Using live maps from the Internet

If your computer has a permanent Internet connection, you can display maps from online map providers as a background in 2D mode and in 3D mode for a detailed Vissim network model.

Map services provide high-resolution aerial photos, satellite images and detailed city plans for many regions. In addition to commercial offerings, such as Microsoft Bing Maps, there are such freely available map services as OpenStreetMap whose data can be used under certain conditions.

Notes:   The use of data from map services is subject to licensing conditions. Please obtain information in advance about these conditions and take these into account when working on projects and transferring results. Backgrounds of Bing Maps are only available to customers who have maintenance agreements or are working with our student version. Before using a map from the Internet for the first time, click the map provider's hyperlink to the terms of use at the bottom of the Network editor. Read the license agreement and take its information into account.

Vissim provides some map services by default in the graphic parameters. You can select the desired map service for each open Network Editor from these. In contrast to inserted background images, the depiction is exclusively controlled via the graphics parameters in the relevant Network Editor. There are no other functions available for background maps obtained from the Internet.

Vissim always uses the newest map material available. The map data from Bing Maps is not stored permanently on your hard disk as a result of the Bing Maps usage terms. The map material is newly loaded when you start Vissim start or when you open the network again. When Vissim has been opened, the map data is kept in the cache. This way, it can be displayed more quickly. The data matching the current network section is loaded at the relevant zoom level and displayed. Depending on the map service and the acceptance conditions, the live maps have different resolutions in various areas. If the maximum resolution is reached at a particular zoom level, the live map cannot be shown sharper; if you zoom in closer and the pixels on the live map are shown larger.

Advantages of using live maps available on the internet

• You do not need to prepare and load graphics files for backgrounds, but rather can start the modeling directly on the live map.
• The most up-to-date maps from the map service are always available.
• You can switch projects between computers without having to consider that paths are stated for the saved maps.
• No storage space is required for permanently storing maps on your computer.
• No storage space is required for storing maps on your computer.
• You can position your existing Vissim network on the corresponding position on the live map (Mapping Vissim network to background position).
• You can display a particular map section and save it in the default layout file (Save Layout as Default). In future Vissim will open with the saved map section.

URL addresses for background maps

Access to background maps available on the internet may depend on the configuration of your proxy server. For the proxy server to be able to create access rules, you might have to specify the following URL addresses when configuring the proxy server:

• BingMaps (external site):  https://dev.virtualearth.net/REST/V1/Imagery/Metadata/*
• OpenStreetMap (external site):  https://a.tile.openstreetmap.org/, https://b.tile.openstreetmap.org/, https://c.tile.openstreetmap.org/

For further information, please visit our webpages at:  PTV Visum knowledge base article KA05010.