Skip to main content

Generate Indoor Positioning Dataset (Indoor Positioning Tools)

Summary

Generates the IPS positioning dataset for an existing ArcGIS IPS installation. You can use a survey-based or survey-less method to generate the dataset.

This tool updates the IPS Positioning Datasets and IPS Positioning Points feature classes and the IPS Positioning Signals table in the ArcGIS IPS Information Model.

Usage

  • The tool generates an IPS positioning dataset using one of the following methods:

    • Survey-Based—The IPS recording features consist of signals collected during a survey using the ArcGIS IPS Setup app. For this method, you only need to provide IPS recording and level features, but you can also provide IPS beacon features to enable adaptive radio positioning for better positioning accuracy on Android devices. If IPS beacon features are provided, the radio signals that are not emitted by the beacons in the IPS Beacons feature class but are captured during an IPS survey recording are filtered out.

    • Survey-Less—For this method, you need to provide IPS beacons, IPS areas, walls, and level features. These features are used to simulate Bluetooth signal propagation throughout the indoor environment.

  • The Output Dataset Name parameter value must be unique in the Dataset Name field of the feature class that you set in the Target IPS Positioning Datasets parameter.

  • The Level Features parameter value must be a feature class or a feature layer that conforms to the Levels feature class in the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model.

    • If the Survey-Based generation method is used, a level must be associated with at least one valid IPS recording feature in the LEVEL_ID field.

    • If the Survey-Less generation method is used, a level must be associated with at least four beacons, one IPS area, and one wall feature.

    • In addition, the following attributes must be valid, up to date, and not NULL:

      • LEVEL_ID

      • VERTICAL_ORDER

      • FACILITY_ID

  • The IPS Recordings Features parameter value must be a feature layer or a feature class that conforms to the IPS_Recordings feature class  in the ArcGIS IPS model. In a typical deployment workflow, the parameter value is part of a map that has been shared to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.

    Note:

    Mixed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi deployments are allowed but only for different facilities within a site. Some facilities can provide Bluetooth positioning, and others can provide Wi-Fi positioning, but both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi recordings cannot be processed for the same facility into a single IPS positioning dataset.

    If a facility contains survey recordings of both radio types, select features of one of the radio types before running the tool. For example, use the Select Layer By Attribute tool to select all of the Bluetooth recordings for a facility that contains both types and only run the tool on the selected features. The SITE_ID field can contain only one site ID per geoprocessing job. Process additional sites as separate IPS positioning datasets.

  • The IPS Beacon Features parameter value must be a feature layer or a feature class that conforms to the IPS Beacons feature class in the IPS Data Model. The feature geometry must be accurate and the following attributes must be valid, up to date, and not NULL:

    • UUID

    • MAJOR

    • MINOR

    • LEVEL_ID

    • RSSI_1M

    Note:

    See the How to maintain beacon data for ArcGIS IPS blog article for additional information.

  • The IPS Area Features parameter value must be a polygon feature class or a feature layer accurately representing the indoor areas where you want to enable indoor positioning. The following conditions must be met:

    • The IPS area feature schema includes the LEVEL_ID field.

    • The IPS area feature is associated with an existing level using the LEVEL_ID attribute.

    • The LEVEL_ID attribute must not be NULL.

    • The feature geometry must be contained within the associated level.

    You can derive the IPS Area Features parameter value in various ways. A recommended method is to select features labeled as corridors and hallways from the Units feature class in the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model. Alternatively, you can manually create IPS Area Features, which allows you the flexibility to customize the dataset according to your needs and preferences. The selection of the derivation method depends on your requirements and the complexity of the use case.

  • The Wall Features parameter value must be a feature layer or a feature class representing as accurately as possible the physical extent of the walls in the facilities where the indoor positioning will be deployed. These features can be extracted from an existing Indoors Information Model. The schema of the Wall Features parameter value must include all the attributes required for floor awareness. The following conditions must be met:

    • The wall must be associated with an existing level using the LEVEL_ID attribute.

    • The LEVEL_ID attribute must not be NULL.

    • The feature geometry must be contained within the associated level.

  • The Update Existing Dataset parameter value must be a Boolean value. To update an IPS positioning dataset, check the Update Existing Dataset parameter.

    Tip:

    Share the IPS positioning dataset (and IPS Positioning Points feature classes and IPS Positioning Signals table) on the map if you want to update the dataset in the future.

    Note:

    If the Update Existing Dataset parameter is checked, it will remove traversability information from geometry-aided IPS positioning datasets. To restore the traversability information, rerun the Add Geometry To Indoor Positioning Dataset tool with accurate and up-to-date IPS layers.

  • The Existing Dataset parameter value is only available when the Update Existing Dataset parameter is checked. The parameter value must be the name of an existing IPS positioning dataset contained in the Target IPS Positioning Datasets parameter value. The data contained in this dataset will be used in conjunction with the tool inputs to generate an updated version of the existing dataset.

Parameters

Label Explanation Data type

Target IPS Positioning Datasets

The feature class where the generated IPS positioning dataset will be stored.

Feature Layer

Output Dataset Name

The name of the output IPS positioning dataset.

The output dataset name must be unique in the Dataset Name field of the Target IPS Positioning feature class.

String

Generation Method

Specifies the method that will be used to generate the IPS positioning dataset.

  • Survey-Based—The dataset will be generated by processing IPS Recordings.

  • Survey-Less—The dataset will be generated by simulating the Bluetooth signal propagation through the indoor environment.

String

Level Features

The polygon features representing Level footprints within the facilities.

Feature Layer

IPS Recordings Features

(Optional)

The feature class or feature service that contains IPS Setup recordings.

While updating survey-based positioning datasets, IPS Setup survey and quality recordings can be used; however, quality recordings can only be used when the Update Existing Dataset parameter is checked.

This parameter is required when the Generation Method parameter is set to Survey-Based.

Feature Layer

IPS Beacon Features

(Optional)

The point features representing the position and settings of Bluetooth beacons deployed in the indoor environment.

When generating the Bluetooth IPS positioning dataset with the Generation Method parameter set to Survey-Based, providing valid beacon features enables adaptive radio positioning, which improves the indoor positioning accuracy on Android devices.

This parameter is required when the Generation Method parameter is set to Survey-Less.

Feature Layer

IPS Area Features

(Optional)

The polygon features representing the area where the IPS positioning dataset will be generated.

This parameter is required when the Generation Method parameter is set to Survey-Less.

Feature Layer

Wall Features

(Optional)

The polygon features representing the physical extent of walls.

This parameter is required when the Generation Method parameter is set to Survey-Less.

Feature Layer

Update Existing Dataset

(Optional)

Specifies whether an IPS positioning dataset will be created by combining an existing dataset and the tool inputs. This parameter is only valid when the Generation Method parameter is set to Survey-Based.

  • Checked—An IPS positioning dataset will be created by combining an existing dataset and the tool inputs.

  • Unchecked—A new IPS positioning dataset will be created. This is the default.

Boolean

Existing Dataset

(Optional)

The name of an existing dataset contained in the feature class that you set in the Target IPS Positioning Datasets parameter. The parameter value must be the name of an existing IPS positioning dataset contained in the target feature class. The data contained in this dataset will be used in conjunction with the tool inputs to generate an updated version of the existing dataset. This parameter is only used in combination with the Update Existing Dataset parameter.

String

Derived output

Label Explanation Data type

Updated IPS Positioning Datasets

The updated IPS Positioning Datasets feature class that contains the newly created IPS positioning dataset.

Feature Layer

Environments

Current Workspace

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: Requires ArcGIS IPS
  • Advanced: Requires ArcGIS IPS