Flow Counts

Function presentation

This display gives the number of flights entering in a traffic volume in one hour.
The counts are given for each flow included in the Traffic Volume for a given time period and interval..

Opening the window

From the Application / ATFCM menu, select the option Traffic / Flow Counts.
Immediate shortcut to bypass menu selection : <Ctrl> + <Shift> + <F7>.

A new empty Flow Counts window will be opened with the following defaults :

  • Traffic Date : current or last queried traffic date is proposed (relative to current UTC date) depending on selected user preference (CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Default date proposed for query).
  • WEF time : proposed based on the Default query period assignment using your user adjustable preferences.
  • UNT time : proposed based on the displayed WEF and the Default query period assignment.
  • Where : last Traffic Type used with this query. This selection is based on the system property CHMI / ATFCM application / Traffic / Flow counts / Last Used Traffic Type.
  • for Traffic Volume : the drop-down box will propose the most recent Traffic Volumes you have queried before with success.
  • Count Type : last selection used with your last similar query. This selection is based on the system property CHMI / ATFCM application / Traffic / Flow counts / Last Used Count Rate.
  • Duration : Only available when Occupancy Type is selected. Last selection used with your last similar query. This selection is based on the system property CHMI / ATFCM application / Traffic / Flow counts / Last Used Occupancy Duration.
  • Associated Flow : selected by default.
  • Linked Flow : not selected.


On initial display, the focus is set on the first mandatory query control with no default value: the Traffic Volume input control.

Preparing to query

The observed period may be adjusted as follow :

  • The traffic Date may be adjusted to one of the proposed values. Common ATFCM Tactical / Pre-Tactical dates behaviour is implemented.
  • The proposed default WEF and UNT times may be overwritten.
  • Any valid time value from 00:00 to 23:59 included may be entered in the WEF and/or the UNT entry boxes. This input must respect the HH:MM format.
  • Drop-down list may be used to select pre-formatted time on a 20 minutes step base.


The period resulting from the input will be validated taking into account the system property CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Query over midnight.
If query over two days is not authorised, the WEF time must be smaller than the UNT time, except if both times are set to 00:00, which corresponds to a full day query.
The Default query period assignment will be used.
The Where Traffic Type parameter may be adjusted to one of the following values :

  • Traffic load,
  • Traffic demand,
  • Regulated demand,

 

Flow

  • Linked : This function will display traffic counts distributed per “included”, “exempted” and “included/exempted” flows in a traffic volume (TV). The traffic counts refer to the traffic of each “included”, “exempted” and “included/exempted” flow that is specified on the traffic volume. Note that, for a TV without flows or with only excluded flows the system will not show any traffic counts per flow.
  • Associated : This function will display traffic counts distributed per “associated” and “others” flows specified on the reference location of a traffic volume. The traffic counts refer to the traffic in the “associated” and “others” flows that intersects the traffic in the traffic volume. Following possibilities exist:
    • TV without flows: The system shows traffic counts for the traffic of each “associated” flow.
    • TV with included flows: The system shows traffic counts for the traffic of each “associated” flow that intersects the traffic of the “included” flows. The traffic counts are equal to the counts of the traffic intersection (common traffic) of each “associated” flow with the “included” flows.
    • TV with excluded flows: The system shows traffic counts for the traffic of each “associated” flow and the “others” flow excluding the traffic of the “excluded” flows. The traffic counts are equal to the counts of the traffic of each “associated” and “others” flow minus the traffic of the excluded flows.
    • TV with included and excluded flows:  The system shows traffic counts for the traffic of each “associated” flow intersecting the traffic of the “included” flows, excluding the traffic of the excluded flows. The traffic counts are equal to the counts of the traffic intersection (common traffic) of each “associated” flow with the “included” flows minus the traffic of the excluded flows.

 

Following Count Types are available :

  • Entry Hour/20 Min : Entry hourly counts are given every 20 minutes step.
  • Entry Hour : Entry hourly counts are given every 60 minutes step.
  • Entry 20 Min : Entry 20 minutes counts are given every 20 minutes step.
  • Occupancy : Occupancy counts are given at the beginning of every minute.

