Tag: 3d wayfinder

WordPress Indoor Map Plugin for indoor maps is an easy way to integrate building directory to your WordPress website. Keep the tenant info in sync on all your channels – web, mobile and kiosk. It allows you to connect locations on map with WordPress pages, show logos and additional info.

We have developed WordPress indoor map plugin for 3D Wayfinder. Plugin comes with stand-alone location management, but in can be used also with directory content from 3D Wayfinder.

Plugin provides map, that can be included in any WordPress page. Besides interactive map, there are also search and browsing features. Floorplans are clickable, and it is also possible to link WordPress pages with map. This is a very useful plugin for all shopping malls, universities, airports, train stations and other similar institutions. The customer can open the 3D wayfinder map from their own device and click and move as needed.

Until the end of December we are offering WordPress Map plugin for $750 (one time fee, no monthly costs).

Named offer stands for all webpages on WordPress platform (we have done integrations with other CMS-software also, contact us about other options). 

The plugin is not yet listed in WordPress plugin directory, but it will be soon. we are working on adding simple 2D floor plan editor, so maps can be designed directly inside WordPress.

We have made a mobile-friendly web application for large corn maze. Application helps to navigate in the maze, but at same time it will not disappear the fun of finding the right path in maze. Continue reading to see, how that’s possible.

Our customer Port Farms is operating large corn maze in Pennsylvania, not far from Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The maze labyrinth will be updated every year and it is more than 500 feet in length and 300 feet wide.

We have created a web-based mobile application for Port Farms, with a map of the maze. When starting, the map tiles are not visible. At the entry point of each section, there is QR-code and by scanning the code a part of the maze map will open.

It is similar to strategic computer games, where you cannot see the whole map, but just the part you have discovered. By using 3D Wayfinder geolocation API, the actual location is shown by a red dot.

You may ask, why do you need to provide the map in maze or labyrinth at all? One thing is to wonder around the maze and finally get your way out. Another thing is to explore (and in some way we may even say to “conquer”) the maze and discover it. Without needing paper and pen, you just scan the QR codes and open up the map. But it doesn’t mean that you will see the right way through. You still have to try and guess.

3D Wayfinder with similar tiled maps can be used in any other maze, labyrinth or theme park. By scanning the code or following the link, you can add information layers to the map and get the needed info at the right location.

Having a wayfinding solution, for any type of establishment, is a sure way to take the visitors’ experience to a new level. Wayfinding allows people to save time and reduce stress by making navigating easy. You can get acquainted with the building and find the fastest routes. At a time of a pandemic, wayfinding also makes things safer. However there is so much more that 3D Wayfinder has to offer withour integrated solutions! For instance, let’s talk about wayfinding advertisement.

Making Full Use of Your Platform

When choosing 3D Wayfinder, you have a choice between an on-site kiosk solution, mobile application or a website integration. Or all of them! It is our view, that once you’ve chosen to have a wayfinding solution for your venue, it is silly not to apply it to it’s full potential. The two main benefits of wayfinding advertising are making the visitors’ experience more pleasant and getting a return on your investment.

Making Shopping Easier

The most obvious way to use wayfinding advertising is through banner ads displaying videos, images or animations. But we can create even more useful solutions.

For example, imagine just going shopping without a specific item to buy in your mind. You check the nearby kiosk to see what stores there are in the center. The intuitive 3D model and building directory will give you an understanding of the building, but in addition to that, the shops with an ongoing sale are highlighted. It is also possible to develop an option to search for specific items in the mall or to browse all the items on sale. You can also give high priority stores a leg up by displaying their items first.

Another clever way to notify customers is through indoor positioning and mobile apps. As the customer is moving through the venue the mobile app can send them notifications about sales in stores that they’re passing. If the app has more detailed information about the user, like age, gender or interests, it can send out even better targeted notifications.

In conclusion, there are nearly endless ways to further integrate our wayfinding and venue management solutions into your enterprise. These innovations allow you to save money and streamline your operations. In addition the upgraded customer experience will surely keep people coming back!

To find out more you can contact us here or apply for a quote here!

The Corona epidemic has far reaching consequences in all sectors. Everything from the obvious health, economic to social issues are influenced. However there are also many smaller matters that aren’t immediately apparent. For instance, the role of touch screens and kiosks in the spread and stopping of the pandemic.

Kiosks during the Corona Pandemic

The use of kiosks during the Corona pandemic is a double edged sword. Since SARS-CoV-2 can spread through direct contact with other people, social distancing is highly advisable. However life must go on and everything can not be done online. Many jobs can not be done from a home office. Sometimes seeing the doctor in person is unavoidable. Therefore we need new solutions that allow us to conduct certain transactions without human contact, for example paying for products and services, printing prescriptions, asking for directions. These are all things that kiosks can be utilized for. However using touch-screen kiosks could in fact help spread the virus, if not done properly.

One way to make the kiosks safer would be to sanitize them in regular intervals. That however would be redundant as popular locales will have people using kiosks constantly. Placing a hand sanitizer bottle also may not be enough as not everybody cares enough about their own and other’s health.

Making Kiosks Safe Again!

One ingenious solution comes from Freetouch. This solution allows users to access touchscreens without ever touching it. The user can click, drag, scroll throughout the display just as they would with a laptop. This means that companies don’t need to make any additional investments in an already uneasy time. Also, the solution is quite Eco-friendly as there are no hand sanitizers or personal protective equipment being used!

A novel solution like Freetouch might be a bit confusing for some people, who just want to carry on as they did before the pandemic. Thankfully there are ways to make the screens of kiosks themselves kill bacteria. Many companies now have come forth with anti-microbial coating for touch screens. This coating can be added to touch screens without installing a completely new kiosk.

Voice activated kiosks are also an option of course. This kind of solution also makes kiosks more accessible for people who may not be ale to use touch screens because of a disability.

Investing In the Future

These are just some examples of human ingenuity overcoming the difficulties created by the current pandemic. The thing to remember is that this will not be the last pandemic to hit our global community. The investments we make in our safety will pay dividends for generations to come. Making the world more accessible through wayfinding and self-service kiosks will help curb unnecessary costs for enterprises and help keep us safe.

Internet connection can be a fickle thing. Everything from natural conditions and technical problems to human error can jeopardize a stable connection. As a result, offline wayfinding may be needed as a fail-safe. For instance, a shopping mall might have issues with their internet connection because of the internet provider. This would mean that, without offline wayfinding, their investment into a kiosk or digital signage screen would suffer needlessly.

Offline wayfinding to the rescue

But we have a solution! Two solutions actually. Firstly, it’s possible to create an offline snapshot of the project. The add-on creates a static files of all the assets and modifies the template file for local use. To use the snapshot files you need a local web server  because modern browsers do not allow requests to local files. Also, the offline snapshot will still display advertisements and all other features, that don’t require internet connection. However, if you need to update the template you have to either connect the device to the internet or download an updated snapshot to a memory card and upload it manually to the device.

Secondly, you can opt for our Enterprise License, which allows you to host all files locally. This means that you can use our powerful CMS to manage all aspects of the template yourself, without any internet connection. All updates to the template, 3D model, advertisements or other integrations will be sent directly to the kiosks and screens. The devices need to be connected to the administrator panel either trough cables or a wireless network, like Wi-Fi for example.

In addition to offline wayfinding, choosing the Enterprise License can be a valuable investment. The Enterprise license enables you to have one hundred percent control over your data and host everything locally. This makes safety one less thing less to worry about. Also, you receive access to backend software, databases, maintenance scripts etc.

Contact our sales team to learn more!

Our goal at 3D Wayfinder has always been to bring affordable products and services, without sacrificing quality. Accordingly, we have made a few updates in our 3D model rendering. We are constantly updating our software to enhance your experience and to stay competitive in the venue management and digital signage market.

Like in motion pictures, computer graphics create images at a certain frequency – frames per second (FPS). This dictates how we perceive motion and the smoothness of it. For example, early silent films had a FPS of about 16-24. This was enough to give a lifelike representation of movement, that would amaze people. Our usual frame rate is 30 FPS, because anything larger is unnecessary. In addition, FPS also affects the performance of the devices that process it. Obviously, the higher the FPS and the level of detail, the more resources a device has to allocate to display it.

Our 3D models have a varied level of detail, according to the client’s wishes. For instance, a 3D model of a hospital can contain chairs, people and beds with pillows and blankets.

