View - Buffer

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This application allows users to specify buffered area distances around map objects. This allows users to see what other map objects are within a certain proximity to the initial desired object. The main way a user could determine what these related objects are to the original object would be to create a buffer around the original desired object and then select the related objects within that buffered area.

 

Note: Click on any of the Popup Menu items below to view specific help for that topic.

 

To select map objects/features within a specified distance from other map objects you must first select the map object(s) around which you want to create buffers. For example, selecting all addresses within 1,000 feet of a sanitary sewer line. Please refer to Toolbar - Select Mode for instructions on how to select map objects.

 

After you have selected the desired object(s) in the mapping window, right-click in the mapping window and choose View > View Buffer from the popup menu.

 

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Go to View DistanceGo to View Reports

 

You will then see the View Buffer dialog box.

 

 

Buffer Offset Distance:

In the Buffer Offset Distance text box, type the distance you want the buffer(s) to extend from the selected map object/feature(s). Then select the unit (such as miles or kilometers) you want to use from the drop-down list.

 

For example, to find all features within 1,000 feet of a sewer line, type 1000 in the text box and choose "ft" from the drop-down unit list. Note that you can also use the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the distance.

 

Construct one buffer for all map objects:

To treat all of the buffer areas as a single feature, instead of treating each buffer area as a separate feature, select the Construct One Buffer For All Selected Map Features check box. This is particularly useful if any of your buffers overlap and you do not want the overlapping area counted twice.

 

Overlapping buffers will also appear differently on the screen. For example, if you did not select this check box, overlapping buffers might display like this:

 

 

If you did select this check box, however, the same buffers would display like this:

 

 

Create buffer on:

In the Create Buffer On list, select the map layer on which you want to create the buffer(s), or type a new name to create a new map layer that contains only these new buffers. For example, you could type in "Sewer Line Buffer."

 

Fill:

In the Fill area, specify the style, color, and pattern to use for filling the buffer area(s). 

 

If you chose a hatch pattern for the fill, the color you specified is for the pattern, so you need to specify settings for the background behind the pattern. In this case, in the Background area, specify whether the background should be opaque (buffers cover the map features) or transparent (map features show through the buffers), and the color to use for the background. 

 

Edge:

In the Edge area, specify the style, color, and thickness to use for drawing the outer line around the buffer area(s). 

 

Click OK.

 

Buffers will be created around the selected map object/feature(s). If you pause your mouse over the newly created buffer(s) it will display a tooltip like the following:

 

 

To select the features within the buffers, you select the buffer(s), and then use the Select Within command to select map features from other layers that fall within the buffer(s). You will know if you have selected the correct buffer when you see something like this:

 

 

After you perform the Select Within to get all addresses within 1,000 feet of the sanitary sewer line we put our buffer on, you will see something like this:

 

 

Note: The user specified selection mode may affect the results of the select within process. Please see Selection Mode under Help - Preferences for more on this.