop on the line.

Click the green check mark.

Close the dialog.

Click Transit

Click Save All Transit Files

Close the map by clicking on the small ‘x’ in the upper right hand

corner

Make sure your file and settings are as on the image below, Click Save, and Click Run

This will now apply the model for the new scenario. A dialog will appear when the model run has completed. Close that dialog. Now, let’s look at the assignment results.

Make sure that the scenario Citimart with Rail is highlighted in the scenarios sub-window.

Double-click on HW intersections in the Data sub-window

The map opens in the same zoom as before with the same color sets selected except now we see the results from the currrent scenario. Pull down and select the VC ratio for the links. The level of service and volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new Citimart and Rail. Some intersections continue to have level of service problems and in a real study, further improvements might be considered and tested.

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Close the map window

In the Data section, click on the ‘+’ next to PT Assignment

Double Click on PT Loads

This opens the loaded transit network. It shows the access links generated during the model run.

Click on the single bus icon on the main menu

Highlight the lines as shown below (you can use shift click and cntl-click) and click OK

Make sure the TRN layer is on top (use the layer control)

Place the cursor on the transit line and click

The dialog shows that we have two records. It is our new rail line separated by direction. Select the first Red line or Red- and Click OK. Close the Transit Route dialog.

Click on Transit

Click Show Transit On/Off

Click OK on the Maximum On/Off Bar Height dialog

A histogram is shown with number of people getting on, getting off and staying on the service

Click Transit

Click Show Transit Line Profile. This shows the same information in

another way. It is useful to show the maximum load point on the service

On the graphic, click show node name. Note that node 1153 is our

new shopping center node. It shows how many are getting on and off at that point

Close the dialogs and close the map You can continue on doing similar things investigating the results, making another scenario (what about the road improvements and the rail line?).

Close Cube by clicking on the large ‘X’ in the upper right hand corner. Click Save when prompted to save changes to the Catalog.

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Chapter 4 Case Studies: Microsimulation with Cube The following section takes you through a case study showing how you would undertake a microsimulation analysis with Cube Dynasim. Secondly, it shows you how to share the animations of the simulation with stakeholders. It builds on the results of the exercises in Chapter 3.

Case Study 5: Traffic Microsimulation of a Proposed New Development In the previous chapter we estimated the travel demand for a series of scenarios associated with the construction of a new regional shopping center – CitiMart. In many cases, it would be very useful to conduct a simulation—or microsimulation—of the traffic consequences. The demand model, under Cube Voyager, has gives us a lot of very useful information for a microsimulation: the trip matrices, the network and intersection information, the paths, the transit system, etc. Cube Dynasim is an integral part of Cube. We can export the information from the demand model directly to Cube Dynasim. This saves enormous amounts of time in running a microsimulation. In the following exercise, we will export the information from the Citimart scenario. The first step is creating an empty Cube Dynasim project to receive the export from Cube Base.

Start Dynasim by double clicking the desktop icon or from the Start Menu. You will see the Dynasim project management window

Place your cursor in the Study box, clear the existing value (if one is present) and enter a name for the study: Demo. (Note: your cursor needs to be within the box when typing)

Click ‘Add’. This creates a data file structure and may take a few moments

The new, empty, study opens in a new Dynasim edit window

Close Dynasim



application window.


Open Discover Cube.cat as shown in the following graphic, and click Open

In the Scenario sub-window, double click on Citimart. (note: you

may need to click on the ‘+’ to expand the scenarios)

In the Data section, expand the Outputs.

Expand the Highway Assignment section

Double click HW Intersections This will open the assigned network from the model run of the proposed CitiMart.

From the Intersection Menu select ‘Open/Create Input Intersection Data File’

Browse and Open the file ‘base.ind’ in: C:\cubetown\Highway

Network

Click Path

Click Use Path File

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Browse and Open the file ‘roadpaths.pth’ in C:\cubetown\model\base\future year\citimart. Click OK on the information dialog. Click Close on the Path file dialog.

Click on the Layer control icon . Make sure that the file: C:\cubetown\pt\basept.lin is open under the transit layer (TRN) and checked on.

Your screen should appear as below

Click View

Click Restore

Select Intersection Export

Select Polygon

Select Restore

Select Test Intersection

Select Post

Select Intersection Locations Your screen should appear as below

In the demonstration version, you may export a small intersection to Cube Dynasim. We will export this intersection, its flows, its transit and its signal settings to Cube Dynasim

Select Link

Export to CubeDynasim. A dialog appears. Complete the dialog as shown below

Select Export

Click OK on the sub-area extraction node renumbering dialog.

A message box reports the number of links exported

Click OK

A message box asks to ‘Open Dynasim?’

Click Yes. Cube Dynasim opens the exported network (note: if Dynasim fails to open, click on Dynasim on the Desktop to start and Open Demo)

Enlarge the Cube Dynasim window.

In the Main Dynasim window click ‘Network.’ This opens the

Network Scenario window.

Click once on ‘Scenario1’

Navigate to the Name field and enter a new Name for the scenario: ‘Base_Photo’

Click ‘Apply’ to rename the scenario and click ‘Visualize’ to show the

airphoto.

