Support Document

0 mins to read

Nov 24, 2022

Route Completion Configuration Overview

Customers are expected to use their own GIS tool to generate a collection of geospatial shapefiles that contain the following:

  • Line features representing streets,
  • Route group,
  • Route structure,
  • Route data,
  • Route segment naming,
  • Route segment widths (optional), and
  • Pass Count (optional) requirements.

NOTE: The collection of the Route groups, Routes, and Segments are imported to a service group in MyGeotab for use by Route Completion. If configured, optional data may also be imported.

The shapefile import process converts every line in the shapefile into a polygon with rounded ends and a configured width (or default width of 10 meters) on either side of the line. These polygons are Zones in MyGeotab, and are grouped into Routes. These Routes are then grouped into Routes Group(s) based on the Route and Group data entered in each line segment of the shapefile by the Customer.

NOTE: All other custom attributes of the Customer’s geospatial Shapefile are ignored by the shapefile upload process.

Workflow

To begin the Route Completion Configuration, in MyGeotab, create a group for your Service Group. The Service Group is the highest level for all the Routes Group(s), and Routes with Segments that are uploaded.

Assign service vehicles (e.g. snow plow vehicles) to this Service Group. Vehicle assignment to the Service group can also be done after the completion of the configuration process.

Using a GIS tool, prepare a ZIP file with the collection of the shapefiles that will store both the GIS data, and GIS data configuration structure. To find the requirements for the shapefile content, follow these steps:

1

Navigate from MyGeotab > System Settings > Route Completion.

2

Under Bulk Route Import, select the Shapefile toggle, and review the requirements for the shapefile structure and content.

3

One of the shapefiles (.dbf, attribute format) should have the following added to the Customer’s GIS data:

  • Routes group(s),
  • Routes,
  • Segments,
  • Pass Count for each segment (optional), and
  • Road Width for each segment (optional).

In MyGeotab, upload the zipped shapefile to import GIS data into the system. To do this, follow these steps:

1

In MyGeotab (preview mode in 2102) go to System Settings > Route Completion.

2

Under Bulk Route Import, select the Shapefile toggle, then select a Service Group to be associated with the imported GIS data and data configuration.

! IMPORTANT: A ZIP file import without the selection of the correct Service group cannot be used for Route completion. It will not trigger the automatic creation of the Route Completion Configuration in MyGeotab.

3

Drop the zipped shapefile into the upload area to start the upload process.

4

The upload process will read the shapefile content and automatically create the following required Route Completion Configuration structure for the specified Service Group in MyGeotab:

Route Completion Configuration Reference

Service Group

Service Group is a group that is automatically associated with a Service Rule by the shapefile upload process. This group has the service vehicles assigned to it.

Once the shapefile is uploaded, the Service Group selected during the upload process becomes a parent group for Route Group(s) and the rest of the GIS data grouping structure configured in the shapefile.

To create a Service Group follow these steps:

1

Navigate to Rules & Groups from the MyGeotab main menu.

2

Select the Groups dropdown.

3

Under the Group Tree page, navigate to a parent group. Add a group in the Group Edit page, then click Save.

NOTE: If multiple Service Groups are needed for different service tasks, they do not have to be under the same branch. Vehicles can be added to the Service Group upon creation, or later.

Service Rule

Service Rule monitors vehicle activity in the Route Segments (Zones) associated with the parent Service Group. Only one Service Rule can be created per Service Group.

A Service Rule (with a RouteCompletion base type) will automatically be created in MyGeotab and linked to the specified Service Group from the upload shapefile process. This only applies if a Service Rule does not already exist for the specified Service Group. Once created by the shapefile upload process, the service rule will have the same name as the Service Group and the InsideAnyArea condition directed at the Zone Type.

! IMPORTANT: A Service Rule cannot be created in the MyGeotab UI. However, if needed, MyGeotab users can search for a Service Rule in the list of Rules, and edit it in the Exception Rule Edit page to add additional conditions. For example, users may add conditions relating to inputs received through the IOXWKRS Aux, such as 'Plow Down' or 'Main Broom On', to the Service Rule. To add such conditions, navigate to Conditions in the Exception Rule Edit page. Click Engine Data, and select the data type of interest (i.e. for IOXWRKS Aux related data, select Measurement or Data). Select the diagnostic by typing in the box to filter entities (i.e. IOXWRKS Aux inputs will be listed as Third-Party Aux #). Select the value for the condition, and then click Add to include the condition on the Service Rule. Click Save to apply changes. See the screenshot on the following page.

NOTE: If adding additional conditions to the Service Rule, ensure you do not alter or remove the original Inside Any Area “___ Routes Segment” condition.

Service Rule becomes a Route Completion Display Option that can be selected by navigating to MyGeotab > Map > Route Completion > Options.

If no GIS data is uploaded to the database and a Service Rule is not created, the Route Completion button does not display.

