Discover Cube

Discover Cube
Helping you to create a better future

Demonstration Users Guide
Version 3.2
Discover Cube Users Guide

Version 3.2.1
Copyright
2004 Citilabs, All Rights Reserved.
Notice
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All other brand names and product names used in this book are
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holders.
Developing Catalogs and Applications ......... 7-43

Making the Model Ready for Application....... 7-48
Chapter 8 User Support/Training/Consulting with
Cube.................................................... 8-51
User Support ....................................... 8-51
User Forum ......................................... 8-51
Training ............................................. 8-51
Consulting and Assistance........................ 8-51
Chapter 9 Acquiring Cube........................... 9-52
Contents
Chapter 1 Welcome to Cube .........................1-3
Overview..............................................1-3
The Architecture of Cube ..........................1-3
Cube Base..........................................1-3
Cube Voyager: Forecasting Personal Travel
Demand ............................................1-3
Cube Cargo Forecasting Commodity Demand
and Truck Flows ..................................1-3
Cube Dynasim Multimodal Traffic
Microsimulation ...................................1-3
Cube ME statistically optimized trip matrix
estimation .........................................1-3
The Cube User Environment .......................1-4
Integration with ArcGIS ............................1-4
Integration of the Cube Extensions...............1-4
Chapter 2 About this Guide...........................2-6
Installing the Demonstration Software and Data 26
Chapter 3 Case Studies: Forecasting Personal Travel
with Cube ...............................................3-7
Case Study 1: Studying a New Development ....3-7
Developing the Scenario.........................3-8
Running the Model for the Base Case .........3-9
Running the Model for the Scenario ......... 3-10
Case Study 2: Studying a Proposed Roadway
Improvement....................................... 3-11
Developing the Scenario....................... 3-11
Running the Model for the Scenario ......... 3-11
Case Study 3: Studying Improvements in Bus
Service .............................................. 3-15
Developing the Scenario....................... 3-15
Chapter 4 Case Studies: Microsimulation with Cube
.......................................................... 4-18
Case Study 5: Traffic Microsimulation of a
Proposed New Development ..................... 4-18
Case Study 6: Sharing Microsimulation Animations
with Stakeholders and Making Rendered
Animations ......................................... 4-22
Example Exported Animations................ 4-22
Chapter 5 Case Studies: Forecasting Freight with
Cube.................................................... 5-23
Running the Base Situation ................... 5-24
Case Study 7: Forecasting Demand for a Proposed
New Rail Freight Service ......................... 5-25
Case Study 8: Forecasting the Impact of Rail
Pricing on the Level of Truck Traffic........... 5-26
Chapter 6 Developing Base Data in Cube......... 6-26
Developing a Highway Network ................. 6-26
Developing a Zones and Zone Centroids
Connectors ......................................... 6-31
Representing Intersections ...................... 6-33
Developing a Public Transit Network........... 6-36
Using Drawing and Other Layers in Cube ...... 6-40
Chapter 7 Developing a Model in Cube ........... 7-43
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Cube Base also provides for the direct use of ArcGIS from ESRI providing
compatibility with ESRI data standards as well as the use of advanced
GIS functions.
Chapter 1 Welcome to Cube

Overview
In addition to serving as the user interface for all of the Cube

Extensions, Cube Base may also be used to update and apply models
developed in Citilabs other travel forecasting systems, TP+, TRIPS and
TRANPLAN.
The transportation system touches almost every element of our daily

lives, from how we go to work, how our children go to school, how we
move goods from place to place and how we communicate in general.
This system is intimately tied to land use, the environment and to the
economy.
Cube Extensions
Cube Voyager: Forecasting Personal Travel Demand
The planning of the transportation system requires vision, intelligence,

political savvy and sound estimates of future travel demand. Cube is
designed to accurately estimate future travel demand and the impacts of
alternative transportation policies and improvements. Cube and its
modules are used in more urban areas in the world than any other
system: from planning some of the great cities of the world
(Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Paris,
London), to helping others prepare for the Olympics (Sydney, Atlanta,
Norway), to improving the quality of life in many others. Cube provides
robust methodologies, intelligent graphics and accurate information
within a user friendly modern software platform.
Cube Voyager combines the latest in Citilabs' technologies for the

forecasting of personal travel. Cube Voyager uses a modular and scriptbased structure allowing the incorporation of any model methodology
ranging from standard four-step models, to discrete choice to activitybased approaches. Advanced methodologies provide junction-based
capacity restraint for highway analysis and discrete choice multiroute
transit pathbuilding and assignment. Cube Voyager includes highly
flexible network and matrix calculators for the calculation of travel
demand and for the detailed comparison of scenarios.
Cube Voyager was designed to provide an open and user-friendly
framework for modeling a wide variety of planning policies and
improvements at the urban, regional and long-distance level. Cube
Voyager brings together these criteria within a comprehensive library of
planning functions applied under the general Cube framework. This
makes the management of data a snap, and the coding of complex
methodologies simple via a step-by-step approach.
Cubes broad range of capabilities provides answers to all of your

planning questions from testing new public transit alternatives to road
pricing strategies to new developments to new freight terminals.
With Cube, you can generate decision making information quickly using
powerful modeling and GIS techniques, statistics and comparisons, highquality graphical output, and a variety of reporting methods. Cube
empowers you to make smarter decisions more quickly by uncovering
key indicators for evaluating your planning alternatives. Cube is a
modular, tightly integrated, full featured product line for the
transportation planning process, covering passenger demand, freight
demand, microsimulation, air quality and reporting.
Cube Cargo Forecasting Commodity Demand and Truck Flows

Test a wide variety of policies and infrastructure improvements, from
pricing strategies to freight-specific facilities. Cube Cargo is the Cube
Extension for freight forecasting, offering specific methodologies for
studying freight demand using a commodity-based approach. Cube
Cargo operates seamlessly with all of Cube including Cube Voyager and
Cube ME. Cube Cargo also works with TP+ and TRIPS. With Cube Cargo
you can add freight forecasting by leveraging your existing passenger
data and models.
Key features of Cube:

Cube provides two explicit working environments:
The developer environment providing advanced methods and
techniques for the design and development of transport
models.
The application environment for quick and easy application of
the models to build, test and evaluate scenarios.
Cube Cargo forecasts:

Matrices of tons of goods by commodity type by mode for use in
the analysis of goods flows, and
Cube has a series of Cube Extensions working within one integrated

software environment using one data source. These extensions
provide capabilities for:
Matrices of the number of trucks by truck type ready to be assigned

to estimate truck vehicle flows.
Passenger forecasting
Freight forecasting
Traffic microsimulation
Trip matrix optimization
Cube Dynasim Multimodal Traffic Microsimulation

Cube Dynasim is a powerful software system that helps the planner and
engineer to design and analyze the interaction between alternative
infrastructure, operating characteristics and travel demand. Cube
Dynasim enables the user to simulate any size system in a user friendly
graphical environment. Data are easily shared with other Cube functional
libraries.
Cube has an intuitive model design and model application

workspace with extremely easy to use data manipulation features.
Cube provides direct access to and from ArcGIS, the industry
standard for GIS systems.
Cube has tools for the development and sharing of high quality 2D
and 3D animations.
Cube Dynasim captures the full dynamics of time dependent traffic

phenomena using sophisticated driver behavior models. Cube Dynasim
performs detailed operational analysis of complex traffic on roadways
while realistically emulating the flow of automobiles, trucks, buses, rail
and pedestrians.
The Architecture of Cube

Cube is a modular system comprised of a main component, Cube Base,
and Cube Extensions which may be acquired for undertaking one or
more specialized transportation techniques.
Cube Dynasim provides stunning 2D and 3D animations and graphics for

clear evaluation.
Cube Base
Cube ME statistically optimized trip matrix estimation
Cube Base provides tools for the:
One of the most valuable pieces of data in transportation planning is an

accurate origin-destination matrix of existing travel. It is the basis for
forecasting and for almost all important comparative analyses. Cube ME
is the Cube Extension developed specifically for estimating and updating
base year automobile, truck and public transit trip matrices. Cube ME
enables the user to exploit a wide variety of data that contribute to
matrix updating and matrix development.
development, editing, manipulation, mapping and graphing of data

using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and other
functions.
design and application of the modeling and microsimulation
process.
Cube ME uses mathematical techniques to find trip matrices that are

consistent with observed transport demand and count data. It does what
many do by hand, but in a much more accurate and efficient way.
creation, management, comparison and analysis of scenarios.
1-3
The Cube User Environment