Next a second scenario will be added which uses the DXF file as the background.

Click once on the new ‘Base_Photo’ scenario

Navigate to the Name field and enter a new Name for the new scenario: ‘Base_DXF’

Select ‘background.dxf from the Map field

Click ‘Add’

Click ‘Quit’

Click ‘Save’

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Now Simulation scenarios must be defined. A Simulation scenario consists of a combination of Network, Flow, Signals, and PT scenarios.

Click ‘Simulations’ to open the Simulation Management Window.

The list of Simulation scenarios will contain one scenario using the exported ‘Base_Photo’ Network scenario.

Next, a Simulation scenario with the ‘Base_DXF’ network will be

added.

Select the ‘Base_DXF’ scenario from the dropdown list of Network scenarios

Select the ‘Flow AM Peak’ scenario from the dropdown list of Flow

scenarios

Select the ‘timing1’ scenario from the dropdown Clist of Signals scenarios

Select the ‘CubePT’ scenario from the list of PT scenarios

Click ‘Add’ The new simulation scenario now appears in the list

Now Simulation scenarios must be defined. A Simulation scenario consists of a combination of Network, Flow, Signals, and PT scenarios.

Select the ‘Base_DXF’ Simulation scenario the list.

Click ‘Simulate’ and wait until the circle underneath the filmstrip icon turns green.

Select the ‘Base_Photo’ Simulation scenario the list.

Click ‘Simulate’ and wait until the circle underneath the filmstrip

icon turns green.

First we will show the 2D animation of the results on the background shape layers that have been exported as standard DXF files used by Cube Dynasim. Equally, the 2D animation can be shown on the exported photographic image.

Select the ‘Base_DXF’ Simulation scenario from the list.

Click ‘Views’, then ‘Animate’

The Controller window opens. From the View Menu select ‘Open a View’

Highlight ‘Plan’ and Click ‘OK’

The Controller and an overhead View of the intersection is shown.

Zoom-in to the intersection in the View window.

In the Controller window click Play.

Control the speed of the animation with the slider along the bottom of the Controller window.

Now we will show the 3D animation of the results.

From the View Menu in the Controller window, select ‘Open a View’

Highlight ‘Plan 3d’ and Click ‘OK’

Double-click to recenter the 3d view on the study intersection.

Zoom-in to the intersection by left-clicking and dragging the mouse up.

Zoom-out by left-clicking and dragging the mouse back.

The Zoomed in view of the intersection is shown.

To rotate the view up and down around the focus point, right-click and drag the mouse up or down.

To rotate around the focus point, left-click and drag the mouse

right or left.

When finished viewing the animation, close the Controller.

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Now we will show the 2D animation on the exported photographic image.

Select the ‘Base_Photo’ Simulation scenario from the list.

Click ‘Animation’

The Controller window opens. From the View Menu select ‘Open a View’

Highlight ‘Plan’ and Click ‘OK’

The Controller and an overhead View of the intersection is shown.

Zoom-in to the intersection in the View window.

In the Controller window click Play.

Control the speed of the animation with the slider along the bottom

of the Controller window.

When finished viewing the animation, close the Controller.

In the Simulations Management window, click the Scenario button in the bottom right hand corner if it is present and click Quit to exit.

Click Save and Close Dynasim.

This was a one intersection example of Cube Dynasim and the export capabilities in Cube. Cube Dynasim can handle very large scale problems, interchanges, bus terminals, etc.

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Case Study 6: Sharing Microsimulation Animations with Stakeholders and Making Rendered Animations In the previous section we have taken you through the export of 1 intersection into Cube Dynasim. This is allowed using the demonstration version of the software. Cube Dynasim can be used for a very wide variety of analyses including:

The study of freeway interchanges Downtown circulation Toll plazas Ramp metering Roundabouts Large networks Rail road priority Transit center Airport frontage Parking lot Circulation around new developments Incident analysis ITS improvements Transit priority Signal timing studies Special event planning Truck terminal Lane closures during construction Passing lane studies Carpool lanes

An important advantage provided with Cube Dynasim is the ability to export the animations. These animations can then be freely given to anyone to view, pan, use in car views, etc. The person viewing the animation does not need to own Cube Dynasim.

Example Exported Animations

Included on the demonstration CD are several exported simulations. These can be easily viewed and gives further insight into the capabilities of Cube Dynasim. Rendering As you have seen, it is very easy to use shape, DXF and image files in Cube Dynasim animations. It is also possible to create rendered, high quality 3D animations using rendering. Cube Dynasim uses 3DS formats --an open, industry-standard format. You can create these using any 3D software such as 3DStudio, or the rendering tools in Autocad or many other software packages. We have created several examples:

1. Go to Start, and click on Citilabs licensed (or demo) software and start Cube DynasimViews.

2. In the menu, you will have several 3D animations. One contains a detailed lightrail/bus ; the other the test intersection.