 

Duration is only available when Occupancy Type is selected:

  • The possible value are 1 to 20 minutes 

 


The desired Traffic Volume identifier shall be keyed or selected from the drop-down list (when a previous query was successful).
Select the Proposal radio button on the button bar to include the proposed flights in the retrieved counts. Otherwise the counts will be based on the normal flights only.
The Send button will send the query to the CFMU system.
This window may be closed before any query is issued.
The Reset action common functionality is implemented for this function. All query criteria except Normal/Proposal selection are considered for activating the Reset action.

Displaying the query results

Common Display

The window title contains the following information :

  • The selected Traffic Volume.
  • The selected Count Type (Occupancy or Entry).
  • The selected Count Rate between parenthesis.
  • The time stamp when the information was retrieved from the CFMU system.
  • The optional keyword (Prop) between indicates that the displayed data are including the flight "Proposals".
  • The optional keyword (Poll) indicates that the Polling function is active for this window.
  • The optional >> sign indicates that the covered time period will shift on refresh.


The header box contains the selected query criteria :

  • The observed period (Traffic date, WEF and UNT times)
  • The queried Traffic Type.
  • The Traffic Volume identifier.
  • The selected Count Type (Entry / Occupancy) and Count rate (elapse / step).
  • The Duration if the count Type is Occupancy.


The number of flights is always the traffic entering during the hour after (i.e. 13:20 to 14:20).
The number is shown every 20 minutes step (always for the next hour).
A split bar separates the Query fields from the query results. It includes on the left, a small arrow button (Up/Down) to Hide/Show the query part.
Underneath the split bar that separates the Query fields from the query results there are two data presentation buttons; they allow the user to select one of the following display types:

  • Graph : bar chart representation of the counts.
  • Table : tabular presentation of the different count values.


The Graph display is shown initially.
When the user chooses to change the display type then the active window will use the data previously retrieved.
When the query results are displayed, the focus is set on the Graph or the Table, depending on the selected type.
The first bar of the Graph or the first cell of the Table is then selected.

Graph display

The graph shows :

  • The total number of flights for the queried Traffic Volume. This count is represented by a large surrounding bar for each time slice. The colour of the large surrounding Traffic Volume bar is identified by the user adjustable preference CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Graph / Bar default colour.
  • The sub-total number of flights for the selected Flow(s). These sub-counts are represented by thinner bars inside each large surrounding Traffic Volume bar for each time slice. Flow colours are assigned in sequence from a pool of ten user adjustable preferences CHMI / ATFCM application / Traffic / Flow counts / Flow colour nn where nn is a number between 1 and 10.


The list box on the right side of the graph shows the different Flows related to the selected Traffic Volume.
Each Flow in this list is associated to a check box.
When activated, the colour of the check box indicates the colour of the corresponding bars in the graph.
The capacity value is drawn as line on the graph.
The colour of the capacity line is identified by the user adjustable preference CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Graph / Capacity colour. The vertical axis indicates the number of flights per hour.
The horizontal axis indicates the time periods.

Table display

The tabular representation provides :

  • The different time slices covered by the count query.
  • The hourly Capacity for the corresponding time slice.
  • The Traffic Volume Counts values for the selected Traffic Type.
  • The different Flow count values related to each flow of this Traffic Volume.

User interactions

Common

The Normal / Proposal button may be adjusted before issuing a new query.
This window allows to modify a previous query selection and to issue a new request.
On query modification, the Reset action is enabled.
To display / hide the query part, click respectively the Down / Up arrow on the left underneath the split bar.
To update the display, click on the Send button on the button bar or select the Action / Send menu option. This will issue exactly the same query to obtain an up to date list.
The Previous / Next period function may be used to issue the same query but for the previous or the next period in time.
The Polling function may be activated to start automatic refresh processing on this window.
The Period Shifting function may be activated to start automatic period shifting on subsequent refresh of this window.
The Invalidate function may be activated for this window. Just check or uncheck the user preference CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Dates and times / Activate invalidate functionality.
To print Flow Counts data, first retrieve the data in the window and select the desired display type (Graph or table). Adjust possibly the displayed period, scale and other details. When ready, click on the Print button or select the File / Print menu option.
To export the retrieved count details, click on the Export button or select the Action / Export menu option.
Increasing / reducing the window height will impact the size of the main display control (graph or table).
Increasing / reducing the window width will impact the size of the main display control (graph or table).

