New FBS-Features And Current Developements
FBS Yearly Update January 2024
Below you will find new features that we partly presented at the FBS user conferences in September 2023 in Prague.
Overview:
iPLAN, General
Easier Handling Of The Calendar Window
It is now possible to scale the window, and see all month of a timetable year at once. The size of the window is then saved.
The buttons Previous Day and Next day were added, which can manipulate the days of operation accordingly.
Since clicking the button Reset only reset the special operating days - but not regular operating days - double clicking it will now delete all operating days (effectively changing them to "daily").
Selecting Existing Days Of Operation
The calendar window now has the option to reuse existing days of operation. Thus it is no longer necessary to reimplement them in a complicated way for trains that use operational days that are already in use elsewhere. All existing set of operating days are shown in a filtered list that also shows where they are used. Every set of operational days can be given a name (right click on a line), so it can be found easier in the future.
This is not to be confused with service periods. They serve as "building bricks" that are used to create the particular operating days of certain trains: Mon-Fri; not on holidays or W[Sat]; only holidays.
Adjusted The Function Replace infrastructure of current line...
Crossing time as well as pre- and post-occupation time of operation points can also be synchonised.
Operation points that are train home stations in the souce network are no longer automatically added as train home stations in the destination network.
Copying Trains From Another FBS Network
When routing, (in addition to the UIC and line number) the line track numbers will be also be shown (if available). This allows copying trains, wenn a physical line is reproduced with several FBS-lines.
Train line colour and style (as drawn in a graphic timetable) of a train route section are also copied (and with them the information if colour/style are to be based on the train category or explicitely defined by the train route section). Colours and styles of the train parts have been copied all along.
Option to replace train categories added. Optionally the train categories can be copied in the products of the train parts first. This will only be done for train products that were empty (just mimicking the train category).
Summary Lines And Vehicles
Under Analysis --> Train summary --> tab Trains the optional columns Lines and Vehicles were added. They each show a list of all lines/vehicles contained in the train, every instances once and without regards to order and operating days. The columns from Layer onwards can be hidden/shown via right click on a column header.
Zoom In The Network Map
When zooming in the network map, the zoom ist no longer always focused on the selected junction. If the mouse pointer is within the visible map, the zoom will focus on the mouse pointer. If the mouse pointer is outside the map, the focus is on the selected junction.
Easier Route Selection
The route selection window ("Please select the route to take"), which pops up when selecting an ambiguous route in the network map (when creating a new graphic or customer's timetable) will now show the line number defined in the classification instead of the internal one, if one was defined.
PDF Properties Are Saved
The last used properties Encode colours in RGB/CYMK, Compress PDF, Embedd Fonts, Show file immediately after creation and Title, Author, Theme are saved in the Windows registry and used as a template when the window Configure PDF output is opened again.
List Of Lines For Regular Stop Times Adjusted
In the window Traffic input data, found via Edit timetable data for the whole networtk --> Regular stop times, the line index of the included lines is shown to find wanted lines quicker in large networks.
New Analysis Window Conflicts
Introduction of the window Analysis --> Summary of conflicts overview that shows the conflicts of all lines and will be expanded in the future.
iPlan, Graphic Timetable
Changing The Vehicle Equipment For Multiple Selected Trains
When selecting multiple trains at once and choosing Edit data for selected trains... it is now possible to change the vehicle equipment: to do so, just click the option Assign new train composition in the tab Train parts and then press the button Change vehicle equipment of current train part.... When the vehicle settings are to be set without changing the waggon and carriage composition, it has to be reallocated, which can be done in the tab Existing train compositions. Thus it is (for lack of need) not possible to change the vehicle equipment for different waggon and carriage compositions. Already existing vehicle properties are overwritten by the new ones - they are not merged.
Supplement Time Allocation For Changed Train Category
When changing the train category individual (non linear) time supplements shouldn't always be deleted. When changing the train category and at least one supplement rule for that train category exists (in the tab Supplement times of the window Traffic imput data (Alt+V)), all existing supplement times are deleted and the recorded ones are used. Otherwise the existing supplement times aren't changed. This also affects the function Check supplement times depending on train categories and Check all trains (Traffic input data).
Selecting Trains
When limiting the visible trains in a graphic timetable to a single track, invisible trains cannot be selected anymore. This also means, that selected (yellow) trains cannot be picked in sections where they are on the "other" track.
New Operating Point Type Home Signal
It functions the same way as block signals and groups of signals. It serves as an informal differentiation. Thus block signals, home signals and signal groups can be explicitly distinguished. Since exit signals are still not supposed to be entered, there is no euqivalent for them.
