In The Works

The software development for the upcoming Release 7 of EMME/2 has been completed right on schedule, which means by the end of 1993. But this does not mean at all that the bulk of the work regarding the new release is now done and we can lean back. On the contrary! The big rush is yet to come: extensive in-house testing, generating and following up on external beta-test versions, updating and improving the user's manual, writing the release notes, preparing the various system specific installation notes, organizing and supervising the production and mailing of mountains of documentation, diskettes, tapes and cartridges, ... All of this will certainly keep us busy for the months to come. Our schedule is to have all Release 7 versions shipped out before the end of spring 1994, and we will all do our best to reach this goal.

I normally use this column to tell you about the development projects that we have been working on recently, and which eventually will be included in a future release. As the next EMME/2 NEWS will be a special issue describing in depth all enhancements and new features to be found in Release 7, there is no point in getting into much detail now. But since I am sure that most of you are curious as to the contents of the new release, here is a short and non-technical summary of some major new enhancements you can look forward to:

• A new module 3.23, ``Matrix Convolutions'', has been added to the system. It provides a new and powerful tool for all kind of matrix computations involving intermediate zones. Typical applications of this new module are parking lot choice models for P&R trips, or the implementation of demand models based on the concept of activity chaining.
• The transit assignment has been enhanced to incorporate the computation of additional options, using a concept similar to the one we already know from the auto assignment. This development will provide a powerful framework to perform a plethora of new applications, of which the computation of transit distances and fare matrices or select line assignments are just the most evident.
• The turn handling capabilities of EMME/2 have been greatly improved. A turn calculator functionality has been incorporated into the network calculator module 2.41, and extra attributes are now available for turns. In order to accomplish these developments, the internal handling of intersection and turn data has been completely reorganized. The turn table structure, which previously was defined only after an auto assignment had been carried out, has now become a permanent network structure. This implies that the turn table size in a data bank is no longer influenced by the number of penalized turns and the user data items stored with them, but only by the number of incoming and outgoing links at the intersection nodes.
• The EMME/2 macro capabilities have been enhanced in two directions. On the one hand, hierarchical macro calls are now supported, which means that macros can call other macros as sub-procedures. On the other hand, a single stepping debug mode has been has been added, which will greatly simplify macro testing and maintenance.

Even though this list could be continued for quite a while, we'll stop it here. Any more information would just wet your appetite for a meal which won't be delivered before another few months!