Create a dataset using a GeoJson package (Preview)

Note

Azure Maps Creator retirement

The Azure Maps Creator indoor map service is now deprecated and will be retired on 9/30/25. For more information, see End of Life Announcement of Azure Maps Creator.

Azure Maps Creator enables users to import their indoor map data in GeoJSON format with Facility Ontology 2.0, which can then be used to create a dataset.

Prerequisites

• An Azure Maps account
• A Subscription key
• An Azure Maps Creator resource
• An Azure storage account
• Basic understanding of Creator for indoor maps
• Basic understanding of Facility Ontology 2.0
• Zip package containing all required GeoJSON files. If you don't have GeoJSON files, you can download the Contoso building sample.

Important

• This article uses the us.atlas.microsoft.com geographical URL. If your Creator service wasn't created in the United States, you must use a different geographical URL. For more information, see Access to Creator services.
• In the URL examples in this article you will need to replace {Your-Azure-Maps-Subscription-key} with your Azure Maps subscription key.

Create dataset using the GeoJSON package

For more information on the GeoJSON package, see the Geojson zip package requirements section.

Upload the GeoJSON package

Follow the steps outlined in the How to create data registry article to upload the GeoJSON package into your Azure storage account then register it in your Azure Maps account.

Important

Make sure to make a note of the unique identifier (udid) value, you will need it. The udid is how you reference the GeoJSON package you uploaded into your Azure storage account from your source code and HTTP requests.

Create a dataset

A dataset is a collection of map features, such as buildings, levels, and rooms. To create a dataset from your GeoJSON, use the new Dataset Create API. The Dataset Create API takes the udid you got in the previous section and returns the datasetId of the new dataset.

Important

This is different from the previous version of the Dataset Create API in that it doesn't require a conversionId from a converted drawing package.

To create a dataset:

1. Enter the following URL to the dataset service. The request should look like the following URL (replace {udid} with the udid obtained in Upload the GeoJSON package section):

https://us.atlas.microsoft.com/datasets?api-version=2023-03-01-preview&udid={udid}&subscription-key={Your-Azure-Maps-Subscription-key}

1. Copy the value of the Operation-Location key in the response header. The Operation-Location key is also known as the status URL and is required to check the status of the dataset creation process and to get the datasetId, which is required to create a tileset.

Check the dataset creation status

To check the status of the dataset creation process and retrieve the datasetId:

1. Enter the status URL you copied in Create a dataset. The request should look like the following URL:

   https://us.atlas.microsoft.com/datasets/operations/{operationId}?api-version=2023-03-01-preview&subscription-key={Your-Azure-Maps-Subscription-key}
   

2. In the Header of the HTTP response, copy the value of the unique identifier contained in the Resource-Location key.

   https://us.atlas.microsoft.com/datasets/**c9c15957-646c-13f2-611a-1ea7adc75174**?api-version=2023-03-01-preview

Add data to an existing dataset

Data can be added to an existing dataset by providing the datasetId parameter to the Dataset Create API along with the unique identifier of the data you wish to add. The unique identifier can be either a udid or conversionId. This creates a new dataset consisting of the data (facilities) from both the existing dataset and the new data being imported. Once the new dataset has been created successfully, the old dataset can be deleted.

One thing to consider when adding to an existing dataset is how the feature IDs are created. If a dataset is created from a converted drawing package, the feature IDs are generated automatically. When a dataset is created from a GeoJSON package, feature IDs must be provided in the GeoJSON file. When appending to an existing dataset, the original dataset drives the way feature IDs are created. If the original dataset was created using a udid, it uses the IDs from the GeoJSON, and will continue to do so with all GeoJSON packages appended to that dataset in the future. If the dataset was created using a conversionId, IDs will be internally generated, and will continue to be internally generated with all GeoJSON packages appended to that dataset in the future.

Add to dataset created from a GeoJSON source

If your original dataset was created from a GoeJSON source and you wish to add another facility created from a drawing package, you can append it to your existing dataset by referencing its conversionId, as demonstrated by this HTTP POST request:

https://us.atlas.microsoft.com/datasets?api-version=2023-03-01-preview&conversionId={conversionId}&outputOntology=facility-2.0&datasetId={datasetId}

Identifier	Description
conversionId	The ID returned when converting your drawing package.
datasetId	The dataset ID returned when creating the original dataset from a GeoJSON package.

Geojson zip package requirements

The GeoJSON zip package consists of one or more RFC 7946 compliant GeoJSON files, one for each feature class, all in the root directory (subdirectories aren't supported), compressed with standard Zip compression and named using the .ZIP extension.

Each feature class file must match its definition in the Facility Ontology 2.0 and each feature must have a globally unique identifier.

Feature IDs can only contain alpha-numeric (a-z, A-Z, 0-9), hyphen (-), dot (.) and underscore (_) characters.

Tip

If you want to be certain you have a globally unique identifier (GUID), consider creating it by running a GUID generating tool such as the Guidgen.exe command line program (Available with Visual Studio). Guidgen.exe never produces the same number twice, no matter how many times it is run or how many different machines it runs on.

Facility ontology 2.0 validations in the Dataset

Facility Ontology 2.0 defines how Azure Maps Creator internally stores facility data, divided into feature classes, in a Creator dataset. When importing a GeoJSON package, anytime a feature is added or modified, a series of validations run. This includes referential integrity checks and geometry and attribute validations. These validations are described in more detail in the following list.

• The maximum number of features that can be imported into a dataset at a time is 150,000.
• The facility area can be between 4 and 4,000 Sq Km.
• The top level element is facility, which defines each building in the file facility.geojson.
• Each facility has one or more levels, which are defined in the file levels.goejson.
  • Each level must be inside the facility.
• Each level contains units, structures, verticalPenetrations and openings. All items defined in the level must be fully contained within the Level geometry.
  • unit can consist of an array of items such as hallways, offices and courtyards, which are defined by area, line or point elements. Units are defined in the file unit.goejson.
    • All unit elements must be fully contained within their level and intersect with their children.
  • structure defines physical, non-overlapping areas that can't be navigated through, such as a wall. Structures are defined in the file structure.goejson.
  • verticalPenetration represents a method of navigating vertically between levels, such as stairs and elevators and are defined in the file verticalPenetration.geojson.
    • verticalPenetrations can't intersect with other verticalPenetrations on the same level.
  • openings define traversable boundaries between two units, or a unit and verticalPenetration and are defined in the file opening.geojson.
    • Openings can't intersect with other openings on the same level.
    • Every opening must be associated with at least one verticalPenetration or unit.