VISSIM is a microscopic, behavior-based multi-purpose traffic simulation program. For many engineering disciplines, simulation has become an indispensable instrument for the optimization of complex technical systems. This is also true for transportation planning and traffic engineering, where simulation is an invaluable and cost-reducing tool.
It offers a wide variety of urban and highway applications, integrating public and private transportation. Even complex traffic conditions are visualized in an unprecedented level of detail providing realistic traffic models.
Consequently, traffic engineering expertise, combined with 3D animations, guarantees convincing presentation for both technical experts and decision makers, in particular when important decisions on costly projects have to be taken. VISSIM convincingly shows how effective a projected measure might be regardless of whether a new road is going to be constructed or a new tram line is being planned. The figures speak for themselves: In the meantime VISSIM is used in more than 70 countries worldwide.
All AVI files (except for the macroscopic example) have been generated by means of the built-in VISSIM Keyframe Editor. Playback requires the Microsoft MPEG 4.2 video codec.
Mendelssohnplatz Karlsruhe/Germany |
Complex intersection modelling
Comparison of intersections with regard to design alternatives (roundabouts, unsignalized and signal-controlled, grade separated interchanges) and design, test and analysis of vehicle-actuated signal controls. AVI Download high quality (27 MB) medium quality (14 MB) |
Rendezvous concept Munich/Germany |
Public transport optimization
Simulation and visualization of bus/underground connections. 3D modelling of an underground station with different levels connected via escalators. AVI Download high quality (16 MB) medium quality (10 MB) |
Tram priority scheme in roundabouts |
Public transport priority schemes
Anaylsis of bus and light rail acceleration measures based on individual prioritization parameters for signal control (e.g. express train control). AVI Download high quality (9 MB) medium quality (3 MB) |
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA |
Toll roads and customs' checkpoints
Modelling checkpoints (e.g. at toll gates or border crossing points). AVI Download high quality (14 MB) medium quality (4 MB) |
Brandenburger Gate, Berlin/Germany |
Integrated network model
Simulation of exclusively and jointly used traffic areas with all relevant road users, including a built-in pedestrian model for detailed simulation of pedestrian areas (VISSIM 5.0 and higher). AVI Download high quality (20 MB) medium quality (9 MB) |
Section control systems |
Traffic management
Analyses considering alternative route control, traffic flow control, special lanes and section control systems. AVI Download high quality (10 MB) medium quality (4 MB) |
Traffic jams "out of nowhere" |
Motorway
Simulation of motorway driver behaviour and the impact on traffic flows. AVI Download high quality (7 MB) medium quality (2 MB) |
A99 motorway around Munich |
Major road networks
Feasibility analysis of large networks (e.g. motorways) with alternative route choice using dynamic assignment. Display of macroscopic parameters based on micro-simulation. AVI Download high quality (4 MB) |
Dynamic parking guidance system |
Parking
Modelling parking spaces with parking guidance systems, access control and dynamic level and space counting displays. AVI Download high quality (11 MB) medium quality (4 MB) |
Conflict areas are a new alternative to priority rules to define priority in intersections. It is expected that they will replace priority rules in most cases because they are more easily defined and the resulting vehicle behavior is more intelligent.
A conflict area exists, by definition, wherever two links in VISSIM overlap. For each conflict area, the user can either select the conflicting links with priority or if the area is passive, (i.e. does not influence vehicles at all) nothing may need to be edited.
A major improvement for driving behavior is that drivers make a plan how to cross the conflict area. A yielding driver observes the approaching vehicles in the main stream and decides when to go. Then he plans an acceleration profile for the next seconds that will allow him to cross the area, taking into account the situation behind the conflict area: if he knows that he has to stop or to slow down there because of other vehicles, he will calculate more time to cross the conflict area or decide not to go at all. He even anticipates the behavior of the vehicles behind the conflict area, estimating if a car will accelerate or decelerate.
Vehicles in the main stream react to the conflict area as well: if a crossing vehicle could not complete the crossing because of the driver's overestimation, the vehicle in the main stream will brake to slow or stop. And if a queue builds up from a signal downstream from the conflict area, the vehicles in the main stream try not to stop on the conflict area in order not to block the crossing stream. This is accomplished by having the drivers make a similar plan to cross the conflict area as the yielding vehicles do.
