Adding Locations

 

Locations in Detect3D are used to mark out plausible points where the Genetic Algorithm can position detectors. Your engineering expertise is needed to define these locations as the algorithm is not aware of other factors in the layout such as wiring, mounting locations, ease of maintenance, etc. The more locations you provide the better the optimization will be as you are giving more knowledge to the algorithm.

 

Adding the locations requires a great deal of care in real projects. This tutorial will add locations along the four corner poles in the geometry.

    

To add locations to a project:

  1. Right-Click on Locations in the Project Items Tree and select ‘Add Location'.

     

    Tutorial 12 - Figure 02 - Context menu when right-clicking Locations in the project items tree.

     

  2. In the Method dropdown menu, select Line Spaced. This allows you to add several locations in between two defined points, which tends to be easier than adding them one at a time.

     

    Tutorial 12 - Figure 03 - Selecting 'Line Spaced' as the method for defining locations

     

  3. Set the # Points to "5". This means five locations will be defined between the two selected points.

  4. For the First Point, use the pick tool to select a point just in front of one of the installation poles, as shown in Figure 4. Repeat this for the Second Point so that the X and Y coordinates are the same. Then enter "3.5 meters" as the Z coordinate for one and "1 meter" for the other. It is important to select a point that is not behind any CAD pieces so the obstruction calculation is performed correctly. This step ensures that the location used by the optimization is slightly in front of the pole. Alternatively, you may enter the following coordinates:

    1. ( -0.26, 0, 1.2 )

    2. ( -0.26, 0, 3.5 )

       

      Tutorial 12 - Figure 04 - Location point being selected for adding locations in front of the installation pole

       

  5. With the coordinates selected or enters, click the Preview checkbox and ensure your screen is similar to Figure 5 below.

     

    Tutorial 12 - Figure 05 - preview of five locations to be added along the installation pole near the origin

     

  6. Click Add Item, and the 5 locations between the two provided points will be added to the project.

     

  7. Repeat Step 1 - 6 adding 5 locations for each of the remaining three installation poles. You may use the following coordinates to match the results shown in this tutorial:

    1. North-West corner:

      1. ( -0.13, 22, 1.2 )

      2. ( -0.13, 22, 3.5 )

    2. North-East corner:

      1. ( 18, 22, 1.2 )

      2. ( 18, 22, 3.5 )

    3. South-East corner:

      1. ( 17.9, -0.26, 1.2 )

      2. ( 17.9, -0.26, 3.5 )

    4. After adding the above, your project should resemble Figure 6 below.

       

      Detect3D_Fire_and_Gas_Mapping_Detector_Optimization_Locations_Defined

Tutorial 12 - Figure 06 - Displaying the 40 locations points around the upper edge of the geometry.

 

The above process has varied the height along an installation pole. However, the same can be done along a walkway or railing. Use the Line Spaced option once more and define 10 locations along the southern edge of the module, as in Figure 7:

  • First Point ( -0.26, 0, 1.2 )

  • Second Point ( 17.9, -0.26, 1.2 )

  • # Points = 10

     

    Detect3D_Fire_and_Gas_Mapping_Detector_Optimization_Locations_Defined

Tutorial 12 - Figure 07 - Horizontally spaced locations to be used for the optimization

 

30 location points have now been defined in the project. It is recommended to use a minimum of 30 locations when running optimization with Detect3D.