This edition of InfoQueue is devoted to the needs of registered TEAPAC licensees. It includes answers to application questions and news about recent software enhancements. Make sure your TEAPAC software license is registered with Strong Concepts to keep these newsletters coming and for special update and upgrade opportunities.

Do you need to run your TEAPAC software under Windows95? Running under Windows 3.1x is no problem, even though the current versions of TEAPAC are still DOS programs, just by clicking on the TEAPAC.BAT file or setting up an icon as a shortcut. Under Windows95, the same is true with a few twists. The ANSI.SYS file is still needed, but now resides in the \WINDOWS\COMMAND\ subdirectory instead of \DOS\. If you still have DOS on your machine, don't use the \DOS\ANSI.SYS file ­­ it won't work. In either case, add a line to your \CONFIG.SYS file like the following and re­boot:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS

If you've installed Windows95 over Windows 3.1x, the ANSI.SYS file may be in a \COMMAND\ subdirectory under something like \WIN95\ or \WINDOWS.000\ depending on how you installed it. Note that the config file may be named config.win, depending on how you booted your machine.

For WindowsNT, TEAPAC can run in a DOS window by adding a similar DEVICE= line to the CONFIG.NT file for ANSI.SYS. CONFIG.NT and ANSI.SYS are both in \WINNT\SYSTEM32\.

Since Windows95 supports long file names, you'll also have to change a few .EXE file references in the TEAPAC.BAT file so they are only eight characters long. Using an ASCII editor like DOS EDIT or NOTEPAD, just change the names of PRETRANSYT and PRENETSIM to PRETRANS and PRENETSI, respectively. If you have any problems setting this up, just call Strong Concepts and we'll help you through the process.

Many people have asked what our plans are for Windows versions of TEAPAC. Stay tuned for specific details coming soon, but be assured that this is in the works. Your response to the enclosed survey will very much help us finalize plans for this support. Please see the attached survey.

Do you want to produce TEAPAC output on a HP LaserJet or compatible printer? Since TEAPAC is set up to output 66 lines per page and the default LaserJet setup is usually 60 lines per page, this can be troublesome, with subsequent pages of output creeping towards the bottom of the page. You can change the 66 to 60 with IODEVICES, but the FORMS program on all recent master disks is a better solution. We suggest selecting printer type "4" and output format "B" to set the printer into a 66­line mode with appropriate margins for TEAPAC output.

Are you running TEAPAC programs using network printers? Network printers are inherently troublesome for interactive analyses such as TEAPAC provides, but this can be done. The biggest issue is trapping the printed output from TEAPAC. Knowing that all TEAPAC output is directed to the standard DOS PRN device usually solves this for a network administrator. Note that if another user uses the shared printer after you do, you'll probably have to reset the margins with FORMS_4_B before your next output. This can be done with the SHELL option of the QUIT/STOP command without exiting the program. Call us if you need help.

If you are running PRENETSIM with the latest version of NETSIM (5.x), you should be aware of a few changes made with this version of NETSIM. The animation program can still be accessed directly from PRENETSIM, but it has been renamed from ANETG to GTRAF so a few modifications are in needed. If you installed a 5.x version over an older version, you must first delete the older C:\TSIS\TRAF\ANETG.EXE which may still be on your system (in which case you may have been using this older version all along without knowing it!). Then make a copy of the new GTRAF.EXE with the name ANETG.EXE in the same subdirectory. Then when PRENETSIM tries to use ANETG it will actually use the GTRAF program, but TSIS will use the original GTRAF if you run it that way.

Another helpful point involves the editing of NETSIM data files which were created by PRENETSIM. These files can be edited directly with TED/TEAPAC or TRAFEDIT's QuickEdit which allow the long lines created by PRENETSIM. If you save the file with QuickEdit, then it can be edited by TRAFEDIT's SmartEdit, which will remove the blank lines that QuickEdit creates when it truncates the long lines, but PRENETSIM's comment lines will also be deleted. If you want to keep the comments but with truncated long lines, use our CONVERT program to convert the TEAPAC format to ASCII, then use QuickEdit or DOS EDIT.

If you are using the actuated signal option in TRANSYT­7F (Rel 7.2) you should be aware of the following aspects of this option. Setting the actuated flag ON in TRANSYT really instructs TRANSYT to "simulate" the actuated operation, which is fine if you're asking TRANSYT to simulate, but if you want an optimization this may not be appropriate. When you optimize splits, you really want TRANSYT to tell you what the maximums should be so the performance index (PI) is optimized, but the actuated flag will actually make TRANSYT give you the "simulated" split for actuated control, not the "optimized" split. We recommend turning the actuated flag off for any split optimization done with TRANSYT, although we further recommend that split optimization is better done with SIGNAL94.

You should also be aware that "optimized" timings for systems with any actuated flags turned on cannot presently be IMPORTed into PRETRANSYT since TRANSYT lists the actuated timings using different terminology than the IMPORT process is expecting. Again, this is not a problem if splits are optimized using SIGNAL94 instead of TRANSYT, and thus achieving balanced level of service for critical movements instead of TRANSYT's rather aggressive mistreatment of non­major movements to minimize the system PI.

(Survey ommitted from on-line newsletter)

Please note that our area code has changed from (708) to (847). We can now be reached at 847/564­0386 (voice) or 847/564­0394 (fax). If you have trouble getting through, make sure your phone system accepts the new area code.

We can also be reached via Internet email at info@StrongConcepts.com. If you have information requests or other questions, you may like this quick and informal way of asking questions, versus a formal letter in "snail mail". Most email systems deliver email within minutes or hours of transmittal, so it may be the fastest way to transmit real data to us. Data files can be included in the mail message directly since they are ASCII text files, or can be included as attachments.

You might also visit our home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.StrongConcepts.com for the latest TEAPAC information. This includes updated course offerings.

We'll soon be adding an FAQ page (Frequently Asked Questions) to the home page which might also help. You can even use our web site as a quick way to send us email. Simply bookmark http://www.StrongConcepts.com and visit the Contact Us page. As always, though, we encourage a direct phone call so you can get the most efficient, high quality support for which Strong Concepts is known.

Strong Concepts
15 Timber Lane
Northbrook, Illinois U.S.A. 60062-3715
(847) 564-0386

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this page last updated September 22, 1998