Conflict areas therefore control driving behavior in a way that was modeled before by a combination of several priority rules. But the real benefit is generated by modeling anticipation in driver behavior: this brings the simulated drivers in VISSIM even closer to their real counterparts.
The first version of the VISSIM Analyzer is available with VISSIM 4.30. This tool helps the user to efficiently define and produce report-ready evaluations of simulation runs. The Analyzer collects data from one or more simulation runs in a database. After the simulation, the user can select which type of evaluations he wants for a specific part of the simulated network. Results are filtered and aggregated accordingly and report tables are generated automatically in Microsoft Excel, from where they can easily be cut and pasted in report documents. PDF documents and XML files may also be exported.
A very convenient feature of the Analyzer is that it will aggregate results from several simulation runs with different random seed numbers and show the average values as well as the standard deviations.
As in every release, VISSIM's COM-programming interface has been extended by a variety of additional functions like changing the state of 3D-object, access to signal group states or access to surrounding vehicles. VISSIM 4.30 introduces a new way to run COM scripts. In the main menu, a script menu allows users to open Visual Basic or Python scripts within the VISSIM environment. This produces a much higher execution speed with no requirement to create a VISSIM object or open network files - the script starts with the current model loaded in VISSIM.
One of VISSIM's most appreciated features is its 3D animation because it makes the traffic engineer's work visible to citizens and decision makers. To achieve even more realistic simulation videos, some VISSIM users transfer the simulation results to high end animation software products and rendered videos using these tools.
VISSIM 4.30 makes this process easier with a new feature: users can write network data and vehicle trajectories to a text file for import in Autodesk's 3ds Max software. Scripts in Autodesk's macro language provide for importing these files in 3ds Max,.
Node evaluation raw data can optionally be written to *.knr file or database table. One line is written per vehicle that reaches a node exit.
Evaluations / Database: Table "EvalInfo" lists all evaluations written into the database, with the type of the evaluation, table name, date/time when the simulation run was started and the name of the network file (*.inp).
VISSIM 4.20 was released in November 2006. With the new release of VISSIM 4.20, we have added again some new features which were requested by our cli-ents. Basically the following attributes have been reengineered:
VISSIM 4.20 is available from now on. Clients with a VISSIM maintenance contract will receive the new version automatically.
Those who use the 3D animation will love the variety of models for real-world signal heads that are provided with the new release. A sophisticated 3D-editor allows us-ers to define and freely combine masts and signal heads and connect them to the simulated signal controllers.
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New dialogs have been developed for both inputs in order to make as much information as possible available in one place. The grid-style layout offers an efficient way to select and edit the attributes of many network elements, which is especially helpful for large networks. The included cut-and-paste functionality can be used within the dialogs and to exchange data with Microsoft Excel.
VISSIM 4.20 again offers a printing function and as well as a number of new or improved graphics features. The new texture manager easily assigns textures to roads and surrounding areas, and users can add a textured skybox with just one click.
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Static 3D objects used for animation can now have several states controlled via COM. VISSIM 3D modeler is used to define the states. Possible applications include gates, variable message signs, draw bridges, barriers, etc.
Dynamic assignment in VISSIM 4.20 can now use MSA (Method of Successive Averages) as an alternative to exponential smoothing of link costs to provide a better convergence behavior. Path set generation is enhanced by user definable stochastic variation of link costs.
The new version extends the COM interface by introducing call-back functions that allow the user to override selected internal VISSIM functions. COM-access functions are added for a variety of network elements: detectors, animation file, desired speed decisions, reduced speed areas, vehicle weight, parking lots, etc.
For signal control manufacturers, a new DLL-based interface replaces the old process communication interface and delivers a more efficient and easier-to-understand programming framework. The old interface will still be available, but migration to the new interface is easy due to the provided legacy support.
Econolite has developed a VISSIM software-in-the-loop version of its state-of-the-art ASC/3 signal controller. VISSIM 4.20 users can purchase this software version of the standard ASC/3 controller as an add-on module. It allows for simulating the exact control logic and algorithms including transit signal priority and railroad and emergency preemption. Furthermore, the user can simply read the field timing plan database, thus eliminating the need for additional coding of signal control data in VISSIM.