BookDB-Timetables

Database Publishing: Generating formatted documents automatically

BookDB is used to format data from database management systems. The software improves the process of producing a final copy for publication, which can be used for printing purposes as well as for the internet. Adobe FrameMaker templates contain the document lay-out information. BookDB combines the data from the HASTUS files with these templates, and produces different output formats, where the lay-out and the data can be used for different publications.

Database Publishing is used for various applications, some examples are:

• Public timetable books
• Leaflets with information per route
• Stop timetables for print and for the internet
• Route images (or thermometers), images with bus stop names
• Integrated public timetables, stop timetables and route images on the internet
• Maps with routes and bus stops, with links to stop time tables on the internet

Adobe FrameMaker is used to customize the lay-out

FrameMaker is document publishing software from Adobe. Templates are defined in FrameMaker with the lay-out requirements for the timetables.

Different lay-out definitions can be used for e.g. books and leaflets. Both the horizontal and the vertical output formats are supported for public timetables and for stop timetables.

Book production offers capabilities to combine different timetables into a book. Page numbering is efficiently handled for the entire book, and introductory pages could be produced in FrameMaker or in other software.

Advertisements or other images can be added to the timetables. Different image formats are supported, including: EPS, PDF, SVG, EPSF, DXF, HPGL, IGES, TIFF, BMP, CorelDraw, GIF, XWD and many other formats.

Some features of Public Timetable production:

• An HASTUS PTT file or a XML file is used as input, and two FrameMaker output files are generated, one for each direction of travel
• Extensive support for footnotes for an entire timetable, for one direction in a timetable, for a specific bus stop or for a specific trip
• Book production to combine separate timetables in one book
• The possibility to add extra information (when this is not available in HASTUS), e.g. transfer information, extra route information, trip numbers for drivers
• Support different day information e.g. Monday-Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Holidays
• Horizontal output with stop names as row names, or vertical output with the stop names in the columns

Some examples of public timetables are:

• Example Public Timetable 1
• Example Public Timetable 2
• Example Public Timetable 3

Some features of Stop Timetable production:

• HASTUS STT files or XML function as input files for the production of the stop timetables, where as stop timetables are produced per bus stop
• Horizontal output with day information in the row names and vertical output, with day information in the columns
• Management module for stop timetables to combine stop timetables for one bus stop, change direction information (e.g. for circle line) and add extra text lines

Some examples of stop timetables are:

• Example Stop Timetable 1
• Example Stop Timetable 2

Some features of Route Image (thermometer) production:

• HASTUS PRT files or XML files with stop names are used as input to produce images with stop names
• BookDB generates the images in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, which can be used for print or for internet (in SVG or HTML format)
• The images contain hyperlinks to the stop timetables, the stop names have the links which are generated automatically by BookDB
• Variations are supported

An example of a routestrip is:

• Example Routestrip

Produce maps

BookDB is used to generate maps for print and for internet. These maps are based upon the TeleAtlas Shape files, where different points of interest are shown on different zoom levels. It is possible to show the busstops and the busroutes on the maps, where the busstops have interactive links to stop timetables. The maps with the links are produced automatically.

The publications can be used for print as well as for internet.

BookDB server provides the possibility to make the public timetables, stop timetables and route images available for internet. BookDB server includes:

• Search capabilities for route number, city and stop name
• Passenger information with different dates for validity placed on internet simultaneously
• HTML format and PDF format are supported
• The route images have hyperlinks to stop timetables, the links are generated automatically in BookDB

The output can be generated for print in the quality that meet the requirements of the graphical industry

When the entire book or a leaflet with public timetables is created a PDF file can be generated, which can be used by the Printer as full colour output. The pre-press costs of the Printer will be eliminated completely because timetables are created in-house. The route strips can also be printed with the timetable or used for the bus stops.

Database publishing can be used for printing on demand.

BookDB is used for printing on demand, in which a selection of the publication is printed e.g. producing temporary stop timetables or leaflets for public timetables.

Improve Workflow

The workflow is improved considerably because formatted output is produced in house, with data directly coming from HASTUS. The same files can be used for output to print and to internet.

Advantages of BookDB are:

• Publications are produced efficiently
• The data integrity is good by using HASTUS data
• The BookDB software has a very good return on investment, and the pay-back period is very short
• The possibility exists to work with different FrameMaker templates e.g. a template for print and a template for internet, or an A4 and an A5 template
• The system is very user friendly
• Industry standards are used: Adobe FrameMaker, PDF, PostScript, SVG
• BookDB is available in English, French, German and Dutch

The software is proven technology. Some customers are:

• Connexxion (Netherlands)
• GVU (Netherlands)
• BBA (Netherlands)
• Arriva (Netherlands)
• GVB (Netherlands)
• Hermes (Netherlands)
• Novio (Netherlands)
• de Lijn (Belgium)
• STIB (Belgium)
• TEC (Belgium)
• Brisbane Transport (Australia)
• Action (Australia)
• TL-Lausanne (Switzerland)
• OVS (Germany)