Core Concepts

This document introduces the main concepts used in the Wayfinding Planner (WFP) application.

To keep your data safe and portable, a complete WFP project—including the model and all design metadata—is stored in a single .wfp file.

Model overview

At the heart of the WFP is the model, which represents the physical space and the signage within it. The model is built from several layers:

Levels – horizontal planes at specific elevations. A building floor is a typical level.
Path networks – graphs that describe how visitors move through a level. They consist of path points joined by path segments.
Destination dictionary – the project-wide list of destinations and destination groups used by generated and manual messages.
Sign – a set of one or more sign faces, which are the surfaces that display messages. A sign is attached to a path point and belongs to a sign type, which in turn falls under a sign category.
Messages – instructions or labels shown on sign faces. Messages may be generated automatically from the model or entered manually.

The model, together with project settings such as view positions and display preferences, makes up a Wayfinding Planner Project.

Levels

A level represents a two‑dimensional plane at a fixed height above ground. The ground floor of a building is one example. Each level contains its own path network and optional background drawing.

Level view

Below is an example of a level showing the path network, with its path points and path segments, several sign faces, and a floor plan used as a background:

Figure 1. Level view example

Level properties

A level has the following properties:

Level code – a short identifier, such as L1. This code is used to generate unique sign and sign face IDs.
Description – a free‑text description (e.g. “Ground floor” or “First floor”).
Elevation – the vertical position of the level relative to ground; it may be positive, negative, or zero. Only one level may exist at a given elevation.
Drawing – an optional background image, typically a floor plan or layout. Drawings can be imported from raster (.png, .jpeg, .webp) or vector (.svg) formats. After import, they must be calibrated to set scale. Calibration is a quick (15–20 seconds) manual process and does not require high precision. An accuracy of ±0.5 metre is usually enough to estimate walking distances.
Path network – the network of path points and path segments that people can use to move around the level.

Path points and segments

A path network comprises path points, which are 2‑D points within the level, and path segments, which are straight lines connecting two path points.

A path point has the following properties:

id – a unique number used to reference the point in e.g., routes. Is shown as part of a Path Point label like P02 where P stands from Point and 02 is the point's unique number 2.
position on the level

Path points fall into three functional types:

Type	Symbol	Purpose	Sign allowed?
Target point		Represents a physical destination location, such as a room or attraction. A target point can be bound to a destination dictionary entry.	Yes – an identification sign.
Decision point		A junction where visitors must choose a direction.	Yes – either a direction or navigation sign.
Supportive point		Helps shape the path network but is not a decision or target.	No – no signs are attached.

Path segments link path points and have a single property: length.

Sign categories

Sign category defines the functional purpose of a sign and determines which types of messages its faces can show. Three categories of signs are defined: Direction, Navigation, and Identification.

Feature	Direction sign	Navigation sign	Identification sign
Typical message	Shows reachable destination messages, or destination group messages, in each direction from the decision point.	Shows a directory of reachable destination messages and groups for the level context.	Shows the destination message bound to the target point the sign is attached to.
Symbol
Compatible path point	Decision point	Decision point	Target point
Attachment example
Default code prefix	`D`	`N`	`I`

Sign types

Within each category, user defines sign types to represent actual sign designs. A sign type specifies:

Sign type code – a unique identifier combining the category prefix and a sequence number (e.g. D2 for the second type in the Direction category).
Sign Faces – a set of sign faces that together with their relative positions and rotation angles define a Sign design. A sign type may have one or more sign faces. There are pre-defined sets like single-sided and double-sided designs, as well as users can define their own custom designs.
Face configuration – single-sided, double-sided flat, multi-sided, or Fingerpost. A Fingerpost is directional-only and builds its faces dynamically from the path network topology around the attached decision point.
Message capacity – optional limits for how many automatic messages can be selected on a face. Capacity can be fixed or flexible, depending on the initial, step, and maximum values. Fingerpost signs use per-direction and per-sign capacity settings.
Description – a short description shown in the user interface and reports.
Fixing – how the sign is mounted (e.g. door‑mounted, flag‑mounted, overhead).
Connectivity – any power or data connections the sign requires.
Dimensions – width × height × depth in millimetres (always in mm, regardless of the units used in the model).
Drawing reference – a technical drawing reference needed to produce the sign face.
Outline specification – optional multi‑line text describing the sign face outline.

Any changes made to the properties of a Sign Type automatically propagate to all signs of that type.

Signs

A Sign is an instance of a Sign Type, inheriting all its properties, including the set of sign faces.

In the model, the Sign:

Is attached to a specific Path Point
Has a position on the Level and a rotation angle, measured counter‑clockwise from the positive (X)-axis (see Figure 3)

Every Sign receives a unique identifier formed from the sign type code, level code, and a sequential number. For example, sign ID D2-L0.01 denotes the Direction sign (the D prefix) of type D2 on level L0 with instance number 01. The unique ID is set upon sign creation and can be regenerated by using the Re-enumerate Sign IDs command.

Sign Faces

A Sign Face is a sign's surface that displays Messages to guide visitors. Every sign may have one or more sign faces, as defined by the sign type. A Sign Face has a directional sensitivity that defines directions for which automatic messages can be generated: Forward, Left, Right, Backward. That sensitivity is defined in the sign type. Note that additional diagonal directions (UpLeft, UpRight, DownLeft, DownRight) currently only support manually defined messages.

Sign Face is identified by a unique identifier combining the Sign ID and customizable sign face's label, usually a Latin letter (e.g., D2-L0.01A). Note that on a single-sided sign its only face's label is not shown.

Fingerpost sign types are different from regular fixed-face signs. Their virtual faces are generated from direction sectors around the decision point, and their automatic messages are limited by both per-direction and whole-sign capacity.

Sign Face Capacity

Sign Face capacity is a maximum number of messages the Sign Face can hold. Sign Face capacity is defined in the sign type and regular sign faces use three capacity fields:

initial - the first automatic-message limit WFP tries for that face.
step - how much the limit may grow on each additional planning pass.
max - the largest automatic-message limit WFP may use for that face.

If initial and max are the same, the face has a fixed capacity. If step is greater than zero and max is larger than initial, this is called flexible capacity and WFP can run additional capacity passes for signs that need more room.

Fingerpost sign types use separate capacity fields: Messages capacity per direction limits each direction sector, and Messages capacity per sign limits the whole Fingerpost sign.

Maximum capacity of a single sign face is 255 messages with the default values set as initial=255, step=0, max=255.

Sign representation in the Level view

In the Level view, signs are represented with symbols that indicate their position, orientation, and sign faces:

Figure 2. Sign symbol legend and sign configuration examples

Direction zones

The 360° field of view of a directional sign face is divided into four quadrants—forward, left, right, and backward—measured from the sign’s rotation angle.

The forward quadrant covers a 90° sector centred on the sign’s line of sight, extending 45° to either side of the rotation angle. Left, right, and backward quadrants each cover the remaining 90° sectors.

A route is assigned to a quadrant based on the angle between the sign’s line of sight and the direction of the first path segment:

Figure 3. Sign face rotation angle and walking directions

Messages

Messages are the pieces of text and, where applicable, their direction displayed on sign faces.

Each message carries the following information:

Main Message – the text or number displayed on the sign, usually taken from a destination or destination group message.
Direction – the walking direction assigned to the message on direction-sensitive sign faces.
Display state – whether the message is shown or hidden. This may come from automatic selection, a manual message, a user override, or overflow handling.
Creation mode – either automatic or manual.
Destination or group reference – a link to the Destination Dictionary entry used by the message.
Route context – for generated route messages, the target, route, and walking distance used by WFP.

Automatic and Manual Messages

Messages can be created in two ways:

Automatic messages – generated by the application, either instantly (default) or on request.
Manual messages – defined and maintained by the user.

Automatic and manual messages can coexist on the same sign face; for example, you might automatically list common destinations while adding a manually crafted note for a special case.

Message Display

A message can be displayed or hidden by setting or clearing its selection flag, regardless of its type.

For route planning, group-based selection, algorithm parameters, capacity packaging, and overflow behavior, see Message generation layer.

Next steps

Installation and Activation to learn how to install and activate the application,
User interface to learn how to use the interface,
Destination Dictionary to learn how to manage destination messages and groups,
Message generation layer explains how sign messages are generated,
Getting Started for a practical guide to quickly get up to speed.