The linear referencing system (LRS) is a collection of feature classes and tables that allow the storage and editing of calibrated routes.
The LRS supports the use of a single polyline feature class, known as centerlines, to store the geometry for multiple routes. Centerline geometry, along with route definitions, is stored in a network feature class.
A many-to-many relationship exists between the routes in the network and centerlines providing the geometry. This means that routes are typically
composed of multiple centerline features, and centerline features can participate in multiple routes in multiple networks.
In addition to geometry, routes must also have measures. Measures on routes are what the LRS uses to display event layers in their correct locations on a map. Measures are added to routes through a process known as calibration. To explicitly control how routes are calibrated, the LRS uses a calibration point feature class.
Calibration points are point features that store measure values, route references, and network IDs. The combination of these three items constitutes a linear referencing method (LRM). LRMs are created by applying calibration points to routes to create an LRS Network.
The LRS is composed of the following feature classes and tables:
- Centerline—The polyline feature class that stores route geometry
- Centerline Sequence—The cross-reference table that manages the relationship between centerlines and routes
- Calibration Point—The point feature class that stores route measure values
- Redline—The polyline feature class that stores markup features for communicating LRS changes
Centerline feature class
The centerline feature class provides a single source of geometry for all of the LRS Networks you build in an LRS.
Every feature in the centerline feature class represents a single unit of the highway. These can be used to represent a one-to-one relationship with routes or be combined to form larger routes.
The LRS requires that the centerline feature class have a centerline ID field.
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Centerline ID | GUID | Yes | Unique ID for the centerline geometry |
Centerline sequence table
The many-to-many relationship between routes and centerlines is maintained through a cross-reference table known as the centerline sequence table. Since route IDs are not unique in the LRS, the centerline sequence table also contains a reference to the network ID field of the LRS Network. The combination of the network ID and route ID creates a way of uniquely identifying each route in the LRS. The use of the network ID helps differentiate between LRMs as route IDs may not be unique across networks.
One centerline feature can participate in many routes, and a route can be composed of more than one centerline. The centerline sequence table must have at least one record for each centerline-network combination.
The minimum fields for the centerline sequence table are as follows:
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Centerline ID | GUID | Yes | The unique ID for the centerline geometry | |
FromDate | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the portion of the centerline becomes active |
ToDate | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the portion of the centerline will be retired |
RouteId | String | 255 | Yes | The unique ID for the route |
NetworkId | Short Integer | 5 | Yes | The unique ID for the LRS Network in which each route participates |
Calibration point feature class
Route measures are assigned to routes in the network using the calibration point feature class. Routes are calibrated by calculating an interpolated distance between any two calibration points along the route. Calibration points are specific to an LRS Network and make up the measure component of the LRM. Calibration point rules are as follows:
- There is only one calibration point feature class for all LRS Networks registered with the LRS.
- A minimum of two calibration points is required for each route.
- Calibration points should be monotonic, meaning strictly increasing or decreasing in measure along a route. Nonmonotonic routes will calibrate, but could result in undefined event locations and event behavior.
- Add a calibration point to a particular location to maintain a specific measure value.
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Measure | Double | 8 | Yes | The measure value stored for routes in an LRS Network |
From Date | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the calibration point becomes active |
To Date | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the calibration point will be retired |
Route ID | String or GUID | 255 | No | The unique ID for the route |
Network ID | Short Integer | 5 | Yes | The unique ID for the LRS Network |
Geoprocessing tools are provided to help generate calibration points, update calibration points, and detect nonmonotonic calibration on your routes. See Creating and updating calibration points, Update Calibration Points, and Detect NonMonotonic Routes.
Redline feature class
The redline feature class contains the basic information required to perform many of the route editing functions available in Esri Roads and Highways. The redline feature can be thought of as a placeholder for a future route editing operation. It is used as a markup feature so that LRS users don't have to be LRS maintainers. It can be disruptive to a user's workflow to discover differences between the LRS and the real world. Instead of stopping work and waiting for the LRS to be updated, users can enter a redline feature into the geodatabase to indicate where the route should be, notify the GIS team, and continue working with the event data.
The minimum fields for the redline feature class are as follows:
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
From Measure | Double | 8 | Yes | The starting measure of the alignment change. |
To Measure | Double | 8 | Yes | The ending measure of the alignment change. |
Route ID | String or GUID | 255 | No | The unique ID for the target route. |
Route Name | String | 38 | Yes | The name for the route. |
Effective Date | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the route change becomes effective. The date will be applied to events affected by the change. |
Activity Type | Short Integer | 5 | Yes | The edit activity that should be made, such as Extend Route. |
Network ID | Short Integer | 5 | Yes | The unique ID of the LRS Network. |
Redline features can be entered as accurately or as generally as you like. It is expected that a GIS analyst will verify the redline feature and ensure that accurate geometry is entered into the database. A roughly sketched redline indicates that a change to the LRS is required and provides a general location.
Network feature class
The network feature class contains the route features used in the LRS. These routes have attributes, geometry from the centerline feature class, and calibration from the calibration point feature class.
Combined, these elements constitute a route in the LRM that can be used to locate events on that route. Each route should have a unique route identifier, called a route ID. The route ID can be a single field or a concatenation of multiple fields. If the network will use a concatenated route ID, all of the fields that comprise the route ID should be present in the network feature class, in addition to the RouteId field.
The route ID field data should be consistent throughout networks, events, calibration point feature classes, and the centerline sequence feature table.
The minimum fields for the for the network feature class are as follows:
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
From Date | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the portion of centerline becomes an active part of the route |
To Date | Date | 8 | Yes | The date that the portion of centerline becomes a retired part of the route |
Route ID | String or GUID | 255 | No | Unique ID for the route |
Field | Data Type | Length | IsNullable | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fields that comprise the routeID field. | String, Short Integer, and Long Integer | Less than or equal to the RouteId field length | Yes | The fields that comprise the concatenated route ID for the network. Each field should be modeled separately in the network feature class. |
Events
For information on the events data model, see Events data model.
For information on the intersection data model, see Creating an LRS intersection class.