Places View history

Revision as of 14:14, 12 May 2014 by MediaWiki default (talk) (Clarify structure outline mapping most appropriate for a single structure on a small property)
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Places is the Waze Point of Interest (POI) system. Places supports two types of POIs: Point and Area.

Point Places create app-searchable POIs with limited rendering on the user's client display. The Point Place may be used for many destinations subject to the table of Place categories and types, but becomes especially useful in situations where the other POI search engines accessed by Waze do not list a desired destination.

Area Places (formerly called Landmarks) serve all the functions of Point Places while providing additional visual orientation cues on the user's client display. Because of their increased visibility and the resulting potential for map clutter, Area Places are easily overused. In principle, if a location is not distinctive and significant enough to orient drivers, it should not be marked with an Area Place. This principle guided the determination of Point vs. Area in the table of Place categories and types. Exceptions include gas stations, which receive special handling.


Point

The Point type of Place is rendered with the following icons:

Standard Point marker pin is purple-ish

The currently selected Point marker will turn blue

Any Point markers which have been edited and not yet saved by you will turn an orange-pink color, just like Area Places and segments.

Location Details

  • The Point marker for a Place should be located on or nearest to the segment to which the driver should be navigated. The Point Marker is the stop point.


Area

The Area type of Place is rendered as a polygon. Just like a segment, you can adjust the shape by using the geometry handles. All Area Places in the editor show in pink when not selected and blue-green when selected:

Location Details

  • The Area type has a target which is the navigation stop point.
  • The target stop point can be moved anywhere within the shape and also a short distance outside the actual Area shape
  • The stop point target should be placed on or nearest to the segment to which the driver should be navigated.

Extent

Some locations that qualify for an Area Place may involve one or more structures as well as open space, roads, and parking. In such cases, particularly if these components form a unified complex or campus with an overall identity, the boundaries of the Area Place should encompass the entire property (i.e., "mapped to the fence line"). This ensures that clients render and label the Area Place with the correct significance when viewed with reduced zoom.

Other qualifying Area Places whose property lines are substantially identical with a single destination structure may be drawn, if desired, to approximate the structure's outline or footprint.

Overlap

In some cases an extensive Area Place may contain within it locations that would themselves qualify as Area Places; for example, different medical buildings within a hospital campus or separate malls within a large shopping complex. As of this writing, the Waze client renders the names of overlapping Area Places but without boundaries between them. Users therefore cannot visually distinguish Area Places subset within other Area Places except for the text labels.

Future versions of the Waze client may render overlapping Area Places more usefully. In anticipation of this, qualifying Area Places may be drawn subset within others.  It may be a better approach for the time being to use Point Places for the components of a larger Area Place, unless it is essential that the subset Place names be visible in the current version of the Waze client. If overlapping Area Places do render more usefully in the future, qualifying Point Places may be converted to Area Places at that time.

Client Rendering

As of March 2014, we do not have any details on how Point places may be rendered within the Waze app.

Setting the stop point for a Place

Point placement

Wme point on parkinglot segment.png
Wme point on parkinglot segment.png

The Point Place is to be placed on or nearest to the segment to which the driver should be navigated. Here is an example of a gas station Point located directly on a parking lot segment.

Area placement

Here is an example of an Area (a large park in this case) which has an entry road on the east side. The second image is zoomed in on the target to show how this type of Area should have its navigation stop point set.

Wme park place large.png
Wme park place zoom target.png

Area+Point Combinations

There are some situations where it will be appropriate to mix both Area and Point Places. For example, shopping centers and shopping malls where the mall itself could be considered a navigation destination, but there are also individual stores which are also valid for being marked.

A simple shopping center, when mapped in this manner, would look like this:


Multiple categories

  • A Place can be assigned to multiple categories
  • The Primary Category for a Place must be the first one you enter
  • The Primary Category is displayed in a darker shade of blue than the others
  • The Primary Category is used to determine whether to use a Point or Area for the Place


Place address detail

Every Place, whether Point or Area, should have as much detail completed as possible. This includes a name, proper categorization, and full street address, city and state. If any Place doesn't have a City or Street, you will need to check the None checkbox.

Here is an example of a Gas Station Area with its details completed:

Wme place details.png

Additional fields to allow entry of more detail will be coming in future editor releases. (One field available in previous editor releases but not available at this time, is phone number.)

When to use Area or Point

Here is the global guidance on selecting Area or Point for Places in the Waze Map Editor.

The Primary Category for a Place is used to determine whether to use a Point or Area.

