In terms of general usage, you may find that NetCon is more responsive if you close down any other screens that you are not using, including the Data Editor.
Moving around the network
The diagram will automatically re-size to fit the window when you resize the window, or, you can click on the Fit To Window button.
Use the Zoom and Zoom to Rectangle modes to zoom in and out. (With the latter, drag a rectangle on the diagram to zoom to.) You can also zoom in/out by using the mouse wheel.
Use the Pan mode to move around the network, or use the scroll bars and/or arrow keys on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can hold-down the mouse wheel and pan without having to switch to Pan mode at all.
To focus on a particular node or link, right-click in a blank area and select View>Go To Node/Link.
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Saving, using and managing "Views"
Often it is useful to be able to look at exactly the same 'View' of a Network as someone else. To this end, NetCon allows you to save NetCon "Views" within your TRANSYT file. To save a view, firstly arrange your view of your network in NetCon and right-click on the background and select "Store View". You can give the view a name up to 50 characters long.
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Copy ► Export ► |
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Available Views ► |
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Zoom to Node 1 Zoom to Node 2 Whole Nwetwork |
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Store View Manage Views |
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The right-click option "Available Views" allows you to select one of your stored views.
The menu option "Manage View" brings up a screen which allows you to individually set views to be included in TRANSYT's report.
The "Is Default" option allows one particular view to be defined as the view which is displayed when NetCon is opened. The "Landscape option can be ignored as it is currently not used by TRANSYT.
Printing, copying and exporting
The network can be printed using the main application Print and Print Preview buttons in the usual way. In addition, you can use the Toggle Print Zone mode to show an outline overlay that represents the current printer paper size. You can then manoeuvre and zoom the network so that the desired portion fits inside this outline. Pressing the Print button will then print out the same area.
You can also copy the diagram to the clipboard by using the usual Copy button the main application toolbar or by using the right-click menu in a blank part of the network.
The right-click menu also gives access to an Export menu, where you can choose to export the diagram in various formats, including AutoCAD (DXF) format and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).
See section 9.3 on how multiple views of your network can be stored, selected and also included in a TRANSYT report.
Representation of Links, Lanes and Stop Lines
link:
Links are represented by a thin line with bend-handles located at both ends. The link number is within a semi-circle, and the stop lines of signalled links are represented by black square brackets, located at the downstream end of each link. The saturation flow associated with each stop line is shown resting along the node side of the bracket - In the example shown above the saturation flow for link 2 is 1800.
Different link colours, bracket colours and bracket types are used to represent the other link types. Although not shown here, the same colour scheme and brackets types are used for Arms, which are shown.
Arm, traffic streams and lanes:
Arm:
1 - Signals AND Restricted
Arms are represented by a thin line with bend-handles located at both ends. Arms act as containers for traffic streams. Traffic streams are represented by a long rectangle running the length of the arm - one for each lane. Lanes belonging to the same traffic stream are identified by the fact they are closer together than when they are part of different traffic streams, and they share the same stop line. The stop lines are represented by black square brackets, located at the downstream end of each traffic stream. The saturation flow associated with each stop line is shown resting along the node side of the bracket - In the example shown above the saturation flow for traffic stream 1 is 1800.
Arm: 1 - Signals AND Restricted
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Signalled with give-way and with restricted flow (e.g. signalled
give-way):
Give-way with restricted flow (e.g. give-way-bottleneck):
^rm: 3 - Giveway AND Restricted (give-way bottleneck
0.00 1
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Restricted flow (e.g. bottleneck):
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Unrestricted (e.g. a traffic stream exiting the network). N.B. for Cell-transmission (CTM) traffic streams the Cell Saturation flow still acts as a restriction at the upstream end.
Arm: 5 - Unrestricted
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Flares are naturally indicated by the positioning and length of the links and lanes.
Note how the give-way maximum flow (indicated by the lower case g) and saturation flow are shown when appropriate, and both where both will apply. Also note how the presence of "Restricted Flow" is represented by the presence of side-bars on the stop line.
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Sometimes it will be necessary to redefine which lanes are within which traffic streams, e.g. new traffic streams are always created on the offside of any existing traffic streams - this may not be what is desired.
Use the Move lanes mode to move lanes between different traffic streams, on the same arm or to a different arm. Also use it to change the order of lanes.
To change the order of lanes within a traffic stream:
Click on a lane you wish to move and then click on another lane on the same traffic stream. The lane you are moving will be inserted below that of the other lane and all remaining lane will shuffle up or down as a result. e.g. if there are four lanes and lane 4 is clicked and then on lane 1, lane 4 will now be lane 1, lane 1 will become lane 2, lane 3 will become lane 4. If lane 1 is clicked first and then lane 4, Lane 1 will now be lane 3, lane 2 will become lane 1, lane 3 will become lane 2 and lane 4 will remain lane four.
To move a lane from one traffic stream and/or arm to another:
Click on a lane you wish to move and then click on another lane on a different traffic
stream. The traffic stream will be moved from the current to the other traffic stream.
N.B. if the lane that is moved is the last one in its traffic stream, the original traffic
stream will be deleted.
To separate a lane from its traffic stream to create its own traffic stream:
Click on a lane you wish to move and then click on the network background. The traffic
stream will be moved from within the traffic stream into its own traffic stream, i.e. a new traffic stream will be created.
Shaping traffic streams, links
The green circles at the ends on each link or arm are called bend-handles, which serve as points which you can grab with the mouse to move either end. You can add additional bend- handles along the length of a link or arm in order to provide a point at which it can be bent.
Additional bend-handles are a consequence of splitting the link or traffic stream into multiple "Sections". To create an new "Section" right-click on the link and select "Add new Link Section" or "Add new Arm section". There is no limit to the number of sections/bend points you can add, so links and arms can be made to curve along as detailed a path as you required. Use the same right-click menu to remove sections or to straighten the link or arm.
Manipulating items
Selecting items
Simply click on any item in the diagram (traffic nodes, links, sources, etc.) to select it. It will be shown with orange highlighting and any other relevant data screens (e.g. Data Editor, Data Grids) will update to show data for this item, if appropriate.
To select multiple items, hold down the CTRL key.
To select a rectangular selection of items, use the Rectangular Selection Mode button and drag a rectangle on the diagram.
Moving items
To move an item in the diagram, simply click on it and drag with the mouse.
The green circles at the ends on each link or arm are default bend-handles, which serve as points which you can grab with the mouse to move either end.
As you move a traffic node, you will notice that all connecting links also move with the node. To avoid this happening, hold down the SHIFT key as you drag the node; the node will then move in isolation.
Similarly, as you move entry links via their outermost bend-handle, you will notice that they pivot around their controlling node. To avoid this happening, hold down the SHIFT key as you drag the bend-handle; the link will then move in isolation.
Note that you can move stop lines, which has the effect of moving all links that share the stop line.