Wayfinding doesn't guess where people can walk — it follows a path network you draw into each level's SVG artwork. The quality of your routes is decided almost entirely at this stage, so it's worth getting the network right before you switch wayfinding on. This guide covers what to draw, and the habits that keep routes accurate.
What the path network is
A path network is simply a set of lines drawn along every corridor, walkway, aisle and open route a visitor can travel. Mapvera reads those lines out of your level image and builds a routing graph from them: the drawn route line always snaps onto this network, so anywhere you want people to be able to walk needs a line. Nowhere else is walkable.
Draw it well
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Put paths down the centre of walkable space
Run each line along the middle of the corridor or aisle, not against a wall. Routes are drawn directly on top of your lines, so a centred network reads as a natural walking route rather than one hugging the furniture.
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Cover every walkable space
Any place a route might need to pass through — corridors, lobbies, open plazas, car-park aisles — needs a line. A gap in the network is a place no route can cross.
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Keep lines simple
Straight segments with clean corners route better than fussy, hand-wobbled curves. Mapvera smooths the final drawn line for you, so you don't need to pre-round your corners.
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Make one connected network, not many stray lines
Every line should join the rest of the network somewhere. Two lines that never meet become separate islands — and a visitor can't be routed from one island to another. Junctions are covered in their own guide.
See the guide "Make paths connect at junctions" for exactly how two lines are judged to meet.
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Reach every destination
A landmark can only be routed to if the network actually reaches it. Bring a path line up to (or into) each place you want to be a destination, so there's somewhere for the route to end.
Stroke width matters
Mapvera decides whether two lines connect from how their strokes visually overlap, so the stroke width you draw with isn't just cosmetic — it sets how forgiving the connections are. A reasonable, consistent stroke width across the network means ends that look joined actually are joined. Hair-thin lines are unforgiving; wildly varying widths make connections unpredictable.
Multiple levels
Each level has its own image, so each level needs its own path network. Draw the walkable lines into every level's artwork, and connect the levels with stair and lift portals — that's covered in "Route across multiple levels".