Design intersection measurements

Measurement Designer is a built-in AITracker GUI tool for designing measurement relations on intersections using a satellite map background. It allows you to visually plan camera placement, define traffic inputs/outputs, and draw movement relations — all on a real map view.

Overview

Measurement Designer helps traffic engineers:

  • Visually plan traffic measurement points on a satellite map

  • Define inputs (entry points) and outputs (exit points) on intersections

  • Draw movement relations between inputs and outputs

  • Place and orient cameras to cover measurement zones

  • Assess camera coverage requirements at a glance

  • Work with multiple geographic scenes in a single project

  • Save and share intersection designs as .aispdesign files

Launching Measurement Designer

Open the tool from the main menu:

Menu → Tools → Measurement Designer (shortcut: Ctrl+M)

A dialog window will open with a map view and a toolbar.


Step 1: Find Your Location

When the dialog opens, you will see a satellite map (Google Maps).

  1. Type an address or coordinates (e.g., 50.291, 18.671) in the search bar at the top

  2. Click Search (or press Enter)

  3. The map will navigate to the specified location

  4. Use the map controls to zoom in/out and adjust the view until you have a clear satellite view of the intersection

💡 Tip: Zoom level 18–20 works best for intersection design. Make sure the entire intersection is visible.


Step 2: Lock the Map

Once you have positioned the map correctly:

  1. Click the Lock map button

  2. The satellite view will be captured as a background image

  3. The view switches to Designer mode — you can now draw on the captured map

The lock button changes to Unlock (reset). Clicking it will return you to the map view (with a confirmation dialog, as this discards the current design).

⚠️ Important: Locking the map freezes the current view. Make sure the intersection is properly centered and zoomed before locking.


Step 3: Place Input Nodes (Green)

Input nodes represent traffic entry points — where vehicles enter the intersection.

  1. Select the Input tool from the toolbar

  2. Click on the map where you want to place an input node

  3. A green circle will appear at that position

  4. Repeat for all entry points

Each input node displays a coverage badge in the upper-right corner:

  • Grey 0 — no relations connected (unmonitored)

  • Green 1 — one relation, a single camera is sufficient

  • Orange N! (e.g., 3!) — multiple relations, intersection overview camera needed


Step 4: Place Output Nodes (Red)

Output nodes represent traffic exit points — where vehicles leave the intersection.

  1. Select the Output tool from the toolbar

  2. Click on the map where you want to place an output node

  3. A red circle will appear at that position

  4. Repeat for all exit points


Step 5: Draw Movement Relations

Relations represent traffic flows — the paths vehicles take from inputs to outputs.

  1. Select the Movement tool from the toolbar

  2. Click on an Input node (green) to start the relation

  3. Click on empty space to add intermediate waypoints (optional — the line follows the road shape)

  4. Click on an Output node (red) to finish the relation

  5. A blue line with an arrowhead will appear connecting the input to the output

Relation Colors

  • Blue — default color, single relation from an input

  • Orange — warning color, automatically applied when more than one relation originates from the same input (meaning a single camera won't be enough to cover that input)

Editing Relations

  • Intermediate waypoints can be dragged to adjust the path shape

  • Start and end points are locked to their respective nodes and move with them

  • Press Delete to remove a selected relation

  • Press Escape to cancel a relation being drawn

💡 Tip: Relations are drawn below nodes (lower layer), so they never obscure the input/output markers.


Step 6: Place Cameras (Yellow)

Camera items represent the planned camera positions and their field of view.

  1. Select the Camera tool from the toolbar

  2. Click on the map to place a camera

  3. A yellow arc/wedge will appear showing the camera's field of view

Camera Interactions

Action
Mouse Gesture
Description

Move camera

LMB drag on center point

Repositions the entire camera

Rotate camera

RMB drag

Rotates the camera direction (0–360°)

Adjust FOV

Shift + LMB drag

Makes the viewing angle wider or narrower

Adjust range

LMB drag on arc area

Increases or decreases the camera's reach

Camera Planning Tips

  • Position cameras so their field of view covers the relevant input nodes

  • If an input has a green badge (1), one camera aimed at that approach is sufficient

  • If an input has an orange badge (N!), you need a camera with an overview of the intersection face to capture all relations from that input


Step 7: Working with Multiple Scenes

A single project can contain multiple geographic scenes — for example, different intersections in the same area.

