Geographic Information System (GIS) software is a powerful tool that can enhance the graphic display and mapping capabilities of TMODEL2 data. There are several methods for creating a GIS database from TMODEL2 output. One quick method is to use report files from the TMODEL2 module 1.2 Link Line Editor and the 1.3 Node Line Editor. Here are the basic steps:

1. Export a link report from the TMODEL2 1.2 Link Line Editor module.
2. Export a node report from the TMODEL2 1.3 Node Line Editor module.
3. To simplify the process of importing the files into a database manager, you may want to change both files to comma delimited or space delimited format using a text editor and remove headings and page breaks.
4. Using a database manager such as Microsoft Access, Dbase, or FoxPro, combine the two files to create a new table including the following items: Anode Number, X coordinate, Y coordinate, Bnode Number, X coordinate, Y coordinate.
5. In order to establish a common item between tables later on, it is helpful at this point to concatenate the Anode Number and the Bnode Number into one numeric item.
6. Your new table, created by combining the link report and the node report, must be reformatted again for use in ArcInfo GIS software. The ArcInfo Generate module requires the following file format to generate a line coverage:
ID#
X,Y
X,Y
End.


This format should be repeated in a consecutive list for each link of your network (Microsoft Access report tool is especially useful for formatting this file). The concatenated A-Bnode Number can be used as the ID# in the file you are formatting for the ArcInfo Generate module. Using the A-Bnode Number as the ID# in this file will help establish a link for joining other data in the next few steps

7. Now you can enter ArcInfo and generate a line coverage or a point coverage using your properly formatted file as input. (Note: The input file format for generating a point coverage is slightly different.)
8. At this stage, you can build the ArcInfo coverage you just generated either as a line coverage or a point coverage.

After your GIS coverage is built, output such as number of lanes, volume to capacity ratio, speeds, and more from the TMODEL2 1.2 Node Line Editor or the 1.3 Link Line Editor can be attached using the A- Bnode Number or ID# as a common item. There are a number of ways to attach data to your GIS coverage. A database manager can join the tables, ArcInfo can join the tables using the common item (ID#), or a spreadsheet program can append the new data.

Note: These general guidelines assume users are working on PCs. However, those using workstations may follow similar steps.