The BlockBuster System Administrator and User Guide describes how to get started in using of the software, explains general runcutting concepts and procedures on performing runcutting, and provides tips and strategies on how to arrive at an optimum runcutting solution for your transit site.

To access BlockBuster Web on your browser, you must provide the necessary identification information.

It is good practice to log off properly to ensure any changes are saved and for the security of the data.

The first step in using BlockBuster is acquiring a basic understanding of the layout and design of the Runs screen.

You can open several instances of BlockBuster Web at the same time if you use more than one monitor.

The BlockBuster Web build contains three main folders: BlockbusterWix files, Installers, and Server.

Configure your database to make sure that it connects and works with BlockBuster Web properly.

You can copy the settings of the BlockBuster properties in your previous BlockBuster version into Blockbuster Web.

Profile files contain the configuration information for the Service Shell. They provide data information on the data source, server, and component files and service groups required for running Trapeze applications.

Support for SSL/TLS connections has been built into BlockBuster Web to allow the connections to be configured directly on the Trapeze platform without the use of a reverse proxy.

The properties on the list in the Properties screen are specific to BlockBuster Web.

The General properties control the format or appearance of data for storage or display.

You can change the appearance of your workspace by importing a workspace that may have been configured by another person.

You can export a workspace on your machine to the network so that others at your site can see how your workspace is set up or use it themselves.

You can restore the original settings of the grid layout with the Reset Workspace feature. This is useful in cases where the layout may appear cluttered or confusing.

You can edit or delete an ancillary record using the Edit or Delete command on the screen footer. (The procedure on how to add ancillary data is described in the sections under each type of ancillary data such as run types and run type categories.)

You can export the ancillary data into a file.

Run type categories are groups of run types. They allow you to specify a maximum and/or a minimum number of runs for a combination of run types.

The run types are defined in the Run Types screen in BlockBuster Web.

Run relief restrictions are limitations that you place on reliefs by defining the conditions where a relief is not allowed. The system applies these restrictions when relief events are updated.

Percentage rules refer to the percentage of runs of a certain run type or group of run types that are required by your transit site. For example, no more than 25% of runs can be splits.

Run Type Garages are defined to ensure the validity of runs. It prevents BlockBuster Web from assigning runs to a garage it is not permitted although it may be cost effective.

Defining a good set of parameters is paramount to successful runcutting in BlockBuster Web. When defining rules and corresponding values, you must establish what you are trying to achieve and focus on it.

The Parameters screen allows you to load parameter sets for each parameter level: Sign-up Period, Context, and Scenario.

Parameters associated with run types are grouped under Run Types Situation.

Parameters associated with run type categories are grouped under Categories Situation.

Percentage rules refer to the percentage of runs of a certain run type or group of run types that are required by your transit site.

Parameters that define Work and Pay rules are generally based on business rules specific to your transit site.

Miscellaneous parameters are global in nature and do not depend on a division or sign-up period.

You can import parameters from one sign-up period to another. BlockBuster Web attempts to match the run type numbers, run type category names, and percentage rule names of the two scenarios.

You can export the parameters that you have set to a file, which you can use for comparison or reference later.

Adding new parameters to the database is normally performed when upgrading the BlockBuster version after importing the parameters.

You can save the values that you have set for selected parameters in a scenario in order to apply them later to another scenario.

You can load the parameters that you saved in a file in a different scenario to the scenario that you are currently working on. This is also useful in case you have played with several parameter combinations and wish to go back to the original parameters.

Before runcutting in BlockBuster, the following tasks must be performed in Trapeze FX to make sure that your data is complete and free from errors.

Set the context of the data that you want to work with before performing any task, for example, uncut blocks or previous runcuts in the Select Scenario dialog.

. The Run Cost pane provides the costing of the various pieces of runs by type. The same screen can be accessed from both Run screen formats. It is shown on the right section of the screen.

The Cost screen provides information on the costs for the runcutting solutions in the current context.

When you cut or uncut a run or make a change to a parameter and change the context or sign-up period in BlockBuster Web, you are prompted to save the scenario. You can save as many scenarios as you want for comparison later.

The Update Reliefs functionality enables and disables both regular reliefs and deadheads

Travel refers to the time it takes an operator to travel between relief nodes or between a garage and a relief node. They are defined in the Travels screen.

Driver blocks are predominantly used in rail transit and are developed in the Blocking screen of Trapeze FX.

Manual runcutting is the process of cutting block pieces at relief points or creating full blocks as runs to form operator assignments.

Automatic runcutting enables you to try all the appropriate run types you want to cut for the current division and service on which you are working, looking to achieve the right number of runs (or operators) per category.

If you used the FX Runcutter feature, you may want to import the runs generated into BlockBuster Web for further processing.

If you used the FX Runcutter feature, you may want to import the runs generated into BlockBuster Web for further processing.

The Export feature exports runs data into a csv or a PDF file.

The Compare feature allows you to see the differences in runcuts between saved scenarios.

You can compare parameter values of different scenarios.

Unhooking Pieces means the selected pieces are removed from a run and made into a new run on the Cut Pieces grid. Uncutting Pieces, on the other hand, means that the selected pieces are removed and moved to the Uncut Pieces grid.

While runcutting in BlockBuster Web, you can choose to freeze runs that you do not want the system to alter. BlockBuster Web then cuts the remaining runs leaving the frozen runs unchanged.

You can renumber a series of runs in succession by equal increments, for example, by increasing the number in a series by one or by adding ten.

When you uncut pieces from a run, they are moved from the Cut Pieces grid to the Uncut Pieces grid.

You can add an extra piece of work to any run or to create a new piece of work that becomes a run.

Runs that do not meet the requirements for a certain run type can be forced into a run type.

You can "unforce" a forced run type if you find later that the forced run type is no longer necessary probably because of changes to transit policy or the union agreement.

View the relief points assigned to a block at any time either on the Runs or Block panes in the Runs screen during the runcutting process.

The Shift Reliefs function is used to show you the results and costs of shifting the time at a relief point on a run. It is used in manual runcutting only.

Standby Time typically refers to the time operators spend waiting at a work location.

You can move trips to other blocks or swap them with other trips.

Created pull-outs and pull-ins are types of relief points assigned to blocks. They help get operators to their assigned routes or from their routes to the garage and allow the breaking up of long blocks.

You can generate extra pieces of work from excess amounts of paid breaks and makeup time as well as for selected runs.

Comments are pieces of information that you want an operator to be aware of regarding a run or travel.

Runcutting with exceptions refers to runcutting blocked pieces that contain exceptions.

The Bid Division feature is for transit agencies who also use Trapeze OPS.