Routes Group

Each Routes Group contains multiple Routes. Routes Group(s) are automatically created under the specified Service Group through the shapefile upload process, and become the parent of these groups of Routes.

Route

Each Route is a collection of Segments (Geozones). Every Route name is unique within a parent Routes Group. Routes are automatically created in the MyGeotab group structure as children groups under the configured Routes Group.

✱ NOTE: Routes are the lowest level in the group structure under the Service Group.

Segment

A Segment is part of a road with the geospatial coordinates that is specified in the uploaded shapefile. Multiple Segments represent a Route on the map, and Segment names are unique within a Route. Segments are automatically created as Zones (of polygon shape) in MyGeotab. These Zones that are created by the shapefile upload process are not visible on the regular Map in MyGeotab, but they are visible in the Route Completion view.

Pass Count (Optional configuration)

Each Segment has a Pass Count configured in the uploaded shape file. The Pass Count indicates how many times a service vehicle must travel over a road Segment in order for it to be considered completely serviced. If no Pass Count data is provided, a default of 2 passes is used.

Road Width (Optional configuration)

Road Width represents the width of each Segment and includes some buffer space along the side of the road. If Road Width is not provided, the default of 20 meters is used. Ideally, road width will be set to a higher value for larger roads to capture all vehicle trips/passes of the Segment (i.e. arterial roads could be set to 30m width, while local roads could be set to 20m width).

Adding Required Route Completion Attributes

There are required attributes that shapefile must have in order to be imported for Route Completion. The attribute column names must conform to the Names as shown in the tables below and are case insensitive:

Attribute Column Name

Data Description

Column Type & Size

Group

A text field naming the Routes Group.

Text (string)

30

Route

A text field uniquely naming the Route within a Routes Group.

Text (string)

30

Segment

A text field uniquely naming each Line Segment in a Route.

Text (string)

255

The table below displays optional attributes. Optional has two meanings here, either the attribute column is completely omitted from the shapefile, or the column exists but its value is not provided for a given feature.

Attribute Column Name

Data Description

Column Type & Size

RoadWidth

An integer in meters indicating the buffer to add to the centerline when generating its enclosing polygon. The value represents the full diameter/width of the road.

Minimum: 1

Maximum: 100

Default: 20 (when the column is absent, or if the value is not populated/out of range).

Integer

Length 3

PassCount

An integer defining how many passes a vehicle in operation must pass through the route segment polygon in order for it to be considered completely serviced.

Minimum: 1

Maximum: 10

Default: 2 (when the column is absent, or the value is not populated/out of range).

Integer

Length 2

✱ NOTE: Columns can be added to a shapefile in any sequence.

Removing Unwanted Route Completion Configuration

In the situation where the content generated from the uploaded shapefile is unwanted due to being associated with the wrong group, wrong projection i.e. NOT WGS 84 EPSG:4326, or incorrect shapefile import, follow below steps to remove the content:

1

In MyGeotab go to Rules and under Advanced, delete the service rule that was created during route import.

This will trigger removal of all exceptions generated for that Service Rule.

✱ NOTE: The created service rule follows this nomenclature: ‘Service_Group_Name Service Rule’. For example, the rule created for service group ‘Mikes Snow Removal’ will be ‘Mikes Snow Removal Service Group’.

2

Go to Zones, Filter by Zone Type, Select all in filter and Remove selected zones.

✱ NOTE: All imported zones belong to a Zone Type that gets created on import. The nomenclature is: ‘‘Service_Group_Name Route Segment’. For example, the rule created for service group ‘Mikes Snow Removal’ will be ‘Mikes Snow Removal Route Segment’.

! IMPORTANT: DO NOT proceed to step 3 without fully completing step 2 as Zone Type is the only way to isolate the zones for deletion.

3

Click on Types under Zones tab and remove the Zone Type that was used for filtering in step 2.

4

Go to Groups, remove the Route Group and Route structure that were created under the Service Group.

Adjust Route Segments Without a Full Removal of the Service Group

Add New Segments

  1. Either draw a new zone manually, or upload a segment/multiple segments via the Import KML Zone Add-in.
  2. On the Zones page, select the newly added zones and click Edit Selected Zones.
  3. Set Group to the route of interest within the service group.
  4. Set Visible on map to No.
  5. Set the Zone Type to match the service group zone type (ex: Snow Route Segments). Click Save.

Remove a Segment

  1. Go to Zones
  2. Select the segment(s) of interest, and click Edit Selected Zones.
  3. In the edit side-panel, click Remove.

Adjust a Segment Shape

  1. Identify a segment that vehicles are continually missing via Route Completion, or via Trips History by showing hidden zones in the map options.
  2. Go to Zones, and select the segment(s) in need of removal.
  3. In the edit side-panel, click Map View and then Change zone shape.
  4. Manually adjust the vertices of the segment until you are happy with the result, click Save.
scroll-up