The user environment of Cube has 3 principal windows:
Graphics: for network development, editing and high quality
charting and mapping
Application Manager: the flow chart interface for building and
documenting the model process
Scenario Manager: the left-hand column used for managing
scenario and associated input and output data and reports.
Cube in Developer Mode
By selecting Appliers Mode, much of the model system itself including

the model steps, model coefficients and other parameters are put in
read-only mode. The primary interface in Appliers Mode is Scenario
Manager and its associated model menu screen. The model menu can
be customized in any way to make the use of the model system very
easy to use eliminating the need for experts in travel modeling when
developing and testing scenarios.
Cube Base the user interface of Cube
Cube has two specific modes of operation known as:

Developer Mode, and
Appliers Mode
When Cube is operating in Developer Mode, the environment is set for
designing a model structure, manipulating the associated data and for
creating all of the interfaces for efficient use of the model system. The
primary interface in Developer Mode is the flow-chart style Application
Manager.
Cube in Applier Mode
Integration with ArcGIS

In addition to the three principal Cube windows, Cube provides direct
access to ArcGIS from ESRI. Moving data to ArcGIS is facilitated by
switching from Cube Graphics to ArcGIS via the clicking of the ArcGIS
icon located at the bottom right of the Cube interface.
All of the layers and all of their data are transferred to ArcGIS along with
a standard ArcGIS *.mxd file. These data are put within ArcGIS in ESRI
standard shape format. The analyst can then use the data within ArcGIS
and easily bring this data back to Cube for modeling and simulation.
Integration of the Cube Extensions

The Cube Extensions, Cube Voyager, Cargo, Dynasim and ME, are
addressed through the Application Manager window. Other products
from Citilabs, such as TRIPS, TP+ and TRANPLAN may also be integrated
in this way.
1-4
Accessing Cube Extensions in Cube
This programs or functions are then used within Application Manager as

the functions to be used in developing a modeling and simulation
process. Other User Programs (specialized routines in C++, C, Fortran or
any other programming language) can be easily incorporated in this
way. Equally, third party software products such as Microsoft Excel and
Crystal Reports from Crystal Decisions may be integrated within the
Cube working environment.
1-5
Chapter 2
About this Guide
Discover Cube was developed to help you to understand and to learn
how to use Cube. It is not intended to be a comprehensive users guide
or to replace training courses, but is intended to help you understand
how Cube works, what Cube can do and how to start using Cube in your
transportation analysis.
Discover Cube takes you through a series of interactive exercises to
discover the functionalities provided by Cube. Discover Cube concludes
with a discussion of services offered by Citilabs to help you migrate your
existing model or to develop a new model system, our training courses
our user support and our user forum.
Included with Discover Cube is a CD containing data to be used in the
lessons contained in this guide. You should run the installation prior to
starting the lessons outlined below.
Installing the Demonstration Software and Data

Insert the Cube Demo & Update CD into your system. A startup menu
should appear.
Select install demonstration version to install the demonstration
version of Cube and follow the instructions on the screen.
2-6
Chapter 3
Case Studies: Forecasting Personal
Travel with Cube
The following section takes you through three case studies showing how
you would apply a typical travel forecasting model in the following
situations. All of these examples use a forecasting model and datasets
included on the Cube CD. If you have not yet installed the software and
datasets, please refer to Chapter 2. It is best to do these case studies in
their order.
Case Study 1: Studying a New Development

One of the most common uses of a travel forecasting system is to
estimate the traffic generated to and from a new housing, commercial or
office development.
In this example, we will use the Cube Demonstration Model to estimate
the consequences of a new development on travel flow.
Start Cube by double-clicking the Cube icon on your computer
desktop. (Alternatively, click the Start button on the Windows
taskbar, point to Programs, point to Citilabs, click Cube.)
When Cube opens, you see the Cube start-up dialog on top of the
application window.
The demonstration catalog is shown with 3 sub-windows:

Scenarios: these are where we will develop our scenario and apply
the model.
Data: holds the input and output data for each of the scenarios.
This provides quick access to these files.
Applications: these are the available model processes that we can
apply. In this section, we will be using the Cube Demonstration
Model.
Prior to setting up the scenario for our new development, lets get
familiar with the model that will be used to test this new development.
Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration Model.app in the
Applications sub-window. The model should open.
In the Cube dialog, click the option to Demo Data.

This will open a Cube Catalog. A catalog holds all of the models, data
and scenarios.
This window of Cube is known as Application Manager. It is a flow-chart

view of the model process. Cube is operating in what is called Appliers
Mode. This has taken the model and put it in a form that is easy to use
3-7
by those that develop and run scenarios. In this mode, you cannot
change the model, but you may apply the model. Later chapters in this
book take you through exercises in developing model structures where
you can learn how to design and calibrate the model.
This model is a 4-step model of Trip Generation, Trip Distribution, Mode
Choice and Assignment. It has other steps for developing networks and
for doing various analyses of the results.
Cube is very open and flexible. Model developers are provided the tools
to build almost any structure that might be desired including emerging
methods in activity models and tour based approaches. We have used a
4-step model in the demonstration system as it is the most commonly
used structure in most locations in the world.
The flow chart shows the steps in the model. Each of these steps show
light blue boxes on the left-hand side and green boxes on the right-hand
side. The light blue boxes are inputs to the step and the green are the
outputs of the steps. Linkages are made taking outputs to serve as
inputs, etc.
This model also includes a loop and a branch. In this model, a loop
has been placed around the distribution, mode choice and assignment
stages of the model. This is what is known as a feedback loop taking
the travel times from the assignment model (congested travel time) and
bringing that back to distribution to distribute the trips from zone to
zone using these congested times. These are also used in the mode
choice stage. The model iterates between these steps until a criteria has
been achieved.
The highway network is shown with a legend and several layers open.
The Cube GIS system allows you to have unlimited layers. Layers that
can be used include the standard Cube data formats, industry standard
ESRI shape files and image formats (jpg, tif, etc.). In a future version of
Cube, Cube will use directly data stored in ESRI geodatabase format.
The branch is used to select whether detailed analyses are requested or

not.
to see the layers that we have open.

Click on the layer control
dialog opens as shown below.
Developing the Scenario

In this case study we will apply the model to see the impacts associated
with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown.
The model already has a base case setup. It is located in the Scenarios
sub-window and called Base.
Double-click on Base in the scenario sub-window.
for applying the model opens as shown below.
The interface
We have a highway network open and active, a public transit layer open
but not shown on the screen and various shape and image layers. A
drawing layer is also open. This layer is where you can place roadsigns
and other information on the map.
Click on the check mark next to the TRN layer
Click Save Configuration
Click Close
The map is now re-drawn with the transit layer shown.
This interface along with the questions, the colors and logo have been
designed by the developer of the model using developer mode in Cube.
A model interface can have any questions that you would like to ask, any
colors and any logos or other images. This allows you to build a
customized interface for your model.
First, lets get familiar with Cubetown by looking at the highway system.
Click the Edit button next to the highway network. This is the first
Edit button on the right. This will open the highway network that
we are using in the Base scenario.
3-8
Now, lets zoom to the area that will hold our shopping center.
When the model has finished, a dialog box will appear. Click OK.
Click View
Lets look at the traffic assigned to our shopping center area, prior to
implementing the shopping center.
Click Restore
Select Shopping Center
Move your mouse to the Data sub-window in the column. Click on

the + on the Outputs.
This moves the map to the area where the shopping center will be
located. We had previously bookmarked this zoom. You can bookmark
up to 16 views and save this in the GIS workspace.
Click on + next to Highway Assignment

Double-click the HW Intersections file.
This opens the assigned network and estimated intersection flows for the
tested scenario. The map has opened to the previously zoomed area (f
not select View, Restore, Shopping Center).
Turn-off the transit layer, by selecting the layer control
Uncheck the box next to TRN.
Click Save Configuration.

Click Close.
Click on the pull-down arrow on the node color icon
Click on Level of Service

Click on the pull-down arrow on the link color icon
Click on V/C ratios
Our shopping center will be located as shown in the image above.

