============ Project Menu ============ This menu provides access to the project management actions: .. image:: ./images/project_menu.png :width: 250 :align: center 1. *Export*: create a new Pathfinder project based on the current ArcMap document. 2. *Update*: modify the Pathfinder project: - Update layer information (features or raster) - Delete or add layers - Change the constraint parameters 3. *Delete*: remove the Pathfinder project and its data in the remote server if you don't need it anymore. .. _create_project: Create project -------------- To create a project, use the *Export* button on the *Project* menu. .. image:: ./images/project_menu_EXPORT.jpg :width: 250 :align: center When the tool dialog opens, the feature and raster layers in the ArcMap document will be automatically detected and added to the export lists. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool2.jpg :width: 700 :align: center .. note:: Save the ArcMap document before creating the Pathfinder project. Otherwise, a message will prompt you to do it. With the *Export layer tool* you can: * Set the **initial parameters** to generate a Pathfinder project. - *Project area*: the region where the simulations are performed - *Start and End points*: the points where the simulated routes must start and end - *Project resolution*: the spatial accuracy of the calculations. It is set to 10 meters by default. It may be necessary to increase this value for very large areas. .. note:: The project area and both the start and end point must be existing ArcMap layers or data files. The project area and the project resolution cannot be changed once the project is created. You would need to delete the project and export it again. The start and end points can be changed with the Update option. * **Select the layers** you want to consider in the Pathfinder routing project. By default, all the layers in the ArcMap document will be uploaded. They are listed in two separate tables for feature and raster layers. To remove some layers from the feature or raster lists, select their rows by clicking on the layer name (you can use Shift to select multiple rows) and then click on the *remove* button on the right panel to delete them from the export list. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool3.jpg :width: 500 :align: center .. note:: Usually, it's not necessary to export the layers containing the project area and start/end points. Also, be aware that the routing results will be added as layers to ArcMap and you normally won't need to export them back to Pathfinder. * For feature layers, define their **rings/buffer sizes** in meters. You can create multiple influence areas or rings around the original layer features, so different resistance values can be assigned to each ring. By default, feature layers have one ring. You can create two more rings by changing their default width of -1 to a positive value. For instance, in this image we see how to create three rings for the "Protected areas" layer. The first ring has width 0, so it is identical to the original area, the second ring has a width of 500m and the third ring has a width of 150m. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool_RINGS.jpg :width: 500 :align: center The layer constraints will then be applied as in the following image, with three rings: .. image:: ./images/bufferMultiring.png :width: 400 :align: center | * **Resistance values**. The same feature and raster layer tables can be used to set the layers' resistance values. These are integers representing the difficulty level or cost of passing through the data area. Smaller or negative values can be used to make easier for the route to follow certain features. - In the *feature layers* table, specific negative or positive values can be set for each ring. A special value (-999) is used to signal that the area is **Forbidden**. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool_RES.jpg :width: 500 :align: center - In the *raster layers* table, resistance is assigned with three parameters. If the raster value is *no data*, the assigned resistance value will be the one entered in "No value resistance". Otherwise, the resistance will be interpolated between the settings for the minimum and maximum raster values (*min. resistance* and *max. resistance*). .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool_RES_RASTER.jpg :width: 600 :align: center .. note:: The range for the resistance values is arbitrary. You can use negative values to signal areas which are better for the route, but in general only the relative difference between the values matters. You can use a -10 to 10 range, or a 0 to 100 range. It's up to you. .. _parameter_files: * **Save or load a CSV parameter file**. To backup and reuse the layer settings in different projects, we can store these values in a text file in comma-separated format (CSV). This file can be edited in standard spreadsheet software. To save a CSV file with all the layer settings, use the "Save editable CSV parameter file". We can also use a previously saved or edited CSV file to set the parameters. To do so, use the "Load parameter file" input and browse for the CSV file. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_tool5.jpg :width: 600 :align: center | After all the inputs are set, click on *OK* to run the process. It may take some time to complete, depending on the number of layers, their sizes and your internet connection. .. image:: ./images/create_prj_res.jpg :width: 600 :align: center Multiple steps are performed during the process, including the Pathfinder project creation, exporting your layer data (within the project area), uploading them to Pathfinder and applying the ring parameters. .. note:: If the exporting process succeeds, the addin will remember the layer parameters. However, it is advisable to store the parameters in a CSV file in case the exporting fails and you want to try again. Update project -------------- The Update option can be used to change the data or contraints exported to the Pathfinder project. .. image:: ./images/project_menu_UPDATE.jpg :width: 250 :align: center The inputs in this tool is similar to the *Export project* option. It is possible to: * Change the *Start point* or *End point* for the routing process by selecting a point ArcMap layer or data file. * Change which vector or raster *layers* are considered in the routing calculations, or modify their data content, ring sizes and resistance values. Let's see how to perform these modifications: - **Remove a layer** from the routing project. Layers already in the project have a *Keep* data status by default. These layers can be removed from the routing project in two ways: 1. Change the *Keep* status to *Delete*. .. image:: ./images/update_prj_tool_opt.jpg :width: 600 :align: center 2. Select the layer row and click on the *Remove* button on the right to eliminate it from the list. - **Add a layer** to the routing project. Layers which are not already in the Pathfinder project have a *Write* data status by default, so they are uploaded and added to the project with the parameters set in the table. If you don't want this layer added to the project, select its row and remove it from the table. .. image:: ./images/update_prj_tool_optW.jpg :width: 600 :align: center | - **Modify the constraint parameters** of existing layers. To do this, maintain the *Keep* data status and change the layer parameters (rings widths and resistances) in the corresponding row. - **Modify layer data**. If you have edited a feature layer or modified a raster layer in the ArcMap document and want to apply these changes to the routing project, change the *Keep* status of the layer to *Write*. As mentioned before, the layer parameters can be set manually within the table or loaded from a CSV file. The new parameters can also be saved to a CSV file. .. image:: ./images/update_prj_tool2.jpg :width: 600 :align: center Delete project -------------- If we don't need to perform any more routing calculations, the Pathfinder project can be eliminated by using the *Delete* menu option. .. image:: ./images/project_menu_DELETE.jpg :width: 250 :align: center .. note:: It is highly recommended to remove the Pathfinder project when you no longer need to perform routing calculations. You will save storage space in the server and consume less projects from your company license quota. If you removed or misplaced your ArcMap document and you want to remove the Pathfinder project, you can do so from the Pathfinder Web application (see next). .. _project_web: Access the project on the web ----------------------------- You may need to open the project via the Pathfinder web site to have access to some functionalities only available online, like the Printed Report or the 3D visualization. To access the project online, go to `Pathfinder `_ and enter your username and password in the login page. .. image:: ./images/web_login2.jpg :width: 500 :align: center | Once logged in, you will see all the projects created in your Pathfinder account. The projects created from the ArcGIS addin will have an *ArcGIS_* prefix followed by the ArcMap project name. .. image:: ./images/web_proj.jpg :width: 650 :align: center To open a project, just click on the tile with its name. .. note:: Do not change the content of the project (add/remove layers or modify parameters) in the Pathfinder web application. This would break the synchronization with ArcMap. Changes will not be transfered to your ArcMap document and later Update commands from the addin would overwrite changes done in the web application. .. include:: footer.rst