Graph display

It is possible to toggle on/off any combination of the Flow buttons in the list at the right of the graph.
When selected, these toggle buttons display the colour assigned for the drawing of the corresponding bar on the graph.
Colours are assigned on a first come first serve base in a pool of ten colours.
For readability reasons, a maximum of ten flows may be displayed at once. A message box will warn the user when this limit is reached. To display another flow on the graph, you first have to unselect at least one of the ten.
To adjust the colour of the large surrounding Traffic Volume bar, you have to modify CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Graph / Bar default colour in the Preferences dialog.
To adjust the pool of colours assigned to the selected flows, you have to modify one of the following preference : CHMI / ATFCM application / Traffic / Flow counts / Flow colour nn where nn is a number between 1 and 10.
To adjust the colour of capacity line, you have to modify CHMI / ATFCM application / General / Graph / Capacity colour in the Preferences dialog. This preference is common with other functions in the application.
When clicking on a bar in the graph, then focus and selection is set on this particular bar.
When the focus is on the graph, the left and right arrows on the keyboard moves selection from one bar to the other.
The right mouse button pops up a contextual menu for the selected bar.
The bottom scroll bar within the graph pane is available only when the scope of the shown period is reduced or enlarged.
Another scroll bar may appear at the bottom of the Flow Counts component when the window is too small to see all contents; it will disappear again when all of the windows contents are visible.
Underneath the split bar that separates the Query fields from the query results several buttons may be displayed. When the graph presentation button on the right side of the pane is selected, then graph related buttons appear on the left of the pane to allow the user to adjust the following graph characteristics:

  • To enlarge the scope of the vertical axis : click on the two vertical arrows pointing to each other with an horizontal line in the middle.
  • To reduce the scope of the vertical axis : click on the two vertical arrows pointing away from each other with an horizontal line in the middle.
  • To display / hide a grid on the graph : click on the toggle button with a table representation.
  • To enlarge the scope of the shown period : click on the two horizontal arrows pointing to each other with an vertical line in the middle.
  • To reduce the scope of the shown period : click on the two horizontal arrows pointing away from each other with an vertical line in the middle.

Table display

When clicking on a cell in the table, then focus is set on this particular cell.
When clicking on the Flow Id (left column), then the row is selected but previous column selection remains.
When the focus is on a cell with a count, the left/right and up/down arrows on the keyboard moves selection from one cell to the other.
When the focus is on a Flow Id (left column), the up/down arrows on the keyboard moves selection from one cell to the other.
The right mouse button pops up a contextual menu for the selected cell.

Contextual actions

Graph display

When a bar is selected on the graph, the right mouse button pops up a contextual menu for the corresponding period.
The higher-level popup menu displays :

  • The time slice corresponding to the selected bar.
  • The Hourly Capacity for the period of the selected bar.
  • The total count value for the queried Traffic Volume within this time slice.
  • The different selected Flows with the sub-total value corresponding to the displayed time slice. Each Flow line gives access to a popup sub-menu.
  • Flight List : to query the list of flights for the queried Traffic Volume. Requested period is the one identified by the selected bar.


This contextual menu offers sub-menu parts related to the selected Flow in the higher-level popup menu.
Each Flow popup sub-menu may contain the following entry :

  • the menu option Flight List for the displayed Traffic Volume associated to the selected Flow. Requested period is the one identified by the selected bar.


The transferred period may be affected by user preferences related to Default query period identification.

Table display

When a count cell is selected on the table, the right mouse button pops up a contextual menu for the corresponding period.
The higher-level popup menu displays :

  • The time slice corresponding to the selected cell is displayed.
  • Flight List : to query the list of flights for the queried Traffic Volume. Requested period is the one identified by the selected cell.
  • The Flow corresponding to the selected cell. This Flow line gives access to a popup sub-menu.


This contextual menu offers sub-menu parts related to the selected Flow in the higher-level popup menu.
Each Flow popup sub-menu may contain the following entry :

  • the menu option Flight List for the displayed Traffic Volume associated to the selected Flow. Requested period is the one identified by the selected cell.


The transferred period may be affected by user preferences related to Default query period identification.