EMME/2 Release 2.0 is now out and is currently being scrutinized at several beta test sites. The general release is scheduled for December so that all EMME/2 user sites that are currently covered by an EMME/2 Software Support Agreement should have Release 2.0 by mid January.
Release 2.0 incorporates many new features and enhancements, the most important one being the new module 2.41, the long awaited Network Calculator. Similarly to the Matrix Calculator, the user can now enter an algebraic expression containing link and node attributes as keywords, evaluate it for any link or node subset and, if so desired, store the result in the data base.
Also important is the new link and node selection routine, that allows the user to select links not only by a subset of link types, but by accessing any link or node attribute.
The concept of user data items has been extended to turns; every turn can now have up to three numerical user data items. These can be used to preload additional turning volumes on intersections.
Frequently used or critical parts of the dialog can now be saved in macro dialog files. These can be inserted in the dialog input stream, whenever needed, by a simple input redirection command.
Even though the majority of EMME/2 users still work with monochrome terminals, color terminals and plotters are becoming more and more common. For these applications, the new concept of color index attribute has been introduced.
Each of the above mentioned points is covered separately somewhere else in this issue of EMME/2 NEWS. Besides these main points, there are also many other smaller enhancements. Here, we shall mention just some of them: