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TravelTime API
Overview
Developer Tools
Database Plugins
TravelTime API
SDK
TravelTime API
Isochrone API
JSON
Distance Map API
TravelTime API
Travel Time Matrix API
JSON
Travel Time Matrix API
Protocol Buffers
Routes API
JSON
Geocoding API
Additional API Reference
Error Handling
TravelTime API
ArcGIS plugin
QGIS plugin
Alteryx plugin
TravelTime.comchevronDocs

Reference manualanchor icon

This reference manual covers all features of the TravelTime plugin for QGIS.anchor icon

For an introduction about how to use it, you may prefer to have a look at the tutorials first. To learn more about TravelTime and to discuss commercial licences visit our website.

Quick toolsanchor icon

Quick Time Map
Time Map

Returns a polygon corresponding to the area that can be covered in a certain amount of time by your chosen mode of transport.

Quick Time Filter
Time Filter (Distance matrix)

Filter a set of points according to the travel time from a certain origin.

Routes
Route

Returns the door to door directions for an optimal route.

Quick Route
Geocoding

Translate addresses into coordinates or vice versa.

Installationanchor icon

Requirementsanchor icon

This plugin works on QGIS version 3.0 or higher.

Installanchor icon

The plugin can be installed using the QGIS plugin manager. Choose Manage and install plugins from the Plugin menu.

Installer

In the plugin manager window, make sure you are on the All tab, and search for TravelTime. The plugin will appear in the list. Select it in the list, and click on install.

Upgrade and uninstallanchor icon

If an update is available, you will get notified from the main QGIS window. The plugin can be upgraded or uninstalled from the plugin manager window.

User interfaceanchor icon

Splash screenanchor icon

Splash screen

After installation and on QGIS start, the plugin will show a splash screen. You can prevent it from showing again by checking the don't show again checkbox.

Toolbaranchor icon

QGIS Toolbar

Move, show or hideanchor icon

By default, the toolbar appears at the top of the window. You can drag and drop it to move it elsewhere, or completely toggle its visibility by right-clicking on an empty space of the user interface and by (un)checking “TravelTime toolbar”.

Contentanchor icon

QGIS-toolbox Open the QGIS processing toolbox showing available algorithms.

QGIS-rerun Rerun algorithm tool (to re-run a previously run algorithm)

QGIS-timemap Quick time map (map tool version of the the time map algorithm)

QGIS-timeFilter-express Quick time filter (map tool version of the the map filter algorithm)

QGIS-route-express Quick route (map tool version of the the route algorithm)

QGIS-geoclick Geoclick (simulate mouse clicks using the geocoder)

QGIS-tiles Show background tiles

QGIS-help Open online help

QGIS-settings Open the settings dialog

QGIS Menu

The same actions are also available from the plugin menu.

API limitanchor icon

At some point, you will hit the API limit, which will cause some queries to fail.

API Limit exceeded express

An API limit error when running a map tool

API Limit exceeded processing

An API limit error when running an algorithm

Each API key has a quota of queries that can be done. Currently, for free keys, this is around 10 searches / minute. Once this quota is reached, all subsequent queries fail for the cooldown period.

All successful queries are saved in a cache file on your computer. This means that after the cooldown period, you can rerun your algorithm, and it will only make calls to the API for the new queries, so that you can finish running your algorithm event if it failed before.

Toolsanchor icon

Rerun algorithmanchor icon

Re-opens the algorithm dialog with the same settings. To use this tool, you need to select a layer that was created from one of the algorithms in the legend.

This feature is very useful to tweak your queries without having to reset all parameters manually.

Quick Time Mapanchor icon

This runs the quick time map tool. In the background, the advanced time map algorithm will be run. This algorithm returns a polygon layer representing the area that can be reached from one point, or the area from which a point can be reached.

Usage : click the action, then click somewhere on the map canvas to create a time map. A new layer will be added to the project with the time time. That layer is a “temporary layer”. If you need to save it, right click on it in the legend, and choose Make permanent.

Configuration: click on the small arrow, then configure using the following widget. The time parameter uses your system local time, so you need to manually convert the time if you are working in different time zone.

TimeMap Config

Quick Time Filteranchor icon

This runs the quick time filter tool. In the background, the advanced time filter algorithm will be run. This algorithm allows to filter a point layer according to a time map search.

Usage: first, select a point layer in the legend, then click the action, then click somewhere on the map canvas to create a time map. A new layer will be added to the project with the reachable and unreachable points. That layer is a “temporary layer”. If you need to save it, right click on it in the legend, and choose Make permanent.

Configuration: click on the small arrow, then configure using the following widget. The time parameter uses your system local time, so you need to manually convert the time if you are working in different time zone.

TimeFilter Config

Quick Routeanchor icon

This runs the quick route tool. In the background, the advanced route algorithm will be run. This algorithm allows to compute the best route between points.

Usage: click the action, then click somewhere on the map canvas to define the starting point, and click again to define the destination point. A new layer will be added to the project containing the route. That layer is a “temporary layer”. If you need to save it, right click on it in the legend, and choose Make permanent.

