By design travel demand models are spatial in nature. Input data such as demographics, employment, network supply, and output data such as production/attractions, trip distribution, assigned volumes, are closely linked to the spatial distribution of growth of your region. Plotting your data on a map, provides valuable insight into how your model region is performing and how the impact of future growth is distributed? In addition, mapping helps with QA/QC of data. As such, mapping tools are important for any travel demand modeling software. Cube comes with an embedded ArcGIS© Engine, which brings the power of ArcGIS mapping capabilities inside Cube.

GIS Editor

The GIS editor is the primary Cube interface for mapping travel demand data and closely mirrors the ArcMap© interface. In combination with the powerful layer tools from Cube, GIS editor can be used to create informative maps. GIS editor can be opened:

From Cube File menu, select New >> GIS Map
From Cube Data manager, double click or right click >> Open Data on the geo-database data to open in GIS Editor

Data

In addition to Cube geo-database highway and PT networks, GIS editor supports all standard geometry types (points, polylines, polygons etc.) as shapefiles or feature classes in geo-databases. Other data files such as rasters, layers and CAD files can also be viewed in the GIS editor. Data can be added:

From Cube toolbar ribbon, select Add Data and choose the type of data to add (shapefiles, geo-databases etc.)
From Cube Data manager, double click or right click >> Open Data on the feature class to open. Cube will prompt the user to add the data to the existing data editor or in a new data editor.

Symbology

Cube’s network color and post tools can be used to set symbols and labels for your layers. Link color tool should be used for network link, polyline and polygon (boundary) layers. Node color tool should be used for network nodes, points and polygon (fill) layer. To set the symbol for a layer:

Select the layer in the Table of Contents (TOC) window.
Click on the link or node color/post tool and set the symbols/labels as desired.
To set the symbol/label for a different layer, exit out of the color/post tool and follow steps 1 and 2. The color and post settings are updated depending on the layer selected in TOC.

In addition to the standard color tools, Cube also provides advanced analysis tools such as multi bandwidth (network links), node point charts (network nodes, polygons), thematic maps (polygons), desire lines (OD distribution) and path file analysis (network links). These tools can are available under the Analysis tool ribbon in Cube.

Background Layers

Cube has built-in tool to connect to a GIS server or map service and add background layers to your map. Connections can be made to ArcGIS Server©, ArcIMS© and WMS services. Login credentials are required for secure connections. To set up a connection:

Click on Add Data from GIS tool bar.
Select Server Data and next to Create New Connection select the type of connection to make.
Enter server address and user credentials required to make the connection.

ESRI© provides a free ArcGIS© Server, from which a wide variety of background layers such as street maps and imagery can be added. To add this free server connection:

Choose the connection type as ArcGIS Server
Enter the following connection information server information leave the username and password empty.

services.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/services

Layout View

In layout view users can set the map graphics such as map title, legends, scale, north arrow and other graphic shapes. To switch to the layout view, click on the Layout View on the GIS tool bar.

The GIS toolbar contains standard graphic tools for different shapes and text. These can be used to annotate the map with additional information.

Cube layout tools in the Home tab provides for inserting legends, north arrow, scale bar etc. To draw these different objects on the map:

Select the desired object tool on the layout toolbar.
Depending on the object selected (north arrow, scale bar) Cube might prompt to choose a symbol for the selected object.
Draw on the map a box of the desired size and at the desired location to insert the object.

Map Document