It will have access to the roadway and transit line running in front. We
also have a major road located not far away, route 81.
Running the Model for the Base Case
Close the map window by clicking on the small x in the upper
right-hand corner. Save the project file when prompted. You
should now see our scenario window.
The base scenario has previously been prepared. Run the scenario
by clicking on run at the bottom of the menu.
The task monitor window appears and shows the progress of the model
run.
We can now see the current traffic conditions around the shopping
center. The intersections and roadways are at a good quality of level of
service.
3-9
Close the map window by clicking on the small x in the upper right
hand corner.
When prompted to save the project file select Yes. This saves the
selected node and color settings and location.
Running the Model for the Scenario
Lets add in the shopping center and create a new scenario.
Right-click on Base in the scenario sub-window
Select Add Child
Type in: Future Year
When the description dialog appears, click OK. You could add notes
here about the scenario.
Right-click on Future Year
Select Add Child
Cube can be used to obtain an enormous variety of results and tables.
Not all are shown here in this document. We have seen the volume and
capacity and intersection level of service with and without the Citimart.
It may also be useful to see the location and volume of travelers coming
to and from the Citimart. This will show us the roadways that are being
impacted by the development.
Type in: Citimart

When the description appears, click OK.
The user menu now opens and is using, by default, all of the values from
the Base scenario. We will make one change: adding in the proposed
shopping center in the demographic data.
Click on Path, Click on Use Path File
Click on edit next to the demographic data (TAZ).
Navigate to c:\cubetown\model\base\future year\citimart
When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and name the
file tazfuture.dbf.
Select roadpaths.pth as shown below.
Cube has made a copy and opened the new file.
Click Open
Our shopping center will add 1500 retail jobs.

values in total jobs and retail jobs as follows:
Replace the existing
Type in: 2885 for total jobs and 1557 for retail jobs for zone 1
After making the changes click on a different row so that you exit edit
mode before closing the file by clicking on the small x. The file will
automatically be saved. Note: there is currently no undo feature when
editing DBF files.
Click the Run button
This will now apply the model for the new scenario. A dialog will appear
when the model run has completed. Close that dialog.
Now, lets look at the assignment results.
Make sure that the scenario Citimart is highlighted in the scenarios
sub-window.
Double-click on HW intersections in the Data window.
The map opens in the same zoom as before with the same color sets
selected except now we see the results from the Citimart scenario. The
level of service and volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new
Citimart.
An information box appears with a summary of the information

contained within this file.
Click OK. A new menu is added
Pull-down on the Mode menu
Select Selected Zones
You can either click on the zone centroid for zone 1 or just type in 1
for the origin.
For the destination, enter 2-25
Check Post Volumes
Check Single Color and select Red
It should appear as shown below.
3-10
If Cube is not open: (otherwise, advance to Developing the Scenario)

application window.
Click Display. The volumes coming from Citimart are displayed as

shown below. It shows the routes that they use as well. A
bandwidth is displayed of the level of traffic and the actual value is
posted.

Click on the full extent button
along with the information.
. This shows the entire network
Open Discover Cube.cat as shown in the following graphic, and click

Open.
Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration Model.app in the
Applications sub-window. The model should open in the main
window.
Close the map window by clicking on the small x in the upper right
hand corner.
Click on Save then Close in the model user menu. If another user
menu remains open, Click on Save then Close. If prompted to
create the Future Year scenario, Click Yes. Click Close.
with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown and
some improvements to the roadway and the intersections.
Case Study 2: Studying a Proposed Roadway

Improvement
We will build on the work done in Case Study 1. Under that case study,
we applied the model for our base situation and then created a new
scenario with our shopping center, Citimart. We saw that the creation of
Citimart leads to increased and unacceptable levels of traffic on the
roadways and intersections nearby. We also saw the routes of travelers
from the new shopping center.
Running the Model for the Scenario

Citimart has already been added to our demographic datafile
tazcitimart.dbf. However, we need to modify the highway network to
represent the improvements that we wish to test. First, lets add in the
new scenario.
Under this case study, we will make some improvements to the roadway
and intersections nearby and test the impact of these improvements.
Right-click on Citimart in the scenario sub-window

3-11
Select Add Child
Click Polygon
Type in: Citimart with Road
Click New. This changes the cursor to a crosshair.
Click on points to create a polygon similar to that shown below. To

close the polygon, either click near the beginning or hold C and
click. Your polygon should resemble that shown in the image
below.
the Citimart scenarioits parent scenario. We will make one change:
adding in the proposed roadway improvements near the proposed
shopping center.
Click on edit next to the highway network.
When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and name the
file citimart.net.
Cube has made a copy and opened the new file.
The highway network opens. Lets look at the existing roadways.
If you are not zoomed to the Citimart area, click View, click Restore
and select Shopping Center
Pull down on the link color menu
and select Number of Lanes.
This splits the links into their directions and shows the number of
lanes by direction.
The roadways around the shopping center have 1 lane in each
direction.
Click Link
Click Compute
On the pull-down, select set 10
In the large white box between Name: and Applies To:, right-click.
Select Insert. This will open a space to enter a dialog
Right click in the dialog white space.
attributes on your network links.
This will bring a list of the
In this scenario, we will add a lane in each direction to the roadways in

the area. First lets zoom out a bit.
Select the zoom out cursor
and click once in the center of the
map. You should have the following on your screen.
Using Right-click or typing, type in the formula as shown below.
Click OK
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Navigate to: C:\cubetown\highway network.

base.ind.
On the Applies To dialog, pull down and select: All Items Inside and
Crossing Polygon NOW
Open the file titled:
Lets save this to a new file. Click Intersection
On the Condition, type in FUNC_CLASS=1-6
Click Save Intersection Data File As
This is saying to add 1 lane to all facilities that are within or cross the
polygon. However, only add these to links where the roadway type is 16 (i.e. not our centroids connectors).
Enter: citimart.ind and click Save

Click Post
Your dialog should resemble the image shown below.
Click Intersection Locations.

screen.
You should see the following on the
We will now modify one of the signalized intersections and then copy
that new setting to the others.
Make sure you are in Pointing Mode
and click on intersection
788 located at the bottom of the screen within the polygon as
shown below
Click Apply
An information box appears saying how many links have been
changed. Click OK.
Close the dialog
You should now see that the color of the links has changed.
have added 1 lane to those links.
We
The highway node information appears. Click on the cross-hair icon

on this dialog.
We will modify the lane geometry at this intersection. Click on Lane
Geometry. Modify the diagram until you have as shown below. Add
a right-turn-only lane in the southbound direction with 2 straightonly lanes, a second straight-only lane in the northbound direction,
and add a left-turn-only lane in the eastbound direction. When
completed, Click Save. Then, Click Save to Library. Click Browse
and select Citilabs.ilb. Click Open. In the Intersection Name dialog
type: Cubetown and Click OK. Click OK on the Information Dialog.
Click OK to exit.
Save the network by clicking on the button

We will now modify the intersections
Select Intersection
Select Open/Create Input Intersection Data File
3-13
Open each of the intersections within the polygon and add a lane to
the turning movements
For the intersection that currently has a stop sign, Select Copy from
Library. Select Cubetown.
Close the map. If prompted save, save the project file.
Go to the Lane Geometry and update to be as shown below:
You should now be back in the user menu. If not, double click on the
Citimart with Road in the Scenario sub-window.
Update the information on the screen for Citimart with Road to use
the new Intersection file (citimart.ind) and the new highway
network (citmart.net). When completed your screen should appear
as below.
Click Save
Click OK
After you have adjusted all of the intersections within the polygon,
close the dialog and Click Intersection
Click Save Intersection Data File
Overwrite the existing file if prompted
Click Save
Click Polygon
Click Run. The scenario will be tested. When it finishes a dialog

will appear. Click OK.
Click Hide
Click the refresh icon
You should now have signals at each of the intersections. Your screen
should appear as below.

Make sure that the scenario Citimart with Road is highlighted in the
scenarios sub-window.
Double-click on HW intersections in the Data window.
selected except now we see the results from the Citimart scenario. Pull
down from the link color icon and select the VC ratio for the links. The
level of service and volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new
Citimart and Road Improvements. Some intersections continue to have
level of service problems and in a real study, further improvements
might be considered and tested.
Close the map by clicking on the small x in the upper right hand
corner. When prompted, Save the project file. Click Close on the
model menu.
3-14
Case Study 3: Studying Improvements in Bus

Service
with a new shopping center planned for our study town, Cubetown and
some improvements to the public transport system.
We will build on the work done in Case Studies 1 and 2. Under those
case studies, we applied the model for our base situation, for a
base+Citimart and then for base+Citimart+road improvements. We saw
that the creation of Citimart leads to increased and unacceptable levels
of traffic on the roadways and intersections nearby and that substantial
road improvements have helped but not eliminated all of the
consequences of Citimart.
Citimart has already been added to our demographic datafile

tazcitimart.dbf.
However, we need to modify the public transport
network to represent the improvements that we wish to test. First, lets
add in the new scenario.
Right-click on Citimart in the scenario sub-window
Select Add Child
Under this case study, we will make some improvements to the public
transit system and test the impact of these improvements.
Type in: Citimart with Rail

If Cube is not open: (otherwise, advance to Developing the Scenario)

the Citimart scenarioits parent scenario. We will make one change:
adding in the proposed public transit improvements near the proposed
shopping center.
application window.
Click on edit next to the public transit lines.

When prompted to make a copy of the file, Click Yes and enter the
filename citimart.lin.
Cube has made a copy and opened the new transit file with the
network.
If you are not zoomed to the Citimart area, click View, click Restore
and select Shopping Center. Your screen should appear as below.
(note: you may need to zoom out a bit).

