Important Guidelines & FAQ for Wayfinding Network¶

Welcome to the guidelines and frequently asked questions (FAQ) for setting up Wayfinding Network on Pointr Cloud Dashboard. In this document, we will cover important topics such as:

1. How to create cross building wayfinding?
2. How are the routes calculated?
3. How is the route start and destination connected to the wayfinding network?
4. How are the paths used when calculating a route?
5. How many path nodes can I add to my paths?
6. Ensuring path coverage for your maps
7. Considering complex structures when drawing paths
8. Minimizing unnecessary path nodes
9. Potential Use Cases for Custom Transitions
10. Map Objects Related to Transitions
11. Optimizing Wayfinding Network with Obstacles

1. How to create cross building wayfinding¶

A few things to note when setting up your site-wide wayfinding:

1. Use Custom Transition to accommodate various transportation modes, such as shuttle buses or virtual passages. Virtual passages typically have a travel time of “0” since no walking is needed to go between the two transition points.

2. Ensure smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces by drawing outdoor paths. Without these paths, users will bypass the outdoor wayfinding experience and directly proceed to the next transition point in another building.

Here’s an example of setting up cross-building wayfinding with outdoor paths, including a preview of the results.

Add a Custom Transition in building A	Add a Custom Transition in building B

A result shows the cross-building wayfinding experience on Pointr’s map widget. Please note that the showcased result is a simulation, and real-life outcomes may vary based on your settings.

Static Direction	Live Direction	Mobile Demo App

To access a step-by-step tutorial, please refer to our dedicated guide “Creating Cross Building Wayfinding with Custom Transition”.

2. How are the routes calculated¶

The Pointr wayfinding algorithms determine routes by aiming for the shortest travel time between a start point and a destination point. The start point is typically represented by a blue dot or a point of interest (POI) in static wayfinding. The destination point is usually a POI as well, but it can also be any arbitrary geo-coordinates.

Navigate to a POI	Navigate to a custom point (any arbitrary geo-coordinate)

The algorithm calculates routes by considering walking time and travel times for selected transitions. It only uses transitions that align with the chosen wayfinding mode: None, Accessible, or Comfortable. For example, in Accessible mode, elevators are preferred as they are considered accessible, while escalators and stairs are not.

The walking routes are mainly determined by the wayfinding network, the network alone cannot find a complete route from start to destination. This is because the start and destination points typically do not align with a path in the network. Therefore, the points need to be connected to eligible paths for the route to be established. To learn more about connecting your POIs/Custom points to paths effectively, visit “Ensuring path coverage for your maps” for more information.

3. How is the route start and destination connected to the wayfinding network¶

When calculating a route, the process involves three segments.

• Segment 1 - involves connecting the start point to a path in the Wayfinding Network.

• Segment 2 - follows the route within the wayfinding network, bringing you closer to the destination.

• Segment 3 - entails leaving the network and reaching the final destination.

To accomplish segments 1 and 3, a “dynamic connection algorithm” is employed. This algorithm generates a small network within a specific radius around the start and destination points, dynamically linking them to the larger wayfinding network. In the below image, the pink lines show the main Wayfinding Network, and the green lines show a smaller connected mini Network. This allows us to connect to the main wayfinding network, even if the room with the blue dot doesn’t have direct wayfinding network edges reaching into it.

Navigating obstacles in the mini-network¶

This mini-network is designed to provide walkable routes while avoiding obstacles. It takes into account the size of a human and avoids small gaps that are not passable. However, there are situations where going through an obstacle becomes necessary, such as when a POI is located on an obstacle like a desk or a baggage carousel.

In these cases, the algorithm finds the shortest route to exit the obstacle. There is one condition, though: the route cannot pass through multiple types of obstacles. For example, if there is a desk against a wall, the shortest route might involve going over the desk and through the wall into the adjacent room. However, the algorithm disregards such routes and looks for an alternative path that doesn’t require switching between different types of obstacles. This ensures a more seamless and efficient route for users.

Dynamic connections in the wayfinding network¶

The dynamic connection algorithm can establish connections with multiple paths in the wayfinding network. This flexibility allows it to determine the absolute shortest route, considering the position of the destination. For example, if there is a start point inside a room with two exits, the algorithm can choose either exit based on the destination’s location.

This feature ensures that the algorithm finds the shortest route regardless of the complexity of the building’s architecture. You don’t need to add intricate paths that cover every room and opening in your building. Typically, adding paths along aisles and main walkable areas is sufficient. This approach not only simplifies the network content but also reduces its size.

4. How are the paths used when calculating a route¶

When calculating a route, the start and destination points are connected to form a network using predefined paths. These paths are followed strictly, even if they pass through obstacles, to maintain user control over reachability and the wayfinding experience.

The calculated routes may not align exactly with the paths displayed on Pointr Cloud Dashboard. This is because the routes undergo post-processing to optimize the indoor pedestrian wayfinding experience. Prior to post-processing, the routes adhere closely to the paths themselves.

However, these routes may not provide the best pedestrian experience, as they can contain zig-zags, jagged edges, non-straight lines in open spaces, and unnecessary details. To improve the wayfinding experience, the routes are simplified and smoothed during the final stage of processing; see the following results for example:

Static Wayfinding (without a blue dot - Web SDK)	Dynamic Wayfinding (with a blue dot - Mobile SDK)

Indoor wayfinding presents unique challenges, as pedestrians have more flexibility in choosing their paths compared to vehicles on outdoor road networks. Indoor spaces lack defined junctions and turns, and pedestrians have various ways to navigate large halls. The post-processing ensures that the output respects these special characteristics and provides an optimal indoor wayfinding experience.