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Chapter 5 Case Studies: Forecasting Freight with Cube The following section takes you through two case studies showing how Cube can be used to forecast commodity and truck flows. First we will apply Cube Cargo to estimate base situation commodity levels by mode and truck matrices.



application window.



This will open a Cube Catalog. A catalog holds all of the models, data and scenarios.

The demonstration catalog is shown with 3 sub-windows:

Scenarios: these are where we will develop our scenario and apply the model.

Applications: these are the available model processes that we can apply. In this section, we will be using the Cube Cargo Demonstration.

Data: holds the input and output data for each of the scenarios. This provides quick access to these files.

Prior to setting up the scenario for our new development, let’s get familiar with the model that will be used to test this new development.

Double click on Cube Cargo Demonstration.app in the Applications sub-window. The model should open in the main window.

This window of Cube is known as Application Manager. It is a flow-chart view of the model process. Cube is operating in what is called ‘Appliers Mode’. This has taken the model and put it in a form that is easy to use by those that develop and run scenarios. In this mode, you cannot

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change the model, but you may apply the model. Later chapters in this book take you through exercises in developing model structures where you can learn how to design and calibrate the model. The flow chart shows the steps in the model. Each of these steps shows light blue boxes on the left-hand side and green boxes on the right-hand side. The light blue boxes are inputs to the step and the green are the outputs of the steps. Linkages are made taking outputs to serve as inputs, etc.

Running the Base Situation

In the case studies we will be testing two scenarios:

1. The impact of adding a new north-south rail service 2. The impact of higher road costs on the mode shares by

commodity class and the resulting truck flow levels. The model already has a ‘base case’ setup. It is located in the Scenarios sub-window and called Base.

Double-click on ‘Base’ in the scenario sub-window. The interface for applying the model opens as shown below.

This interface along with the questions, the colors and logo have been designed by the developer of the model using ‘developer mode’ in Cube. A model interface can have any questions that you would like to ask, any colors and any logos or other images. This allows you to build a customized interface for your model. First, let’s get familiar with the study area prior to running the model.

Click the ‘Edit’ button next to the roadway network. This is the first Edit button on the right. This will open the highway network that we are using in the Base scenario. You may need to zoom out.

The highway network is shown with a legend and several layers open. The Cube GIS system allows you to have unlimited layers. Layers that can be used include the standard Cube data formats, industry standard ESRI shape files and image formats (jpg, tif, etc.). In a future version of Cube, Cube will use directly data stored in ESRI geodatabase format. The map also shows rail services connecting major points. This study area is much larger than the area that we are interested in.

Click View

Click Restore

Select Cubetown

The map is zoomed to Cubetown. A Cube Cargo model is used to study both long distance and local freight levels. In order to properly study the amount of goods flow by mode passing through or to and from Cubetown, we have created a large scale study area. In addition to rail services, the study area has river services.

Click on the Layer control button

Double-click on the TRN layer name and change the file name by browsing to Cargoriver.lin.

Close the Dialog by clicking on All Done. Zoom to full extent by

clicking on .

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The river services are shown. It becomes clear that the mode choice implications of the freight will have an important impact on the amount of truck flow that goes through the study area of Cubetown.

Close the map. Save if prompted.

Click Run on the model menu. Close the dialog when the run has completed.

Case Study 7: Forecasting Demand for a Proposed New Rail Freight Service One of the characteristics of Cubetown is that it presently serves as the region’s rail hub. Freight arrives from all areas and is transferred at Cubetown. The operators of the rail service, have decided to consider the market for a new, direct north south rail freight service. We will help them study that with the Cube Cargo model.

Right click on Base in the Scenario sub-area

Click on Add Child

In the area: type newrail

Click OK on the information dialog

On the rail line input, select cargofuturerail.lin

The new rail file is the same as used in the base year except a new rail service is offered from the southern to the northern portions of the study area without stopping in Cubetown.

Click on Save

Click on Run The model is applied with the new rail service. While Cube Cargo gives a wide variety of statistics and results including detailed matrices of commodity and truck flows, a principal result from the current test is the evaluation of the reduction in truck flows and the increase in rail tons. In the Data section (expand the outputs), two files are output giving the difference between the base case the and currently run scenario. Truck Change gives a matrix with the reduction in annual truck flows. Commodity change gives the change in the tons of commodities transported by mode per year.

Double click on truck change. The matrix opens

Double click on commodity change. The matrices open. When done reviewing, close the two matrices.

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Case Study 8: Forecasting the Impact of Rail Pricing on the Level of Truck Traffic The Cube Cargo model evaluates level of service changes but also changes in costs. In the following cash study, rail costs are raised 10%.

Right click on Base in the Scenario sub-area

Click on Add Child

In the area: type rail_increase

Click OK on the information dialog

The rail and river input services should be the same as the base scenario

Click the button to increase rail costs by 10%.

Click on Save

Click on Run The model is applied with the existing rail and river services. The only change over the base situation is that rail costs are increased by 10%. In the Data section (expand the Outputs), two files are output giving the difference between the base case the and currently run scenario. Truck

Change gives a matrix with the change in annual truck flows. Commodity change gives the change in the tons of commodities transported by mode per year.

