20.11.03 Briefing Note

The sections below detail enhancements that will be deployed to acumen on the evening of Saturday 12 December 2020.

This functionality is currently available on the training server for familiarisation.

Users will need to clear the Chrome Browser cache (hard re-load) in order that the changes made to acumen function correctly. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the FAQ page.

The relevant User Guide pages will be updated in due course.

New Functionality

Drag & Drop - Platform Change

In addition to accessing platform re-plan options from the right-click context menu, users can now initiate a platform change within acumen simply by clicking on the train and dragging it to a different platform.

The drag feature is constrained to the platform axis so users do not need to worry about maintaining the arrival or departure times whilst they drag.

To enable the drag feature, a user must hold down the Alt key and then click on the train. The train will then display as faded as per 9M28 below. (The Alt key can be released once the train has been clicked on.)

Once in the drag mode, the train can be clicked on and pulled to another platform.

Its original position will be coloured white with a red outline for reference, as seen below.

Note: The option is provided to select multiple trains. To do this, hold down Alt as multiple trains are clicked on. They all then appear faded and can be dragged to new platforms as described above.

Once the train has been released, or dropped, a dialogue box pops up to confirm the change.

Note: An exception to this is if the train is moved to or from the TBC platform. In this case the re-platform processes immediately without need for the pop-up confirmation.

Note: The option is included to suppress the confirmation pop-up box for all platform changes. Users can turn this on and off via the Docker Viewing Preferences. See Platform Docker Tabs.

While the change is being processed and as part of the browser refresh cycle, you will temporarily see the coloured train return to its existing platform. The white box will indicate where the train is moving to. After approximately 5 seconds, the train will render as normal in its new platform.

As per standard platform changes:

• a (P) icon will be added to indicate the change,
• any associated outbound service will also move to the new platform,
• conflict detection will run so occupation conflicts, infrastructure restriction conflicts etc will be raised as applicable,
• the new platform will display in the Train Details View,
• the replan action will be recorded in the Alerts tab.

Note: The drag and drop feature recognises 'full' platforms only. Users are guided to use the right-click context menu if they wish to re-platform the train to a sub platform.

Note: While the drag feature is enabled (Alt has been pressed) the docker will not refresh. Therefore if a user decides not to undertake a platform change, they should either:

• hold down Alt and click the train again,
• drag the train away and then back to its original platform, or
• refresh the page.

Note: This functionality is not available on a mobile device.

Text Clipboard

Users can now right click on a platform change (P) icon to reveal a convenience feature that allows details of platform changes to be copied to other documents, such as a log or email.

This enhancement is following a request from Birmingham New Street SSMs who are required to keep a log of changes.

For example, below we see that a user has right clicked on the (P) icon for 2U16, and has been presented with the following platform change information:

The text includes whether the platform change was received by Darwin or undertaken within acumen:

To copy the text, click on the pencil icon; the text is automatically copied to the clipboard and can therefore be pasted [CTRL+V] to any document as desired.

Platform Note

Users can now add a platform note to a platform. This has been an enhancement request from a number of trial sites.

To apply a note, click on the platform information icon (i) to open the platform information and click on the new Platform Notes button.

This opens the Platform Notes Editor.

A user can select a level of importance for the note, and then type the note within the box.

Once submitted, it is listed in the table as seen below.

The note can be removed or edited with the [x] and pen icons in the table.

On the platform docker, an exclamation icon displays next to the relevant platform with a tool-tip that reads 'Platform Notes'.

Clicking on the (!) reopens the Platform Notes Editor where the note can be read, edited or deleted.

FURNO (Until Further Notice)

The option is provided to mark a platform as occupied until further notice, or until a set time.

User Cases

This may be useful if stock is in the platform but the move was unplanned so there is otherwise no rendering on the docker.

This could also be used to show a sub-platform as blocked, for example at Birmingham if the A end has a restriction but the B end is available. Instead of assigning a headcode to the FURNO, the letters BLOK may be used.

Using the FURNO functionality

To set a platform as occupied, click on the platform information icon (i) to open the platform information and click on the train icon in the bottom left hand corner.

This opens the FURNO dialogue box.

A description (e.g. headcode) and details must be entered. A sub platform can be selected where applicable.

The option is provided to select a date and time at which the FURNO expires. If a time is not entered, then the default is to display the train/occupation for 30 minutes. This 30 minutes duration will remain static on the graph; the train will not expire.

Once submitted and processed, the occupation will render on the docker in a dark blue colour, like the example seen below.

A tool-tip is provided to show the content of the text entered in the details box.

Conflict detection for occupation conflicts runs for FURNO trains.

To cancel a FURNO occupation, right click on the train and select from the context menu.

Bug Fixes and Enhancements

Platform Occupation Enhancement

If the next service within a platform is an outbound service however there is no associated inbound service on the docker, then acumen will shade that platform in yellow to represent platform occupation.

It is assumed the platform is occupied with stock ready to form the next outbound service.

For example, 1H27 seen below is the next originating service at London Euston in Platform 6. There is no planned association for this train however acumen assumes the stock is in the platform so indicates platform occupation with the shaded yellow background.

This enhancement should assist with set swaps where the inbound service has already terminated, or missing associations within the plan.

Association Editor Enhancement

Enhancements have been made to the Association Editor display as seen below.

The Association Editor now lists the Source of the association (e.g. CIF or acumen) and the Type (e.g. LTP or STP).

This is also reflected in the associations sections of the Train Details View.

Train Running Restrictions - UI Enhancement

The user interface for applying a train running restriction has been improved.

It is now clearer to see which platform are impacted if applying a train running side restriction.

Connection Editor - UI Enhancement

Improvements have been made to the formatting of the Connection Editor to ensure users can see the full list of available headcodes generated by the predictive text when searching for a headcode to connect.

Birmingham New Street Sidings

As requested by Birmingham, the three station sidings have been added on to the docker as seen below.

Split Association Conflicts

The 20.11 upgrade introduced workarounds to improve how associations inferred by POINTA were displayed, and remove illogical associations from the docker. See 20.11 Briefing Note for more information.

However, where false split associations were removed from the docker, some split association conflict icons remained. An example is shown below.

Further enhancements have now been made to remove these false split associations.

Conflict Marker Bug Fix

The docker was not consistently displaying the yellow triangular conflict marker for all conflicts. This has been addressed.

TIGER Feed - Platform Changes

The TIGER feed is now being used to advise of platform changes. (This is in addition to DARWIN messages).

This is to mitigate the DARWIN 'batching' behaviour that means some replan changes undertaken in DARWIN are not immediately published to consuming systems such as acumen.

Users will note that TIGER is included as a replan source in the Alert List tab (as seen below), within the Train Details View and on the text clipboard (described above).