Open.
Double click on Cube Voyager Demonstration. App in the
Applications sub-window. The model should open in the main
window.
3-15
We have one two-way transit line running in front of the shopping

center.
In this scenario, we increase the frequency of the service, add a stop in
front of the shopping center and change mode from bus to rail.
Put the transit line on top for editing by pulling down on the layer
selection section and clicking on the TRN layer. Your screen should
appear as below.
Click on the highlighted node in the list (1153).

dash. This makes this node a stop on the line.
Remove the -
Click the green check mark.

Close the dialog.
Click Transit
Click Save All Transit Files
Make sure you are in Pointing Mode
and click on the transit line
Close the map by clicking on the small x in the upper right hand
corner
A dialog appears with the current settings of the line as shown

below.
Make sure your file and settings are as on the image below, Click
Save, and Click Run
Click in the white area next to Mode and type 1

Click in the white area next to Headway[1] and type 3
Click in the white area next to Headway_R[1] and type 3. This is

the frequency of the service in the other direction
Click the green check mark
Make sure that the scenario Citimart with Rail is highlighted in the
scenarios sub-window.
Click on the node just outside of the shopping center as shown

below
Double-click on HW intersections in the Data sub-window

selected except now we see the results from the currrent scenario. Pull
down and select the VC ratio for the links. The level of service and
volume/capacity ratio has changed with the new Citimart and Rail.
Some intersections continue to have level of service problems and in a
real study, further improvements might be considered and tested.
3-16
Close the map window

In the Data section, click on the + next to PT Assignment
Click on Transit
Double Click on PT Loads

This opens the loaded transit network.
generated during the model run.
Click on the single bus icon
Click Show Transit On/Off
It shows the access links
Click OK on the Maximum On/Off Bar Height dialog
on the main menu
A histogram is shown with number of people getting on, getting off

and staying on the service
Highlight the lines as shown below (you can use shift click and cntlclick) and click OK
Click Transit
Click Show Transit Line Profile. This shows the same information in
another way. It is useful to show the maximum load point on the
service
On the graphic, click show node name. Note that node 1153 is our
new shopping center node. It shows how many are getting on and
off at that point
Make sure the TRN layer is on top (use the layer control)
Place the cursor on the transit line and click
The dialog shows that we have two records. It is our new rail line
separated by direction. Select the first Red line or Red- and Click
OK. Close the Transit Route dialog.
Close the dialogs and close the map

You can continue on doing similar things investigating the results,
making another scenario (what about the road improvements and the
rail line?).
Close Cube by clicking on the large X in the upper right hand
corner. Click Save when prompted to save changes to the Catalog.
3-17

application window.
Chapter 4
Case Studies: Microsimulation with
Cube
The following section takes you through a case study showing how you
would undertake a microsimulation analysis with Cube Dynasim.
Secondly, it shows you how to share the animations of the simulation
with stakeholders.
It builds on the results of the exercises in Chapter 3.
Case Study 5: Traffic Microsimulation

Proposed New Development
of
In the previous chapter we estimated the travel demand for a series of

scenarios associated with the construction of a new regional shopping
center CitiMart. In many cases, it would be very useful to conduct a
simulationor microsimulationof the traffic consequences.
The demand model, under Cube Voyager, has gives us a lot of very
useful information for a microsimulation: the trip matrices, the network
and intersection information, the paths, the transit system, etc.
Cube Dynasim is an integral part of Cube.

We can export the
information from the demand model directly to Cube Dynasim. This
saves enormous amounts of time in running a microsimulation.

Open
In the following exercise, we will export the information from the

Citimart scenario.
In the Scenario sub-window, double click on Citimart. (note: you

may need to click on the + to expand the scenarios)
The first step is creating an empty Cube Dynasim project to receive the
export from Cube Base.
In the Data section, expand the Outputs.

Expand the Highway Assignment section
Start Dynasim by double clicking the desktop icon or from the Start
Menu. You will see the Dynasim project management window
Double click HW Intersections

This will open the assigned network from the model run of the proposed
CitiMart.
Place your cursor in the Study box, clear the existing value (if one is
present) and enter a name for the study: Demo. (Note: your cursor
needs to be within the box when typing)
From the Intersection Menu select Open/Create Input Intersection

Data File
Browse and Open the file base.ind in: C:\cubetown\Highway
Network
Click Add. This creates a data file structure and may take a few
moments
Click Path
The new, empty, study opens in a new Dynasim edit window
Click Use Path File
Close Dynasim
4-18
Browse
and
Open
the
file
roadpaths.pth
in
C:\cubetown\model\base\future year\citimart.
Click OK on the
information dialog. Click Close on the Path file dialog.
Click on the Layer control icon
. Make sure that the file:
C:\cubetown\pt\basept.lin is open under the transit layer (TRN) and
checked on.
Your screen should appear as below
Select Export
Click OK on the sub-area extraction node renumbering dialog.
A message box reports the number of links exported
Click OK
A message box asks to Open Dynasim?
Click View
Click Yes. Cube Dynasim opens the exported network (note: if

Dynasim fails to open, click on Dynasim on the Desktop to start and
Open Demo)
Click Restore
Select Intersection Export
Enlarge the Cube Dynasim window.
Select Polygon
In the Main Dynasim window click Network. This opens the

Network Scenario window.
Select Restore
Click once on Scenario1
Select Test Intersection
Navigate to the Name field and enter a new Name for the scenario:
Base_Photo
Select Post
Select Intersection Locations
Click Apply to rename the scenario and click Visualize to show the
airphoto.
Your screen should appear as below
Next a second scenario will be added which uses the DXF file as the
background.
Click once on the new Base_Photo scenario
Navigate to the Name field and enter a new Name for the new
scenario: Base_DXF
In the demonstration version, you may export a small intersection to
Cube Dynasim. We will export this intersection, its flows, its transit and
its signal settings to Cube Dynasim
Select background.dxf from the Map field

Click Add
Select Link
Click Quit
Export to CubeDynasim. A dialog appears. Complete the dialog as

shown below
Click Save
4-19
Now Simulation scenarios must be defined.

A Simulation scenario
consists of a combination of Network, Flow, Signals, and PT scenarios.
In the Controller window click Play.

Control the speed of the animation with the slider along the bottom
of the Controller window.
Click Simulations to open the Simulation Management Window.

The list of Simulation scenarios will contain one scenario using the
exported Base_Photo Network scenario.
Next, a Simulation scenario with the Base_DXF network will be
added.
Select the Base_DXF scenario from the dropdown list of Network
scenarios
Select the Flow AM Peak scenario from the dropdown list of Flow
scenarios
Select the timing1 scenario from the dropdown Clist of Signals
scenarios
Select the CubePT scenario from the list of PT scenarios
Click Add The new simulation scenario now appears in the list
Now we will show the 3D animation of the results.

From the View Menu in the Controller window, select Open a View
Highlight Plan 3d and Click OK
Double-click to recenter the 3d view on the study intersection.
Zoom-in to the intersection by left-clicking and dragging the mouse
up.
Now Simulation scenarios must be defined.

A Simulation scenario
consists of a combination of Network, Flow, Signals, and PT scenarios.
Zoom-out by left-clicking and dragging the mouse back.
Select the Base_DXF Simulation scenario the list.

Click Simulate and wait until the circle underneath the filmstrip
icon turns green.
Select the Base_Photo Simulation scenario the list.
Click Simulate and wait until the circle underneath the filmstrip
icon turns green.
First we will show the 2D animation of the results on the background

shape layers that have been exported as standard DXF files used by
Cube Dynasim. Equally, the 2D animation can be shown on the exported
photographic image.
The Zoomed in view of the intersection is shown.
Select the Base_DXF Simulation scenario from the list.
To rotate the view up and down around the focus point, right-click
and drag the mouse up or down.
Click Views, then Animate
To rotate around the focus point, left-click and drag the mouse
right or left.
The Controller window opens. From the View Menu select Open a
View
When finished viewing the animation, close the Controller.
Highlight Plan and Click OK

The Controller and an overhead View of the intersection is shown.
Zoom-in to the intersection in the View window.
4-20
Now we will show the 2D animation on the exported photographic image.