Double click on truck change. The matrix opens

Double click on commodity change. The matrices open.

Chapter 6 Developing Base Data in Cube A transportation planning model requires a description of the transportation supply (roadways, public transit services, etc.) and the data which relates to the demand for travel (population, employment, etc.). In the following exercises, you will:

build a highway network from an ESRI shape file, add centroids and develop centroids connectors

add intersection data to the highway network and create a template for use on other intersections

code a public transit route and modify a public transit route create a drawing layer and annotate the base data map with road

signs.

Developing a Highway Network Highway networks describe the roadway facilities that will be used in the model. Highway networks can be developed using several different techniques:

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geocode and develop the network from maps and other printed data sources

take an existing network and update it for use in your model develop a network from GIS data sources such as TIGER data in the

USA or other similar sources available in some locations. In this exercise, we will undertake option develop a network from a GIS data source in ESRI shape data format.



application window.

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Cancel.

Select File, select Open.

Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\develop a highway network. Click Highway_Network.shp, as shown in the following graphic, and click Open.

The shape file opens. The area covers an urbanized area and contains information on most of the roadways.

The forms in the shape file are colored in a light blue by default.

On the menu, click on the Layer control icon . The Layer dialog opens. One layer is open, the shape file that we selected.

Highlight the layer, by clicking on the file and click on Layer Properties. The Polyline Layer Properties dialog opens for the selected layer.

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Under Link, check the box next to Color.

Click on the Change…button to the immediate right. The Polyline Layer Link Color Specification dialog opens.

Click on Insert once.

Click the down arrow on the pull-down color palette menu. Select Div-orange-blue.

Click on the dark blue color in the middle of the palette. The link

color has now changed to the selected blue.

Click All Done. The dialog closes and the shapes are now shown in the selected blue. Cube allows you to set color styles. Under

Group Name in the Polyline Layer Link Color Specification, we could have added a Group Name and Cube would have remembered this setting. Whenever you would like to set the color of the shapes to this blue, you could then just select that color specification 1.

From the main menu, select GIS Tools, select Build Network from Shape. The Save Highway Network File dialog opens pointing to the source directory for the shape file.

In the File name box, type example.net, and select Save.

The Build Highway Network from Line Shape File opens.

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A highway network in Cube uses traditional node-based techniques. Cube requires that the shape file have either two fields with pre-existing node numbers, or two fields where it can create numbers. In the current shape file, we have already created two fields called A and B and have node numbers. If we wanted to number (or re-number) the nodes, we would check the box ‘clear all values in the A-Node and B-Node fields first’. In the current exercise we will not check this box. A highway network has one-way and two-way roadways. If the shape file has such an attribute available, you would select ‘use indicator field’. You may also create a distance attribute and provide a scale. Node Grouping Limit is used to specify when new nodes are created in areas with many nodes. It is best to use a very small value here such as 0.0001. The Starting New Node Number and Highest Zone Number are used to set these values.

Fill-in the dialog as shown below and Click on Build.

Cube builds a highway network from the shape file.

On the menu, click on the Layer control icon . The Layer dialog opens.

Double click on the Highway layer (currently not filled). The

Highway Layer Parameters dialog opens.

Browse to the network we just created entitled Example.net

Click on All Done.

The highway network is now opened along with the source shape file. You can observe that the shapes have been simplified into straight lines.

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Click on GIS Tools, click on True Shape Display. The Display True Link Shape dialog opens.

Click on On.

A dialog appears saying that it has found matches between the links and the shapes.

Click OK. The network now takes the form of the shape file. We have now converted shape source data to a network for use in modeling and linked it to the source shape file so that it takes the form of the shapes.

Click on the pull down layer bar and click and release HWY:EXAMPLE.NET. This will make the highway network that we have created the active network.

Click on any roadway in the network and the Highway Links dialog will appear. This shows the attributes available to us in the highway network. These are all of the attribute that were present on the source shape file.

Close the dialog box.

Close Cube.

When prompted, Select Yes to Save Project File.

When prompted Select Save and close the program.

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Developing a Zones and Zone Centroids Connectors In the previous exercise we have created a highway network. In a transportation model we need to develop a zone system and create a connection between the center of the zones (centroids) and the highway network with special links called centroids connectors. Cube provides some automated techniques for reducing the time required to do this task.



application window.


Select File, select Open.

Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\developing centroids.

Click Example.VPR, as shown in the following graphic

Click Open.

The highway network that was created in the previous lesson is opened.


Double click on Boundary and the Boundary Layer Parameters

dialog opens.

Click on browse and navigate and select TAZ.SHP.

Click All Done. The map window now shows the network and the zone boundaries.

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Select the menu option Node, Automatic Add Centroids. The Select an Item dialog appears.

Highlight TAZ and Select OK.

An Information dialog appears saying that 16 centroids have been added. Cube has placed the centroids in the geographic center of the boundaries (zone boundaries) and used the numbering from the zone boundary shape file.

Select the menu option Node, Automatic Add Centroid Connectors. The Automatic Centroid Connectors Generation dialog appears.

