Interpret positioning performance

Available for an ArcGIS organization licensed with the IPS extension.

There are broadly two ways to visualize and interpret positioning quality data:

• Basic visualizations
• Advanced visualizations

Note:

If you detect any location in your environment that is exposing performance below par, review the ArcGIS IPS deployment guidelines to achieve the optimal IPS experience.

Basic visualizations

This section describes some possible simple visualizations you can apply to the IPS Quality Dataset to gain basic insights about the positioning quality of your deployment.

Identify accuracy level

The Accuracy Level field of the Reference Positions feature class represents a simple classification of the positioning performance based on the distance between your actual location and the location computed by the IPS Engine.

Symbolizing the Reference Positions features allows you to visualize and identify on a map the areas where IPS performs at different levels of accuracy. Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Unique Values .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field 1 drop-down arrow and choose Accuracy Level.

   The Reference Positions features are colored based on the Accuracy Level field, allowing you to visualize areas with different levels of accuracy.

   

7. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
8. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

   This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

   You can do the following to filter the layer:

   • Enable time on the layer.
   • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
   • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.

Match location level

The Level Match field of the Reference Positions feature class reports if your actual location and the location computed by the IPS Engine are at the same level.

Symbolizing the Reference Positions features allows you to visualize and identify on a map the areas where IPS locates you on the wrong floor. Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Unique Values .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field 1 drop-down arrow and choose Level Match.

   The Reference Positions features are colored based on the Level Match field, allowing you to visualize areas with a level mismatch.

   

7. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
8. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

   This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

   You can do the following to filter the layer:

   • Enable time on the layer.
   • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
   • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.

Visualize line of sight

The LOS To Computed field of the Reference Positions feature class reports if there is a line of sight between your actual location and the one computed by the IPS Engine.

Symbolizing the Reference Positions features allows you to visualize and identify areas on a map where IPS locates you outside the line of sight (LOS) of your actual position. Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Unique Values .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field 1 drop-down arrow and choose LOS To Computed.

   The Reference Positions features are colored based on the LOS To Computed field, allowing you to visualize areas where you are located outside the line of sight.

   

7. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
8. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

   This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

   You can do the following to filter the layer:

   • Enable time on the layer.
   • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
   • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.

Set the location source

The Location Source field of the Reference Positions feature class indicates the technology used by the IPS Engine to compute your position. The supported location sources are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple IPS, or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Note:

The location source may differ from the type of positioning supported by an indoor positioning file. This is because the IPS Engine also uses other available sources to compute the best possible indoor location.

Symbolizing the Reference Positions features allows you to visualize which location technology is used in different areas of your environment and perform appropriate steps to correct unexpected behaviors. For example, if you have a Bluetooth-based deployment, and the areas use GNSS instead, review your Beacon deployment, and ensure that you define proper entrance and exit transitions.

Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Unique Values .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field 1 drop-down arrow and choose Location Source.

   The Reference Positions features are colored based on the Location Source field, allowing you to visualize and identify areas where the IPS Engine is using different location sources.

   

7. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
8. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

   This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

   You can do the following to filter the layer:

   • Enable time on the layer.
   • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
   • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.

Advanced visualizations

This section describes advanced visualizations you can apply to the IPS Quality Dataset to gain advanced insights about the positioning quality of your deployment.

Set a custom accuracy level

The Distance to Computed field of the Reference Positions feature class reports the Euclidean distance between your actual location and the location computed by the IPS Engine.

By applying a graduated colors symbology on the Reference Positions features and defining custom classes, you can have a finer-grained and personalized view of the level of positioning accuracy across your environment.

Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Graduated Colors .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field drop-down arrow and choose Distance to Computed.
7. Click the classes drop-down arrow and choose the number of classes your data should be divided into.
8. Click the Method drop-down arrow or apply a manual interval for class breaking to define the method of division.

   The Reference Positions features are colored based on the Distance to Computed field, allowing you to visualize areas with different levels of accuracy.

   

9. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
10. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

    This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

    You can do the following to filter the layer:

    • Enable time on the layer.
    • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
    • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.

Use spatiotemporal analysis

The IPS Time field in Reference Positions and Computed Positions feature classes indicates the time when a position was computed by the IPS Engine. This field together with the Recording GUID field creates a unique correspondence between the Reference Positions and the Computed Positions features.

By setting time properties on both Reference Positions and Computed Positions features, you can visualize the positioning performance over time. This method allows you to use the time slider on your screen to display both feature classes in time intervals. This visualization also gives you a general overview of how the IPS Engine performs over time and allows you to compare Reference Positions and Computed Positions in pairs.

Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Load the Computed Positions feature class into the same map.
3. Configure the map as floor aware.
4. Make Reference Positions and Computed Positions layers floor aware.
5. Double-click the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.

   The Layer Properties dialog box is displayed.

6. Click Time to open the corresponding property pane.
7. Click the Filter layer content based on attribute values option.
8. Set Layer Time to the Each feature has a single time field option.
9. Set Time Field to IPS Time.
10. Click Calculate to compute the actual Time Extent of your data.
11. Click the View using a regular time interval option, and set the Step to 1 Seconds.
12. Click OK to save the settings, and close the Layer Properties dialog box.

    

13. Repeat steps 5 through 12 for the Computed Positions layer.

The time slider is now enabled and displayed on top of the map pane. You can use the time slider to visualize Reference Positions and Computed Positions features at different times.

Learn more about how to visualize temporal data

Combine the analysis

You can visualize data by combining multiple fields of the Referenced Positions feature class. A multifield visualization allows you to identify trends based on field correlation that may have led to IPS performance below par.

Symbolizing the Reference Positions features by combining Level Match, LOS to Computed, and Accuracy Level fields gives you a general overview of the quality of your deployment.

Perform the following steps:

1. Add the Reference Positions feature class to a map.
2. Configure the map as floor aware.
3. Configure the Reference Positions layer as floor aware.
4. Choose the Reference Positions layer in the Contents pane.
5. On the Feature Layer tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow below Symbology and choose Unique Values .

   The Symbology pane appears, allowing you to further customize the way the layer is classified and symbolized.

6. Click the Field 1 drop-down arrow and choose Level Match.
7. Click Add Field and in the newly added field, select LOS to Computed from the drop-down list.
8. Click Add Field and in the newly added field, select Accuracy Level from the drop-down list.

   The Reference Positions features are colored, based on the Level Match, LOS to Computed, and Accuracy Level fields, allowing you to simultaneously visualize areas that have a level mismatch, may be out of the line of sight, or have a low accuracy level.

   

9. Optionally, choose a color scheme from the Color scheme drop-down list in the Symbology pane or manually edit the symbol of each class on the Classes tab.
10. Optionally, create a filter on the layer to view a subset of reference position features on the map.

    This can be helpful for clear visualization if there are many Reference Positions features that overlap or are located close to one another.

    You can do the following to filter the layer:

    • Enable time on the layer.
    • Apply a definition query on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.
    • Apply a manual display filter on the layer to filter by the recording GUID.