News

We're happy to announce the new version 1.3 of Via, our analysis and visualization software for MATSim. The new version comes with many new and improved features which we hope makes the work with Via even more enjoyable. The following list highlights only the major changes in the new version. The get the full impression, head over to download the new version and give it a try!

Highlights of the new release:

• Visualize your data faster. Via can now automatically create layers when you add some data. Just drop some network or shape file onto Via, and it can automatically create a layer for you.
• Visualize more data. From what we here, our users love the XY layer to quickly visualize some custom data they have, be it either from data that has to be converted into MATSim formats, or results from custom analysis scripts they have. Well, the XY layer got now even better! It supports now CSV files, tab-separated TXT files, and even GPX files. Yes, just add the GPX files from your GPS recorder to Via, and you can see your GPS points wander around the screen.
• Improved interactive queries. Have you ever wondered what bus lines run along a road, or how many departures are at a specific stop facility? These and many other questions can now be more easily answered as query results give you direct access to new depending queries. Jump from links to transit lines and stops to passengers in no time.
• New aggregation analysis. The agent-based approach certainly is very useful for the simulation and analysis of the agents' behavior. But at the end of the day, it's still easier to communicate with aggregated values. Our first new plugin since the initial version of Via helps you with exactly that: filter and aggregate data into arbitrary zones, so you quickly get a better understanding of your data.
  An example of such aggregated data can be seen in our last news entry, which shows data points aggregated into a hexagonal grid. In addition, for three grid cells, the relations to other cells are shown. Also, the Tel-Aviv scenario shown on MATSim's website also shows some data aggregations done using Via.

We hope you like these and the many other improvements we made to Via, but if you still miss some features, let us know! We'd love to hear from you and try to integrate your feature requests into one of the next versions of Via.