Complete the dialog as shown below

Click OK

Click on the right button of the mouse when completing the last

box. This provides a list of the link attributes.

A dialog appears noting how many centroids connectors have been generated.

Click OK. The dialog closes and the network is shown with the generated centroids connectors.

Click File

Click Save

Close Cube and Save the project file when prompted.

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Representing Intersections Cube provides three ways to represent congestion on the highway network:

No congestion. Capacity restraint is not used Link-based congestion. The ‘standard’ method of constraining

network flow in the traffic assignment model Junction-based congestion. Junction modeling attempts to simulate

the congestion on a roadway network by modeling what happens at the intersections and merges. This methodology provides an improvement over both of the other methods but requires further data preparation.

In this exercise we will code the intersection information necessary for junction-based capacity restraint.



application window.


Select File

Select Open

Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\representing intersections


Click Open.

The network opens.


Double click on Image and the Image Layer Parameters dialog

opens.

Browse and select c:\cubetown\media\background.tif

Click All Done. The network opens with an air photo located in the northern portion of the study area. Cube can have as many image layers as you want. In this example, we have opened one layer. This air photo will help us to code the intersection, but it is not required to do this.

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Click on the ‘zoom to node’ icon

When prompted for the node Enter 791

Click OK

When prompted for the Window Width, enter 1000

Click OK. The view is zoomed to the intersection.

Our intersection data will be stored in a file.

Click on the main menu Intersection

Click on Open/Create Input Intersection Data File

In the dialog, Navigate to the Representing Intersections folder

Enter the file name example.ind

Click Open

When prompted to create a new file, click OK

If the intersection dialog opens, Click Cancel.

Click on the node in the center of the screen. The node dialog will open.

Click on the Intersection Icon on the dialog box. The Intersection dialog opens. The dialog shows that this intersection is not coded.

Pull down on the intersection type menu

Select Adaptive Signal, Geometric (HCM). Cube provides two techniques for modeling capacity at intersections. One is known as Saturation Flows and was developing in the UK. The others is

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Geometric developed in the USA. Geometric is also known as the methodology used in the USA Highway Capacity Manual. Cube follows the HCM methods and calculations published in the most recent version of the HCM manual.

The dialog now shows a diagram of the intersection. It also shows that it is using Meters.

Select Feet

When prompted, select Yes

Click on the First Arm. This highlights what Cube believes to be the major movement at the intersection.

Click on Phases. The dialog now changes and provides the opportunity to represent up to 8 signal phase

Click on the arms of Phase 1 and Phase 2 and complete the signal

phasing as shown below.

Click on Lane Geometry

Complete the diagram as show below. This is choosing the number of lanes for each of the movements as well as setting lane sharing.

Other parameters may be added. The dialog prompts for all of the possible inputs that are used in the Geometric (HCM) methodology. We will use the default values for the remainder. Now that we have coded one intersection, we can save this intersection into the Library of intersection types.

Click Save to Library. The Intersection Library dialog opens.

Enter the name of this intersection as shown in the image below

Click OK. Cube comes with several intersection templates. We have just added another to the system that we can use when coding other intersections. Experiment on another intersection and use the Copy from Library function to do so.

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Select OK on the intersection dialog to close

Select Post

Select Intersection Locations. An icon now appears showing that an Adaptive Signal has been coded.

Select Intersection

Select Save Intersection File and save the file

Close Cube and save the Project File when prompted.

Developing a Public Transit Network In this exercise, we will code a public transit line. Cube allows you to code all types of public transit (bus, tramway, heavy rail, etc.). In this exercise we will code a bus line.



application window.


Select File

Select Open

Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\developing a public transit network


Click Open.

The network opens.

On the menu, click on the Layer control icon . The Layer dialog opens

Double click on Transit and the Open TRNLAYER Layer Parameters

dialog opens

Navigate to the folder Developing a Public Transit Network

In the file name window, type: example.lin

Click on Open.

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This file does not exist and Cube prompts asking if you would like to create this file.

Click Yes and Select Voyager PT Line Format

Click OK

Select All Done when prompted. The file has been created and the layer has now been added.

Pull down on the Layer order control and select and release the

TRN: example.lin layer. This makes the public transit line layer the active layer so that it may be edited. It is important in Cube to always choose the layer that you wish to work using the layer order control.

We now have a public transit layer and it is now on top for editing.

On the main menu, Click Transit

Click Line Manager. The public transit line manager dialog opens. It shows the files that are available for editing as well as the transit lines that are currently in the file

Click New on the Line Options.

A dialog box opens and prompts you for the name of the line.

Type in Red Flash

Click OK. The dialog box closes and we now have created a transit line.

With the Red Flash highlighted, click on Edit. The transit line coding dialog opens.

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Click on the Route Edit button on the dialog . If you move the cursor over the map, you should now have a cross-hair. We are now ready to trace the line and locate the stops.

Click on the ‘zoom to node’ icon

When prompted for the node Enter 791

Click OK

When prompted for the Window Width, Enter 25000

Click OK. The view is zoomed to the intersection

Click on Post

Click on One-Way Arrow on Network. This shows the one way roadways in our network and the direction of movement.

