Introduction to TIMSNT

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Introduction to TIMSNT
Part 1 Menu Items File, Tool, List and Boundaries
This training presentation has been separated in
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Table of Contents
Part 1
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Examples
The Examples in this online training
presentation were prepared with previous data
from Johnston County and are merely a guide.
You can apply the instructions and use your own
county data to practice the step-by-step process,
but first perform a backup of your data.
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Course Agenda

• How to Start the Program
• Orientation
• Examples

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File Menu

• The File menu contains the following choices

• Load Mapset
• A collection of graphic (raster) images of your
  district map. These are an optional purchase.

• Unload Mapset

• Enter Simulation experiment with proposed
  changes without actually modifying your data. The
  menu changes when in simulation and allow you to
  save your simulation.

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File Menu

• The File menu contains the following choices

• Route Display
• a visual display of routes as time lines. This
  brings up a separate window with a new set of
  menus.
• (Discussed in detail after Runs)

• Exit

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Tools Menu

• ID
• allows the user to get information on the
  following sub-menu items

• Load Landmarks another way of identifying or
  selecting locations in your geocode.

• Load GIS Overlays a graphic image of your data

• Load Autostreet Layers display multiple layers on
  top of each other for a complete picture

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Tools Menu

• Locate
• allows the user to get information on the
  following sub-menu items

• Measure
• allows the user to measure distances and areas

Note Some menu items are available as icons on
the tool bar
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Tools Menu

• Zoom
• Zoom in and out to get a better view or pan to
  another area

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Tools Menu

• Display Options
• Set your display colors, line thickness, and
  show settings on screen

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Tools Menu

• Radius Display
• Superimpose a radius (concentric circles) to
  help visualize distances.

• Grid Display
• Superimpose a grid (squares) to help visualize
  distances of stops and students

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Helpful Conversions
To help determine your distance on the map, use
the numbers below in feet to set your Grid size
and Radius size.

• 1 mile 5,280 feet
• ½ mile 2,640 feet
• ¼ mile 1,320 feet
• .2 mile 1, 056 feet
• .1 mile 528 feet

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Tools Menu

• Saved Views
• Save a current view for future reference or easy
  access to specific geocode

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Tools Menu

• Edit Mapseg. . .
• Fine-tune your run directions. Modify
  adjacencies to prohibit turns or have a bus turn
  at a certain location.

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AutoStreeter
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Autostreeter

• New feature in TIMS.NT. To use this program you
  must exit TIMS.NT, then.

Start gtPrograms gtEdulog.nt Server
Software gtAutostreeter
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Autostreeter

• Layers will display on top of one another in the
  order they were created!

Lets Practice Removing and Creating Layers.
Press the Remove button. Continue pressing
it Until all the layers are Gone.
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Now lets create our layers in a preferred order.
Autostreeter
Lastly, Select All Segments
To begin, Click Add
Type AutoSegments Beside Name
Select Type Segment
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Autostreeter
Typically, when finished adding all of our new
layers, we select Extract and Build. This is
done ONLY if you started with no Layers Or have
made geocode changes. Otherwise, you select
Build Only.
So, in our example choose. Extract and Build
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Autostreeter
Now lets create the rest of our layers in this
order

• Layer Name Type Speed Segment Level
• AutoSegments Segment All Segments
• AutoStreets Street 1 60
• County Line Street 98 - 98
• Hazard Segment Hazard
• No Travel Segment Direction gt No Travel
• One Way Segment Direction gt One Way
• Private Road Street 9 - 9
• Rivers Street 97 - 97
• RailRoads Street 99 99
• Bridges Street 14 14

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Autostreeter
Since we earlier chose, Extract and Build, and we
havent made any Geocode changes, this time we
only need to select Build Only.
BTW In EMU you can create an
AUTOSTREETER batch that does the same as Extract
and Build! Also if you did make geocode
changes, dont forget to run EMU Batches
MAPSEGUP (which includes UPTADTM) and REBLDKEY.
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Autostreeter
Were done so select Exit, and return to TIMS.NT
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Returning to TIMS.NT
Autostreeter
When you re-enter TIMS.NT, you will see this
confirmation Message that lets you know that
Autostreeter information has Changed.
Select Yes at the prompt
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Displaying Autostreeter Layers
TIMS.NT Tools gt Load Autostreet Layers

• Displays the control window for our layers
• Once these layers are checked on, they come up
  automatically every time you enter TIMS.NT

• Notice labels and collision detection!