More Detailed Shadows Without Reducing Performance

In order to reduce pressure on the device’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) we have stopped the rendering of shadows for every frame. The position of a theoretical sun in the model is always the same. Therefore the shadows stay the same as well. There is no need to waste resources on rendering shadows again and again. The shadows still change according to the number of floors displayed. This allows the device to save energy and use it’s processing power for other needs.

Moreover, we added an option to increase the level of detail for shadows. Until now we used a 2048×2048 image for shadows, which is fine for smaller projects. Now it is possible to increase size from our settings page depending on the hardware capabilities of your project. This doesn’t reduce the device’s performance in a significant way, but does offer a more realistic experience.

These might be a small changes, but we believe that fine-tuning details like these make us the market leader!

Airports, harbors, railway stations and other junctions can be massive facilities. For example, the Shinjuku Station in Tokyo is one of the busiest in the world and services a million (!) people daily. The large number of commuters, staff, supplementary businesses and the train traffic itself need to be organized efficiently. This is the reason why wayfinding for transportation hubs should be considered.

Comprehensive venue management systems and wayfinding for transportation hubs

Finding your way in a crowded unfamiliar place under time pressure can be a stressful experience for anyone. Having an intuitive 3D model of a transportation hub online helps people preplan their movements and also reduces the need for staff. But 3D Wayfinder solutions are so much more than just pointing people in the right direction. There are nearly endless ways to integrate the needs and functions of a a facility into our systems.

Making life easier for travelers

The kiosk solutions are an excellent example of that. Kiosks can be used to print tickets or identification cards. In the Sepinggan International Airport we created a solution that allows people to scan the barcode on their ticket and get directions exactly to the gate they need. Furthermore, it’s possible to create an integrated solution that guides travelers beyond the transportation hub. Showing relevant public transportation schedules, taxi contacts and their fares or even weather forecasts.

Untapped business potential

Implementing 3DWayfinder solutions also means opportunities for all the businesses involved with the venue. You can have local sales and special offers for the cafes, stores and restaurants. A flight is delayed? Why not have a discount for those passengers in a nearby Starbucks! With the mobile app it is easy to notify people about these kinds of special offers. Also, the mobile app is useful for letting people know about delays or other important announcements.

Increasing the venue’s efficiency

Another important aspect to consider is the managerial opportunities. It is possible to remotely control things such as lighting, humidity and ventilation. Remotely locking or unlocking doors in times of emergencies could quite literally save lives. The kiosks, website and mobile app users also provide valuable information about how travelers move and which facilities are the most popular. These insights can help make the facility more customer friendly and efficient. This in turn will increase the venues popularity over time.

Wayfinding for transportation hubs is certainly a way to take your operations to a whole new level. There are always ways to improve and to automatize certain functions. Making finding your way in a busy terminal, and therefore increasing customer satisfaction, should be a priority for all transportation hubs. Combining this with increased business and streamlined operations will be a winning combination.

Get in touch with us to learn more!

We are facing a global public health crisis that is unprecedented. The effects of this event will have long term consequences in the social, economic, political and technological spheres. I have no doubt that we will emerge from these hard times sooner or later. It is up to us as individuals, workers and leaders to make sure that we learn from our past mistakes. Using wayfinding at a time of a pandemic can be a way to reduce human contact and to save lives.

Staying safe in these trying times

COVID-19 spreads through small respiratory droplets produced when people breathe, speak or cough. The virus isn’t airborne per se, but standing close to someone that is infected is dangerous. The best way to curb the spread of the virus is social distancing, washing your hands regularly and not touching your face with your hands.

Many countries and enterprises have enacted measures to limit people’s movement and contact with varying results. People in the most affected areas like Europe and China are advised to stay home as much as possible. This in return means that e-commerce is booming. Everything from toilet paper and food to spare parts for machines are ordered online. Yet there are some instances where leaving the house is unavoidable.

Reducing risk through 3D Wayfinder solutions

You might need to visit the doctor in person, conduct business that might not be safe to do online or buy something essential that just isn’t available online. Making sure that these kinds of interactions are safe for everybody involved is of the utmost of importance. Using 3D Wayfinding solutions can be a useful tool in this regard and can make a small difference.

