VHelper

How To Guide

Major Features Video

Beginner Get Started Video

VAPPad

Click here for Introduction and VAP language tutorial

1.0 How do I run VHelper after downloading?

No installation required
Unpack the downloaded zip file to a local folder, then double click vhelper.exe to run
You can keep multiple versions, as long as they are in separate folder

VHelper can not start

VHelper® is compiled to .NET 3.5 framework. By default, Windows 7 comes with .NET 3.5 preloaded. VHelper won't start if your machine don't have Microsoft .NET 3.5 Run time installed. Please Click this link to download and install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 if you don't have it. If you still have problem, please contact me at support@trananswers.com

How do I register?

Click Help button or Press F1 shortcut key
Click button to show Register Window
Email your Serial Number to support@trananswers.com, fill in the activation Key Code (will be provided after the payment received)
Click button to Register

How to Open Options Dialog?

Click Options button
or Press F4 shortcut key

How to Open VISSIM File?

Click Open button
or Press Ctrl + O shortcut key
or Drag and Drop VISSIM .inp or .inpx files into the Map Window

How to Save VISSIM File?

Click Save button
or Press Ctrl + S shortcut key
or if you want to save to another file, Click Save As button

How to Zoom in/Zoom out and Pan the Map?

Scroll Mouse Wheel whiling holding down Ctrl Key to Zoom in/out
Scroll Mouse Wheel or Left Drag (Drag whiling holding down Left Mouse Button) to Pan the map
or if scroll bar appears, click them to Pan the map

How to Show the Full Extends of the Map?

Click Zoom All Button
or Press Ctrl + W shortcut key

How to Toggle Link Display Type among Center Line, Normal Mode and All Center Lines?

Press Ctrl + A shortcut key

or Open Options Dialog (hit F4 shortcut key or Click Options Button ), Change it under View Tab -> Link Display -> Link Mode

How to Show/Hide Lane Markings?

Open Options Dialog, Check on/off Show Lane Markings checkbox under Link Display

How to Toggle Link Display Color among Link Type Color, Gray, Speed Based?

Press Ctrl + T shortcut key
or Open Options Dialog, Change it under Link Display -> Show Link Color dropdown box
NOTE: in order to show correct speed based color, the user need Calculate Speed first

How to Turn on/off the Arrow?

Open Options Dialog, Check on/off Draw Arrows to Show Direction checkbox under Link Display

How to Show/Hide Label for Link or Connector?

Press Ctrl + L shortcut key
or Open Options Dialog, Check on/off Show Labels checkbox

How to Toggle showing Label among volume, speed and IDs?

Open Options Dialog, Change it under Label Mode dropdown box

How to Change Background, Link or Label Color?

Open Options Dialog, go to Color Tab, Change it from there

How to Calculate Demand Volume Based on Vehicle Inputs & Static Routing?

Click Calc Volume button

Or Press Ctrl + U shortcut key

How to Calculate Link Desired Speed & Display in User Specified Color?

Click Calc Speed button

or Press Ctrl + Y shortcut key
Under Options -> Color Tab, Change the colors for speed range

How to Show Volume Bandwidth Map?

Calculate demand volume

Under Routing & Volume Tab, Check on/off Show Volume Bandwidth checkbox

How to Show Speed Contour Heatmap?

Click MOE Button to open MOE Dialog
Under Data Collection Result tab, Browse the .att file saved from VISSIM to bring in Data Collection Measurement results
Input the freeway path (space separated Link/Connector IDs)
Click Button
You can adjust font size, turn on/off border etc. in the options

How to Show Freeway Diagram & Demand Stick Diagram ?

Under "Freeway Diagram" of right side Utility Tab, input the freeway path (Link/Connector IDs)
Click Build Freeway Diagram button
You need calculate demand volume first, if you to show demand stick diagram

How to Show Intersection Diagram with Volume or Delays ?

Click MOE Button to open MOE Dialog
Under Node Evaluation Result tab, browse .att file saved from VISSIM to bring in the Node Evaluation results
Input Node Matrix, tab delimited text to denote intersection relationship, best copy from Excel
Click Button
You can choose to display volume or delay, adjust font size etc in the options

If you check off Use Nodes from this Matrix, VHelper will display all Nodes by ID in a tabular format

How to Show Volume of Specific Vehicle Type?

Under "Volume" of Routing & Volume Tab, change the Vehicle Type dropdown box

How to Export Calculated Link Demand Volume?

Under "Volume" of Routing & Volume Tab, Click Export Link Demand Volume Button

How to Import Back User Defined Link Volume?

Under "Volume" of Routing & Volume Tab, Click Import User-Defined Link Volume Button

How to Draw & Visualize Queue based on Queue Counte MOE Result Files?

Click MOE Button to open MOE Dialog
Select Queueing Files (*.stz) tab, Click Add File button to add MOE results Files
Click Calculate Queue button
Check on/off Show Queue in Map check box

