Carriage

A Train Carriage object comprises: CAD, doors, join points (to other Carriages) and a maximum capacity.

When you click the Train Carriage button on the Objects toolbar, you are asked to select its CAD (The CAD should leave spaces for the doors that will open at the platform, as shown above), then press Enter to continue.

To define the doors, you must draw a line for each door in the CAD that opens. You can define the doors on a single side, or both sides, depending on whether the same Carriage will appear on different platforms.

Tip: You should employ snaps here (e.g., Snap to Intersection on the Snaps toolbar), to ensure doors are precisely defined. When all doors have been defined, press Enter to continue.

Join Points are two connection points (front and back), where Carriages are linked together, to form Trains. They are automatically snapped to the Longitudinal centre line of the Carriage. You can specify their distance from the ends of Carriages' CAD.

The front Join Point is indicated by a small red circle:

The rear Join Point is indicated by a small green circle:

Every Carriage has a name and a maximum capacity (optional), used to control the number of entities seeking to board. Entities do not enter Carriages at capacity. Instead, they wait for the next Train. Entities do not try to board other Carriages, if their assigned Carriage is full. If no maximum capacity is specified, entities board until the Carriage is physically full, or the Train dwell time is over.

Carriage Parameters

The Carriage properties dialog provides 2 data fields for naming Carriages; Name and Notes (optional).

The Name is not optional and is assigned a default name for a new Carriage. Notes are optional and can be anything you desire, usually additional details about the Carriage (manufacturer details, track gauge, gross weight etc).

Visual alert is given when a Carriage name is already used in a Catalog....

...and in the model:

Door Markings and Join Points

You can edit Train Carriage door markings and join points using Door Marking and Join Points options accessible in the Object Directory tab (expand Train Carriages and right-click the Carriage).

Click on Door Marking to view Carriage CAD to redraw the door positions.

A copy of the Carriage CAD appears in the model space at the mouse cursor:

Move the Carriage CAD to some unused model space and click to place it temporarily, for door editing.

All door marks are reset. Follow the output bar prompts to mark new door locations. Using end-point snaps can help:

Press <Enter> to complete. The Carriage in the model is updated.

Click on Join Points to reset and adjust the Carriage Join positions

A copy of the Carriage CAD appears at the mouse cursor:

Move the Carriage CAD to some unused model space and click to place it temporarily, for join point editing.

Follow output bar prompts to set new join points.

On completion, the Carriage in the model is updated.

Train

Trains are collections of Carriages, and Carriages appear in Trains in the order in which they are added to them. For each Carriage in a Train, a Reverse option is available to allow you to align the opening side of the Carriage to the platform regardless of its originally set orientation.

When you click the Train button on the Objects toolbar, it opens a window in which you may define new Trains. You may then add or delete Carriages and set their orientation, using the Reverse check box. The Capacity set during Carriage definition is also displayed here.

Service

A Service represents a particular Train system, for example:

• London-to-Birmingham - Platform 1 - Virgin Trains, or
• London-to-Birmingham - Platform 1 - West Midlands Trains.

When the Service button on the Objects toolbar is clicked, a dialog opens, in which you define new Services, or edit existing ones. In a Service's Parameters tab, you must associate a Train with the Service. You can also choose whether to populate alighters near Train doors, or randomly throughout the Carriages. When Populate alighters near the doors is off, alighters are populated randomly throughout the Train interior. Alighting may be impeded by passengers staying on the Train. When on, alighters are populated so they are the nearest passengers to the doors, enabling a less impeded alighting behavior.

The Timetable tab is designed to define arrival time, number of alighters, number of stayers, and the Effective Door Open Time (EDOT), in seconds. When entering alighters' properties (by double-clicking in the cell in the alighters column), the Service instance properties window opens, so you may specify Entity/Supply Type, Population (number of entities), Passenger distribution and passengers' Final Destinations. Stayers' cells are similar, though without Final Destinations.

Platform

Platform defines a CAD region in the model, in which entities' behaviour is modified, based on Train arrival and departure events. Since a platform cannot be a Final Destination, entities cannot be directed to Platform objects. To direct entities to navigate to a platform, they must have a Service that is associated with the platform set as their Final Destination.

Define Platform Edge

You must identify the CAD elements that make up a platform edge. The simplest platforms are straight, needing only selection of a single line segment. Polylines may also be used, to represent curved platforms. Since selected CAD defines the edge alone, rather than the whole platform, selected CAD may not be closed, overall (i.e., form a rectangle, square, pentagon, or other polygon). Entered CAD is checked and if it does not form a continuous line, an Error is raised and the user must redefine it.

