Waiting Zones
Waiting Zones cause Entities to wait inside a defined area of your model, for an undefined period. As in the case of Delay Points , Entities disperse inside the area of the Waiting Zone according to a combination of defined Entity waiting parameters and Dispersal Points.
To get Entities to leave a Waiting Zone, you need to interrupt their wait with one or more Event Profiles, each linked to a Direction Modifier. This combination will cause selected Entities to move on to a new target when a scheduled event occurs. For more information on Event Profiles, see About Demand Data ; see also Direction Modifiers .
You can link Entities directly to Waiting Zones or you can set Waiting Zones to filter Entities by Target or by Entity Type:
- If the Waiting Zone filters By Target, the Direction Modifier you link to it must change the affected Entities’ target.
- If the Waiting Zone filters By Entity Type, the Direction Modifier you link to it must change the affected Entities’ Types.
Waiting Zones have an area, either a Focal Segment or Filter properties, and also require Dispersal Points.
Waiting Zones are best used for scheduled events, like the regular arrival and departure of trains. A typical use for a Waiting Zone would involve superimposing a Direction Modifier onto it, which in turn is associated with an Event Profile.