Feature Type Definitions

Owned by Leon Wilson
Last updated: Mar 10, 2023 by Christian Gandakusuma
7 min read

In this article, you will have a better understanding of what each Map Feature Type is mainly used for. This is where we will have a detailed explanation of the different map features used in PAM. You can use the links below to jump to the Feature Type you are interested in learning more about:

Map Editor Feature Types in PAM are based on Apples IMDF (Indoor Mapping Data Format) Standard. You can read more on IMDF here: https://register.apple.com/resources/imdf/

We have included custom groups in our tool palette to help group Feature Types. These custom groups include: Natural Transition, Materials and Restrooms

Feature type tools within PAM

In Map Editor we have included custom groups to help group Feature Types. These custom groups include: Natural Transition, Materials and Restrooms
Therefore Natural custom group may include a UNIT and SECTION Feature Type.

Location Hierarchy

Location hierarchy is the process of assigning a group of locations (children) based on a status or category to an area (parent). By assigning a Parent to Child relationship between features the Location Hierarchy is created. This creates an address and allows logical wayfinding to a location. It also unlocks the ability for controls and grouping of locations.

Feature-types hierarchy (parent to children):

Venues > Area > Building > Levels > Sections/Transitions/Units

e.g. ‘Area’ feature-type can be a parent of 'Building' feature-type.

 

 

 

Feature-types

  1. Venue (Boundary Line)

  2. Area (Block)

  3. Building (Footprint)

  4. Building Structure

    1. Freeform/Landscape

  5. Level

  6. Room (Unit)

  7. Food Court (Section)

  8. Escalator (Transitions)

  9. Vegetation (Natural)

  10. Water (Natural)

Location Hierarchy (Parent Child relationship)

  1. Venue

    1. Area

      1. Building

        1. Building Structure

          1. Level

            1. Unit

            2. Section

            3. Transition

      2. Vegetation

      3. Water

Venues

Venues are mainly used to draw the bounding area of the project, and becomes the root element that is used to transition between PAM routing and world (external) routing. Venues are not visible on the map, it's the whole area of your location.

  • Stadium: an athletic or sports ground with tiers of seats for spectators.

  • University: a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done.

  • Retail Store: a store that sells a variety of goods to the public.

  • Shopping Center: a group of retail stores and service establishments usually with ample parking facilities and usually designed to serve a community or neighbourhood.

  • Village / Camp: a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area.

Area

Areas are children of Venues

  • Area: Geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. A geo-fence could be dynamically generated, as in a radius around a point location, or a geo-fence can be a predefined set of boundaries (such as University Hubs). (e.g. Universities are often separated into different Hubs)

Buildings

Buildings are children of Areas

  • Building: a Building describes a physical building structure associated with a Venue.

  • Multi-Level Carpark: a building designed for car parking and where there are a number of levels on which parking takes place. This is primarily an indoor parking lot.

Levels

Levels are children of Venues, Area or Buildings

  • Level: is mainly used to create a level in a building (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3).

  • Parking: an area that models the presence and physical extent of a physically enclosed area whose intended purpose is the storage of vehicles. Mainly used for parking lots.

Sections

Sections are an open space area that models a theme. Sections are children of Levels

  • Seating Section: a plan that determines where people take their seats inside a building.

  • Recreation: models the presence and physical extent of a break room or recreational space.

  • Retail: models the presence and approximate thematic extent of an open or semi-enclosed environment containing a retail operation.

  • Check-In: models the presence and approximate thematic extent of an open or semi-enclosed environment containing a collection of check-in operations.

  • Exhibit: models the presence and approximate thematic extent of an open or semi-enclosed environment containing an exhibit.

  • Food Court: models the presence and approximate thematic extent of an open or semi-enclosed environment that is used as a "common" area for dining.

Natural

  • Nature Strip/Flower Bed: a piece of publicly owned land between the front boundary of a house or other building and the street, typically planted with grass, such as a flower bed.

