Welcome to the CDXZipStream November 2010 Newsletter

From our website you can now download free Microsoft Excel templates that allow you to use CDXZipStream with just a click.  Just  input your address data, click a button, and the template automatically performs all calculations.  The templates currently available perform route optimization and geocoding (converting addresses to latitude/longitude coordinates) - we'll be adding more over the next six months.

You can see how the route optimization template works in the YouTube video Route Optimization with One Click.  The template actually performs two functions:  first, it verifies the accuracy of the address list by checking whether each address can be found in MapPoint. After this check, the addresses are optimized and listed in the order that achieves the quickest driving time.  The template also automatically outputs other information about the optimized route, such as driving distance, driving time, total trip duration, and cost. 

To use the templates both CDXZipStream and Microsoft MapPoint must be installed on your computer.  Links to free trials for CDXZipStream and MapPoint are provided in the templates.

The templates have been designed to be easy to use and flexible enough to be applied in a wide variety of situations.  However, in some cases we have had requests from clients to customize them to fit a particular need.  If you think a customized template would be helpful for your application, please give us a call at 1-877-239-8321 or email us at customsolutions@CDXTech.com.   

With CDXZipStream version 10.3.1 we have added the ability to input latitude and longitude (instead of a postal address) with the CDXRouteMP function, which is used for calculating driving distance and time, and performing route optimization.  The ability to use latitude and longitude coordinates will allow analysis of new locations that do not yet have an assigned postal address.

This feature came about to address a problem encountered by one of our clients. Brent Coursin, cofounder of Incipi Technology, contacted us when he was using CDXZipStream to estimate driving times and distances for a feasibility study.  "One of the locations in my study did not have a street address. I contacted CDX to ask what they recommended. Their immediate response was that they could update the program to use longitude and latitude for an address. Within one week CDX had added this new feature which allowed me to easily calculate response distances for a proposed fire station."  It can also be used for route optimization and all other calculations performed by the CDXRouteMP function.

 

If you need to find latitude and longitude for a location without a postal address, just point to the location in MapPoint and the coordinates are displayed in the lower-right corner of the map window. Or just browse Google Maps, right-click on the map and select "What's here?". The coordinates will automatically pop up in the search box.  When using coordinates with CDXRouteMP, list latitude and longitude in the same worksheet cell, separated by a vertical bar (or "pipe')  like this:  41.089 | -85.155

To get CDXZipStream 10.3.1, please download and install the demo.  As always, this is free and can be used with older versions of Excel, MapPoint, and Windows.