Clarification on Incorporating Multiple Terrain Materials in Ray Tracing Propagation Model

Hi,

I am currently working on evaluating path loss using the Ray Tracing propagation model in MATLAB. I have encountered a situation that I would like some clarification on.

In the propagationModel function, I understand that it allows me to specify only a single BuildingsMaterial and TerrainMaterial. However, in a real-world environment, the materials vary over a region for both buildings and terrain. While I have successfully customized the materials for buildings based on their locations, I am facing difficulty doing the same for the terrain.

Could you please advise on how to incorporate multiple terrain materials within OpenStreetMap files and proceed with Ray Tracing analysis accordingly?

Answer 1

[akshatsood]

Hi @Rahul Dutta,

As per my understanding, to address the challenge of incorporating multiple terrain materials in your Ray Tracing analysis using MATLAB, you can follow these steps:

Understand the Limitation: The "propagationModel" function in MATLAB is indeed designed to handle a single type of "BuildingsMaterial" and "TerrainMaterial" for the entire simulation.

Segment the Terrain: Since you want to use multiple terrain materials, consider segmenting your study area into different regions based on the terrain type. Each region can then be analyzed in isolation.

Custom Ray Tracing Script: You might need to create a custom script that iterates over different segments of your study area. For each segment:

• Set the appropriate "TerrainMaterial".
• Run the Ray Tracing analysis.
• Aggregate the results from different segments to obtain a comprehensive analysis.

Use OpenStreetMap (OSM) Data: If your terrain data is sourced from OpenStreetMap files, you can preprocess these files to categorize different terrain types. You can use tools like QGIS to edit and classify terrain types, then export these classifications to MATLAB.

Modify the Simulation: In your MATLAB script, load the segmented terrain data and then perform the following:

• For each segment, adjust the `propagationModel` parameters to reflect the specific terrain material.
• Run the simulation for each segment separately.

By segmenting the terrain and running separate simulations for each type of terrain material, you can effectively simulate a more realistic environment despite the limitations of the default "propagationModel" function. This approach allows for flexibility and a more tailored analysis of path loss in heterogeneous environments.

I hope this helps.