Select Post

Select All Nodes

Click OK. This brings the node numbers on to the screen.

We will code a line that goes from the northern portions of the window to downtown.

Move the cursor, Click on Node 804. The node should flash. Note the text at the bottom of the screen. It prompts you for different ways to code the line. We will be using Click-auto route with stop node. Click on 798. The route of the line is found via the minimum path. You now have coded a transit line starting at node 804, traveling to node 798. Stops are at nodes 804 and 798.

Continue coding the line.

Click on node 791

Click on node 784

Click on node 780

Click on node 764

Click on node 763

Click on node 754

Hit the Escape key on your keyboard. Escape takes you out of the line coding mode

Click on the Green Check on the line coding dialog. This accepts

what you have coded.

Pull-down on the line coding dialog to make it longer. You can see the nodes that make up the route. Nodes with a ‘-‘ in front provide the route, but are not stops. No boardings or alightings will be allowed at these nodes. Where no ‘-‘ is present, Cube will allow boarding and alighting.

Scroll up to the top of the list using the slider bar.

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At the top, you will see Mode.

Next to that, type in 1. By default, Cube provides you with a dialog for adding the mode number and the nodes that make up the route and stops. You may also want to add other elements to describe the line.

Click on the insert row icon . This opens a dialog with a list of variables that may be added to the line.

Scroll and Click on Headway[1]

Select OK. Headway for Modeling period 1 is added to the line

Click on Color

Select OK

Click on Cancel on the dialog to close the dialog

In the Color box, type 3

In the Headway[1] type 10

Click on the Green check mark and close the dialog. The line now is shown using a red line.

Click on transit from the main menu

Click on Line Manager

Click on Save to save the changes that we have made

Click on Exit.

Click on Transit from the main menu

Click on Show Stop/Non-Stop Nodes. The dialog opens.

Click the two check boxes and accept the default colors and sizes

Click OK. The transit line now shows where it runs, where it stops and where it does not stop.

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Close Cube and save the Project File when prompted.

Using Drawing and Other Layers in Cube Cube allows you to label the map with a variety of road signs, call out boxes, etc. You do this by using one or more Drawing layers.



application window.


Select File, select Open

Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\using drawing layers


Click Open.

The network opens.


Double click on Drawing and a dialog box opens.

Navigate to the folder Using drawing layers

In the file name window, type: example.drw

Click on Open.

Select All Done when prompted. The file has been created and the layer has now been added.

Pull down on the Layer order control and select and release the

DRW: example.drw layer. This makes the drawing layer the active layer so that it may be edited. It is important in Cube to always choose the layer that you wish to work using the layer order control.

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Click on Drawing

Click on New Object

Select Symbol. The cursor now turns to a cross-hair

Draw a box in the location and of approximately the size shown in the image below.

Release the button.

The symbol/layers properties dialog appears.

Complete the dialog as shown below. The Name field gives the symbol a name as it will be saved in the Cube project file. The location is the XY location of the symbol and we are using it in coordinates. The other options are for font, placing the text and coloring.

Click OK and a route symbol (US interstate) has been added to the map

Click anywhere on the map to clear the cursor.

Click on the symbol

Select the copy icon from the main menu. This copies the symbol to the Windows clipboard.

Now, Click the paste icon

Click on the roadway in some other location. You can quickly and

easily make a road sign once and then copy and paste it to locations as you like.

To exit from copy, type your Escape key.

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Now, lets copy and modify the road sign for the north-south roadway.

Click on one of the road signs

Click on the Copy icon

Click on paste

Position the cursor over the north-south roadway and click

Hit escape. You should have something similar to below.

Double-click on the new road sign and open the properties dialog.

Change the label field from 25 to 40

Change the Name field to I-40.

Click on OK. The dialog closes and the information is updated.

Click on Drawing from the main menu

Click on Save File

Close Cube and save the project file when prompted.

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Chapter 7 Developing a Model in Cube The following lessons use the Application Manager and Scenario Manager windows of Cube. These two tools are used for designing the model and linking the model to and from data sources. A model in Cube is designed using a Application Manager. The model is saved in an ‘Application (*.app)”. A model is typically portrayed on several Application files organized in a hierarchy. The applications are stored within an overall folder or ‘Catalog’. The Catalog holds ‘everything’: the applications (models), the input and output data, the combinations of the inputs and outputs organized into scenarios and a special item called ‘Keys’. Keys are used to link data and parameters from the User Menu to the Application. The following lessons will give you the basics of this process.

Developing Catalogs and Applications The following lesson will introduce you to the concepts and functions of Catalogs and Applications.



application window.

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Create a New Catalog

Click OK.

Navigate to the folder Catalogs and Applications

Enter: Example.cat

Click Save.

A catalog is created and opened. The catalog shows, by default, all four of the sub-windows available for use in the Catalog:

Scenarios. By default, Cube creates a scenario called ‘Base’. This will be for your ‘base’ scenario (model validation scenario or some other ‘base’ to be used in comparisons). We will create our other scenarios in this window.