Once a valid CAD selection has been made, there is a prompt to simplify the platform edge, from which superfluous elements may be removed:

• Simplify the platform edge: Set maximum vertex-to-edge distance

Vertex-to-edge distance refers to the distance vertices on user-selected lines may be from the simplified platform edge. Here, you must enter a number with 0.0 metres representing no simplification and gradually increasing numbers representing gradually more simplified platform edges, until a single, straight line is reached. Press Enter to proceed. The background has been set to black in the following screen shots to aid visualisation.

Yellow Line

To specify the "yellow line", first hover the mouse over the platform edge. The edge CAD is highlighted thick red.

Click on the red line to start setting the yellow line location. Then move the mouse away from edge to set the yellow line distance.

Click again to complete yellow line placement.

Platform Area

Next, you are shown:

• Back of platform: Set, or type, distance.

Here, you set the platform area, either by typing a platform depth, or by selecting and dragging a segment of the platform edge (highlighted when the mouse hovers over it). This is the area that entities wanting Services from this Platform will head to and wait in, before boarding.

Platform Entry Zones

Platform Entry Zones are optional, indicating where boarding passengers enter a Platform for the rest of the model.

Each zone is paired with one ore more Passenger Distributions in Platform Properties (see Passenger Distributions ), to define the distribution of passengers along a Platform when entering at a specific location.

Different distributions by entry location can be useful in these situations:

1. A Platform has multiple entry points, for instance near each end. Passengers entering at one end of the platform may be unlikely to distribute evenly along the platform:
   • They may tend to wait closer to their entry point to limit walking distance.
   • They may move along the platform to board based on a subsequent destination.
2. Different Services may generate distribution patterns, depending on Train configuration, e.g.:
   • Different number of Carriages.
   • Different Carriage lengths.
   • Different positions of standard/first-class Carriages in different Trains.

Creating a Platform Entry Zone

A Platform Entry Zone consists of:

• A user-definable line segment or polyline, denoting the transition onto the Platform. Polyline can follow a simple curve but is not allowed to follow a complex curve.
  • Straight line is permitted:
    
  • Simple concave or convex curve is permitted:
    
  • Compound curve where direction of curvature changes e.g., S-curve, is not permitted:
    
• A fixed depth (2.1m) area into the Platform, so Entities cannot accidentally step over the zone.
• Adjustable “buffer spaces” (2.1m wide) left and right of the Platform Entry Zone, so Entities cannot accidentally cut across a corner and miss the Platform Entry Zone.
  

To create one or more Platform Entry Zones:

1. The command prompt asks: Are Platform Entry Zones required? [Y]/N
   • Press <ENTER> or type Y then press <ENTER> to add one or more Platform Entry Zones.
   • Type N then press <ENTER> to skip adding Platform Entry Zones. Go to the Platform-Service Pairing section, below.
2. The command prompt states: Platform Entry Zones: Mark the first point of the entry segment of polyline
   • Left-click at the starting point of the segment defining the Platform Entry Zone.
     
     Tip: Use Snaps to precisely align the segment to the Platform geometry.
3. The command prompt states: Platform Entry Zones: Select next point. Press <ENTER> to finish.
   • Left-click successive points of the entry segment.
     
   • Points must form a simple convex or concave polyline. Compound curvature is not permitted, and clicking an unpermitted point generates an error message:
     
4. When all segment points have been added, press <ENTER>.
5. The command prompt states: Platform Entry Zones: Mark the Platform side. Click or press <ENTER> to confirm.
   • Move the mouse left or right of the Platform Entry Zone segments. An arrow is shown, indicating movement direction onto the Platform. The default Platform Entry Zone shape is also shown.
     
   • The shape matches the segment(s) you have drawn, for example:
     
   • Left-click or press <ENTER> when the arrow shows the correct direction.
6. Provide a name for the Platform Entry Zone in the popup dialog. This is to identify it in Platform properties, when assigning Passenger Distributions.
   
   • A unique default name is supplied automatically.
   • Any name entered must be unique for the Platform.
   • Names can be reused in other Platforms.
7. Click OK to close the dialog.
8. The command prompt asks: Platform Entry Zones: Add more Platform Entry Zones? [Y]/N
   • To add more Platform Entry Zones, press <ENTER> or type Y then press <ENTER>. Repeat from Step 1 above.
   • To stop adding Platform Entry Zones, type N then press <ENTER>.
9. After all required Platform Entry Zones are added, the command prompt changes to Set Platform properties and the Platform properties dialog box appears.

