settings

The settings object contains global RouteCloud optimizer flags that are used to specify how constraints and violations are treated when routes are built, sequenced, and evaluated.

Name Type Description
clustering string Valid values are automatic, centroid, and natural. See Clustering Settings. Defaults to automatic.
centroid_strength string Defines whether driver.centroid is a hard constraint. If high, the driver will only be assigned jobs close to their centroid. If low, the driver may be assigned jobs far from their centroid, if there is no other work available. Defaults to high.
critical_violations violation_type[] When building, inserting a job, or recommending routes, these violation types are never violated.
defaults problem_defaults Default values that are used by the optimizer for various cases where explicit values are not provided on the route, driver, or vehicle.
disable_unrouting_stops boolean Defines if routed jobs are prevented from becoming unrouted during optimization. Only applies to the optimize call. Defaults to false.
enable_explicit_vehicles boolean Defines if the request should contain explicit vehicle objects. If false, all routes will have an anonymous vehicle generated for them based on their inline vehicle fields. Defaults to true if there are vehicle objects in the request, otherwise defaults to false. See Routing with Vehicles.
enable_front_loading boolean Defines if servicing jobs on earlier dates, where possible, is preferred. Defaults to false.
enable_historic_traffic boolean Defines if historic traffic data is used during optimization. If enabled, RouteCloud takes into account the time of day and historical traffic conditions at the location when calculating route times. Defaults to false. Requires Advanced Optimizer Settings.
enable_legal_breaks boolean Defines if legal breaks are used. If enabled, any values on route.breaks are ignored. Defaults to false. See Routing with Driver Breaks.
enable_mid_route_return_to_depot boolean Defines if drivers can return to their start location during a route to reset their route.load_capacity. Defaults to false. See Routing with Capacities.
legal_break_duration timespan If legal breaks are enabled, this defines the amount of non-working time given by a break. See Routing with Driver Breaks.
legal_break_interval timespan If legal breaks are enabled, this defines the maximum amount of working time between breaks. See Routing with Driver Breaks.
max_working_time_as_hard_constraint boolean If enabled, the route's max working time is never violated when building routes. Defaults to true. See Routing with Shifts.
return_to_depot_strategy string Optional. Available only if the enable_mid_route_return_to_depot setting is enabled. Defines which depot drivers can return to mid-route (before the next stop). Valid values are return_to_start (all return_to_depot stops return to the route's start location) and nearest_depot (all return_to_depot stops go to the depot location that is nearest to the current job). Defaults to return_to_start. See Routing with Capacities.
route_paths string Defines if the path to the stop is returned on stop_response.path_to_stop. Defaults to false.
time_windows_as_hard_constraint boolean If enabled, time windows are never violated when building routes. Defaults to false. See Routing with Time Windows.
notes string Free-form notes relating to the Problem. These have no effect on optimization.
workload_balancing string Valid values are stops_per_route and none. See Workload Balancing. Defaults to none.
return_assignment_restrictions boolean Defines if stop_response.assignment_restrictions are returned for unroutable stops. Defaults to false.
prefer_colocated_jobs_to_same_route boolean Defines if the optimizer puts stops in the same location onto only one route, if possible, even if it costs more. Defaults to false.

Clustering Settings

The clustering setting controls the shape of the routes produced.

  • automatic - Let RouteCloud choose the best clustering strategy. This is the recommended option and should always be used unless advised otherwise by Verizon Connect.
  • natural - Minimise the driving between jobs in the job area. This encourages clustering, while still allowing RouteCloud to adapt to the natural geography and road networks of the cluster area.
  • centroid - Minimise the average radius of the job area. This encourages tight circular clusters, but can potentially disallow the lowest cost routes from being produced.

Workload Balancing

The workload_balancing setting can be used indicate to the optimizer a solution where work is more evenly distributed across all available routes is preferable to minimizing the total driving time, distance & number of drivers required.

  • stops_per_route - Prefer assigning a similar number of stops to each available route over minimizing driver times & distances.
  • none - Default behavior, the optimizer will aim to minimize driving time & number of routes required

Example

{
  "time_windows_as_hard_constraint": true,
  "max_working_time_as_hard_constraint": false,
  "enable_historic_traffic": true,
  "critical_violations": ["route_over_max_jobs", "multiday_route_over_max_days"]
}

See Also