Select the Base_Photo Simulation scenario from the list.
Click Animation
The Controller window opens. From the View Menu select Open a
View
Highlight Plan and Click OK
The Controller and an overhead View of the intersection is shown.
Zoom-in to the intersection in the View window.
In the Controller window click Play.
Control the speed of the animation with the slider along the bottom
of the Controller window.
When finished viewing the animation, close the Controller.
In the Simulations Management window, click the Scenario button
in the bottom right hand corner if it is present and click Quit to exit.
Click Save and Close Dynasim.
This was a one intersection example of Cube Dynasim and the export
capabilities in Cube.
Cube Dynasim can handle very large scale
problems, interchanges, bus terminals, etc.
4-21
Case Study 6: Sharing Microsimulation Animations

with
Stakeholders
and
Making
Rendered
Animations
In the previous section we have taken you through the export of 1
intersection into Cube Dynasim. This is allowed using the demonstration
version of the software.
Cube Dynasim can be used for a very wide variety of analyses including:
The study of freeway interchanges
Downtown circulation
Toll plazas
Ramp metering
Roundabouts
Large networks
Rail road priority
Transit center
Airport frontage
Parking lot
Circulation around new developments
Incident analysis
ITS improvements
Transit priority
Signal timing studies
Special event planning
Truck terminal
Lane closures during construction
Passing lane studies
Carpool lanes
An important advantage provided with Cube Dynasim is the ability to
export the animations. These animations can then be freely given to
anyone to view, pan, use in car views, etc. The person viewing the
animation does not need to own Cube Dynasim.
Example Exported Animations
Included on the demonstration CD are several exported simulations.
These can be easily viewed and gives further insight into the capabilities
of Cube Dynasim.
Rendering
As you have seen, it is very easy to use shape, DXF and image files in
Cube Dynasim animations. It is also possible to create rendered, high
quality 3D animations using rendering. Cube Dynasim uses 3DS formats
--an open, industry-standard format. You can create these using any 3D
software such as 3DStudio, or the rendering tools in Autocad or many
other software packages.
We have created several examples:
1.
2.
Go to Start, and click on Citilabs licensed (or demo) software

and start Cube DynasimViews.
In the menu, you will have several 3D animations. One
contains a detailed lightrail/bus ; the other the test
intersection.
4-22
Chapter 5
Case Studies: Forecasting Freight
with Cube
The following section takes you through two case studies showing how
Cube can be used to forecast commodity and truck flows.
First we will apply Cube Cargo to estimate base situation commodity
levels by mode and truck matrices.
application window.
The demonstration catalog is shown with 3 sub-windows:

Scenarios: these are where we will develop our scenario and apply
the model.
Applications: these are the available model processes that we can
apply.
In this section, we will be using the Cube Cargo
Demonstration.
Data: holds the input and output data for each of the scenarios.
This provides quick access to these files.

Open.
This will open a Cube Catalog. A catalog holds all of the models, data
and scenarios.
Prior to setting up the scenario for our new development, lets get
familiar with the model that will be used to test this new development.
Double click on Cube Cargo Demonstration.app in the Applications
sub-window. The model should open in the main window.
This window of Cube is known as Application Manager. It is a flow-chart

view of the model process. Cube is operating in what is called Appliers
Mode. This has taken the model and put it in a form that is easy to use
by those that develop and run scenarios. In this mode, you cannot
5-23
change the model, but you may apply the model. Later chapters in this
book take you through exercises in developing model structures where
you can learn how to design and calibrate the model.
The highway network is shown with a legend and several layers open.
The Cube GIS system allows you to have unlimited layers. Layers that
can be used include the standard Cube data formats, industry standard
ESRI shape files and image formats (jpg, tif, etc.). In a future version of
Cube, Cube will use directly data stored in ESRI geodatabase format.
The flow chart shows the steps in the model. Each of these steps shows
light blue boxes on the left-hand side and green boxes on the right-hand
side. The light blue boxes are inputs to the step and the green are the
outputs of the steps. Linkages are made taking outputs to serve as
inputs, etc.
The map also shows rail services connecting major points.

This study area is much larger than the area that we are interested in.
Running the Base Situation
Click View
In the case studies we will be testing two scenarios:
Click Restore
1.
2.
The impact of adding a new north-south rail service

The impact of higher road costs on the mode shares by
commodity class and the resulting truck flow levels.
Select Cubetown
The model already has a base case setup. It is located in the Scenarios
sub-window and called Base.
Double-click on Base in the scenario sub-window.
for applying the model opens as shown below.
The interface
The map is zoomed to Cubetown. A Cube Cargo model is used to study

both long distance and local freight levels. In order to properly study
the amount of goods flow by mode passing through or to and from
Cubetown, we have created a large scale study area.
In addition to rail services, the study area has river services.
This interface along with the questions, the colors and logo have been
designed by the developer of the model using developer mode in Cube.
A model interface can have any questions that you would like to ask, any
colors and any logos or other images. This allows you to build a
customized interface for your model.
Click on the Layer control button

Double-click on the TRN layer name and change the file name by
browsing to Cargoriver.lin.
Close the Dialog by clicking on All Done.
First, lets get familiar with the study area prior to running the model.
clicking on
Click the Edit button next to the roadway network. This is the first
Edit button on the right. This will open the highway network that
we are using in the Base scenario. You may need to zoom out.
5-24
Zoom to full extent by
The river services are shown. It becomes clear that the mode choice
implications of the freight will have an important impact on the amount
of truck flow that goes through the study area of Cubetown.
The new rail file is the same as used in the base year except a new rail
service is offered from the southern to the northern portions of the study
area without stopping in Cubetown.
Close the map. Save if prompted.
Click on Save
Click Run on the model menu.
Click on Run
Close the dialog when the run has completed.
The model is applied with the new rail service. While Cube Cargo gives a
wide variety of statistics and results including detailed matrices of
commodity and truck flows, a principal result from the current test is the
evaluation of the reduction in truck flows and the increase in rail tons.
In the Data section (expand the outputs), two files are output giving the
difference between the base case the and currently run scenario. Truck
Change gives a matrix with the reduction in annual truck flows.
Commodity change gives the change in the tons of commodities
transported by mode per year.
Case Study 7: Forecasting Demand for a Proposed

New Rail Freight Service
One of the characteristics of Cubetown is that it presently serves as the
regions rail hub. Freight arrives from all areas and is transferred at
Cubetown.
Double click on truck change. The matrix opens
The operators of the rail service, have decided to consider the market for
a new, direct north south rail freight service. We will help them study
that with the Cube Cargo model.
Right click on Base in the Scenario sub-area
Click on Add Child
In the area: type newrail
Click OK on the information dialog
On the rail line input, select cargofuturerail.lin
Double click on commodity change.

reviewing, close the two matrices.
5-25
The matrices open.
When done
Change gives a matrix with the change in annual truck flows.

Commodity change gives the change in the tons of commodities
transported by mode per year.
Double click on truck change. The matrix opens
Case Study 8: Forecasting the Impact of Rail

Pricing on the Level of Truck Traffic
Double click on commodity change. The matrices open.
The Cube Cargo model evaluates level of service changes but also
changes in costs. In the following cash study, rail costs are raised 10%.
Right click on Base in the Scenario sub-area
Click on Add Child
In the area: type rail_increase
Click OK on the information dialog
The rail and river input services should be the same as the base
scenario
Click the button to increase rail costs by 10%.
Chapter 6
Developing Base Data in Cube
A transportation planning model requires a description of the
transportation supply (roadways, public transit services, etc.) and the
data which relates to the demand for travel (population, employment,
etc.).
In the following exercises, you will:
build a highway network from an ESRI shape file, add centroids and
develop centroids connectors
add intersection data to the highway network and create a template
for use on other intersections
code a public transit route and modify a public transit route
create a drawing layer and annotate the base data map with road
signs.
Click on Save
Developing a Highway Network
Click on Run
The model is applied with the existing rail and river services. The only
change over the base situation is that rail costs are increased by 10%.
Highway networks describe the roadway facilities that will be used in the
model. Highway networks can be developed using several different
techniques:
In the Data section (expand the Outputs), two files are output giving the
difference between the base case the and currently run scenario. Truck
6-26
geocode and develop the network from maps and other printed
data sources
take an existing network and update it for use in your model
develop a network from GIS data sources such as TIGER data in the
USA or other similar sources available in some locations.
In this exercise, we will undertake option develop a network from a GIS
data source in ESRI shape data format.
application window.
The forms in the shape file are colored in a light blue by default.
On the menu, click on the Layer control icon
. The Layer dialog
opens. One layer is open, the shape file that we selected.
In the Cube dialog, click the option to Cancel.

Select File, select Open.
Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\develop a highway network. Click
Highway_Network.shp, as shown in the following graphic, and click
Open.
Highlight the layer, by clicking on the file and click on Layer

Properties. The Polyline Layer Properties dialog opens for the
selected layer.
The shape file opens. The area covers an urbanized area and contains
information on most of the roadways.
6-27
Group Name in the Polyline Layer Link Color Specification, we could

have added a Group Name and Cube would have remembered this
setting. Whenever you would like to set the color of the shapes to
this blue, you could then just select that color specification 1.
Under Link, check the box next to Color.

Click on the Changebutton to the immediate right. The Polyline
Layer Link Color Specification dialog opens.
From the main menu, select GIS Tools, select Build Network from
Shape. The Save Highway Network File dialog opens pointing to
the source directory for the shape file.
In the File name box, type example.net, and select Save.
Click on Insert once.