Adding Platform Entry Zones to an Existing Platform

For an existing Platform object:

1. Select the Platform in the workspace.
2. Right-click inside the Platform area and select Add a New Platform Entry Zone to Platform ‘[Name]’ from the menu, where [Name] is the Platform name.
3. Follow steps

Editing Platform Entry Zones

To change the shape of a Platform Entry Zone:

1. Select the Platform in the workspace.
   • The Platform Entry Zones are now visible, with grab handles at adjustment points.
   • Side buffer grab handles are outermost, while inner handles are for the Platform Entry Zone segment(s).
     
   • Movement of side buffer grab handles is limited, to prevent self-intersection between the side buffers and the main Platform Entry Zone area. Two limiting factors are considered:
     1. ±90° to the adjacent Platform Entry Zone segment. This is a constant limit.
     2. The point where a side buffer would start to overlap the main Platform Entry Zone area. This is a variable limit - it depends on the specific Platform Entry Zone segment(s).
        
2. Left-click on a grab handle, move it to the desired location, then left-click again to set the new location.
   • For side buffer grab handles, as the mouse moves a blue square indicates the new side buffer extent within the potential adjustment range:
     
3. Repeat with the other grab handles for any other adjustments needed.

Renaming Platform Entry Zones

The name assigned to a Platform Entry Zone can be changed. To do so:

1. Select the Platform in the workspace.
2. The Platform Entry Zones are now visible.
3. Right-click inside the Platform Entry Zone you want to rename, then select Rename Platform Entry Zone ‘[Name]’… where [Name] is the existing name.
4. In the dialog box that appears, enter the new name. Rules for Platform Entry Zone names remain the same:
   • Any name entered must be unique for the Platform.
   • Names can be reused in other Platforms.
5. Click OK to close the dialog.

Deleting a Platform Entry Zone

To delete a Platform Entry Zone:

1. Select the Platform in the workspace.
2. The Platform Entry Zones are now visible.
3. Right-click inside the Platform Entry Zone you want to delete, then select Delete Platform Entry Zone ‘[Name]’, where [Name] identifies the Platform Entry Zone to delete.
4. The Platform Entry Zone is deleted. Any Platform referring to the Platform Entry Zone in Passenger Distribution assignments is updated.

Platform-Service Pairing

Every Service is associated with a Platform, so that entities assigned Services as Final Destinations have targets to go to.

To link a Platform and Service, right-click on the Platform and select Edit Platform from the context menu.

In the Parameters tab, press New to add a new Service and complete its Properties.

• The Service is used as an entities' Final Destination, assigned either in the OD Matrix sheet of the Data Template, or manually in LEGION Model Builder.
• Alignment sets a reference point on the Platform, against which the points at which Train heads stop are determined.
• Offsets determine how far back (for positive input), or forward (for negative input, e.g., if part of the Train is beyond the start of the Platform) from this reference point Trains stop.
  

In the Distributions tab, you can assign a single Passenger Distributions. There are two options:

1. To Assign a single Passenger Distribution to the entire Platform:
   • Select Single Platform Passenger Distribution for all Services.
   • In the Passenger Distribution drop-down, select the Passenger Distribution to use.
     Note: If you don’t select a Passenger Distribution, LEGION Simulator will automatically use the default Uniform Distribution profile.
   
2. To associate specific Platform Entry Zone / Passenger Distribution pairs with specific Train Services:
   1. Select Different Platform Passenger Distribution per Service/Train.
   2. The Service: selection drop-down is enabled; select a Train Service.
      Note: Only Services assigned to the Platform are offered.
   3. The grid of Platform Entry Zones and Platform Passenger Distributions is enabled.
      • The Platform’s Entry Zones are listed.
      • For each Entry Zone, click the drop-down arrow in the Platform Passenger Distribution column, and select any Passenger Distribution from the list.
        Tip: Passenger Distributions can be reused with any Platform Entry Zone.
        Warning: If you do not assign a Passenger Distribution to a Platform Entry Zone, simulation Entities will not know how to distribute along the Platform and will all gather in one place on the Platform. A QA warning is used for this.

Restrictions for Platforms

Because LEGION Simulator needs to know which CAD is used for correct boarding/alighting behaviour (changing the edge CAD could adversely impact this behaviour), the following apply:

• CAD associated with the platform edge cannot be edited
• Platforms cannot be moved, scaled, or rotated
• Platforms cannot be added to group
• Platforms cannot be saved to a catalog
• Platforms created in the previous edition that are in a catalogue cannot be used in the current update.