The quarterly update was released behind schedule. Although it was mailed in July it was sent to those of you whose maintenance had expired in May as well. Our target for the spring update was May. We just could not stop adding in new features.
Those of you who liked the small lettering font in the Land Use/Travel Characteristics Viewer are going to like the revisions to the Network Graphic Editor. The small fonts have been implemented (you may have noticed them on the first page of the newsletter) and have proven most useful. Also in the Network Graphic Editor is a pop open menu for printing the improved screens and for saving the screen image to a .PCX file. You can then edit your graphic or put it in a "slide show" for presentation to others.
The TMREADME.DOC that contains information on the newest updates can now be read and printed directly from the Main Menu. The viewer program has a build-in search function so you can look for key words or sections to see what is new. We have already received favorable comments on this feature. You can also view any text file or .PCX file from this menu as well. So you can examine the files you created in the Network Graphics or present them to others here.
Three new scattergrams have been added to the Allowable Link Calibration Errors section. You receive computations for R-squared and RMSE. The recommended maximum error lines are plotted and link errors beyond recommended limits are shown. Comparison of link counts versus modeled volumes is easier and requires fewer steps.
Two diagnostic tools that we use to evaluate models created by others have been added to the menus in the Link Line and Node Line Editors. Frequencies of entries can now be evaluated to make rapid checks for coding errors.
All of these new version updates are on the BBS with their names prefixed by a "2." So the gravity model distribution module is on the BBS as 2TM231.ZIP. If you have any problems dowloading them, please give us a call. We are purchasing new higher speed modems to make the downloads faster. Watch for them. New updates still in process include the full screen distribution and assignment setup editors, select mode and trip types and street names.
Many of you have already subscribed to ongoing TMODEL2 maintenance. You have been receiving your new updates quarterly through the mail or on the BBS. If your maintenance has expired and you are waiting to subscribe, remember that your maintenance subscription covers all of the updates that have occurred since your current maintenance has expired. You will not save any money, but you will miss out on using the newer faster updates while you wait.