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Collision Detection!

• The labels on these layers have the option of
  collision detection
• This prevents labels from writing over each other
• The result is that you see some street names at
  the county zoom level, but you see them all when
  you zoom in for a closer look.

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Activating Your Turnarounds
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Geographic Report
YOU NEED TO RUN A GEOGRAPHIC REPORT
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TIMS.NT Geographic Reports
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• Click Get Data
• Be patient while processing data!
• A completion notice will appear
• Click OK

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• Click Run Report and the report is displayed on
  your screen

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Making Backups
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Backups

• Remember to back up your data using ELTZIP BEFORE
  changes to Geocode or MAPSEG files
• Keep a current copy in case an unexpected change
  occurs or the batch process does not function as
  expected

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EMU on the Network

• Many districts will be in a network environment
  for the first time with TIMS-NT
• ALL USERS SHOULD BE OUT OF ALL PROGRAMS WHEN
  RUNNING EMU UTILITIES
• On the server, close all TIMS.NT programs except
  ELUISE and CPA before running EMU utilities
• Not following this advice can cause things not to
  run properly AND/OR corrupt your data files

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GEOCODE and MAPSEG
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Which Data Files Affect Run Directions

• Mapseg special turns like turnarounds are
  added
• Illegal or unwanted turns or connections are
  deleted

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The Mapseg File

• The MAPSEG file contains a record for every
  direction on every segment that a bus can travel
• A bus cannot travel on a street segment that does
  not have a record in the MAPSEG file

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The Mapseg File

• Segments have no record in the MAPSEG when
• Speeds of 0 (zero)
• Direction setting of 3
• A bus can not travel on these segments
• Two way streets have two records in the file
• One way streets have only one record

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Which Data Files Affect Run Directions

• Arc Files take both Geocode and Mapseg
  information into account
• They create the final set of data from which the
  run directions are made

Arc files
Mapseg
Geocode
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What the Arc Files Contain

• Run direction files contain information about
  street segments
• Speed
• Length
• Angles
• Adjacencies (connections to other segments)
• Names
• Addresses
• Travel time

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How Maintenance Affects Run Directions
Arc files

• Mapseg special turns like turnarounds are
  added
• Illegal or unwanted turns or connections are
  deleted

Mapseg
Geocode
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The Mapseg File

• The MAPSEG file contains a record for every
  direction on every segment that a bus can travel
• A bus cannot travel on a street segment that does
  not have a record in the MAPSEG file

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The Mapseg File

• Segments have no record in the MAPSEG when
• Speeds of 0 (zero)
• Direction setting of 3
• A bus can not travel on these segments
• Two way streets have two records in the file
• One way streets have only one record

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Which Data Files Affect Run Directions

• Arc Files take both Geocode and Mapseg
  information into account
• They create the final set of data from which the
  run directions are made

Arc files
Mapseg
Geocode
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Arc Files

• Run direction files contain information about
  street segments
• Speed
• Length
• Angles
• Adjacencies (connections to other segments)
• Names
• Addresses
• Travel time

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Maintenance and Run Directions

• Key maintenance utilities have to be run to move
  information up the pyramid from Geocode to Mapseg
  to Arc files
• What you do when depends on where changes were
  made

Arc files
UPDTADTIM
Mapseg
MAPSEGUP
Geocode
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Mapseg Editing

• Start by going to Tools gt Edit Mapseg. . .
• If you select a segment to work with with your
  mouse, it selects the segments in the order node
  1 to node 2
• You can also enter the node pair manually in
  either direction

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Mapseg Editing Hints Tips

• If you receive this message
• Error in retrieving arc from node pair
• It simply means the segment you pointed to does
  not exist in the Mapseg files.

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Mapseg Editing

• You can switch the direction of the mapseg edit
  by moving the mouse to the other side of the
  segment and clicking to select the segment

• Once you have highlighted the node pair you wish
  to work with
• Active adjacencies appear in the upper window
• Possible adjacencies appear in the lower window

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Mapseg Editing

• Once you have highlighted the node pair you wish
  to work with
• Active adjacencies appear in the upper window
• Possible adjacencies appear in the lower window

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Mapseg Editing

• Add or delete adjacencies by moving them between
  these two windows
• Remember that no-travel segments and 0 speed will
  not show any Mapseg record between those node
  pairs

Active
Inactive

• Tip displaying the no-travel overlay layer will
  be very helpful in making edits

