Converting Historic\Live Traffic Data into ESRI format (DTF?)

[yonatanrubinstein]

Hi,

I have historic\live traffic data that isn't coming from the TOMTOM\NavTeq ESRI-data Providers (AFAIK they don't have data in Israel). I want to transform it into the format the network analyst uses, problem is that I can't find anywhere the format of the TMC and DTF files that Navteq provides(or sample files).

Alternatively, is there a way to subscribe to Navteq for a trial period ( I couldn't find anything on their site, very uninformative).

Thanks in advance.

[PatrickStevens]

For setting up a NavTeq account, you'll have to contact NavTeq.

But for configuing traffic, I can help out.  If you want to use a provider that is not supported out-of-the-box, then you will need to configure a custom traffic provider.  I have a couple of links to help out.

Here is the sample for Custom Traffic Provider:

http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e11126ea20e941bd9644046e62e2bdbe

There are a lot of instructions on that page.  If you have any trouble, post here and I'll help out.  Basically, you need to code to get your speed values to the traffic API.  That sample will allow you to add your provider to the GP tool for updating traffic.  That way, your provider will function the same as NavTeq and TomTom with geoprocessing.


There is also a sample to help you do some debugging of DTFs after they have been created by the traffic GP tool.  You can find that here:

http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=f193895fe0734afe868044fc5bfecf47

DTFs are stored in a binary format. With the DTFtoCSV sample, you can take an existing DTF and convert it to CSV for inspection.  Within the code for DTFtoCSV, you can see how the binary format of the DTF is set up.

Hope that helps!

[peyivandhajian]

Hi Patrik;

Well, I made an account and email the INRIX and TomTom to help me with DTF files.

I don't even know what they have to give me? Is it a sample python code?

I'm learning it with ArcGIS help.

I appreciate your time.

Peyvand.

[yonatanrubinstein]

Hi Patrick, Thanks for answering.

I went through the first URL - asically, it just failed in the start - I opened the solution, opened arcmap, pressed the update traffic too, and a error message saying "Script error" just poped up and that was it. What should I do next? the tool won't recnize if I go through the process again.

[PatrickStevens]

Were you able to complete steps 1 and 2 in "How to use this sample" from the Custom Traffic Provider link? 

If so, for step 1, did you register the DLL by compiling the sample?  Or did you manually use esriRegAsm?

For step 2, did you use the GUID that was already in the sample, or did you create your own GUID?

For some background information, what version of ArcGIS are you running?  And on which operating system?

[yonatanrubinstein]

Wow, thanks for the quick response.

I'm running ArcInfo 10.1  on Windows7. It appears I missed out on the step 2 - I registered the DLL (step 1), but didn't feed the GUID to the xml(step2) and unintentionally went on to running the update traffic tool.

OK - Should I feed the GUID as written in the first URL (this, http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e11126ea20e941bd9644046e62e2bdbe#/Program%20Files%20%28x86%2..., listed as clsid ) ?  If not, where can I find the right GUID?

Is this the way to register historic traffic as well, or only live traffic? It seems to me a rather hard way to integrate historic data...

Thanks again.

[PatrickStevens]

The GUID from the sample should match the one listed in the link.  It should be the same GUID you see near the top of the TrafficProvider.cs file. I was just checking that those were in sync.  Hopefully the problem is just that the entries needed to be added to the providers XML file in step 2.


That sample is just for live traffic.  Historical is an entirely different process.  Historical is built into the network via tables in the geodatabase.  Check out the San Diego network in the tutorial data, and take a look at this doc (http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//0047000001rs000000) to see how historical traffic works.

Live traffic is based off of the DTF files created by the traffic GP tool.  The reason live and historical are so different is that historical traffic is generally a data vendor product that is provided along with the street data.  It is therefore static and built into the streets.  Live traffic is constantly updated, usually via a URL.  A network set up to work with live traffic will need to reference DTF files that are being created by the GP update traffic tool.

I hope I'm not making it more confusing.  Keep asking questions as you have difficulties and I'm happy to help out.

[pruthvigopal]

I have followed the process specified in arcgis resources exercise 10 for creating  traffic network dataset (san diego)  and used custom traffic provider (.dll to register GUID) ,   used the  update model provided in exercise 10  to update DTF files in a folder where network dataset is pointed. (TrafficFiles\v1)

and i had scheduled this task (task scheduler) for interval of 15 min . 

i am able to get DTF files in folder and can visualize historical data  .. but not able to visualize live traffic from DTF files on dataset ( layer properties -> symbology -> live traffic only)  

DTF files are saved with timestamp as name, along with feed entry in trafficindex.xml

i had cross checked the result DTF file ... by DTFtoCSV  conversion ( its same as input )

1) how does network dataset know that DTF file has been updated?  does it check interval based?

2) Why tool saves DTF file saves in a seperate folder (v1) ?

3) while creating  network dataset we provide a folder path till v1, where as in update tool till trafficfiles .....

     initially the folder is empty..  no xml, no dtf ...   how does _ND know update DTF is in v1 folder?

[peyivandhajian]

Hi Peter ;

Is this a step 2: Garmin: Database for FM Traffic Providers Updates & Downloads

Peyvand.

[MariosSimou1]

Hi,

How can I  register  the DLL by compiling the sample? What procedure I have to follow? I still haven't unterstood how I can do it. I am following the instructions of this website (http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e11126ea20e941bd9644046e62e2bdbe ), but it seems that I am missing something!

Until now I have added the provider GUID to the TrafficProviders.xml file.