5. How many path nodes can I add to my paths¶

When creating paths for your Wayfinding Network, you have the freedom to add as many path nodes as necessary without any limitations on their distance or the total count of nodes. However, it’s important to exercise caution and avoid including excessive, unnecessary nodes on your paths.

Having an excessive number of unnecessary nodes can result in heavy server loads and longer data processing times. To optimize your path design and minimize unnecessary nodes, we recommend visiting Minimizing unnecessary path nodes.

6. Ensuring path coverage for your maps¶

Ensure all points of interest (POIs) are reachable within 10 meters (32 feet) of the path. Avoid extending paths into rooms unless necessary for larger rooms or room within a room structures. When unsure, prioritize accessibility and include paths into rooms.

Ensure every point of interest (POI) is within 10 meters (32 feet) of paths.

❌ Uncovered areas may cause POIs to become inaccessible to users.	✅ Add additional paths to reach those areas and ensure all POIs are reachable by users.

7. Considering complex structures when drawing paths¶

If a room’s entrance has complex walls or meeting the 10-meter (32-feet) requirement is challenging, include paths into the rooms to ensure accessibility.

In cases where rooms are relatively large or have complex wall structures, it’s best to extend paths into those rooms to guarantee accessibility within 10 meters (32 feet).

Example 1: Extend paths into the large green and yellow rooms with intricate walls to make them accessible	Example 2: Extend paths into the rooms with complicated entrances to ensure they are navigable by users	Example 3: Extend the path into large rooms to keep the distance between the upper corners of the room and the paths under 10 meters (32 feet)

8. Minimizing unnecessary path nodes¶

Only add extra path nodes for branching or changing direction. Keeping the number of nodes low reduces server load and processing time.

Avoid drawing nodes into regions smaller than 10 meters (32 feet). Small rooms don’t require path extensions. Focus on covering only the aisles with paths.

❌ Redundant nodes: Small rooms don’t require path extensions.	✅ Focus on covering only the aisles with paths.

9. Potential Use Cases for Custom Transitions¶

Custom Transition provides flexibility in creating connections between sections, levels, or buildings according to your needs. They can be customized based on the Map Objects in Pointr Cloud Dashboard. Here are some examples of potential use cases for Custom Transitions.

10. Map Objects Related to Transitions¶

Map Objects related to transition and Transitions serve different purposes and are not directly connected.

• Transitions: Allow users to move between sections, levels, or buildings during their wayfinding journey.

• Map Objects related to Transition: visually depict these transitions on the map, showing their location, shape, and size.

Img 1 - A stair transition shown on Pointr Cloud Dashboard	Img 2 - a map object related to transitions (a stairwell) shown on the web widget

To prevent users from using specific transitions, you can remove the Transitions while keeping the Map Objects visible. This allows the map objects related to transitions to remain visible, but users won’t be guided to use them.

11. Optimizing Wayfinding Network with Obstacles¶

Obstacles are Map Objects marked as isWalkable=false, preventing the blue dot and path from passing through them. They are categorized as Visible Obstacles (e.g., walls, furniture) and Invisible Obstacles (virtual obstacles). Obstacles can be viewed on the Wayfinding Network page and managed on the Map Object page. For step-by-step instructions on how to manage obstacles (map objects), visit our dedicated guide.

Existing obstacles from the original floor plan, such as walls and furniture, usually require no further changes. However, in some cases, additional virtual obstacles can be added to optimize positioning and wayfinding experiences. These virtual obstacles are not visible on the map but are considered isWalkable=false areas by our algorithms. You can leverage virtual obstacles in 4 use cases to enhance the wayfinding experience for map users.

Use case 1 - Enhancing building exterior

To ensure accurate positioning, adding virtual obstacles around the building’s exterior is recommended, covering approximately 10 meters (32 feet) wide. This helps prevent the blue dot from being placed outside the building when the user is indoors.

💡Editing tips:

For floorplans that don’t have an entrance/exit floor, it’s recommended to add a 10-meter (32-feet) wide strip around the entire exterior of the building. This helps improve positioning and wayfinding. After outlining the ‘Virtual Obstacles’ around the building, use the ‘cut’ tool to ensure accurate coverage of the exterior.

Use case 2: Optimizing indoor-outdoor transitions

To ensure smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor areas, avoid blocking building entrances/exits with virtual obstacles. Keep outdoor areas obstacle-free for user navigation while using thin virtual obstacles to cover the remaining building exterior. This ensures accurate positioning and wayfinding, allowing the blue dot to go outdoors as needed while maintaining obstacle coverage.

Use case 3: Preventing wayfinding shortcuts

Pointr’s wayfinding algorithms treat areas without obstacles as walkable, which can result in straight paths passing through map features like a store department. To prevent this, virtual obstacles can be used to restrict the visual paths. However, remember that the blue dot won’t be able to enter areas covered by virtual obstacles. Virtual obstacles can prevent users from taking shortcuts by crossing through the retail floor.

Use case 4: Avoiding specific areas with restricted access

Virtual obstacles can prevent users from wayfinding to certain areas that lack beacons or have restricted access. However, it’s important to note that the blue dot cannot enter areas covered by virtual obstacles.