  • Sports Field: an area in a park set aside for use in sports, such as football, soccer, rugby cricket, or baseball requiring an open field space.

  • Lawn: an area of short, regularly mown grass. Lawn can be a location, such as an Event/Stadium Lawn.

  • Planter Box: type of container in the form of a planter or box that is usually placed outdoors and used for displaying assorted plants and flowers. Can be fixed or moveable. It can also be a small tree.

  • Water: a body of water used for lakes, fountains and water features.

Transitions

Transitions can be children of Levels.

  • Walkway: the walkway unit must model a pathway whose design and intended purpose is to facilitate pedestrian movement through a venue.

  • Elevator: a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Also known as a lift.

  • Escalator: models the presence and physical extent of a single escalator that offers vertical traversal capabilities.

  • Stairs: models the presence and approximate point location of one or more neighbouring staircase that supports vertical traversal to a physically different floor that may or may not be eligible for capture as a Level.

Materials

  • Concrete: Material a very hard building material made by mixing cement together.

  • Glass: Material a hard transparent material, used to make windows, bottles, and other objects.

  • Wood: Material a hard substance that forms the branches and trunks of trees and can be used as building materials.

Units

Units are children of Levels

  • Kiosk: models the extent of the physical object, only. It is not used to describe the business or service that is operating out of the Kiosk.

  • Room: a distinguishable space within an indoor structure (i.e. building).

  • Food Outlet: a building, portion of a building or a separate structure used primarily for the preparation and sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages mainly for consumption off the premises.

  • Auditorium: a part of a theatre or public building where an audience sits and congregates together for performances.

  • Library: an area where a collection of resources is organised and arranged to provide educational and entertainment information to a variety of audiences.

  • Void: a completely empty space.

  • Gym: Leon’s playground or more commonly known as a dedicated sports equipment room/building where people go for physical activity or exercise for individual gains.

  • Movie Theatre: models the presence and physical extent of a room that screens films.

  • Column: models the presence and physical extent of a floor-to-ceiling standalone column.

  • Back of House: encompasses all the behind-the-scenes areas not visible to customers. (i.e. Chef cooking in a restaurant)

Restrooms

  • Bathroom: restrooms a room inside a building that contains a bath, shower and a basin. Models the presence and the approximate point location of one or more neighbouring spaces containing bathroom facilities.

  • Shower: restrooms models the presence and physical extent of an enclosed space that provides shower facilities and adjoining locker/changing area.

Free-form / landscape:

Free-form/landscape can be children of Levels

  • Free-form/landscape: used for drawing additional detail features not included in PAM’s default toolset, for example Building Structures, Curbs, Paving. They primarily rely on Dictionary Items to help identify their purpose.

Entrances

  • Doorway: an entrance to a room or building through a door.

  • Emergency Exit: a specifically designated way out of a building to be used for escape in the event of an emergency.

  • Car Entrance: a vehicle entry into a venue/location.

  • Venue Entrance: an organised entry into a venue (i.e. a building or outdoor event) where a special event or gathering is occurring. (i.e. stadium)

Feature Tools

3D model: 3D model tool is used to add 3D landmarks.

Digital sign: Digital sign tool is used to add PAM Digital Signage.

Point: Point tool is used to add a point of location on the map.

Group: Group tool is used to add a group on the map.

Area: Area tool is used to create the Area feature type on the map. This is useful as this feature type gives Venue feature types uses Area as it’s children.

Free-form/landscape: Free-form / landscape tool is used to draw features that don’t belong to any of PAM’s existing default feature type toolset.

Wall: Wall tool is used to draw walls.

Routing Tools

Route Segment: Route segment tool is used to connect locations to enable navigation

 

Threshold: Threshold tool is used to add a transition point between PAM’s internal data and external map data. Users will be able to connect their navigation route to external locations outside their venue