Parent Category Type Comments
Car Services Car Wash Point
Car Services Charging Station Point
Car Services Garage / Automotive Shop Point
Car Services Gas Station Area Many gas stations also have convenience stores and ATMs. Remember to use "Gas Station" as the primary category and the add any others which are relevant.
Car Services Parking Lot Both There are very few parking lots which should be mapped at all. Please see the Places/Parking lot article.
Transportation Airport Area Special-handling
Transportation Bridge Area
Transportation Bus Station Point
Transportation Ferry Pier Point
Transportation Junction / Interchange Area
Transportation Seaport / Marina / Harbor Area Size-dependent.
Transportation Subway Station Point
Transportation Taxi Station Point
Transportation Train Station Point
Transportation Tunnel Area
Professional and public Cemetery Area
Professional and public City Hall Point
Professional and public College / University Area
Professional and public Conventions / Event Center Area Size-dependent
Professional and public Courthouse Point
Professional and public Embassy / Consulate Area
Professional and public Factory / Industrial Both Size-dependent
Professional and public Fire Department Point
Professional and public Government Point
Professional and public Hospital / Medical Care Area
Professional and public Information Point Point
Professional and public Kindergarten Point
Professional and public Library Point
Professional and public Military Area
Professional and public Offices Both Size-dependent
Professional and public Organization or Association Point
Professional and public Police Station Point
Professional and public Prison / Correctional Facility Area
Professional and public Post Office Point
Professional and public Religious Center Point
Professional and public School Area
Shopping and services Arts & Crafts Point
Shopping and services ATM Point
Shopping and services Bank / Financial Point
Shopping and services Bookstore Point
Shopping and services Car Dealership Point Size-dependent
Shopping and services Car Rental Point
Shopping and services Convenience Store Point
Shopping and services Currency Exchange Point
Shopping and services Department Store Point
Shopping and services Electronics Point
Shopping and services Fashion and Clothing Point
Shopping and services Flowers Point
Shopping and services Furniture / Home Store Point
Shopping and services Gifts Point
Shopping and services Gym / Fitness Point
Shopping and services Hardware Store Point
Shopping and services Jewelry Point
Shopping and services Laundry / Dry Cleaning Point
Shopping and services Market Point
Shopping and services Music Store Point
Shopping and services Personal Care Point
Shopping and services Pet Store / Veterinarian Point
Shopping and services Pharmacy Point
Shopping and services Photography Point
Shopping and services Shopping Center Area
Shopping and services Sporting Goods Point
Shopping and services Supermarket / Grocery Point Standalone could be an Area, but a Point if it is part of larger shopping mall/center.
Shopping and services Swimming Pool Point
Shopping and services Toy Store Point
Shopping and services Travel Agency Point
Food and drink Bakery Point
Food and drink Bar Point
Food and drink Coffee shop Point
Food and drink Dessert Point
Food and drink Fast Food Point
Food and drink Food Court Point
Food and drink Ice Cream Point
Food and drink Restaurant Point
Culture & entertainment Art Gallery Point
Culture & entertainment Casino Area Large hotel-casinos perhaps could be Area Places.
Culture & entertainment Club Point
Culture & entertainment Game Club Point
Culture & entertainment Movie Theater Point
Culture & entertainment Museum Point
Culture & entertainment Music Venue Point
Culture & entertainment Performing Arts Venue Point
Culture & entertainment Racing Track Area
Culture & entertainment Stadium / Arena Area
Culture & entertainment Theme Park Area
Culture & entertainment Theater Point
Culture & entertainment Tourist Attraction / Historic Site Point Size-dependent
Culture & entertainment Zoo / Aquarium Area Size-dependent
Other Construction Site Area Not necessary to be mapped.
Other Residence / Home NONE Not to be mapped
Lodging Bed & Breakfast Point
Lodging Camping / Trailer Park Area Size-dependent
Lodging Cottage / Cabin Point
Lodging Hostel Point
Lodging Hotel Point
Outdoors Beach Area
Outdoors Golf Course Area
Outdoors Park Area
Outdoors Playground Point
Outdoors Plaza Point
Outdoors Promenade Point Unsure about mapping these at all
Outdoors Scenic Lookout / Viewpoint Point
Outdoors Ski Area Area
Outdoors Sports Court Point
Natural features Farm NONE
Natural features Forest / Grove Area Only map official state/national forests, not every stand of trees.
Natural features Island Area
Natural features River / Stream Area
Natural features Sea / Lake / Pond Area

Parking Lot

The Parking Lot Place marks a well-defined area constructed for off-street public parking, including parking structures and garages as well as at-grade lots. There are many elements that must be considered before deciding to map a parking lot. The details are covered in Places/Parking lot.