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Home About Runcutting Runcutting is the process of developing or cutting runs from a group of vehicle blocks. Runs are composed of complete blocks or segments of blocks.
About Block Scenarios Blockbuster block scenarios are similar to the block scenarios used in Trapeze FX. They are useful when working on Block Optimizer runcutting. See the Run Block Optimizer User Guide for more information.
About BlockBuster BlockBuster is a powerful runcutting tool which is used with Trapeze FX or as a stand-alone application.
About This Guide The BlockBuster System Administrator and User Guide describes the initial set up 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.
Logging on to BlockBuster To access BlockBuster, you must provide the necessary identification information.
Exiting the System It is very important that you exit the system properly. Failure to do so could lead to the corruption of the database.
Navigating BlockBuster The first step in learning BlockBuster is to acquire a basic understanding of the layout and design of your screen.
About Workspaces A workspace is the set up of the Trapeze5 workstation on your computer screen in terms of content and appearance.
Printing in BlockBuster The steps in printing in BlockBuster is similar to those for printing a spreadsheet.
Tasks in FX Before Runcutting Before runcutting in BlockBuster, there are tasks that you must perform in Trapeze FX to make sure that your data is complete and free from errors.
Adding BlockBuster Extensions to Menus The contents of the menus are referred to as extensions, which can potentially extend the scope of the product.
BlockBuster Security Keys Security rights in Trapeze are managed using permission or security keys.
Setting System Properties Properties are used to create settings for a Trapeze application as they relate to the general workstation and/or specific task screens.
Setting User-Defined Properties User-defined properties affect local workstations only and can be adjusted at any time by the user of the workstation.
About Context in BlockBuster Context refers to data elements that determine the data that is displayed or included in the processes that you apply. The various BlockBuster screens require different data elements; some screens require fewer data elements compared to the main BlockBuster screen.
About BlockBuster Ancillary Data Before runcutting, you must set up the ancillary data that tells the system the specific conditions that are applicable to your transit site and facilitates the use of the BlockBuster runcutting function.
About Travels 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.
Adding Run Relief Restrictions Restrictions are limitations that you place on reliefs. The system applies these restrictions when relief events are updated.
Importing Runs from FX to BlockBuster If you used the FX Runcutter feature, you may want to import the runs generated into BlockBuster for further processing.
About Parameters Defining a good set of parameters is paramount to successful runcutting in BlockBuster. When defining the rules, you must establish what you are trying to achieve and focus on it.
About Supplementary Data Configuration Supplementary Data (Supp Data) is usually set up during the installation of BlockBuster.
About Runcutting Runcutting is the process of developing or cutting runs from a group of vehicle blocks. Runs are composed of complete blocks or segments of blocks.
About Run Costing The Run Costing dialog allows you to add extra pieces to runs, force runs types, and override run costings.
About Scheduling Possibilities Using Scenarios Incremental Runcutting is a process of manipulating parameters to achieve a cost-effective set of runs that conforms to the work rules in place at an organization.
About Waits and Travels The use of waits and travels is another approach to get an operator to and from his or her assigned run.
About Runcutting Approaches BlockBuster provides two runcutting approaches: manual and automatic.
Unhooking Pieces You can unhook a piece or several pieces between performing run cuts.
Uncutting Pieces Before performing a runcut, you can uncut a piece or several pieces in order to exclude the items from a runcut.
About Comments You can choose to add comments directly on the Comments field in the grid.
Configuring and Applying Created Pull-Outs and Pull-Ins Created pull-outs and pull-ins are used where street reliefs are not allowed or difficult to have in order to:
Assessing Statistics of a Cut After performing an automatic runcut, view some of its statistics. Open the Costing Summary dialog to quickly assess the results of a cut.
Generating Shuttle and WT Comments Generating comments for Shuttles and Waits and Travels requires several tasks to be completed first. The following sections describe these tasks.
Creating Shuttle Schedules If your transit site provides shuttle service, you can create shuttle schedules using BlockBuster.
Freezing and Unfreezing Runs While runcutting in BlockBuster, you can choose to freeze runs that you do not want the system to cut or recut. BlockBuster then cuts the remaining runs without the runs that you have frozen.
Generating Extra Pieces of Work You can generate extra pieces of work from excess amounts of paid breaks and makeup time as well as for selected runs.
Moving or Swapping Trips You can move trips to other blocks or swap them with other trips.
Renumbering Runs When renumbering runs, you can change the run number without changing the run name.
Shifting Reliefs The Shift Relief 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.
Viewing Histograms BlockBuster provides histograms (or run graphs) of work content and platform time for a runcut.
About Relief Events Relief events are the times and locations in a block where an operator takes over from another driver.
About Block Scenarios Blockbuster block scenarios are similar to the block scenarios used in Trapeze FX. They are useful when working on Block Optimizer runcutting. See the Run Block Optimizer User Guide for more information.
Loading Block Scenarios Load block scenarios that you want to reuse or modify.
Saving Block Scenarios Save the block scenarios whose parameter settings you may want to apply or reuse for other run solutions.
Comparing Scenarios After you have made changes to your blocks in FX or to your Block Optimizer parameters, you may choose to save the blocks in a new scenario.
Deleting Block Scenarios It may be necessary to clean up your list of block scenarios on occasion.
About Runcutting with Exceptions To generate exception runs, make sure that the scenario to which you want to apply the exceptions is marked as Active in the Scenario List dialog. Only one scenario can be active at a time.
Runcutting Combined Runs The Combine Runs feature in FX Rostering only works if you also use BlockBuster.
Comparing Runcuts The Compare Scenarios feature allows you to see the differences in runcuts between the active scenario and a previously saved scenario.
Uncutting Selected Runs If you find runs that you would like to recreate in order to make them more efficient, reassign them to the Uncut Pieces grid with the Uncut feature.
Runcutting Tips and Strategies This section discusses some strategies that you can follow in generating the most cost effective runcutting solution.
About Bus Graphs Bus graphs are graphical representations of vehicle and driver blocks.
About Graphical Runcutting Graphical Runcutting is a form of manual runcutting that allows you manipulate the graphical representation of pieces of blocks on a grid to create and edit runs.
Cut Pieces Grid The Cut Pieces grid, which is the left grid on the main BlockBuster screen, displays the data that has been typed or generated from the runcutting processes.
Keyboard Shortcuts Using shortcuts is an alternative to using the mouse to access commands on your screen.
About Block Scenarios
Blockbuster block scenarios are similar to the block scenarios used in Trapeze FX. They
are useful when working on Block Optimizer runcutting. See the Run Block Optimizer User
Guide for more information.
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