Click the down arrow on the pull-down color palette menu. Select
Div-orange-blue.
Click on the dark blue color in the middle of the palette. The link
color has now changed to the selected blue.
The Build Highway Network from Line Shape File opens.
Click All Done. The dialog closes and the shapes are now shown in
the selected blue. Cube allows you to set color styles. Under
6-28
A highway network in Cube uses traditional node-based techniques.

Cube requires that the shape file have either two fields with pre-existing
node numbers, or two fields where it can create numbers. In the current
shape file, we have already created two fields called A and B and have
node numbers. If we wanted to number (or re-number) the nodes, we
would check the box clear all values in the A-Node and B-Node fields
first. In the current exercise we will not check this box.
Cube builds a highway network from the shape file.

opens.
. The Layer dialog
Double click on the Highway layer (currently not filled).

Highway Layer Parameters dialog opens.
A highway network has one-way and two-way roadways. If the shape

file has such an attribute available, you would select use indicator field.
You may also create a distance attribute and provide a scale. Node
Grouping Limit is used to specify when new nodes are created in areas
with many nodes. It is best to use a very small value here such as
0.0001. The Starting New Node Number and Highest Zone Number are
used to set these values.
The
Browse to the network we just created entitled Example.net

Click on All Done.
Fill-in the dialog as shown below and Click on Build.
The highway network is now opened along with the source shape file.
You can observe that the shapes have been simplified into straight lines.
6-29
Click on GIS Tools, click on True Shape Display.

Link Shape dialog opens.
The Display True
Click on the pull down layer bar and click and release
HWY:EXAMPLE.NET. This will make the highway network that we
have created the active network.
Click on On.
Click on any roadway in the network and the Highway Links dialog
will appear. This shows the attributes available to us in the
highway network. These are all of the attribute that were present
on the source shape file.
A dialog appears saying that it has found matches between the links and
the shapes.
Click OK. The network now takes the form of the shape file. We
have now converted shape source data to a network for use in
modeling and linked it to the source shape file so that it takes the
form of the shapes.
Close the dialog box.

Close Cube.
When prompted, Select Yes to Save Project File.
When prompted Select Save and close the program.
6-30
Developing
Connectors
Zones
and
Zone
Centroids
In the previous exercise we have created a highway network. In a

transportation model we need to develop a zone system and create a
connection between the center of the zones (centroids) and the highway
network with special links called centroids connectors. Cube provides
some automated techniques for reducing the time required to do this
task.
application window.

opens.
. The Layer dialog
Double click on Boundary and the Boundary Layer Parameters

dialog opens.

Select File, select Open.
Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\developing centroids.
Click Example.VPR, as shown in the following graphic
Click Open.
Click on browse and navigate and select TAZ.SHP.

Click All Done. The map window now shows the network and the
zone boundaries.
The highway network that was created in the previous lesson is opened.
6-31
Select the menu option Node, Automatic Add Centroids. The Select
an Item dialog appears.
Select the menu option Node, Automatic Add Centroid Connectors.

The Automatic Centroid Connectors Generation dialog appears.
Highlight TAZ and Select OK.
Complete the dialog as shown below

Click OK
Click on the right button of the mouse when completing the last
box. This provides a list of the link attributes.
A dialog appears noting how many centroids connectors have been

generated.
An Information dialog appears saying that 16 centroids have been

added. Cube has placed the centroids in the geographic center of the
boundaries (zone boundaries) and used the numbering from the zone
boundary shape file.
Click OK. The dialog closes and the network is shown with the
generated centroids connectors.
Click File
Click Save
Close Cube and Save the project file when prompted.
6-32
Click Open.
The network opens.
Representing Intersections

opens.
Cube provides three ways to represent congestion on the highway

network:
. The Layer dialog
Double click on Image and the Image Layer Parameters dialog

opens.
No congestion. Capacity restraint is not used

Link-based congestion.
The standard method of constraining
network flow in the traffic assignment model
Junction-based congestion. Junction modeling attempts to simulate
the congestion on a roadway network by modeling what happens at
the intersections and merges.
This methodology provides an
improvement over both of the other methods but requires further
data preparation.
In this exercise we will code the intersection information necessary for
junction-based capacity restraint.
application window.
Browse and select c:\cubetown\media\background.tif

Click All Done. The network opens with an air photo located in the
northern portion of the study area. Cube can have as many image
layers as you want. In this example, we have opened one layer.
This air photo will help us to code the intersection, but it is not
required to do this.

Select File
Select Open
Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\representing intersections
6-33
Click on the node in the center of the screen. The node dialog will
open.
Click on the zoom to node icon
When prompted for the node Enter 791
Click OK
When prompted for the Window Width, enter 1000
Click OK. The view is zoomed to the intersection.
Click on the Intersection Icon

on the dialog box. The Intersection
dialog opens. The dialog shows that this intersection is not coded.
Our intersection data will be stored in a file.

Click on the main menu Intersection
Click on Open/Create Input Intersection Data File
In the dialog, Navigate to the Representing Intersections folder
Enter the file name example.ind
Click Open
When prompted to create a new file, click OK
If the intersection dialog opens, Click Cancel.
Pull down on the intersection type menu

Select Adaptive Signal, Geometric (HCM).
Cube provides two
techniques for modeling capacity at intersections. One is known as
Saturation Flows and was developing in the UK. The others is
6-34
Geometric developed in the USA. Geometric is also known as the

methodology used in the USA Highway Capacity Manual. Cube
follows the HCM methods and calculations published in the most
recent version of the HCM manual.
Click on Lane Geometry

Complete the diagram as show below. This is choosing the number
of lanes for each of the movements as well as setting lane sharing.
The dialog now shows a diagram of the intersection. It also shows that
it is using Meters.
Select Feet
When prompted, select Yes
Click on the First Arm. This highlights what Cube believes to be the
major movement at the intersection.
Other parameters may be added. The dialog prompts for all of the
possible inputs that are used in the Geometric (HCM) methodology. We
will use the default values for the remainder. Now that we have coded
one intersection, we can save this intersection into the Library of
intersection types.
Click Save to Library. The Intersection Library dialog opens.
Enter the name of this intersection as shown in the image below
Click OK. Cube comes with several intersection templates. We
have just added another to the system that we can use when
coding other intersections. Experiment on another intersection and
use the Copy from Library function to do so.
Click on Phases.
The dialog now changes and provides the
opportunity to represent up to 8 signal phase
Click on the arms of Phase 1 and Phase 2 and complete the signal
phasing as shown below.
6-35
Select OK on the intersection dialog to close

Select Post
Select Intersection Locations. An icon now appears showing that an
Adaptive Signal has been coded.

Select File
Select Open
Navigate
network
to:
c:\cubetown\lessons\developing
public
transit

Click Open.
Select Intersection
Select Save Intersection File and save the file
Close Cube and save the Project File when prompted.
Developing a Public Transit Network

The network opens.
In this exercise, we will code a public transit line. Cube allows you to
code all types of public transit (bus, tramway, heavy rail, etc.). In this
exercise we will code a bus line.

opens
. The Layer dialog
Double click on Transit and the Open TRNLAYER Layer Parameters

dialog opens

Navigate to the folder Developing a Public Transit Network
application window.
In the file name window, type: example.lin

Click on Open.
6-36
This file does not exist and Cube prompts asking if you would like to
create this file.
A dialog box opens and prompts you for the name of the line.
Click Yes and Select Voyager PT Line Format
Type in Red Flash
Click OK
Click OK. The dialog box closes and we now have created a transit
line.
Select All Done when prompted. The file has been created and the
layer has now been added.
Pull down on the Layer order control and select and release the
TRN: example.lin layer. This makes the public transit line layer the
active layer so that it may be edited. It is important in Cube to
always choose the layer that you wish to work using the layer order
control.
With the Red Flash highlighted, click on Edit. The transit line coding
dialog opens.
We now have a public transit layer and it is now on top for editing.
On the main menu, Click Transit
Click Line Manager. The public transit line manager dialog opens.
It shows the files that are available for editing as well as the transit
lines that are currently in the file
Click New on the Line Options.
6-37
Click on the Route Edit button on the dialog

. If you move the
cursor over the map, you should now have a cross-hair. We are
now ready to trace the line and locate the stops.
Click on the zoom to node icon
When prompted for the node Enter 791
Click OK
When prompted for the Window Width, Enter 25000
Click OK. The view is zoomed to the intersection
Click on Post
Click on One-Way Arrow on Network. This shows the one way
roadways in our network and the direction of movement.
Continue coding the line.

Click on node 791
Click on node 784
Click on node 780
Click on node 764
Click on node 763
Click on node 754
Hit the Escape key on your keyboard. Escape takes you out of the
line coding mode
Click on the Green Check on the line coding dialog.
what you have coded.
Select Post
This accepts
Select All Nodes

Click OK. This brings the node numbers on to the screen.
Pull-down on the line coding dialog to make it longer. You can see
the nodes that make up the route. Nodes with a - in front provide
the route, but are not stops. No boardings or alightings will be
allowed at these nodes. Where no - is present, Cube will allow
boarding and alighting.
We will code a line that goes from the northern portions of the window to
downtown.
Scroll up to the top of the list using the slider bar.
Move the cursor, Click on Node 804. The node should flash. Note
the text at the bottom of the screen. It prompts you for different
ways to code the line. We will be using Click-auto route with stop
node. Click on 798. The route of the line is found via the minimum
path. You now have coded a transit line starting at node 804,
traveling to node 798. Stops are at nodes 804 and 798.
6-38
At the top, you will see Mode.
Click on transit from the main menu
Next to that, type in 1. By default, Cube provides you with a dialog

for adding the mode number and the nodes that make up the route
and stops. You may also want to add other elements to describe
the line.
Click on Line Manager

Click on Save to save the changes that we have made
Click on Exit.
Click on the insert row icon

. This opens a dialog with a list of
variables that may be added to the line.
Click on Transit from the main menu

Click on Show Stop/Non-Stop Nodes. The dialog opens.
Scroll and Click on Headway[1]

Select OK. Headway for Modeling period 1 is added to the line
Click on Color
Select OK
Click on Cancel on the dialog to close the dialog
In the Color box, type 3
In the Headway[1] type 10
Click the two check boxes and accept the default colors and sizes
Click on the Green check mark and close the dialog. The line now
is shown using a red line.
Click OK. The transit line now shows where it runs, where it stops
and where it does not stop.
6-39
The network opens.

Close Cube and save the Project File when prompted.

dialog opens.
Double click on Drawing and a dialog box opens.
Using Drawing and Other Layers in Cube
The Layer
Navigate to the folder Using drawing layers
Cube allows you to label the map with a variety of road signs, call out
boxes, etc. You do this by using one or more Drawing layers.
In the file name window, type: example.drw

Click on Open.

application window.
Select All Done when prompted. The file has been created and the
layer has now been added.
Pull down on the Layer order control and select and release the
DRW: example.drw layer. This makes the drawing layer the active
layer so that it may be edited. It is important in Cube to always
choose the layer that you wish to work using the layer order
control.

Select File, select Open
Navigate to: c:\cubetown\lessons\using drawing layers
Click Open.
6-40
Click on Drawing
Click OK and a route symbol (US interstate) has been added to the
map
Click on New Object
Click anywhere on the map to clear the cursor.
Select Symbol. The cursor now turns to a cross-hair

Draw a box in the location and of approximately the size shown in
the image below.
Release the button.
Click on the symbol

Select the copy icon from the main menu. This copies the symbol
to the Windows clipboard.
Now, Click the paste icon
Click on the roadway in some other location. You can quickly and
easily make a road sign once and then copy and paste it to
locations as you like.
To exit from copy, type your Escape key.
The symbol/layers properties dialog appears.
Complete the dialog as shown below. The Name field gives the
symbol a name as it will be saved in the Cube project file. The
location is the XY location of the symbol and we are using it in
coordinates. The other options are for font, placing the text and
coloring.
6-41
Click on OK. The dialog closes and the information is updated.

Now, lets copy and modify the road sign for the north-south roadway.
Click on Drawing from the main menu
Click on one of the road signs
Click on Save File
Click on the Copy icon
Close Cube and save the project file when prompted.
Click on paste
Position the cursor over the north-south roadway and click
Hit escape. You should have something similar to below.
Double-click on the new road sign and open the properties dialog.
Change the label field from 25 to 40
Change the Name field to I-40.
6-42
Chapter 7 Developing a Model in Cube

The following lessons use the Application Manager and Scenario Manager
windows of Cube. These two tools are used for designing the model and
linking the model to and from data sources.
A model in Cube is designed using a Application Manager. The model is
saved in an Application (*.app). A model is typically portrayed on
several Application files organized in a hierarchy.
The applications are stored within an overall folder or Catalog. The
Catalog holds everything: the applications (models), the input and
output data, the combinations of the inputs and outputs organized into
scenarios and a special item called Keys. Keys are used to link data
and parameters from the User Menu to the Application.
The following lessons will give you the basics of this process.
Developing Catalogs and Applications

The following lesson will introduce you to the concepts and functions of
Catalogs and Applications.
A catalog is created and opened. The catalog shows, by default, all four
of the sub-windows available for use in the Catalog:

Scenarios. By default, Cube creates a scenario called Base. This

will be for your base scenario (model validation scenario or some
other base to be used in comparisons). We will create our other
scenarios in this window.
application window.
Applications. This window will hold the Applications that we will

create. The Applications are the model processes.
Data. By default, Cube creates two folders within the Data section,
called Input and Output. The input and output data along with
reports, will be stored for each of the scenarios under the Data
section. This provides quick access to these files.
Keys. The use of Keys will become more evident as we go through
the lessons. For those that have worked in modeling for some
years, these can be termed substitutable parameters. A user of
the model will be prompted in a menu for the key inputs that
make up an run of the model. The values they enter will then be
substituted into the Application (model processes).
In the Cube dialog, click the option to Create a New Catalog

Click OK.
Navigate to the folder Catalogs and Applications
Enter: Example.cat
Click Save.
Click File
Click New
Click New Application. The Application Information dialog opens.
Click OK. Note: Application Group Type is used to define whether
the model will be built using Cube Voyager or one of the Citilabs
legacy systems: TRIPS, TP+ or TRANPLAN. In the current lesson,
we will use Cube Voyager.
7-43
We will now create a simple model process using Application Manager.

This process will be to run a traffic assignment.
On the main menu, Click Program
Click Passenger Forecasting
Select Voyager
Select Highway. A program step is inserted and a dialog box
appears with some available model templates for Highway.
Navigate to the folder Catalogs and Applications

Click Save.
Click on Single Matrix Equilibrium Traffic Assignment using Time. A

dialog box appears prompting for the input and output files
Click Done.
Right click anywhere within the Application Manager window

Click Add Application to Catalog. This adds the current application
to the Catalog.
The screen now shows just the Highway box on the screen. The inputs
on the left-hand side of the box show the possible inputs to Highway. A
key input, already named and shown in blue, is the Script File. The
Script File is where we tell the process, in this case Highway, what we
would like it to do. We have already selected a pre-programmed, or
template function (Single Matrix Equilibrium Traffic Assignment using
Time). However, we have not chosen to specify the input and output
files when prompted. We will do this using Keys.
Save the Catalog by clicking on the Diskette icon just above

Example.cat. This diskette saves things within the Catalog
Click on the other Diskette icon just next to the print icon to save
whatever is active in the main window.
7-44
In the white space in the Keys area of Scenario Manager (left-hand

column), right-click
Click Add. The New Key dialog appears
Fill in the fields as shown in the image below.
Once you have completed the fields

Click Add on the List of Allowed Values section.
folder Catalogs and Applications
Navigate to the
Highlight and click add for two files: Base.net and Citimart.net.
(note: if you type the suffix in the dialog box *.net, it will be easier
to find these files. You should now return to the original dialog. It
should appear as below
Click OK.
Click OK. This closes the dialog and we now have two keys in the
Keys section of Scenario Manager.
Save the Catalog. We will now link the values that are selected via
the keys to the application.
Place the cursor on Network File on the input side of Highway and
right click.
Select Link to
Select Link to Catalog Key. The following dialog opens.
The Key we have just added, Network, now appears in the Key section of
Scenario Manager. We will now add another Key.
Right click in the white space in the Key area
Click Add
Complete the dialog as shown below.
two options.
Use the Add key to select

Double click on Network in the Keys area. It should appear in the
Data Name section in curved brackets.
7-45
Click OK. The dialog closes and a yellow arrow head is shown next
to Network File. This shows that the input for this value is coming
from a Key.
Right click on Network File on the output side of Highway

Click New File. Complete the dialog as shown below and type Save.
Right click on Matrix File 1.
Select Link to.
Link to Catalog Key
In the dialog, double click on Trips. It should appear in the Data
Name field in curved brackets
Click OK.
If we run this process for several iterations, it will, by default over write
the output files. If we wish to save an output for each of the scenarios,
we need to make it scenario specific.
Right click on the Highway Network output file
Click on Make File Scenario Specific
Click OK.
We will now set the outputs. We will create two outputs, a print file
showing the results of the assignment and an assigned network file.
Right click on Print File on the output side of Highway
Click Auto Name Chosen File. We will let Cube create a default file
name for this file.
When prompted about the location of the file, click Yes.
7-46
Lets change the look of this menu a bit to make it more attractive.
Click cancel to close the dialog
Right click on the tab labeled Example.cat on the top of Scenario
Manager
Click on Properties. This opens a dialog for setting global settings
for the catalog
Click on the Scenario Editing Tab.
The dialog clears and the Highway box now shows the output file
Highway Network with a yellow dot. This indicates that it is coded as
Scenario Specific.
Click on Browse
Navigate and select Cubetown.bmp
Uncheck the two boxes
Click Background color
Select orange.
We have now finished coding our process (a nice simple one!). We can
now hide the input and output files that we do not need.
Click on View
Click on Font for Prompts
Click on Hide Unused Files (all programs). This hides the unused
files. If you ever need to see them, just unclick the box.
Set the current font to White
We will now create our scenarios to run and prepare the process for use
by non-experts.
Click OK until you have closed the dialogs

Now double click on Base under scenario. The menu should now
appear as below
Double click on Base in the Scenarios section of Scenario Manager.

