The Visual
Planning Environment
Viper is a state of the art, visual planning environment
incorporating GIS functionality designed to run with
Windows 95/98/2000/NT. Viper works seamlessly with
TP+, TRIPS, TRANPLAN, MINUTP and other software packages.
Viper combines, within a multiple window environment,
the functionality of a network editor, a matrix editor,
a database editor, a job script editor and a model
job launcher.
In addition to the standard transportation planning
functions, Viper also includes a number of Geographical
Information System (GIS) features which allow the
user to view and perform queries for a wide variety
of GIS formats. All displayed files are presented
in a single window in a layered view. Each layer can
be manipulateda to adjust scale, relative position,
display color and style, and attribute posting.
Advanced features of Viper
include:
- file format compatibility with TP+, TRIPS, TRANPLAN,
MINUTP and others · multiple windows to edit/view
networks, matrices, databases, text and script files
and launch model application runs
· multiple layered network window to view/edit
highway networks, public transit networks, points,
lines, boundaries and graphic images
· full control on visibility, color, style,
size and drawing questions ? for each layer · view
navigation functions to zoom, pan, find node, and
save/restore views
· flexible multi-line and selective postings
for both point (node) and line (link) data
· database connection to on-screen graphical
features · thematic mapping · multi-bandwidth
posting · view/edit turn and volume information
· interactive path builder/tracer based on
user-defined cost functions and turn delays/prohibitors
· full featured network editing functions,
including add, delete, move, cut, copy, paste, split
and edit for both node and link data
· interactive public transit line and support
link editor with direct linkage to the highway network
· add/delete network attributes, global, selective
and automatic attribute computations
· launch model (TP+, TRANPLAN, MINUTP) application
runs from external files or select portions of any
job script
· device independent graphical output and export
to WMF and ESRI shape files
The network window displays
6 layer types:
Highway Network
- links and nodes are displayed as lines and points/symbols
Public Transit Network
- transit lines and links are displayed as offsetting
lines to the highway network
Point Shapes
- points are displayed as symbols with user-specified
color, style and size
Line Shapes
- the lines are displayed with user-specified color,
style and size
Boundary Shapes
- the areas are displayed with user-specified boundary
and fill color
Image
- a bitmap image is displayed
Matrix & Database
Windows
The matrix and database views present the data
in tabular format and are designed to allow a convenient
browsing and editing mechanism.TP+, TRIPS, TRANPLAN
(PC), MINUTP and dBase formats can be read.
Text Editor Window
The text editor window can be used to create and modify
TP+, TRIPS, TRANPLAN and MINUTP job scripts as well
as to review the report files from job runs.
Selected words and lines are automatically color highlighted
when editing a TP+ job script.
Context sensitive help on TP+ scripting language can
be accessed with a single key Model Launcher Window
Model job scripts can be launched directly from Viper
to perform a TP+, TRANPLAN or MINUTP model run.
Viper will auto-detect the type of model script file
and launch the appropriate model software.
GIS Tools
The Geographical Information System (GIS) tools package
is an optional add-on module to Viper. Its major functions
include:
· network alignment tool · conflation
tools to better match the transportation network with
the GIS map in the shape layers
· display the highway network with true shapes
· build highway network from line shape
