An S2 Cell viewer is now available for Pokémon GO trainers.
Note: The post is no connection with GoPro video cameras nor genlock nor Arduino.
Pokémon GO utilizes “S2 Cell”, which is one of Google’s exquisite inventions, and thus any trainer should better know about it. In the game S2 Cell is, to say the least, revealed to be related to the following:
| Cell Level | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 10 | Weather is the same within a Cell |
| EX Raids | 12 * (– 8 Feb 2018) | At most one EX Raid is held in each Cell as a batch/wave |
| 13 * (17 Feb 2018 –) | ||
| Gym/Pokéstop visibility | 15 | (see Note 1) |
| Catch region | 20 | (see Note 2) |
| EX Raid eligibility | 20 | (see Note 3) |
Note 1: A Gym or Pokéstop is visible in the map or “NEARBY” if it is contained in the level 15 S2 Cell cover of circle with radius 500m† centered on the trainer.
Note 2: A Pokésource (aka spawn point of Pokémon) is always located at the center of a level 20 S2 Cell. A Pokémon is visible/catchable if they is contained in the level 20 S2 Cell cover of circle with radius 50m centered on the trainer. Similarly a Gym/Pokéstop reachable if in the level 20 S2 Cell cover of circle with radius 30m centered on the trainer.
Note 3: A non-sponsered Gym is EX Raid eligible if the center of the level 20 S2 Cell containing the Gym is within “park”.
We don’t explain here what are the S2 Cells nor their levels nor covers. However, using our tool you can experience them.
Enjoy!
Addenda
(22 Jan 2019) †: In mid January 2019 this radius has been changed from 500m to 630m. Thanks to Gavan Gates and their friends for finding the exact value! (7 Feb 2019) However, in beginning of February the value has restored to 500m.
There’s another tool to visualize S2 Cell covers: Region Coverer by Sidewalk labs.
For those interested in S2 Cells please refer this article or here.
Our Pokémon GO S2 Cell Viewer has an inverse function implemented when radius is set to zero and level either 15 or 20. That is, an area surrounded by pink line appears and it shows from where the Gym or Pokéstop pinned is visible/reachable.
(*) Mid February 2018 the level of S2 Cells has been modified from 12 to 13 in order to make numbers of invitations increase. However, Niantic announced twice that there were mistakes in distributing passes to EX Raids on 11 (or 10 in Americas) Feb 2018 and 26 Feb 2018. In fact, the latter batch was done with respect to older level 12 S2 Cells. Moreover, the former with respect to sparse level 10 S2 Cells, each of which is 16 times larger than level 12. The following screenshot is for such a rare occasion. 🙂
