First released in version: 3.2

Cells

SmartSpace manages location data using a cellular architecture. The three levels to this architecture are outlined in the table below:

Cell	Purpose
Site Cell	The Site Cell represents the entire area that is covered by SmartSpace. It is created by default when you install the system.
Geometry Cell	The Site Cell contains one or more Geometry Cells. A Geometry Cell represents a smaller area within the Site Cell, such as: the floor of a building a production area Geometry cell level is where the relationships between objects are evaluated.
Location Cell	A Geometry Cell contains one or more Location Cells. Location cell level is where location data, such as (x,y,z) position or rotation, is managed. This data can be directly input from sensor systems, or can be set manually for example by using the Place objects workspace. A Location Cell might cover: a process in a production area a phase in the production cycle

Setting up a cell hierarchy involves defining the three-dimensional spaces within which object locations, and the relationships between objects, are of interest.

In a valid cell hierarchy:

• All Geometry Cells are contained by the Site Cell

• A Location Cell is contained by a single Geometry Cell

• Location Cells do not overlap

You can use a representation of your site and other objects to help in defining the extent of cells. To see a map and other background objects in the Cell viewer, you must first import and place these using the Model import workspace. See Importing a site model and Importing an object representation.

For further details on the advantages of a cellular architecture, see Partitioning in Ubisense Architecture and Protocols.

The Cells workspace

The Cells workspace is a configuration interface for creating the cell hierarchy, and defining and modifying the physical extents of cells.

Click on CELLS to display the workspace.

The workspace is described in the following sections:

Creating your cell hierarchy

When you install SmartSpace a site cell is automatically created but is not visible in the Cells workspace. Use the following instructions to define the Geometry Cells and Location Cells contained within your site cell.

When adding cells, bear the following in mind:

• When defining the cell extent, you may prefer to work in the 2D view.
• Ensure the extent of any Location Cell falls within a single Geometry Cell.
• If there are multiple Geometry Cells, ensure that they do not overlap.
• If there are multiple Location Cells, ensure that they do not overlap.

You can display geometry and location cells additional to the cell you are creating by selecting the checkboxes beside their names in the SHOW CELLS list. The other cells are shown as gray rectangles. Use the Show all and Show none buttons to select or unselect all cells.

Adding Geometry Cells

To add a Geometry Cell:

1. Double-click <Create new geometry cell>.

2. Give the cell a meaningful name.

3. Create the extent of the new cell by following the onscreen instructions. Using your mouse, add points to create the required extent for the cell – it must cover the area of interest. When you click and drag to add a point, the coordinates of the point are displayed.

   To fine tune the position of a point, click on it and enter the x and y co-ordinates in the editor.

   

   A Geometry Cell can be any shape. However, we recommend that you create a cell that is reasonably square or rectangular, and that you avoid a long, thin rectangle.

4. Define the top and bottom boundaries of Geometry Cells so they are large enough to contain the Location Cells.

5. Select Snap grid to snap the cell extent to the nearest intersection of lines in the grid, when you drag the points with your mouse.

6. After you have created the cell, you can use the View options to check it in either 2D or 3D.

7. Click Save.

When you create the first Geometry Cell, it will not usually be inside the Site Cell. SmartSpace can automatically fix the error by enlarging the Site Cell to contain the cell hierarchy. Follow the onscreen instructions in the Errors panel if you need to fix this. If you add further Geometry Cells whose extents lie outside of the Site Cell, you can fix the errors by following the onscreen instructions. See the Cell configuration section of Troubleshooting for details of the error messages.

Adding Location Cells

To add a Location Cell:

1. In the list of cells, expand the Geometry Cell that will contain the new Location Cell.

   Double-click <Create new location cell>.

2. Give the cell a meaningful name.

3. Create the extent of the new cell by following the onscreen instructions. Using your mouse, add points to create the required extent for the cell – it must cover the area of interest. When you click and drag to add a point, the coordinates of the point are displayed.

   To fine tune the position of a point, click on it and enter the x and y co-ordinates in the editor.

   

4. Define the top and bottom boundaries of the cell so that it is contained within a single Geometry Cell.

5. Select Snap grid to snap the cell extent to the nearest intersection of lines in the grid, when you drag the points with your mouse.

6. After you have created the cell, you can use the View options to check it in either 2D or 3D.

7. Click Save.

If you add a Location Cell which is not contained within one single Geometry Cell, SmartSpace can automatically fix the error. Follow the onscreen instructions in the Errors panel if you need to fix this.

Similarly, if you create overlapping Location Cells, SmartSpace will identify the cells and offer you the chance to make adjustments.

See the Cell configuration section of Troubleshooting for details of the error messages.

Starting Cell Services

After you have configured the cells for your site, you must deploy them.

Deploy the cell services for the Site Cell, each Geometry Cell, and each Location Cell:

1. Start the Service Manager tool. The Cells option lists the Site Cell, and all the Geometry Cells, and Location Cells that you have created.

2. You can deploy services for either:

   • The entire Site Cell, including all the Geometry Cells and Location Cells that it contains.

   • A particular Geometry Cell or Location Cell.

   After you deploy services for a cell, the status of the cell changes to Running.

Modifying Cells

To modify an existing Geometry Cell or Location Cell:

1. On the Cell hierarchy tab, double-click the cell to display the editor.

2. Modify the shape and/or extent of the cell, as required.

   You can display geometry and location cells additional to the cell you are editing by selecting the checkboxes beside their names in the SHOW CELLS list. The other cells are shown as gray rectangles. Use the Show all and Show none buttons to select or unselect all cells.

   To fine tune the position of a point, click on it and enter the x and y co-ordinates in the editor.

   

3. Click Save.

Deleting Cells

To delete a cell:

1. In the Cell hierarchy tab, select the cell.
2. Press the Delete key.

• Geometry Cells: The Geometry Cell and its Location Cells are deleted.

• Location Cell: The Location Cell is deleted.

3. Using the Service Manager tool, undeploy services for the deleted cells:

   1. Run Service Manager 3.
   2. In the Cells folder, expand Site.
   3. Right-click the cell that you have deleted, and then click Stop.

Matching Internal Cell IDs with Geometry and Location Cell Names

Sometimes, logs refer to cells by their internal IDs, and these internal IDs may be required as arguments in command-line tools. The ubisense_cell_config_dump command line prints the cell name to cell ID mapping, and the cell parent to cell child relations:

C:\>ubisense_cell_config_dump
Geometry Cell 00001 : USpatial::Cell:04007zanwe95eLkP000DKG000QC
Geometry Cell 00002 : USpatial::Cell:04007zanwe95eLkP000DKG000TB
Location Cell 00001 : ULocation::Cell:04007zanwe95eLkP000DKG000Uj
Location Cell 00002 : ULocation::Cell:04007zanwe95eLkP000DKG000Ve
Location Cell 00003 : ULocation::Cell:04007zanwe95eLkP000DKG000a3
Site : UCell::Cell:04007zamYYJB4min0004s000002
Geometry Cell 00001 -> Location Cell 00001
Geometry Cell 00001 -> Location Cell 00002
Geometry Cell 00002 -> Location Cell 00003
Site -> Geometry Cell 00001
Site -> Geometry Cell 00002

To get the tool, run Application Manager, open the DOWNLOADABLES task, and expand Platform/Cell configuration tools. Select ubisense_cell_config_dump.exe and click Download selected items. Optionally, change the download destination directory. Then click Start download.