Custom Routes User Guide

Use custom routes to:

• Avoid restricted or shallow areas

• Control speed and delays

• Model realistic transit times and weather exposure

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Where to Set Up Routes

You can configure routes in two places:

Simulation Case

1. Open your simulation case

2. Go to Bases

3. Select a port or offshore base

4. Open Routes

Input Library

1. Open Input Library

2. Go to Bases

3. Select a port or offshore base

4. Open Routes

The route planner opens with:

• Map (left): Draw and edit routes

• Settings (right): Route configuration

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Creating a Custom Route

Step 1: Add a Route

• Click Add new route

• Drawing mode activates on the map

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Step 2: Define Route Settings (Required)

Basic

• Route name → Use a clear, descriptive name
  Example: “Esbjerg → Wind Farm A (Standard)”

• Route color → Helps distinguish routes visually

Required Rules

These determine when the route is used:

• Logistic types

  • Select logistics types allowed to use the route

  • Must match the logistics types in your case

• Logistic load status

  • Loaded

  • Unloaded

  • Loaded and Unloaded (recommended)

• Default route

  • Yes → Automatically applied

  • No → Must be explicitly assigned

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Optional Restrictions

• Destinations

  • Limit route to specific wind farms or bases

  • Leave empty to allow all destinations 

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Adding Waypoints

A route must have at least 2 waypoints.

Option 1: Draw on the Map (Recommended)

1. Click Edit on map

2. Click on the map to add waypoints

3. Click Stop editing when finished

Option 2: Manual Entry

• Click Add new waypoint

• Enter coordinates manually

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Waypoint Options

Each waypoint can include:

• Latitude & Longitude (required)

• Weather data ID → Link local weather data

• Speed limit → For harbors or safety zones

• Time delay → Mandatory waiting time (hours)

• Power law exponent → Wind shear adjustment

You can:

• Drag waypoints on the map

• Reorder waypoints in the list

• Delete waypoints at any time

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Why Isn’t My Route Being Used?

Most issues are configuration mismatches. Check these in order:

1. Logistics Type Match

• Route allows CTV

• Your case uses SOV
  ➡️ Route will not be used

Fix: Add the correct logistic types

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2. Load Status Match

• Route set to Loaded

• Vessel is returning empty
  ➡️ Route will not be used

Fix: Use Loaded and Unloaded unless you need different paths

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3. Destination Allowed

• Route restricted to Wind Farm A

• Vessel travels to Wind Farm B
  ➡️ Route will not be used

Fix: Add destination or leave destination empty

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5. Default Route Missing

• No route marked as default
  ➡️ Routes may not apply automatically

Fix: Mark one route as default

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7. Wrong Base

• Route created on Port A

• Logistics operate from Port B
  ➡️ Route will not be used

Fix: Configure routes on the correct base

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Best Practices

Naming

Use names that explain why the route exists:

• ✅ “Esbjerg → WF-A (Heavy Load)”

• ❌ “Route 2”

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Route Strategy

• One default route per base

• Separate routes for:

  • Weather conditions

  • Loaded vs unloaded logistics

  • Different logistics types

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Safety & Realism

• Add speed limits near:

  • Ports

  • Wind farms

  • Traffic zones

  • Roads

• Use time delays for:

  • Port clearance

  • Safety procedures

• Link weather data where conditions matter

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Custom Routes: Speed Limits & Weather Data (Simple Explanation)

When you use custom routes, each waypoint can control:

• how fast a vessel is allowed to travel

• which weather conditions are checked

The important rule is:

Once you understand that, everything else makes sense.

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How Waypoints Affect a Route

Think of a route as a series of segments between points:

Base → Waypoint A → Waypoint B → Wind Farm

Each segment is controlled by the next point in the sequence.

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Speed Limits: How They Work

Key Rule

A speed limit set on a waypoint applies to the entire segment before that waypoint.

Example

Waypoint	Speed Limit
Waypoint A	None
Waypoint B	5 knots

What happens?

• Base → Waypoint A

  • No speed limit

  • Vessel uses normal transit speed

• Waypoint A → Waypoint B

  • Waypoint B has a 5-knot limit

  • Vessel slows down for the entire segment

• Waypoint B → Wind Farm

  • Uses wind farm’s in-park speed limit (if defined)

  • Otherwise returns to normal speed

💡 Remember:
Speed limits control how fast the vessel travels toward a waypoint.

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Weather Data: How It’s Checked

Weather works the same way as speed limits.

Key Rule

Weather conditions are checked using the dataset assigned to the waypoint the vessel is traveling toward.

Example

Waypoint	Weather Dataset
Waypoint A	None
Waypoint B	Custom dataset

What happens?

• Base → Waypoint A

  • No dataset on Waypoint A

  • Uses Base weather data

• Waypoint A → Waypoint B

  • Uses Waypoint B’s weather data

  • Vessel may wait here if conditions exceed limits

• Waypoint B → Wind Farm

  • Uses Wind Farm weather data

💡 This allows different parts of the route to experience different weather conditions.

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What This Means in Practice

Travel Time

For each segment, the simulation:

1. Measures distance

2. Applies the lower of:

   • vessel’s max speed

   • waypoint speed limit

3. Calculates travel time

Example

• Distance: 30 nautical miles

• Normal speed: 12 knots → 2.5 hours

• Speed limit: 5 knots → 6 hours

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Weather Delays

• If weather at a waypoint exceeds vessel limits:

  • The vessel waits at that segment

  • Delays are recorded at that waypoint

• Different segments can have different waiting times

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When to Use These Settings

Use Speed Limits to:

• Slow vessels near ports

• Model narrow channels

• Enforce safety zones

• Control approach speeds to wind farms

Use Weather Datasets to:

• Model offshore vs nearshore conditions

• Reflect regional weather differences

• Improve realism in long transit routes

Leave Fields Empty When:

• You just need navigation guidance

• You want default base or wind farm behavior

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Common Questions

What if I don’t set weather on a waypoint?
→ The simulation uses the previous location’s weather.

Can I slow vessels inside the wind farm?
→ Yes, but the in-park speed limit is usually better than waypoint limits.

Does direction matter?
→ No. Routes apply the same rules in reverse if vessels travel back.

What if the speed limit is higher than the vessel’s max speed?
→ The vessel uses its own maximum speed.

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Key Takeaway

If a vessel:

• slows down unexpectedly → check the next waypoint

• waits for weather → check the weather dataset on the next waypoint

Once you think in “segments leading into waypoints”, route behavior becomes predictable and easy to control.