The document describes the WallMan software for generating and editing 3D vector databases of indoor and urban environments. It allows the import of common file formats, definition of material properties, and preprocessing of data. Key features include generation of databases from background images, working with pixel maps directly for propagation predictions, and time variance modeling.

1. WallMan
Urban &
Indoor
© 2012 by AWE Communications GmbH
www.awe-com.com

2. Outline
 Overview
 Urban & Indoor Databases
 Materials
 Basic Functions
 Import of Data
 Using Background Images
 Working with Pixel Maps
 Time Variance
 Additional Features
 Preprocessing
© by AWE Communications GmbH 2

3. Overview
Overview
 Generation of vector
databases for buildings
and cities
 Conversion of vector
databases from common
file formats
 Visualization of vector
databases
 Modification of databases
 Definition of material
properties
 Definition of parameters
for preprocessing
© by AWE Communications GmbH 3

4. Urban & Indoor Databases
Wall
Material: Concrete
 3D vector oriented database Subdivision 2
Material:
 Walls as planar objects with polygonal shape
Subdivision 1 Glass
Material:
Wood
 Individual material properties
 Subdivisions with different material properties to model doors and windows
© by AWE Communications GmbH 4

5. Urban & Indoor Databases
Urban Vector Databases
 2x2D vector oriented database
 Buildings as vertical cylinders with
polygonal ground-planes
 Uniform height above street-level
 Limitation to vertical walls and flat roofs
 Individual material properties
 Topography
© by AWE Communications GmbH 5

6. Urban & Indoor Databases
Urban Databases Indoor Databases
 Basic element: Building  Basic element: Wall/Polygon
 Only horizontal and vertical walls  Arbitrary orientation of wall
 Uniform height of each building  All types of roofs can be modeled
 No subdivisions possible  Subdivisions possible
 Courtyards and towers possible
 Consideration of topography (after
preprocessing)
 For large urban areas with  For limited scenarios (single
hundreds of buildings building or campus scenario)
© by AWE Communications GmbH 6

7. Materials
Material Properties
 Each polygon/building can have individual material properties
 Properties depend on frequency
 Usage of global material catalogue
© by AWE Communications GmbH 7

8. Materials
Material Properties
• Properties affecting all propagation models
Transmission Loss (in dB)
• Properties affecting Dominant Path Model
Reflection Loss (in dB)
• Properties affecting Ray Tracing
• GTD/UTD related properties
• Relative Dielectricity
• Relative Permeability
• Conductance (in S/m)
• Scattering parameters
• Empirical reflection/diffraction model
• Reflection Loss (in dB)
• Diffraction Loss Incident Min (in dB)
• Diffraction Loss Incident Max (in dB)
• Diffraction Loss Diffracted (in dB)
• Scattering loss (in dB)
© by AWE Communications GmbH 8

9. Materials
Global Material Catalogue
 Global material catalogue with different frequency bands
 Modification of predefined materials possible
© by AWE Communications GmbH 9

10. Basic Functions
User Interface
 Nearly same user interface for urban and indoor scenarios
 Database edit mode and preprocessing mode
Urban Database Indoor Database
© by AWE Communications GmbH 10

11. Basic Functions
User Interface Materials Groups Tools Time Variance
File functions
Selection Zooming Floor Bitmaps
Views
selection
Drawing
Grouping
© by AWE Communications GmbH 11

12. Basic Functions
Functions
 File functions: New, open, save, close
 Edit materials
 Edit project settings
 Change current view
 Zooming (in, out, reset, fit to screen)
 Selection of objects (by number, by materials,..)
 Grouping of several objects
 Several edit functions (move, rotate, scale,..)
 Bitmaps in the background
 Preprocessing of vector databases
…
© by AWE Communications GmbH 12

13. Basic Functions
Views: Indoor
 Four views: x-z view, y-z view, x-y view, single wall view (has to be activated
by double clicking a wall), 3D view
 Objects can be created, removed and edited in all views except the 3D view
 Intersections of planes are
shown in 3D view
 Markers can be used to
simplify the handling
 3rd coordinate dialog
available
© by AWE Communications GmbH 13

14. Basic Functions
Views: Urban
 Two views: x-y view, 3D view
 Objects can be created, removed and edited in all views except the 3D view
 Intersections of planes are
shown in 3D view
 Marks can be used to
simplify the handling
 3rd coordinate dialog
available
© by AWE Communications GmbH 14

