When exporting ActivitySim input data, skims as well as population and structural data are exported.
Skims can be output in three different formats, matching the three ActivitySim variants:
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For the 1-zone variant (TAZ), only zone matrices are required.
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For the 2-zone variant (TAZ + MAZ), additional skims are required for paths between locations.
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For the 3-zone variant (TAZ + MAZ + TAP), additional stop area matrices and skims for paths from locations to stop areas are required.
In the last variant, ActivitySim expects, among other things, an allocation of stop areas to locations. This can be done explicitly via a stop attribute. Alternatively, the nearest location is selected.
The skims for paths from locations to locations or stop areas are based on shortest path searches. The stop areas are connected via the connected node, while the locations are connected via the geographically closest active node. For the latter to represent suitable nodes, you should load a suitable node filter beforehand.
