AGRAPH;Complementary Software forSpace Syntax Axial-Line Analyses

Paper 070 at SSS7KTH, Stockholm , June 2009

Bendik Manum, M.Arch, M.Sc., Ph.DFaculty of Architecture and Fine ArtNorwegian University of Science and Technology

Software Programming:Espen Rusten

Why more space syntax software?

-The possibility of doing all operations (modelling/ drawing, editing, calculation and making images suited for presentation) within one program, - without “external” (and expensive) software.

-When attempting to abstract a real urban space into a space syntax model you very soon look for other modelling/drawing options than the very basic axial-line model. Therefore, numerous software has been developed. Software that all together handle most of the options one might request, - but not yet in one single program. (Depthmap, S3, PLACESYNTAX, AJAX,Mindwalk ++)

Short on previous version of “AGRAPH”(presented at 5th Space Syntax Symposium)

A space syntax tool for drawing and calculating “node and connection models”

Main features:“Easy to use interface”, particularly aiming at drawing/modelling, calculating and making printable images within one software

• Drawing nodes and connections

• Colouring the nodes (here according to function)

• Justifying the graph by “click-and-drag” (and “snap to grid”)

• Saving the justified graph as printable image (of .jpg format)

• exporting table of space-syntax parameters

• Colouring nodes (vertexes) by space syntax parameters, (here: by integration, - as RA)

• Coloured by “depth from root-node” (here : upper right corner)

- or by Control Value

The new version, ”AGRAPH with line-mode”,- Software for axial-line analyses

The new version, ”AGRAPH with line-mode”,- Software for axial-line analyses

Main features:

Drawing/editing axial-maps, doing space-syntax calculations and making printable images within one software (similar to previous version, -“node- mode”)

Options for easy “modelling” of real-life situations not easily captured by “basic” (or “automatically generated”) axial-line models

• connect / disconnect (at a particular intersection)

• disconnect all intersections of a particular line- element (an reconnect to selected lines only)

• “merge lines” (manual merging of several lines into one “space-syntax-element”)

• “barrier lines” ( to model barrier-like traffic, when a street is a border or barrier rather that a “connecting space” )

(options useful for modelling situations such as bridges/tunnels, curved or slightly bended roads, “barrier-like-traffic” and “layer-like” spatial structures)

• Open AGRAPH,

• Select “Line mode”

Select background image (usually a map)

Select image file

If necessary: “rotate map”

zoom

“set line colour”

(if black does not work well with colours of map/ background image)

Turn on “draw lines” (by click button)

Draw line (by two mouse-clicks per line, not three or four)

“disconnect “ (“unlink”)

“show unlinks” (on/off)

“colour by integration”

(integration as RA, no normalisation RRA, i=1/RRA)

“merge lines”,

- for modelling curved or slightly bended roads

“merge lines”, Click at connection and then click “merge”

“show merged lines” (on/off)

Here, five lines merged (at four intersections)

merged lines becomes one space-syntax-element, - one element with no internal “space syntax distance”

integration,

- with five lines merged - with lines not merged

disconnect / connect

merge / unmerge

tunnels or bridges

(or stairs/elevators between floor-plans)

to draw a bridge or tunnel element:

select the line

then “disconnect at all links”

The line is now totally disconnected and must be manually connected at selected intersections

Here: connections made to “ring road”

Integration with “bridge/tunnel” connected to “ring-road”

What happens if merging “tunnel-line” with “ring-road-element” ? (describing a motorway-system without traffic jam ?)

Integration when “tunnel-line” is merged with “ring-road”

The option “barrier - line”

Select line (by click at line), then click “properties”

select property barrier = “true”

The barrier-line is now disconnected from other lines at all intersections, and the crossing lines are “cut in two”

The barrier-line must then be manually connected at selected intersections (if not done, the system will contain “disconnected line”)

Integration of axial-map with one “barrier-line”

“barrier-line”

Here “do calculation” after moving the “barrier-line”

(“breaking points” of crossing lines follow as a barrier-line is moved)

A “merged-line” can be a “barrier - line”

For download and information, see:

http://www.ntnu.no/ab/spacesyntax

or email:

bendik.manum@ntnu.no