How to Create Static Routings from an OD Demand Matrix

Download Sample Excel Loading Sheet

Download Sample OD Matrix Text File

Open Excel and create an n × n OD matrix.
Cell (1,1) → Row 1, Column 1 specifies the vehicle class. The default value is ALL. If left blank, it will automatically be treated as ALL. This field is optional, but if specified it must contain a single value.
Cell (1,2) → Row 1, Column 2 specifies the favored link types (behavior types) for the selected vehicle class. Multiple values are allowed and should be separated by dashes, for example: 4-5-6. This field is optional; the default value is blank.
Cell (2,1) → Row 2, Column 1 specifies the start and end simulation times in seconds, separated by a dash, for example: 0-5400. This field is optional; if left blank, VHelper assumes a single time period of 0–99999.
Cell (2,2) → Row 2, Column 2 specifies the disfavored (penalized) link types for the selected vehicle class. Multiple values are allowed and should be separated by dashes, for example: 1-2-3. This field is optional; the default value is blank.
The remaining cells in Row 1 and Column 1 represent VISSIM Link IDs. The first row represents destination zone links, and the first column represents origin zone links.
The remaining cells in Row 2 and Column 2 contain Zone IDs, which are used as route names when static routings are created.
The matrix values represent the volume fractions for each OD pair.
To encourage General Purpose (GP) vehicles to remain on GP links (and similarly encourage HOV vehicles to use HOV links), VHelper adjusts link costs during path building by modifying each link’s effective distance.
For example, when building GP paths using favored link types 1-2-3 and disfavored link types 4-5-6:
- Favored link types become more attractive by reducing their effective length (typically to 70%–85% of the original length depending on settings)
- Disfavored link types become less attractive by increasing their effective length (typically to 300%–310% of the original length depending on settings)
As a result, GP vehicles will preferentially use GP links while avoiding HOV or other restricted links whenever possible.
If you heavily penalize HOV link types (for example, increasing the disfavored penalty to 2000%, or 20× the original length), GP vehicles will rarely use HOV facilities unless no other valid path exists.
In most cases, the default parameters are sufficient. However, for large or complex networks, it may not be possible to satisfy every routing requirement using global parameters alone. In these cases, you can perform Route Replacement after loading to correct undesirable paths. Route QA/QC is always recommended after route generation.
Note that penalized link types are not completely prohibited. If a penalized link is the only available path to the destination, it will still be used.
If you want to completely disable specific links, you can import Link Closures.
Copy the matrix content into a text file using Notepad. Direct copy-and-paste is recommended, although Excel Export/Save As can also be used.
Click the Advanced Routing button to open the Advanced Routing dialog. Select the Auto Generate tab, then click "Create Static Routing from OD Matrix" to open the file you created.

How to Create Static Routings from VISUM Paths

In VISUM, export the PrT Path file. Make sure to include attribute either:
- Nodes-Concatenate-Number, or
- Links-Concatenate-Number
The Node IDs or Link IDs must exist in the VISSIM network so they can be matched by VHelper.
Click the Advanced Routing button to open the Advanced Routing dialog. Select the Auto Generate tab, then click either button:
- Create Static Routing from VISUM Path (Nodes), or
- Create Static Routing from VISUM Path (Links)
depending on the exported path files
VHelper automatically looks for a companion settings file named: exported_path.att.setting. This file specifies the vehicle class and time periods for the generated routings. If the settings file is not found, the following defaults are used:
- Time Period: 0–99999
- Vehicle Class: ALL
Example settings file format:
$Setting:Class;TimePeriod;Favor;DisFavor
999;0-10800;200;100
Favored and disfavored link type penalties are configured in the Options dialog.

How to Create Vehicle Inputs by importing Tab Delimited Text File(s)?

Download a sample Vehicle Inputs text file

Open Excel, Create as shown
Copy all content to a text file in Notepad, preferably direct Copy Paste, don't use Excel Export function
Click Advanced Routing button to open advanced routing dialog, select Auto Generate Tab, Click Create Vehicle Inputs Button

How to Create Vehicle Compositions by importing Tab Delimited Text File(s)?

Download a sample Traffic Compositions text file

Open Excel, Create as shown
Copy all content to a text file in Notepad, preferably direct Copy Paste, don't use Excel Export function
Click Advanced Routing button to open advanced routing dialog, select Auto Generate Tab, Click Create Vehicle Compositions Button

How to Combine Static Routings?

Routing Tab, Click Button to open the Advanced Routing Dialog
Select "Combine Static Routings" Tab, Input Routing IDs you want to be combined (removed)
For example, input routing decision 3, #3 and Routes 1-1 , 2-1 will be removed, and 1-1 and 2-1 will be extended(replaced) by routing #3's routes proportionally.

How to Filter Routes?

Under Routing Tab, you can filter by Routing ID(s), Vehicle Class(es), by a Path (Link/Connector IDs seperated by space) or any combo. Then Click Filter Routes button.

If you check Filter in Real Time, Routes will be filtered instantly when you change IDs or Paths, this could be slow when the network is large

How to Find & Replace Routes?

Select Routing Tab, check on Filter by Path check box, type in To Find and Replace with Pathes(a string of Link/Connectors seperated by space)

or if you have a series of routes to be replaced, click Advanced Routing button to open advanced routing dialog, select first tab Find & Replace, click Add button to add one entry, click Import to import a comma (,) delimited text file contains To Find, To Replace, Vehicle Class information. Click Replace to process the job.

How to Create Data Collection Points along a Path?

Click MOE Button to open MOE Dialog
Select Data Collection Point tab, Type in a path (a string of Link/Connectors)
Click Create New DCP Button

How to Quickly Manipulate Lane Cloesures along a User Defined Path (a string of Link Connector IDs)?

Select Link & Connector Tab, Click corresponding Lane Cloesures buttons.

If you want to manipulate a path, first check on Filter by ID, then type in a string of IDs

Under the view, Lane Cloesures will be represented as 1:3-4;3:1-2, it means Lane 1 closed for vehicle class 3 and 4, Lane 3 closed for vehicle class 1 and 2

How to Check Coding Error?

Select Warning/Error Tab, Click Check Error button
Press Ctrl + K shortcut key