Visual-Tm
Peter Davidson's Visual Transport Modeller
What is Visual Transport Modeller (Visual-tm)?
Our Visual-tm software is an integrated modelling workbench designed by transport planners for:
- Modelling major conurbation transport
- Interurban highways and railways
- Major/minor highway scheme approval
- Heavy/light rail, revenue, funding, appraisal
- Major Scheme Bid design and appraisal
- Transport strategy
- Local transport plans
- Setting and monitoring APR targets
For use by Government, Local Authorities, transport operators, consultants, research and funding agencies worldwide.
Why is Visual-tm so easy to use?
No problems presenting date to Visual-tm - it's all in simple spreadsheets.
You get top quality tools in a fully integrated Windows environment. It's intuitive - simply point and click.
All controlled from simple screens with default perameters and options - so easy to change.
Display results on a map, output directly to spreadsheets or graphs or straights to your GIS.
No waiting overnight for your results - it's fast, very fast.
How does it make my modellers more efficient?
- It is quicker to learn the software
- Quick to set up, get round and run your models
- t's not modular, so there's no connecting up
- Just connect distribution, mode choice and assignment - your way - with complete control
- Distribution, mode choice, assignment are packed with functionality to save you time
- Automatic calibration, spreadhseet validation
- Completely checkable - it's certainly not a black box
- It all connects with your back-end processes (e.g. spreadsheets, monitoring, GIS).
What sub-models can I build with?
All the models you need – and more – and they fit together properly:
Distribution: gravity model, incremental gravity model, furness, factoring; use logsums or generalised cost. Apply different model types and different coefficient sets to different parts of your matrix all in one distribution model run. Dovetails with mode choice.
Mode choice: matrix logit, skims, park and ride skims, coefficients, logsums. Apply different model types and different coefficient sets to different parts of your matrix all in one mode choice model run. Dovetails with distribution.
Assignment Automatic iteration with assignment, delay, capacity restraint so you don't have to connect anything up – it's already done! Highways and PT connect up properly so highway speeds automatically carry through to bus. Generalised cost single or multi-paths. Assignment: normal or clocktime/ timetable; volume averaging, successive averaging, incremental loading. Outputs: link and line loadings, fare and revenue by company. Assignment can be run for:
- Highway with junction delay simulation and capacity restraint
- Public transport with interchange delay micro-simulation and overcrowding capacity restraint.
Skims eleven variables simultaneously which dovetail with distribution and mode choice. Select link and turning movement analysis for both highways and pt. Capacity restraint uses link speed/flow equations.
How Can I fit My Models Together?
You can use already-built multi-mode four stage models or build your own:
- Two Mode Four Stage: An already-built four stage model for rapid model development. Input highway and public transport networks, trip ends, economic parameters and iterate through distribution; mode choice; sub-iterate highway assignment through capacity restraint; output skims; repeat distribution -> assignment iterations until supply/ demand equilibrium. Output public and highway assignments etc. A complete 100-zone model forecast takes 2 minutes!
- Multi Mode Four Stage: For bigger, more complex models, more modes or finer segmentation. Runs distribution, mode split, assignment sequence as above. A complete 300-zone incremental model forecast takes 20 minutes.
- Build Your Own Model with Macros: macro record/ run from file – editable in Excel. Screens, buttons and controls have a unique name. Macros can call macros, have substitutable parameters and relative pathnames which makes our macros really useful.
- Program Your Own Model in your chosen language (Visual Basic, Delphi etc) with your filenames, parameter values, loops and condition statements to get your own model sequence and convergence.
- Program Your Own Model Objects in C/C++: create, use, destroy our model objects or your own - all under your program control. Visual-tm is written this way.