Generate Floor Transitions (Indoors)

Available for an ArcGIS organization licensed with the Indoors extension.

Summary

Creates or updates transition line features that connect floors vertically.

Selected transition unit polygons are used to generate vertical transition lines between levels in a facility. These transition features are used in conjunction with pathway features to generate a network for routing.

Usage

  • The feature layers or feature classes used for the Input Facility Features, Input Facility Features, and Transition Unit Features parameters can be from an indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase. The feature layers or feature classes used for the Pathway Features and Target Transitions can be from a preliminary indoor network dataset or Indoors geodatabase.

  • The Input Facility Features parameter value must be a polygon feature layer or feature class that conforms to the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model for the Facilities feature class. You can limit the generation of floor transitions to specific facilities by making a selection or defining a query on the input layer. Without a selection or a definition query, the tool will generate floor transitions for all levels in all facilities on the input layer.

  • The Transition Unit Features parameter value must be a feature layer or feature class that conforms to the Indoors model for the Units feature class.

    • The Transition Unit Features parameter is used to define areas of a floor plan for which transitions will be generated, such as stairs and elevators.
    • If the Transition Unit Features parameter value is a feature class that contains polygons representing both stairs and elevator type spaces, use the Stairway Unit Expression and Elevator Unit Expression parameters to identify which features represent which type of transition spaces. In the Indoors model, values from the USE_TYPE field can be used.

  • The Pathway Features parameter value must be a polyline feature layer or feature class that conforms to the Indoors model for the PrelimPathways feature class and contains preliminary pathways features for spaces that will be processed by the tool. The tool snaps generated transition features to these preliminary pathways for a connected and routable network.

  • The Target Transitions parameter value must be a polyline feature layer or feature class that conforms to the Indoors model for the PrelimTransitions feature class. The new transitions will be written here for use in creating the network dataset.

  • The Elevator Delay parameter improves routing and transit time calculations by factoring in expected wait times for elevator passengers and applying the delay value to the existing Pathways Features value contained in the identified elevator transition spaces.

    • Including expected elevator delays may produce different results in wheelchair mode, compared to walking, when using the default Indoors network dataset template. This is because elevator delays may make routes using stairs shorter in total calculated travel time.

  • The tool finds the closest vertex of a Pathways Feature value on each floor to the center of polygons with selected types. A vertical line is created between levels at this vertex. The z-values of the start and end vertex of the generated Transitions feature will match the z-values for the pathways feature.

  • The LENGTH_3D attribute is calculated for all output transition features. For stairway-type transitions, it is increased by a factor of three to reflect travel time of walking stairs. These values can be recalculated manually if necessary.

    Note:

    If transition features are manually edited, this value must be recalculated to accurately reflect travel time when routing.

  • For the output transition features, the following attributes are populated with default values:

    • TRANSITION_RANK
    • TRANSITION_TYPE
    • TRAVEL_DIRECTION

    Note:

    These values can be manually edited, if necessary, prior to creating the network dataset.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Input Facility Features

The input polygon features representing a facility or facilities. In the Indoors model, this is the Facilities layer. The tool processes only the facilities represented by these features.

Feature Layer
Transition Unit Features

The input polygon features representing the transition spaces in a facility. In the Indoors model, this is the Units layer.

Feature Layer
Pathway Features

The input polyline features representing preliminary pathways. The new transition features will snap to these polyline features. In the Indoors model, this will be the PrelimPathways layer.

Feature Layer
Target Transitions

An existing feature class or layer that will be updated with the new transitions. In the Indoors model, this is the PrelimTransitions layer.

Feature Layer
Elevator Delay
(Optional)

The average elevator transit time. It is one-half the time in seconds that an elevator passenger can expect to spend waiting to enter and exit the elevator. Using this parameter can improve routing and transit time calculations. The value must be equal to or greater than zero.

Long
Delete Existing Transitions
(Optional)

Specifies whether existing transition features in selected transition spaces will be deleted before creating new transition features. If this parameter is not used, Updated Transitions will include both existing and newly created transition features.