Scene Sidebar

On the right side of the dialog, you will see the Scenes panel:

  • A list of all scenes in the current project

  • + Add button to create a new scene

  • - Remove button to delete the selected scene

Adding a New Scene

  1. Click + Add in the sidebar

  2. The view switches back to the map

  3. Search for the new location

  4. Lock the map — a new scene is created automatically

  5. Design the new intersection

Switching Between Scenes

Click on a scene name in the sidebar list to switch to it. The designer view will update to show that scene's map background and all its elements.

⚠️ Note: Your work on the current scene is automatically saved when you switch to another scene.


Step 8: Saving Your Project

  1. Click Save project in the toolbar (or press Ctrl+S)

  2. On the first save, choose a location and filename in the file dialog

  3. The project is saved as an .aispdesign file

  4. Subsequent saves (Ctrl+S or button) automatically overwrite the same file — no dialog is shown

💡 Quick save: Once a project has been saved or loaded from a file, pressing Ctrl+S saves instantly without prompting.

File Format

The .aispdesign file is a ZIP archive containing:

  • project.json — project metadata (number of scenes, active scene index)

  • scene1.json, scene2.json, … — data for each scene (nodes, relations, cameras, coordinates)

  • map1.png, map2.png, … — satellite map background for each scene


Step 9: Loading a Project

  1. Click Load project in the toolbar

  2. Select an .aispdesign file (or a legacy .json file from older versions)

  3. The project will be loaded with all scenes, map backgrounds, and design elements

💡 Backward compatibility: Older single-scene .json projects are automatically converted to the new multi-scene format when loaded.


Step 10: Taking a Screenshot

Click Screenshot in the toolbar to save an image of the current design view.

  • On Linux: saved to ~/Obrazy/

  • On Windows: saved to ~/Pictures/

  • Filename format: AISP_Designer_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.png


Keyboard Shortcuts

Key
Action

Ctrl+M

Open Measurement Designer (from main window)

Ctrl+S

Save project (quick save if path is known)

Enter

Confirm search location

Delete

Remove selected item(s)

Escape

Cancel current movement drawing


Visual Reference

Element Colors

Element
Color
Description

Input node

🟢 Green

Traffic entry point

Output node

🔴 Red

Traffic exit point

Movement (single)

🔵 Blue

Normal relation

Movement (warning)

🟠 Orange

Multiple relations from same input

Camera FOV

🟡 Yellow (semi-transparent)

Camera field of view wedge

Coverage badge

Grey / Green / Orange

Input coverage indicator

Coverage Badge Guide

Badge
Meaning
Action Required

Grey 0

No relations connected

Connect at least one relation

Green 1

Single relation

One approach camera is sufficient

Orange N!

Multiple relations (N)

Need intersection overview camera


Best Practices

  1. Start with inputs and outputs — place all nodes before drawing relations

  2. Use waypoints for curved roads — click along the road to make relations follow the actual path

  3. Check coverage badges — ensure every input has at least one relation (no grey badges)

  4. Plan cameras after relations — the badges will tell you which inputs need special camera placement

  5. Use multiple scenes for large projects covering several intersections

  6. Save frequently — use Save project after significant changes

  7. Name your scenes descriptively — helps when working with many intersections


Troubleshooting

Map doesn't load

  • Ensure you have an active internet connection

  • Check if QtWebEngine is installed (required for the map view)

Cannot draw relations

  • Make sure the map is locked (designer mode active)

  • Relations must start on an Input (green) node

  • Relations must end on an Output (red) node

Elements not visible after loading

  • Verify the .aispdesign file is not corrupted

  • Check if the correct scene is selected in the sidebar

Camera arc not responding to mouse

  • Rotate: use Right Mouse Button drag

  • FOV: use Shift + Left Mouse Button drag

  • Range: use Left Mouse Button drag on the arc (not the center point)

Measurement Designer is part of AITracker GUI's intersection planning toolkit, helping traffic engineers design optimal camera placement and measurement configurations.

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