Applications. This window will hold the Applications that we will

create. The ‘Applications’ are the model processes.

Data. By default, Cube creates two folders within the Data section, called Input and Output. The input and output data along with reports, will be stored for each of the scenarios under the Data section. This provides quick access to these files.

Keys. The use of Keys will become more evident as we go through

the lessons. For those that have worked in modeling for some years, these can be termed ‘substitutable parameters’. A user of the model will be prompted in a menu for the ‘key inputs’ that make up an run of the model. The values they enter will then be substituted into the Application (model processes).

Click File

Click New

Click New Application. The Application Information dialog opens. Complete the dialog as shown below

Click OK. Note: Application Group Type is used to define whether

the model will be built using Cube Voyager or one of the Citilabs’ legacy systems: TRIPS, TP+ or TRANPLAN. In the current lesson, we will use Cube Voyager.

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Navigate to the folder Catalogs and Applications

Click Save.

Right click anywhere within the Application Manager window

Click Add Application to Catalog. This adds the current application to the Catalog.

Save the Catalog by clicking on the Diskette icon just above

Example.cat. This diskette saves things within the Catalog

Click on the other Diskette icon just next to the print icon to save whatever is active in the main window.

We will now create a simple model process using Application Manager. This process will be to run a traffic assignment.

On the main menu, Click Program

Click Passenger Forecasting

Select Voyager

Select Highway. A program step is inserted and a dialog box appears with some available model templates for Highway.

Click on Single Matrix Equilibrium Traffic Assignment using Time. A dialog box appears prompting for the input and output files

Click Done.

The screen now shows just the Highway box on the screen. The ‘inputs’ on the left-hand side of the box show the possible inputs to Highway. A key input, already named and shown in blue, is the Script File. The Script File is where we tell the process, in this case Highway, what we would like it to do. We have already selected a pre-programmed, or template function (Single Matrix Equilibrium Traffic Assignment using Time). However, we have not chosen to specify the input and output files when prompted. We will do this using Keys.

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In the white space in the Keys area of Scenario Manager (left-hand column), right-click

Click Add. The New Key dialog appears

Fill in the fields as shown in the image below.

Once you have completed the fields

Click Add on the List of Allowed Values section. Navigate to the folder Catalogs and Applications

Highlight and click add for two files: Base.net and Citimart.net.

(note: if you type the suffix in the dialog box *.net, it will be easier to find these files. You should now return to the original dialog. It should appear as below

Click OK.

The Key we have just added, Network, now appears in the Key section of Scenario Manager. We will now add another Key.

Right click in the white space in the Key area

Click Add

Complete the dialog as shown below. Use the Add key to select two options.

Click OK. This closes the dialog and we now have two keys in the Keys section of Scenario Manager.

Save the Catalog. We will now link the values that are selected via

the keys to the application.

Place the cursor on Network File on the input side of Highway and right click.

Select Link to…

Select Link to Catalog Key. The following dialog opens.

Double click on Network in the Keys area. It should appear in the Data Name section in curved brackets.

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Click OK. The dialog closes and a yellow arrow head is shown next to Network File. This shows that the input for this value is coming from a Key.

Right click on Matrix File 1.

Select Link to….

Link to Catalog Key

In the dialog, double click on Trips. It should appear in the Data Name field in curved brackets

Click OK.

We will now set the outputs. We will create two outputs, a print file showing the results of the assignment and an assigned network file.

Right click on Print File on the output side of Highway

Click Auto Name Chosen File. We will let Cube create a default file name for this file.

When prompted about the location of the file, click Yes.

Right click on Network File on the output side of Highway

Click New File. Complete the dialog as shown below and type Save.

If we run this process for several iterations, it will, by default over write the output files. If we wish to save an output for each of the scenarios, we need to make it ‘scenario specific’.

Right click on the Highway Network output file

Click on Make File Scenario Specific

Complete the dialog as shown below

Click OK.

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The dialog clears and the Highway box now shows the output file Highway Network with a yellow dot. This indicates that it is coded as Scenario Specific.

We have now finished coding our process (a nice simple one!). We can now ‘hide’ the input and output files that we do not need.

Click on View

Click on Hide Unused Files (all programs). This hides the unused files. If you ever need to see them, just unclick the box.

We will now create our scenarios to run and prepare the process for use by non-experts.

Double click on ‘Base’ in the Scenarios section of Scenario Manager. This brings up the menu for the user of this process. We generated this when we created our keys (eg radio buttons…).

Let’s change the look of this menu a bit to make it more attractive.

Click cancel to close the dialog

Right click on the ‘tab’ labeled Example.cat on the top of Scenario Manager

Click on Properties. This opens a dialog for setting global settings

for the catalog

Click on the Scenario Editing Tab.

Click on Browse

Navigate and select Cubetown.bmp

Uncheck the two boxes

Click Background color

Select orange.

Click on Font for Prompts

Set the current font to White

Click OK until you have closed the dialogs

Now double click on ‘Base’ under scenario. The menu should now appear as below

Click cancel.

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We will now set up our scenarios.

Double click on Base.