Configuration: click on the small arrow, then configure using the following widget. The time parameter uses your system local time, so you need to manually convert the time if you are working in different time zone.

Route Config

Geoclickanchor icon

This runs the geoclick tool.

Usage : with any map tool enabled, enter an address in the input field next to the button, then click on the button. This will simulate a mouse click on the map at the address that you entered. It can be used with any map tool, including the quick tools.

In the background, the geocoding algorithm will be run.

Geoclick

Settings dialoganchor icon

The main settings dialog can be open using the QGIS-settings icon.

Config window

App ID and API Key : enter your App ID and API Key here. You need to do this step to be able to use the TravelTime web service. You can get the ID and the Key by email by clicking on the Get a free API key button and filling out the web form.

Clear cache : this button allows to clear the request cache. All requests are saved to a cache file, to avoid the need of hitting the API if an identical request was already made. By clearing the cache, all saved queries will be deleted. This shouldn’t be necessary unless you have a very high usage of the application and the cache file gets too big.

Log API calls to the message logs : this settings makes the plugin log all requests and responses to the QGIS Message Log, allowing to inspect what’s happening in case you encounter errors.

Disable HTTPS certificate verification : under certain circumstances (such as connection from an enterprise network), requests made from Python may fail because the SSL certificates can not be verified. If this happens, you can disable the verification by checking this box. Please be aware that this makes your requests to the API more vulnerable to interception by an attacker.

Customize endpoint : if you are not using the default TravelTime API endpoint, you can customize it here.

Help dialoganchor icon

The online help dialog can be open using the QGIS-help icon.

Help window

This dialog shows the online help directly in QGIS.

Return to help index : returns to the home page of the online help in case you got lost.

Open in browser : opens your browser at the same page, which may be more comfortable to browse the documentation.

Background tilesanchor icon

The background tiles icon QGIS-tiles opens up the browser at the XYZ tiles section. To use a background layer, double click it in the list or drag it into the map canvas.

Depending on your API key capabilities, it will automatically add additional XYZ layers that you can use as background.

Tiles window

If your API key doesn’t provide this capability, you will get a message providing instructions on how to get access to those tiles.

Tiles window instructions

In any case, you’ll be able to add the default XYZ layer configured by default by QGIS.

Algorithm toolboxanchor icon

The processing toolbox can be open using the QGIS-toolbox. The only difference with the regular open toolbox action is that the list of actions will be prefiltered to show only TravelTime relative algorithms.

Toolbox

Similarly to all other QGIS algorithms, all those algorithms can be run normally by double-clicking them or in batch mode by right-clicking them.

Simpleanchor icon

Algorithms regrouped under the Simple group provide simplified access to the advanced algorithms, but just call the advanced algorithms in the background. They cover most use cases and it is recommended to start with those before using the Advanced ones.

QGIS-timeFilter-simple Run the simplified time filter algorithm

QGIS-timeMap-simple Run the simplified time map algorithm

QGIS-route-simple Run the simplified route algorithm

Advancedanchor icon

Algorithms regrouped under the Advanced group provide access to the API endpoints. Since they have a lot of options, they are only recommended for advanced users that require to fine tune parameters that are not configurable in the simplified versions.

QGIS-route-advanced Run the advanced time filter algorithm

QGIS-route-advanced Run the advanced time map algorithm

QGIS-route-advanced Run the advanced route algorithm

Utilsanchor icon

Algorithms regrouped under the Utilities group provide access to the Geocoding (assigning a point to a textual address) or Reverse geocoding (assigning a textual address to a point). algorithms.

QGIS-geocoding Run the geocoding algorithm

QGIS-reversed Run the reverse geocoding algorithm

Issuesanchor icon

Unfortunately, it may happen that you encounter some issues. This section may help address some of the most common issues.

Common issuesanchor icon

Running the algorithms from the toolbox failanchor icon

Have a close look at the first few lines in red of the output, and see if you some corresponding help here.

Could not connect to the APIanchor icon

This means that the plugin could not connect to the webservice. Make sure you are online and that your connection works properly. If the error persists, please contact us as it may be due to some issue with the web service.

You need a TravelTime API key to make requestsanchor icon

Before using the TravelTime plugin, you need to get and configure an API key. Please refer to the configuration dialog section about how to get and configure an API key.

You have exceeded your request limitanchor icon

This means the algorithm got stopped because you reached you API quote. Please refer to the API limit section that explains the issue in more details.

Application Id or API Key is invalidanchor icon

The application ID or the API key configured in the settings is invalid. Make sure you copied it correctly. If the error persist, please contact us.

Could not connect to the API because of an SSL certificate erroranchor icon

This means that the plugin is not able to create a connection with the TravelTime web service. Please refer to the configuration dialog section about how to disable SSL certificate checking.

Report on Githubanchor icon

If you encounter another issue that is not described above, please report it on the issue tracker.

Include as much information as possible, such as what steps exactly triggered the issue, the error message or unexpected behaviour, a copy of the message log (view > panels > Log messages under the TravelTime tab).

By doing so, we’ll be able to fix the issue and you will be notified.

Contact usanchor icon

For anything else, including to request higher API limit, please visit https://www.traveltime.com/contact-us