This brings up the menu for the user of this process. We generated
this when we created our keys (eg radio buttons).
Click cancel.
7-47
We will now set up our scenarios.

Double click on Base.
You should click on the Base.net and Base.mat files and say OK.
This sets these two files as the input for this scenario. It should be
as in the previous image.
We will now create a second scenario.
Right click in the white space in the Scenario box of Scenario
Manager
Click on Add Child
In the Cube dialog, click the option to Open an Existing Catalog
In the box, type: Citimart. A description dialog opens
Click OK.
Click on OK.
Navigate to the folder Making the Model Ready for Application and
select: Example.cat
Select on the two Citimart files (*.net and *.mat)
Click Open.
Click OK
Save the Catalog and the Application
If you right click on the scenarios and choose run it will run the
selected scenario
Close Cube and save the project file when prompted.
Making the Model Ready for Application
Double click on EXAMPL00.app in the Application window of

Scenario Manager. The application opens in the main screen in
Application Manager.
In the last lesson, we learned how to create a catalog, create an

application, create keys, how to link the keys to the application and how
to make a user menu for the model. In this lesson, we will learn a
couple of small fine-tuning options to prepare the model for use by a
non-expert.
application window.
7-48
Close the network by clicking on the lower x.
Double click on Network on the input side of Highway. The network

is opened in the main window. Notice that a background color is
set, legends and other features. These come from a file that is
located in the folder containing our application.
Click on Application
Close the map by selecting the lower X.
Click on Properties. The properties dialog opens as shown below

In the Visual Project File box browse and select the project file:
base.vpr
Click OK
Save the application.
Expand our scenarios in Scenario Manager by clicking on the +

sign next to Base in the Scenario window
Now, click once on Citimart.
scenario
This makes this scenario the active
Click once on the Network input to Highway. You can see that the
file name is substituted and is now Citimart.net.
Double click on Citimart.net. The network opens in the main

window. Notice that the appearance is very different. This is
because this file does not have a graphics project file associated
with it
Now, double click on the Network input file. It now opens with the
colors, legends, etc.
By pointing to a visual project file via
7-49
Application Manager, any map data will use this file for coloring,
legends, etc.
Close the map by clicking on the small x.
Right click on the tab at the top of Scenario Manager labeled

Example.cat
Click Properties. The catalog properties dialog opens. Note that
the radio button selected under Model User is Model Applier
Select Model Applier
Click OK. The keys are no longer shown, by default, in Scenario
Manager as this is information that is not to be changed by a nonexpert.
Double click on Base under the Scenarios in Scenario Manager. The

user menu now fills the entire screen. In a normal model, you
would most likely have many user prompts. A user or applier of
the model will therefore be able to add and run scenarios via
Scenario Manager as well as open the inputs and output via the
Data section of Scenario Manager. This mode of operating Cube
presents a simpler working environment and also makes the model
in Application Manager read-only
Close Cube and save when prompted.
7-50
Chapter 8 User
Support/Training/Consulting with
Cube
Citilabs is committed to helping you get the most out of Cube. User
support is offered with each new product purchase helping you to install
and understand the use of our software. In-depth training courses are
offered several times a year in various areas of the world.
User Support
Citilabs provides free user support for all new product or upgrade
purchases. Additional user support can be purchased on an annual basis
through a software maintenance contract. A maintenance contract
provides you with user support and free software updates as long as you
are under maintenance.
User Forum
Citilabs has an online-user forum. The user forum is a place where users
can exchange information and ideas and draw on the large body of
knowledge in the Citilabs user community. We encourage you to join at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/citilabs
Training
Training sessions are held at least two times per year in each of our
offices in San Francisco, London and Washington. Additional training
courses are provided in other major cities.
Please visit our website at
http://www.citilabs.com/training
for a listing of currently scheduled courses and locations.
If you have specific training needs that are not met by our regular
course offerings, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you
to develop appropriate training for your specific needs.
Consulting and Assistance

Citilabs is a full-service multi-modal transportation software and
planning firm. We offer a range of consulting services to meet the needs
of small and large public agencies.
Passenger Travel Model Development for Small and Medium Sized
Communities
Commodity, Freight and Truck Traffic Forecasting
Development of Specialized Planning Software Applications and
Utilities
Research and Implementation of Advanced Planning Methods
To find out more about the range of services offered by Citilabs,
contact
our
transportation
planning
services
division
(wwhite@citilabs.com).
8-51
Chapter 9 Acquiring Cube

Cube is a modular transportation planning system. The modules are:
Cube Base the system interface which runs models built in any of
the Cube Extensions and also Citilabs legacy packages: TP+, TRIPS
and TRANPLAN
Cube Extensions
Cube Voyager the extension used in this guide for calculating the
travel of people
Cube Dynasim the extension used in this guide for
microsimulation of cars, trucks, buses, rail vehicles, pedestrians
and bicycles
Cube Cargo the extension used in this guide for estimating
commodity demand and truck flows
Cube ME the extension for matrix optimization
Any user of Cube would acquire Cube Base. Cube Base could be used
with an existing model developed in one of the legacy packages.
Cube Voyager replaces the legacy packages. It has many advantages
over the older systems. In addition, you may wish to extend the system
to undertaken freight forecasting, microsimulation and matrix
estimation.
Cube is sold in most parts of the world directly by Citilabs.
countries, distributors are used.
In some
To obtain a quote or further information about Cube go to:

www.citilabs.com/contact
9-52
San Francisco
London
Washington
www.citilabs.com
Singapore

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Discover Cube

Helping you to create a better future

Discover Cube Users Guide

Developing Catalogs and Applications ......... 7-43

Chapter 1 Welcome to Cube

In addition to serving as the user interface for all of the Cube

The transportation system touches almost every element of our daily

The planning of the transportation system requires vision, intelligence,

Cube Voyager combines the latest in Citilabs' technologies for the

Cubes broad range of capabilities provides answers to all of your

Cube Cargo Forecasting Commodity Demand and Truck Flows

Key features of Cube:

Cube Cargo forecasts:

Cube has a series of Cube Extensions working within one integrated

Matrices of the number of trucks by truck type ready to be assigned

Cube Dynasim Multimodal Traffic Microsimulation

Cube has an intuitive model design and model application

Cube Dynasim captures the full dynamics of time dependent traffic

The Architecture of Cube

Cube Dynasim provides stunning 2D and 3D animations and graphics for

Cube ME statistically optimized trip matrix estimation

Cube Base provides tools for the:

One of the most valuable pieces of data in transportation planning is an

development, editing, manipulation, mapping and graphing of data

Cube ME uses mathematical techniques to find trip matrices that are

creation, management, comparison and analysis of scenarios.

The Cube User Environment

Cube in Developer Mode

By selecting Appliers Mode, much of the model system itself including

Cube Base the user interface of Cube

Cube has two specific modes of operation known as:

Cube in Applier Mode

Integration with ArcGIS

Integration of the Cube Extensions

Accessing Cube Extensions in Cube

This programs or functions are then used within Application Manager as

Installing the Demonstration Software and Data

Case Study 1: Studying a New Development

The demonstration catalog is shown with 3 sub-windows:

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Demo Data.

This window of Cube is known as Application Manager. It is a flow-chart

The branch is used to select whether detailed analyses are requested or

to see the layers that we have open.

Developing the Scenario

Move your mouse to the Data sub-window in the column. Click on

Click on + next to Highway Assignment

Click Save Configuration.

Click on Level of Service

Our shopping center will be located as shown in the image above.

Type in: Citimart

Click on Path, Click on Use Path File

Click on edit next to the demographic data (TAZ).

Navigate to c:\cubetown\model\base\future year\citimart

Select roadpaths.pth as shown below.

Cube has made a copy and opened the new file.

Our shopping center will add 1500 retail jobs.

Replace the existing

An information box appears with a summary of the information

If Cube is not open: (otherwise, advance to Developing the Scenario)

Click Display. The volumes coming from Citimart are displayed as

In the Cube dialog, click the option to Demo Data.

. This shows the entire network

Open Discover Cube.cat as shown in the following graphic, and click

Case Study 2: Studying a Proposed Roadway