The easiest and fastest way to get started is with the example scenario.

Download the Input Files

The input files on the Resources page are examples that are also convenient to use as templates. They are simple csv files editable in Excel. Download them and save them locally. Or click the button below to download the full set as a zip file.

Create a Scenario

The Traxim Controller is the place where you manage the scenario creation and simulation process. Click on the link below to open the controller in a new tab. Enter a user name so we can keep track of your work. Then drag and drop the input files to the correct fields. Geometry and Tractive Effort files need to go into a folder on your local drive. If you downloaded the zip, they will already be there. Otherwise, create folders and put the individual files (three of each) into the folders. Naming isn't important. Change settings if you want, or you can leave the defaults. When you are ready, click on the Save Scenario As button and give your scenario a name.

Validate Your Scenario

Now go to the Simulation Management. Select your file from the dropdown, and click Validate. The Console Output panel will tell you what's happening. Validating the example scenario should take about one minute. When you can see that the validation is complete, your results will be available to download by clicking the Download Results button.

View Your Train Plan

One of the available downloads will be the train graph as a .json.gz file. You can view this on the Traxim Train Graph Viewer. Open the Viewer by clicking the button below. From the dropdown in the top right corner, select Local File, navigate to where you saved the downloaded .json.gz, and click to open it. At this stage the timetable is unresolved, that is, trains are still in conflict with each other.

Resolve Your Scenario

If there are no issues with the validation (and since you're using the example files, we'd hope there isn't), now choose the Submit button. Again you will see what's happening in the control panel. The resolve process will take a little longer than validation. Once finished, your outputs will be available to download. You can look at the statistics for the scenario in the csv files, and the resolved train plan as either a pdf, or for the .json.gz, in the Traxim Train Graph Viewer.

Now use the example files as templates to build your own scenario.

Make Some Changes

A good place to start experimenting is with the Train Plan file. Open it in Excel. Modify some train details like start or end location, entry time, train priority, or train length and weight. If you create an invalid train, like one without a path from the start to end location, or with insufficient power for the grades, this will get picked-up in the validation process. As files are edited locally, you need to remember to create a new scenario, or modify an existing one, before rerunning the simulation. You can reopen an existing scenario and substitute one or more files, or change settings. Then choose Save Scenario As. You can give it a new name, or use an existing name if you're happy to overwrite the old scenario.

Modify the Network

Your next experiment could be to modify the network. This can be done in the Infrastructure.csv file, but it's a lot easier in the Network Editor. Open the Editor from the button below, and open the infrastructure file by clicking on Choose File in the top left and navigating to where you saved it. Maybe you might add some additional crossing loops. When you are done, choose Save As to give the modified infrastructure a new name. Try validating and resolving the new scenario.

Analyse and Compare Two Scenarios

Once you feel you've mastered the basics, you might want to do a test to compare two scenarios.  Submit your scenario with the Perturbations input set to the number of unique timetables you want to generate. 30 is a good number for statistical validity, but if you're a bit impatient, 10 will usually get you close. Depending on the size and complexity of the scenario, even 10 perturbations could take over half an hour. Once you can see in the Output Console that the simulation is complete, choose the Aggregate button. This will read and analyse the population of results, and generate result files for download.

Use the Resources, or Contact Us

There are a number of documents on the Resources page to help you get a grasp of the software and best practice use.  Also feel free to contact us if you are experiencing issues or have questions.