Setting up routing
The various routing elements presented in Principles of routing are simple to set up on your map.
Zones
When you create a zone, a rectangle is placed on the map by default:
- it can be moved by clicking its colored central area;
- handles let you adjust its shape as needed;
- you can add or remove handles to get a precise, well-fitted shape: a toggle button turns this mode on, in which every handle shows a "−" (click it to remove the handle) and the middle of every segment shows a "+" (click it to add a handle). An instruction banner is displayed while this mode is active; press Esc or click the button again to leave it. A zone must keep at least 3 handles;
- when editing an existing zone, the "Add" button becomes "Duplicate": it creates a copy of the zone (slightly offset) without changing the original.
When two zones communicate, it is essential to create a "landmark" type point in the shared area: this is what will be considered the communication point between the two zones.
For a zone to grant access to a point, that point must be placed inside the zone. Unlike axes, a zone does not connect to points located nearby but outside of it.
Circulation axes
When you create a circulation axis, it is placed on the map as a segment with two endpoints:
- the segment defines the axis's path;
- the endpoints allow connections with other axes and with zones, and benefit from an attraction feature that makes creating your axes easier.
As with zones, when editing an existing axis, the "Add" button becomes "Duplicate": it creates a copy of the axis (slightly offset) without changing the original.
When two circulation axes cross, an "endpoint" type point is automatically created, allowing communication between the two axes.
This does not apply to axis-zone communications, which always require an endpoint explicitly placed inside the zone.
A point can only be associated with a single circulation axis: there is therefore only one registered access axis for a given room. To fix this, create several points for the different access points of the same room.
Level changes
A level change is created using a point of type "stairs" or "elevator". These points interact with the routing elements (contact with a zone, or proximity to a circulation axis).
You need to create a point with the same name on each floor served, for the connection between levels to work correctly.