You should click on the Base.net and Base.mat files and say OK. This sets these two files as the input for this scenario. It should be as in the previous image.

We will now create a second scenario.

Right click in the white space in the Scenario box of Scenario Manager

Click on Add Child

In the box, type: Citimart. A description dialog opens

Click on OK.

Select on the two Citimart files (*.net and *.mat)

Click OK

Save the Catalog and the Application

If you right click on the scenarios and choose ‘run’ it will run the

selected scenario

Close Cube and save the project file when prompted.

Making the Model Ready for Application In the last lesson, we learned how to create a catalog, create an application, create keys, how to link the keys to the application and how to make a user menu for the model. In this lesson, we will learn a couple of small ‘fine-tuning’ options to prepare the model for use by a non-expert.



application window.

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Open an Existing Catalog

Click OK.

Navigate to the folder Making the Model Ready for Application and select: Example.cat

Click Open.

Double click on EXAMPL00.app in the Application window of Scenario Manager. The application opens in the main screen in Application Manager.

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Double click on Network on the input side of Highway. The network is opened in the main window. Notice that a background color is set, legends and other features. These come from a file that is located in the folder containing our application.

Close the map by selecting the lower ‘X’.

Expand our scenarios in Scenario Manager by clicking on the ‘+’ sign next to Base in the Scenario window

Now, click once on Citimart. This makes this scenario the active

scenario

Click once on the Network input to Highway. You can see that the file name is substituted and is now Citimart.net.

Double click on Citimart.net. The network opens in the main window. Notice that the appearance is very different. This is because this file does not have a graphics project file associated with it

Close the network by clicking on the lower ‘x’.

Click on Application

Click on Properties. The properties dialog opens as shown below

In the ‘Visual Project File’ box browse and select the project file: base.vpr

Click OK

Save the application.

Now, double click on the Network input file. It now opens with the colors, legends, etc. By pointing to a visual project file via

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Application Manager, any map data will use this file for coloring, legends, etc.

Close the map by clicking on the small ‘x’.

Right click on the tab at the top of Scenario Manager labeled Example.cat

Click Properties. The catalog properties dialog opens. Note that

the radio button selected under Model User is Model Applier

Select Model Applier

Click OK. The keys are no longer shown, by default, in Scenario Manager as this is information that is not to be changed by a non-expert.

Double click on Base under the Scenarios in Scenario Manager. The user menu now fills the entire screen. In a normal model, you would most likely have many user prompts. A ‘user’ or ‘applier’ of the model will therefore be able to add and run scenarios via Scenario Manager as well as open the inputs and output via the Data section of Scenario Manager. This mode of operating Cube presents a simpler working environment and also makes the model in Application Manager read-only

Close Cube and save when prompted.

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Chapter 8 User Support/Training/Consulting with Cube Citilabs is committed to helping you get the most out of Cube. User support is offered with each new product purchase helping you to install and understand the use of our software. In-depth training courses are offered several times a year in various areas of the world.

User Support Citilabs provides free user support for all new product or upgrade purchases. Additional user support can be purchased on an annual basis through a software maintenance contract. A maintenance contract provides you with user support and free software updates as long as you are under maintenance.

User Forum Citilabs has an online-user forum. The user forum is a place where users can exchange information and ideas and draw on the large body of knowledge in the Citilabs user community. We encourage you to join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/citilabs

Training Training sessions are held at least two times per year in each of our offices in San Francisco, London and Washington. Additional training courses are provided in other major cities. Please visit our website at http://www.citilabs.com/training for a listing of currently scheduled courses and locations. If you have specific training needs that are not met by our regular course offerings, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you to develop appropriate training for your specific needs.

Consulting and Assistance Citilabs is a full-service multi-modal transportation software and planning firm. We offer a range of consulting services to meet the needs of small and large public agencies.

Passenger Travel Model Development for Small and Medium Sized Communities

Commodity, Freight and Truck Traffic Forecasting

Development of Specialized Planning Software Applications and

Utilities Research and Implementation of Advanced Planning Methods

To find out more about the range of services offered by Citilabs,

contact our transportation planning services division ([email protected]).

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Chapter 9 Acquiring Cube Cube is a modular transportation planning system. The modules are:

Cube Base – the system interface which runs models built in any of the Cube Extensions and also Citilabs’ legacy packages: TP+, TRIPS and TRANPLAN

Cube Extensions

Cube Voyager – the extension used in this guide for calculating the travel of people

Cube Dynasim – the extension used in this guide for microsimulation of cars, trucks, buses, rail vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles

Cube Cargo – the extension used in this guide for estimating commodity demand and truck flows

Cube ME – the extension for matrix optimization Any user of Cube would acquire Cube Base. Cube Base could be used with an existing model developed in one of the legacy packages. Cube Voyager replaces the legacy packages. It has many advantages over the older systems. In addition, you may wish to extend the system to undertaken freight forecasting, microsimulation and matrix estimation. Cube is sold in most parts of the world directly by Citilabs. In some countries, distributors are used. To obtain a quote or further information about Cube go to: www.citilabs.com/contact

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