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Mapseg Editing

• One way streets would only show certain
  adjacencies as available
• Intersections with no travel segments or certain
  one way streets would also show only certain
  available adjacencies

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Mapseg Editing
Missing Adjacencies

• If what you need in mapseg is not available to
  add chances are you need to edit the segments in
  question
• Remember, mapseg just looks at the geocode to see
  what should be available
• You have control of what you allow or disallow of
  the available options
• Geocode has to be edited to make new options
  available

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Mapseg Edits Hints Tips

• Remember, you are not actually deleting any
  segments in your Geocode. You are only hiding
  them in this special file by making the
  segment(s) unavailable for bus travel by not
  allowing cross-over travel due to a median or
  restricting left or right turns.
• Fine tuning segments allow your run direction
  files to create correct run path data that can be
  trusted by you and drivers to allow safe travel
  and timely arrival at school

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Mapseg Update Strategies

• To determine needed turnarounds, some districts
  have printed full direction run reports from
  their old system
• These list all node pairs and can give assistance
  in determining where turnarounds may be needed as
  runs are reviewed

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Example 1 Loading a GIS Overlay

• Select Tools gt Load GIS Overlays from the menu
  bar
• Now you can pick which overlays you want to use.

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Naming a GIS Overlay
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Changing Attributes
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Changing Line Thickness
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Adding Autostreet Layers

• When you re-enter TIMS.NT, you will see a message
  that lets you know that Autostreeter information
  has changed
• Select Yes to the prompt

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Example 2 Navigating the Window

• Zooming and Panning

• Locate

• Measuring

Measure Polygon (Used to measure a selected
area) Single click to create area.
Double-click to close.
Measure Line (Used to measure length of Segments)
Measure Polyline (Used to measure length of
Segments)

• ID

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Example Grid and Radius
Set the Grid and Radius to the following formats,
then display to compare the differences.
Grid Display
Radius Display
Line thickness 3 Line color Orange Display
800 feet Line thickness 2 Line color
Blue Display 2000 feet
Line thickness 1 Line color Red Display
1500 feet Line thickness 2 Line color
Green Display 900 feet
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Lists Menu
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Lists Menu

• Reports
• Access various reporting features

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Creating a List

• Choose Create New List

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Creating a List

• Select List Type to define database you want to
  search student, trip, stop, run, route, school

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Creating A List

• Will usually define search by setting values for
  a Data Field.

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Creating A List

• Choose Data Field
• Choose Operator
• Set Value to be matched

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Naming Lists

• Two names required.
• One for \elt\map\lis\.lst and .hdr files
• Limited to 8 characters
• Possible format (data type)(school or other
  identifier)
• Examples stp326, stu326, run326, rte326
• This format gives general info on data and leaves
  two characters for further definition of list
• Other name is description for display in list
  management dialogue box

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Extra Field Search Option

• Extra Fields Search fields generally not
  available to us in PTS-III
• Available for all data items
• Student Extra Fields

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Generating Run Direction Reports

• To quickly print a bus run report

This box appears click on Fill from keyfinder
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Quick Reports

• Run Number is highlighted

• Check one stop per location

• Check Assigned for at stops

• Check Brief for brief run directions

• IMPORTANT Note where the report will go!!

• Click ok report will be generated and sent to
  location

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Printing Reports

• In order to print reports, you must open the file
  just created with a word processing program (i.e.
  MS Word or Notepad)
• You have full editing capability once the report
  has been generated.
• The report rundir.rpt can be found at
• C\USERS\your_username_here\RPT

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Example 3 Creating a List

• Choose Create New List

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Boundaries Menu

• Display boundaries

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Boundaries Menu

• Set Protection
• On or OFF (Note If a boundary is protected it
  can not be modified)

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Boundaries Menu

• Post for Eligibility indicates if assigned to one
  or more schools as an attendance, walking
  distance, or hazard boundary

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Boundary Search Option

• Brings some Boundary Analysis utility into
  students/stops/runs/routes.
• Use in conjunction with Data or Extra Field
  Search
• Identify and work with
• Out-of-district students
• Students being transferred between schools due to
  redistricting

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Introduction to TIMSNT
This concludes Part 1 of the training
session. Please do one of the following

• Go back and review areas that interest you
• Try the examples with your county data

Create Lists
More on Creating Lists

• Exit the presentation.

• Go back to the web page and proceed with Part 2 -
  Schools, Students, Stops and Runs