Enhanced Map Window
Additional features for the map depiction of OSM maps in FBS: A sphere will be displayed at the mouse pointer and its relative and absolute position will be shown at the bottom of the window. The "overlay button" at the top right of the map can be used to depict FBS infrastructure information on the map.
Easier Station Track Entry
The entry window for station tracks/defined routes now allows multiple selection within one column to change speeds, positions, tracks etc. for several neighbouring defined routes at the same time. This includes the checkboxes to the right, except for the regular routes (which can only apply to one defined route). The description of a defined route must be unique, thus multiple selection is not possible in the first column.
iPLAN, Customer's Timetable
Customer's Timetables With Distribution Of Operating Days
The display of distributed operating days has been expanded. There are three "sources" for the text. First, a operating day text with "paraphrased" holidays is created. If there is a default legend entry for said operating days, it will be used instead. At last it is also possible in an existing customer's timetable via View --> Title & remarks to add a custom text that overrides any other descriptions. It is however possible that way, to add a description that doesn't match the operating days. Even when synchronising, this text won't be overwritten. For that reason it is important to be careful when using this option and to regulary check if it is still up-to-date.
The background colour of the display can be changed individually and is black by default.
Cycle Display In FBS Customer's Timetables
FBS now supports cycle display in customer's timetables.
To enable cycle display, first a "normal" customer's timetable has to be created, that contains every single train that is part of the cycle. All these single trains remain in the customer's timetable to be available for synchronisation. There cycle display can be turned on/off via the window Edit train table.
Mark at least two trains that are part of the cycle display via multiselection (holding Ctrl and clicking at a train's column header --> the trains are shaded black). Next, rightclick and select Enable cycle display.
The program enables cycle display for all marked and neighbouring trains with the same time difference between them.
The first and last train of the cycle are shown normally. For the trains in between only the minutes will be shown.
The "hidden" trains are crossed out in the window Edit train table.
The cycle display can also be edited manually:
- Either double click a train header or mark one/several trains via multiple selection, right click and choose Edit train(s).
- Here the options Cycle display, show only minutes or Do not show train in cycle display can be turned on, off or be switched.
To turn off cycle display right click any marked train that is part of the cycle (no matter if shown or not) and select Turn off cycle display.
The indication Cycle display in the header is shown horizontally aligned on top of the columns that contain minute displays.
The description every xx min is only shown, when the program finds a constant time differenc between all trains that are part of a cycle group. The time difference is interpreted with rounded minutes (so it doesn't need to be as precise as tenths of a minute) and only with the shown times (not non-stop times). Stops and operating days of all trains in a cycle group also have to match.
A customer's timetable can contain multiple cycle displays.
Moving Trains To The End Of A Table
For trains that run early in the morning but shall still be shown at the end of a table, there is the right click option Move train(s) to the end of the table to be found via Edit train table. The option is only shown, wenn one or more whole trains are selected (whole column shaded black).
Legend As Continuous Text
For customer's timetables with limited space the option Legend as continuous text hast been added via View --> Layout & content. It is mutually exclusive with Show legend in several columns.
Miscellaneous Changes
Mail merge of customer's timetables: It could happen that the individually chosen page numbers were displayed in the print view but not adopted to the PDF-file.
Synchronising customer's timetables: Every train is only synchronised once. If a train is shown serveral times in one table, any aditional copy will be deleted upon synchronisation. (For example trains that are in two time periods of the year's timetable but are only needed once after the "small" schedule change).
iPLAN, Station Timetable
Miscellaneous Changes
Alternative list view Occupancy list: Every occupancy in the station timetable can be shown in one line of the headerlist, instead of one line per train.
A filter for the depiction Train list has been added to the main window.
Central overview of all vehicle switchovers incuding filters added.
Station names can be editet by the user. If the name is set to <empty>, it will be taken from the bsv-file (standard and go to as of now).
When synchronising the station timetable, only train parts that are included in the circulation plan are considered. This concerns the operating days on arrival/departure at the station timetable's station as well as the engine list.
iPLAN, Energy Evaluation
Scale Of Energy Evaluation Customisable
When comparing energy comsumptions, it proved to be hindering that the scales in the window Energy analysis are scaled automatically. For that reason it is now possible to manually set the highest scale points of most scales via Settings (Cog button) --> General --> Diagram scales. Note, that the energy and power scale (to the right) are adjusted, so that the auxiliary lines correlate with round numbers. Since the auxiliary lines are based on the speed scale (to the left), the correlation between speed and energy/power is not trivial. Hence there is the option to change the increment of the speed auxiliary lines: the smaller it is, the smaller the modification of the energy/power scale.
It is on purpose that these values aren't saved: they are intended vor a short term usage (screenshots).
