The Motionworks Viewshed Library provides a comprehensive reference for media inventory viewsheds - both Place-based and Roadside advertising displays - that have travel paths measured in Pathcast™ by Date.

What is a Viewshed?

A viewshed, also known as a "display exposure zone", is the geographical area that includes all points from which an advertisement may be seen by traffic or pedestrians. Each viewshed is precisely calculated using geometric modeling that considers:

• Display characteristics: Size, elevation, and orientation
• Environmental context: Place type, area type (urbanicity), and visual obstructions
• Traffic patterns: Direction and mode of all traffic flows
• Viewing geometry: Effective size within field of view and maximum noting distance

The viewshed methodology applies consistently across all media formats - from roadside billboards to place-based digital displays - ensuring accurate opportunity-to-see (OTS) calculations for both vehicular and pedestrian audiences. For comprehensive methodology details, see Viewcast Methodology.

Viewsheds and Path Measurement

Each viewshed serves as the foundation for traffic measurement by defining where movement paths are generated and measured. The Viewshed Library contains the geographic boundaries within which Pathcast™ by Date provides traffic volume data.

Viewsheds are calculated using rigorous geometric principles that ensure accurate visibility zones rather than arbitrary circular radii. This scientific approach provides the spatial framework for measuring traffic exposure across both traditional roadside inventory and modern place-based media networks.

Schema

Name	Description	Type	Example
viewshed_id	Motionworks identifier for the viewshed. In the Places Library, Viewsheds are referred to as Faces.	string	166000341715
audit_status_id	Motionworks audit status ID for this Place Face.	int	12
lon	Longitude of the display.	float	-87.206318
lat	Latitude of the display.	float	30.480777
orientation	Cardinal direction of the display expressed in degrees from north.	float	180.0
height_in	Height (inches) of the display.	float	168.0
width_in	Width (inches) of the display.	float	576.0
client_display_id	Client-facing display identifier for the face.	string	DSP-NYC-001
digital	True if the display shows digital media.	bool	false
modified	The date this record was last modified.	datetime	2023-12-20 02:23:43
max_noting_ft	Maximum noting distance — the furthest distance from which the face can reasonably be seen, in feet.	float	812.0
construction_type_name	Construction type of the display (Freestanding, Interior Wall, Furniture, Exterior Wall, Bus Exterior, Rooftop, etc.).	string	Freestanding
media_type_name	Media type based on the width and height of the face (Display, Panel, Junior Poster, Poster, Bulletin, Mural).	string	Bulletin
illumination_type_name	Illumination characterization of the face (Illuminated, Non-Illuminated, Backlit).	string	Illuminated
frame_rotating	True if the frame physically rotates between multiple ad copy positions.	bool	false
frame_full_motion	True if the frame supports full-motion video creative.	bool	true
frame_partial_motion	True if the frame supports partial-motion (animated but not full-video) creative.	bool	true
frame_interactive	True if the frame supports interactive creative (e.g., touch, mobile-tethered).	bool	false
frame_audio	True if the frame supports audio.	bool	false
spots	Ad-rotation spot definitions for digital faces (NULL for static faces). Each spot carries spot_id, spot_length, share_of_voice, and capability flags for audio / full-motion / partial-motion / interactive.	JSON	See Spots Structure
geography	The viewshed polygon. Expressed as Well-known text (WKT).	geography	POLYGON((-87.206318 30.480777, -87.2063943564203 30.4807769999778, …))