Network nodes in pedestrian models

Network nodes are used to graphically define the following things in pedestrian dynamics models:

• A place where pedestrians appear in the simulated space (referred by PedSource or PedEnter)
• The destination of the pedestrian movement (referred by PedGoTo)
• The pedestrians waiting location (referred by PedWait)

You can also use an area to define:

• a place with a different pedestrians speed
• a place with restricted access: by throughput, condition, etc. This can be needed e.g. to model a revolving door.

Pedestrian Library works with the following two network nodes:

•  Rectangular node
•  Polygonal node

Use Polygonal node when your area has complex form. If your area is rectangular, use Rectangular node instead.

You can make the area sloped, for example, to model stairs. See the following demo model:

Pedestrians will try to avoid closed nodes (if Avoid area if closed option is selected in the node's properties), as long as they have a different route option. They perceive the changes in the node's state (closed/open) and can recalculate their route accordingly. If they encounter a closed node, they will handle it like an obstacle, just like they handle walls and space markup elements of Material Handling Library.

When a restricted node and service lines overlap, pedestrians will choose the line that is not restricted by the closed node.

When a route is created for a pedestrian group, all members of the group receive the same general instructions on how to handle the nodes with access restrictions. If the access to the node is restricted by a condition, this condition is calculated once for the whole group at the start of the movement: either all members of the group will wait until the node opens or all of them will bypass the node. However, each member of the group would be handled individually when they reach the node's border and try to enter the node - at this moment the condition for entering will be checked for each member of the pedestrian group.

Access restrictions do not apply to pedestrians that appear inside the restricted nodes, such as:

• node selected in Appears at parameter of the PedSource block or PedEnter block
• node that contains a target line specified in the Entry line on new level parameter of PedChangeLevel block
• node that borders the exit from escalator

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