15. Basic Functions
Views: 3rd Coordinate Dialog
 Dialog to change 3rd coordinate for current view (except 3D view)
 Definition of marks
Defined
marks
Slider for
definition of 3rd
coordiante
Step by step
movement
© by AWE Communications GmbH 15

16. Basic Functions
Project Settings
 Several settings to configure
• Acceleration of display
• Behavior od display
• General behavior
 Settings are saved with the
current vector database
© by AWE Communications GmbH 16

17. Import of Data
Urban Building Databases: Vector Import
 Import of urban vector building databases possible
 Support of several file formats
• Arcview Shapefile
• MapInfo
• Open ASCII format
• Aircom Enterprise
• Nokia NetAct
• Siemens TornadoN
• MSI Planet
• Vodafone D2 FUN
© by AWE Communications GmbH 17

18. Import of Data
Urban Building Databases: Pixel Import
 Conversion of pixel files (bitmaps) to vector building databases
 Support of common bitmap formats
 Several parameters
© by AWE Communications GmbH 18

19. Import of Data
Urban Building Databases: Simplification
 Simplification of urban vector building database to accelerate prediction and
save memory
 Several parameters available: Simplification of shape, combination of
adjacent buildings
© by AWE Communications GmbH 19

20. Import of Data
Indoor Buildings: Vector Import
 Import of indoor vector buildings possible
 Support of several file formats
• Open ASCII format
• AutoCAD format
• DXF file format
• Facet file format
• MCS format
• Stereolithography format
• Nastran file format
© by AWE Communications GmbH 20

21. Import of Data
Indoor Buildings: Pixel Import
 Conversion of pixel files (bitmaps) to vector buildings
 Support of common bitmap formats
 Several parameters
© by AWE Communications GmbH 21

22. Import of Data
Indoor Buildings: Simplification
 Simplification of indoor vector buildings to accelerate prediction and save
memory
 Several parameters available: Tolerance, conditions for combination
© by AWE Communications GmbH 22

23. Using Background Images
Loading Bitmaps
 Bitmaps can be imported and put behind the scene
 Bitmaps can be moved, adjusted and scaled
 Easy generation of indoor and urban databases based on bitmaps
 Easy dimensioning and localization based on geo referenced information
© by AWE Communications GmbH 23

24. Using Background Images
Drawing on Bitmaps
 Draw perpendicular walls on the bitmap
 Bitmap can be removed afterwards
Vertical walls
Draw vertical walls
© by AWE Communications GmbH 24

25. Generating Pixel Maps
Concept of Pixel Maps
 Floor plans (*.jpg, *.bmp) can be used directly as a basis for wave
propagation predictions
 No conversion of data from raster data to vector data required
 Consideration of different floor plans for each floor of multi story buildings
 Support of all empirical wave propagation models and Dominant Path Model
© by AWE Communications GmbH 25

26. Generating Pixel Maps
Import of Floor Bitmaps
 Import of floor plans from bitmap files into WallMan
 Correction of orientation and location of bitmaps for different floors by using
markers
© by AWE Communications GmbH 26

27. Generating Pixel Maps
Import of Pixel Data
 Floor plans are displayed in WallMan
 Here: Two floors are shown
© by AWE Communications GmbH 27

28. Generating Pixel Maps
Definition of Materials
 Materials are automatically generated based on available colours
 User can select which colours should be ignored (e.g. texts, lines,..)
© by AWE Communications GmbH 28

29. Generating Pixel Maps
Definition of Materials
 Display of database after definition of materials
 Here: All colours are neglected except ‘black’ => Easy way to remove texts
and other things with different colours from the bitmap
© by AWE Communications GmbH 29

30. Generating Pixel Maps
Ready for Usage in ProMan
 After saving the database it can be used in ProMan as a basis for wave
propagation and network projects
© by AWE Communications GmbH 30

31. Time Variance
Concept of Time Variance
 Walls/polygons can be combined to groups
 Individual time variant properties can be assigned to each group
Translation Rotation
Vector for direction Center of rotation
Scalar value for velocity Velocity of rotation for each axis
© by AWE Communications GmbH 31

32. Time Variance
Time Variant Mode
 Definition of time variant properties
 Observation of time variance step-by-step Time control
Time variant
properties for
selected group
© by AWE Communications GmbH 32

33. Time Variance
Definition of Time Variant Properties
 Launch ‘time variant mode’ in WallMan
 Select a group to which time variance should be assigned
 Define properties for each group (by values or by using a trajectory)
© by AWE Communications GmbH 33

