Names from Google Earth Waypoints

[John]

Hi Greg. I’m starting with a set of data points in Google Earth. I do the following:

1. In Earth, Ctrl+C to copy the group of coordinates
2. In Tru-Traffic, use File> New, set # intersections and set the proper forward direction
3. Double click on Intersection #1 in the list and set the node number to 101.
4. I allow the other nodes to be numbered “increasing” by a step size of 1
5. I navigate to the “Intersection Geographic coordinates” for intersection #1 (really, it could be any of the intersections).
6. Press Ctrl+v to paste the coordinates (they will all be associated)
7. I do keep the box checked to “Set Names of Unnamed Intersections from Waypoints”.
8. After allowing the distance to be calculated, the “Name” for Intersection #1 has not been renamed.
9. Click on OK to exit the intersection properties, and notice that all of the other intersection names have been updated except for intersection #1 (or whichever intersection you were on)

On the same issue, it will properly name all intersections if you paste the coordinates after step 4 (say, you use ctrl+v while in the outline view). However, the name list does not refresh until you navigate to an intersections properties window and then exit.

Now, this is a really minor one but thought I’d point it out for the next time you’re making a change.

[bullock]

Thank you, John.

It seems that when you paste the geographic positions while the Intersection Parameters dialog is open, then the text box for the name of the intersection within the Intersection Parameters dialog is unaffected, and as a result, when you click OK, it restores the intersection's previous name.

I'll fix that with ver 10.0.14.0. Should be available soon.

In the meantime, here are two shorter methods that you'll probably prefer:

Method 1: Omit step 5. Instead, first close the Intersection Parameters dialog and paste the coordinates to any of the following windows: The arterial timings diagram, the Network View, or the Outline View.

Method 2: Omit all the steps after step 1. Instead, paste into an empty Tru-Traffic window, then click the Automatically Trace Routes button then the Create Arterial Diagrams button. When you're finished, you'll have the same diagram all set up for you with the exception that its forward direction will be Northbound instead of Southbound. To fix that, right click on the diagram and choose Flip Diagram Orientation.

Regards.
Greg

[bullock]

I should add: Method 2 is available only when creating a new network. Otherwise, the software assumes the pasted coordinates are to be applied to existing nodes. Maybe a future version will give the user a means to distinguish between

1. assign these newly pasted coordinates to existing nodes vs.
2. use these new coordinates to create new nodes along an existing artery vs.
3. use these new coordinates to create a new artery with new nodes.

In the meantime, for adding new arteries to an existing network, you can use a workaround: Use Method 2 to create new arterial diagram(s) and save to a separate *.Dgm file. Then use File: Merge: as New Diagrams to load those newly created arteries into your existing network.