Using large screens or kiosks to guide people through buildings is an obvious way to reduce human contact. Although using kiosks should be done with caution, as it is a possible point of spreading the virus, so proper hygiene must be applied. Having an online version or a mobile app with a 3D model of the building, that tells people which corridors to use or where to find certain services saves time and is safer.

In addition to wayfinding, there are many ways to integrate other features into your solution to keep people safe. A mobile application used by a firm’s employees is a good way to communicate and to give urgent information to everybody or to specific people. For example, in case of a fire, it is possible to show people the safest route to evacuate. Or you might need to remotely lock certain doors or shut down electricity . This is also possible to integrate into your unique solution.

It is quite certain that this won’t be the last time that we face a global pandemic that requires social distancing to stay safe. Now is definitely the best time to think about your employees’ and customers’ safety and invest in it. Customers will undoubtedly recognize and gravitate towards companies that value their health. Using wayfinding at a time of a pandemic and beyond will be a worthy investment.

Industry conferences and exhibitions have become an integral part of international business and networking. These sorts of events can include tens and even hundreds of thousands of attendees. Managing the orderly movement of these masses is essential to a successful event. 3D Wayfinder offers a number of solutions to help manage navigating and organizing the event. Read closer about wayfinder solutions for conference and exhibition venues.

The largest conference and exhibition venues stretch over massive areas and include exhibition and banquet halls, seminar and meeting rooms, dining areas and so on. In addition, inside the exhibition area there are various booths. A good way to help people navigate this maze would be either our 3D or 2D map. The main functions of these maps are to search for specific locations and to guide the attendees there. Besides that, these interactive maps can be customized to show timetables of events, descriptions of booths, relevant notifications and promotions. 

Endless ways to integrate different functionalities

It is possible to access these maps either through on-site kiosks, mobile apps or through a website. A mobile app would be a good choice as it can provide indoor positioning. This is excellent, as exhibitions are usually on such huge premises and quite crowded. Also, it is possible to integrate the mobile app or kiosk with various functions to assist with the overall organizing of the event. For instance, printing accreditation cards and coupons at the kiosk or giving people updates on weather and transport through the mobile app. The usage statistics can provide the organizers with helpful figures to make adjustments for the future. 

Events like these enable people from all over the world to share ideas and create a synergy that otherwise would rarely occur. For this reason it is essential to make these solutions accessible in multiple languages, which we provide. 

Each venue and event is different and require an unique approach. There are several ways to integrate the functionalities mentioned here, and others, to create the right solution just for you. Get in touch with us to find out what is the best wayfinder solutions for your conference and exhibition venues.

3D Wayfinder is proud to announce our new venture in helping Global Village Dubai to map their extensive theme park. Global Village is a massive theme park, where the diversity of human culture is showcased through cuisine, entertainment, music and architecture. The destination covers over 1,600,000 m2 and contains more than 200 outlets. During the 2018 season, the venue saw more than 7 million visitors! The question then becomes, how do you help guide people through this amazing maze?

3D Wayfinder helping Global Village Dubai visitors

Luckily we have the answer. In order to make navigating as simple as possible, for the very international crowd, our solution is based on Whatsapp, the most popular messenger app globally. The guest simply needs to type in where they want to go next and they will receive in return an URL, which will direct them to our Wayfinding resource. The device’s location will be located through GPS and the quickest route to the desired destination is generated. In addition, information about the attraction will be shown, e.g opening times, upcoming events or the menu. Convenient, right?

This is simply a 2D application of our capacities. We are providing our Wayfinding solution indoors as well, where relying on GPS isn’t an option. The basic concept is still based on triangulation, but instead of using satellites we utilize Bluetooth beacons. iBeacons and Eddystones are Bluetooth low energy devices that can broadcast their identifier to nearby portable electronic devices such as mobile phones or tablets. The other option is for people to insert their current location, e.g Starbucks, and their destination. This would make finding your way through an unfamiliar airport much less of a hassle. For instance, our Wayfinding solution for Changi airport in Singapore has without a doubt saved quite a few travellers from missing their flight. This is how 3D Wayfinder team helping Global Village Dubai visitors.

Contact us now to get the wayfinding solution that will meet your needs!