  • Checked—Existing transition features will be deleted. This is the default.
  • Unchecked—Existing transition features will not be deleted.
Boolean
Stairway Unit Expression
(Optional)

An SQL expression used to define which Transition Unit Features values represent step-based transitions, such as stairs and escalators.

SQL Expression
Elevator Unit Expression
(Optional)

An SQL expression used to define which Transition Unit Features values represent lift-based transitions, such as elevators.

SQL Expression

Derived Output

LabelExplanationData Type
Updated Transitions

The updated Target Transitions layer.

Feature Class

arcpy.indoors.GenerateFloorTransitions(facility_features, transition_unit_features, pathway_features, target_transitions, {elevator_delay}, {delete_existing_transitions}, {stairway_unit_exp}, {elevator_unit_exp})
NameExplanationData Type
facility_features

The input polygon features representing a facility or facilities. In the Indoors model, this is the Facilities layer. The tool processes only the facilities represented by these features.

Feature Layer
transition_unit_features

The input polygon features representing the transition spaces in a facility. In the Indoors model, this is the Units layer.

Feature Layer
pathway_features

The input polyline features representing preliminary pathways. The new transition features will snap to these polyline features. In the Indoors model, this will be the PrelimPathways layer.

Feature Layer
target_transitions

An existing feature class or layer that will be updated with the new transitions. In the Indoors model, this is the PrelimTransitions layer.

Feature Layer
elevator_delay
(Optional)

The average elevator transit time. It is one-half the time in seconds that an elevator passenger can expect to spend waiting to enter and exit the elevator. Using this parameter can improve routing and transit time calculations. The value must be equal to or greater than zero.

Long
delete_existing_transitions
(Optional)

Specifies whether existing transition features in selected transition spaces will be deleted before creating new transition features. If this parameter is not used, updated_transitions will include both existing and newly created transition features.

  • DELETE_FEATURESExisting transition features will be deleted. This is the default.
  • NO_DELETE_FEATURESExisting transition features will not be deleted.
Boolean
stairway_unit_exp
(Optional)

An SQL expression used to define which Transition Unit Features values represent step-based transitions, such as stairs and escalators.

SQL Expression
elevator_unit_exp
(Optional)

An SQL expression used to define which Transition Unit Features values represent lift-based transitions, such as elevators.

SQL Expression

Derived Output

NameExplanationData Type
updated_transitions

The updated Target Transitions layer.

Feature Class

Code sample

GenerateFloorTransitions example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the GenerateFloorTransitions function in immediate mode.

# Name: Indoors_GenerateFloorTransitions_example1
# Description: Generates floor transition line features for selected unit types without delay

import arcpy

arcpy.indoors.GenerateFloorTransitions(r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\Indoor\Facilities", 
                                       r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\Indoor\Units", 
                                       r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\PrelimIndoorNetwork\PrelimPathways", 
                                       r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\PrelimIndoorNetwork\PrelimTransitions", 
                                       None, "DELETE_FEATURES", 
                                       "USE_TYPE IN ('Stairs', 'Stairway')", 
                                       "USE_TYPE IN ('Elevator', 'Elevator Cab', 'Elevator Shaft')")
GenerateFloorTransitions example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the GenerateFloorTransitions function.

# Name: Indoors_GenerateFloorTransitions_example2
# Description: Generates floor transition line features for selected unit types 
#              and adds elevator delay

import arcpy

# Define inputs
facility_features = r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\Indoor\Facilities"
transition_unit_features = r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\Indoor\Units"
pathway_features = r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\PrelimIndoorNetwork\PrelimPathways"
target_transitions = r"C:\Indoors\ExampleCampus.gdb\PrelimIndoorNetwork\PrelimTransitions"
elevator_delay = 20
stairway_unit_exp = "USE_TYPE IN ('Stairs', 'Stairway')"
elevator_unit_exp = "USE_TYPE IN ('Elevator', 'Elevator Cab', 'Elevator Shaft')"

# Run tool
arcpy.indoors.GenerateFloorTransitions(facility_features, 
                                       transition_unit_features, 
                                       pathway_features, target_transitions, 
                                       elevator_delay, 'NO_DELETE_FEATURES', 
                                       stairway_unit_exp, elevator_unit_exp)

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: No
  • Advanced: Requires Indoors

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