WHERE DOES IT START? AND WHY THIS APPLICATION?
An efficiently functioning application means meeting the needs of all parties, transparency and functionality. Below, on the example of our latest project, you can read about the needs that led to the development of this version of the application for Warsaw. Based on the requirements of local government units and the investment department, application functionalities were developed to meet the expectations of all parties. Of course, the system is flexible and can grow as needs expand, which happened many times in this project.
NEEDS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS:
Control over expenses
Project for external financing
Between residents, the city council and the energy network manager
Energy, environment, expenses
NEEDS OF INVESTMENT DEPARTMENTS:
SO WHAT DO YOU EXACTLY NEED?
The most important system requirements:
- Road lighting management
- Reports
- Printout generation
- Attachment management
- Objects history
- User project management
- Import of DXF files
- Lighting modernisation module
- Mobile application with failure reporting module
THE FUTURE OF LIGHTING MANAGEMENT IS WRITTEN IN BIG DATA…
Now some technical data. How the database is constructed, server language and data access.
Description of System components:
1.PostgreSQL database with the PostGIS extension in the latest version (as of the date of signing the acceptance protocol). The database is available under the BSD license (which is an open source license). The database will be a source of spatial and non-spatial data, which will be managed (adding, modifying and deleting) by the Application Server.
2.Application server. The application server is written in Python 3 and is based on the Flask framework. The Application Server does not have a GUI (graphical user interface) – access to the Application is provided through a set of client applications.
3.A web application. A web application, available to authorized users, enabling the performance of activities related to the operation of the lighting network in accordance with the granted authorizations. The application has a convenient, intuitive graphical interface, is available entirely in Polish, and its installation does not require additional tools (e.g. additional browser plug-ins). The web application has editing tools for editing spatial data and predefined analytical tools.
4.Mobile application. A dedicated mobile application, created for the Android operating system, is designed to work in field conditions (also without access to the Internet). The application’s task is to provide necessary information about the network,
5.Plugin for QGIS Desktop. It is an extension to a very popular and widely used suite of applications for handling spatial data. The purpose of the plug-in is to enable authorized users to load spatial data collected in the system into the QGIS environment and to perform advanced spatial analyses, use the data in building analytical models, advanced printouts, etc. The QGIS Desktop software environment can also be used for advanced data editing.
6.The data integrator is a microservice used to periodically download data from the “Pogotowie ZDM” System, transforming their structure to an optimal structure for the System.
7.Data integrator for lighting control is a microservice used to facilitate two-way communication between the System and systems supporting controllers for managing physical lighting devices.
In short: data from other, already created databases can be imported into the application. The application itself creates its own database, the data of which is archived and updated periodically. Information for the user’s needs can be accessed via the website – in full scope or in a more preview mode from the mobile application. For specialists and fans of working in QGIS, we offer a plug-in that extends the functionality. Thus, when working in WWW, QGIS or an app, you can add and edit data, which is saved and updated on an ongoing basis.
Features of the Warsaw system
- Infrastructure data (web and field work)
- Management of access to information (permissions)
- Catalogs of luminaires, poles, cables, etc.
- Creating individual map projects
- Data structure and network logic (relations)
- Data update (editor panel, dxf, backgrounds)
- Reporting a failure
- Individual reports, monthly reports
- Modernization and lighting design
- Planning new investments – preparing data for tenders
- Registration of changes
- Archiving historical infrastructure data
In the process of modernizing all road lighting, it was important to know what the traffic situations were like, because only the fixtures and, conditionally, the booms were changed, but the spacing of the poles did not change. In order to calculate the most appropriate luminaires for subsequent street sections, designers had to have a full set of data, which had been taken from databases owned by the city before the calculation work began. Of course, all new data about the luminaires and all information needed by the assembly teams were also entered into the system so that they could be used for the modernization process. Because designated people had administrator rights, they could also modify the input data on an ongoing basis. It is known that inventories always have some percentage of errors…
More secrets of subsequent functionalities and change processes will appear in subsequent posts. We invite you to read 😉