34. Time Variance
Example
 Time variant ‘Car-2-Car’ sample with propagation paths
© by AWE Communications GmbH 34

35. Additional Features
Indoor: LEGO Tools
 Simple creation of
• Stairs
• Rectangular rooms
• T-rooms
• L-rooms
• U-rooms
• Roofs
• Sphere
• Cylinder (vertical)
• Cylinder / Pipe (horizontal)
© by AWE Communications GmbH 35

36. Additional Features
Indoor: Grouping
 Combination of several polygons/walls to groups
 Groups can have names
 Walls can be grouped by materials
Walls in
current
Available group
groups in
current
database
Group all walls with
respect to material
© by AWE Communications GmbH 36

37. Additional Features
Indoor: Prediction Planes / Surface Predictions
 Each polygon can be transformed into a ‘prediction plane’
 On the surface of each wall predictions can be computed
 Easy approach to activate predictions on walls/polygons
© by AWE Communications GmbH 37

38. Additional Features
Indoor: Prediction Planes / Surface Predictions
 Prediction result computed on surfaces of buildings
© by AWE Communications GmbH 38

39. Additional Features
Indoor: Non-Deterministic Objects
 Definition of objects with an additional attenuation
 Attenuation is added to the path loss
Polygon describing a
non-deterministic area
Without furniture and persons Deterministic modeling Non-deterministic modeling
© by AWE Communications GmbH 39

40. Additional Features
Urban: Vegetation Objects
 Definition of objects with an additional attenuation
 Attenuation is added to the path loss
Enter vegetation
blocks
© by AWE Communications GmbH 40

41. Additional Features
Parameters for Vegetation / Non-deterministic Objects
 Vegetation / non-deterministic objects appear in the material dialog (green
coloured)
 Definition of attenuations
• For ray in vegetation block
• For receiver pixel
© by AWE Communications GmbH 41

42. Additional Features
File Types
Suffix Scenario Description
idb Indoor Raw Indoor Vector Database
idc Indoor Indoor Vector Database for COST 231 Model
idp Indoor Indoor Vector Database for Dominant Paths
idw Indoor Indoor Vector Database for Standard Ray Tracing
idi Indoor Indoor Vector Database for Intelligent Ray Tracing
odb Urban Raw Urban Vector Database
ocb Urban Urban Vector Database for COST 231 Model
opb Urban Urban Vector Database for Dominant Paths
oib Urban Urban Vector Database for Intelligent Ray Tracing
© by AWE Communications GmbH 42

43. Preprocessing
Concept of Preprocessing
 Preprocessing has to be done only once before the prediction
 Material properties can be changed afterwards
 Preprocessing guarantees short prediction times
© by AWE Communications GmbH 43

44. Preprocessing
Urban Settings (1/6)
 Output folder
 Prediction model (COST 231, SRT, IRT, Dominant Paths)
Database name
Name of
preprocessed
database
Selection of
prediction model
© by AWE Communications GmbH 44

45. Preprocessing
Urban Settings (2/6)
 Combined network planning
 Additional outputs
Indoor pixels
Combined network
planning?
Additional outputs
© by AWE Communications GmbH 45

46. Preprocessing
Urban Settings (3/6)
 Preprocessing area
 Prediction height
 Resolution
Preprocessing area
Prediction height
Resolution
© by AWE Communications GmbH 46

47. Preprocessing
Urban Settings (4/6)
 Only for IRT (Intelligent Ray Tracing) model
Size of tiles and
wedges
Adaptive
resolution
Spheric zone
Special settings
© by AWE Communications GmbH 47

48. Preprocessing
Urban Settings (5/6)
 Consideration of topography
Consideration of
topography
Heights of
buildings
Filename of
topography
© by AWE Communications GmbH 48

49. Preprocessing
Indoor Settings (1/3)
 Output file names
 Prediction model (COST 231, SRT, IRT, Dominant Paths)
 Preprocessing area
Database name
Name of
preprocessed
Selection of
database
prediction model
Preprocessing area
© by AWE Communications GmbH 49

50. Preprocessing
Indoor Settings (2/3)
 Only for IRT model
 For all other indoor predictions models, these settings can be defined and
changed later in ProMan
Resolution and
height for
prediction
Size of tiles and
wedges
© by AWE Communications GmbH 50

51. Preprocessing
Indoor Settings (3/3)
 Only for IRT model
Reduced
resolution (for
acceleration)
Spheric zone
Excluding of
special objects
© by AWE Communications GmbH 51