Shape Data format

In this section of the manual we discuss the Shape file format in the context of the PLANit GeoIO exporter.

The GeoIO exporter provides a way to export GIS supporting PLANit inputs (network, zoning, service network, routed services) to a GIS Shape file for external analysis, in, for example, QGIS.

For now, we only export to shape files, but in the future this is to be extended to also support other formats such as geopackages.

Data Format Type Status Network (Public Transport) Services Zoning Demands Python Java
Shape files SHAPE prototype Write Write Write N/A YES YES

SHAPE files and PLANit

Any existing PLANit input with GIS information can be persisted as a shape file using the (GeoIO) shape file writer. As this writer is tailor-made for PLANit, each of these main components can be exported on a 1:1 basis. Currently, the following PLANit components can be exported:

  • PLANit physical network
  • PLANit zoning (ODs and Transfer zones)
    • PLANit virtual network (Optional):
      • Connectoids,
      • Connectoid edges,
      • Connectoid edge segments)
  • PLANit service network
  • PLANit routed services

Examples on how to export PLANit component using this exporter are provided in the respective PLANit-Python and PLANit-Java reference sections of this manual.

Outline

Shape files are a well-known standard in exporting GIS supporting data for spatial analysis.

With respect to PLANit, this page details what our GTFS reader does and does not support with respect to the data available in a typical GTFS file in the outline below:

Flat data

Shape files are partitioned into layers, where each layer has entities with spatial information and additional attributes. The main limitation of GIS layers such as Shape files is their lack of hierarchy or enforced structure. This means that there is no relation between a node id present as an attribute on a link in the link layer and the node with that same id on the node layer. Since networks in PLANit are hierarchical and use typing information, e.g., a link has a type where a type holds common properties, this information has to be repeated on every single link rather than just provide the type.

As a result of this flat structure, the shape files produced by the Shape exporter are comparatively large and do contain a lot of duplicate information. This however, is preferred over leaving out information, e.g., only including link type = 5 would render it impossible to identify what properties this link type has because a link type in itself cannot be rendered spatially and therefore is not included in its own spatial layer.

Virtual-network export

One special feature of the Shape exporter is that is also allows for exporting the virtual network. The virtual network is a network that connects the physical network to the zoning by means of edges, and edge segments between the OD zones and transfer zones, and their connectoids, respectively (in a traditional context, these would be the connector links). This option can be switched on or off, but provides for a good way to visualise both network, zoning, and the interactions between the two.