Knowledge

Buffer analysis

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441: 159:, because the mathematics and computation involved is relatively simple, which was important given the computing power available in the late 1970s. Due to the inherent distortions caused by map projections, the buffer computed this way will not be identical to one drawn on the surface of the Earth; at a local scale, the difference is negligible, but at larger scales, the error can be significant. 87: 78:. Although it has been one of the most widely used GIS operations in subsequent years, in a wide variety of applications, there has been little published research on the tool itself, except for the occasional development of a more efficient algorithm. 203:
Common buffers, in which the buffers for each feature in a layer are dissolved into a single polygon. This is most commonly used when one is not concerned about which feature is near each point in space, only that a point is nearby some (anonymous)
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Side preference may be important, such as needing the buffer on only one side of a line, or on a polygon, selecting only the outer buffer or the inner buffer (sometimes called a
178:. Other implementations use a workaround by first reprojecting the feature to a projection that minimizes distortion in that location, then computing the planar buffer. 66:
The buffer operation has been a core part of GIS functionality since the original integrated GIS software packages of the late 1970s and early 1980s, such as
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Polyline, which consists of an ordered list of points (vertices) connected by straight lines. This is also used for the boundary of a polygon.
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Software implementations of the buffer operation typically use alterations of this strategy to process more efficiently and accurately.
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Endcaps at the end of linear buffers are rounded by default, but may be squared off or a butt end (truncated at the final vertex).
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Variable width, in which the features in a layer may be buffered using different radii, usually given by an attribute.
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GIS software may offer variations on the basic algorithm, which may be useful in different applications:
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Create a rectangle along each line segment by creating a duplicate line segment offset the distance
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Geospatial Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide to Principles, Techniques, and Software Tools
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The fundamental method to create a buffer around a geographic feature stored in a
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Diagram showing the construction of a buffer (red) of a polyline feature (blue)
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containing locations that are within a specified distance of that feature, the
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in JTS, the library at the foundation of many open-source GIS implementations
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Traditional implementations assumed the buffer was being created on a planar
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Bhatia, Sumeet; Vira, Viral; Choksi, Deepak; Venkatachalam, P. (2012).
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de Smith, Michael J.; Goodchild, Michael F.; Longley, Paul A. (2018).
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Merge or dissolve the rectangles and circles into a single polygon.
243: 85: 54:). A buffer is likely the most commonly used tool within the 106:
Single point: Create a circle around the point with radius
452: 174:, including representing the lines between vertices as 170:, using a similar algorithm but calculated using 472: 8: 166:, offer the option to compute buffers using 383:"CGAL 5.6 - 2D Minkowski Sums: User Manual" 16:GIS analysis operation to evaluate distance 479: 465: 135:In Mathematics, GIS Buffer operation is a 337: 280: 278: 118:Create a circle buffer around each vertex 351: 349: 19:For broader coverage of this topic, see 274: 447:This technology-related article is a 7: 437: 435: 162:Some current software, such as Esri 14: 439: 98:data model, with a given radius 326:Geo-spatial Information Science 498:Geographic information systems 28:geographic information systems 1: 357:"How Buffer (Analysis) Works" 451:. You can help Knowledge by 339:10.1080/10095020.2012.747643 305:Wade, T. and Smmer, S. eds. 143:Planar vs. geodesic distance 125:perpendicular to each side. 529: 434: 149:cartesian coordinate space 38:is the determination of a 18: 361:ArcGIS Pro Documentation 264:tool in Esri ArcGIS Pro 234:OGC ST_Buffer function 172:spherical trigonometry 91: 411:PostGIS documentation 215:Dilation (morphology) 89: 221:Erosion (morphology) 151:(i.e., created by a 157:Euclidean geometry 92: 56:proximity analysis 44:geographic feature 21:Proximity analysis 460: 459: 287:"4.4.5 Buffering" 262:Buffer (Analysis) 223:(negative buffer) 217:(positive buffer) 168:geodesic distance 520: 513:Technology stubs 508:Spatial analysis 481: 474: 467: 443: 436: 426: 425: 423: 422: 413:. Archived from 403: 397: 396: 394: 393: 379: 373: 372: 370: 368: 353: 344: 343: 341: 317: 311: 303: 297: 296: 282: 258:command in GRASS 32:spatial analysis 528: 527: 523: 522: 521: 519: 518: 517: 488: 487: 486: 485: 432: 430: 429: 420: 418: 405: 404: 400: 391: 389: 381: 380: 376: 366: 364: 355: 354: 347: 319: 318: 314: 304: 300: 295:(6th ed.). 284: 283: 276: 271: 244:buffer function 240:implementation) 230: 211: 184: 145: 102:is as follows: 84: 82:Basic algorithm 64: 36:buffer analysis 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 526: 524: 516: 515: 510: 505: 500: 490: 489: 484: 483: 476: 469: 461: 458: 457: 444: 428: 427: 398: 374: 345: 332:(2): 130–138. 312: 298: 273: 272: 270: 267: 266: 265: 259: 253: 247: 241: 229: 228:External links 226: 225: 224: 218: 210: 207: 206: 205: 201: 198: 191: 183: 180: 153:map projection 144: 141: 130: 129: 126: 119: 115: 114: 111: 83: 80: 63: 60: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 525: 514: 511: 509: 506: 504: 501: 499: 496: 495: 493: 482: 477: 475: 470: 468: 463: 462: 456: 454: 450: 445: 442: 438: 433: 417:on 2021-05-07 416: 412: 408: 402: 399: 388: 384: 378: 375: 362: 358: 352: 350: 346: 340: 335: 331: 327: 323: 316: 313: 310: 309: 302: 299: 294: 293: 288: 281: 279: 275: 268: 263: 260: 257: 254: 251: 248: 245: 242: 239: 235: 232: 231: 227: 222: 219: 216: 213: 212: 208: 202: 199: 196: 192: 189: 188: 187: 181: 179: 177: 176:great circles 173: 169: 165: 160: 158: 154: 150: 142: 140: 138: 137:Minkowski Sum 133: 127: 124: 120: 117: 116: 112: 109: 105: 104: 103: 101: 97: 88: 81: 79: 77: 73: 69: 61: 59: 57: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 22: 453:expanding it 446: 431: 419:. Retrieved 415:the original 410: 401: 390:. Retrieved 387:doc.cgal.org 386: 377: 365:. Retrieved 360: 329: 325: 315: 306: 301: 291: 194: 185: 167: 161: 146: 134: 131: 122: 107: 99: 93: 65: 51: 47: 35: 25: 407:"ST_Buffer" 48:buffer zone 492:Categories 421:2012-11-02 392:2023-11-21 308:A to Z GIS 269:References 164:ArcGIS Pro 30:(GIS) and 246:in turfjs 58:methods. 50:(or just 42:around a 503:Geometry 367:16 March 256:v.buffer 250:BufferOp 209:See also 204:feature. 155:) using 68:ARC/INFO 238:PostGIS 195:setback 182:Options 72:Odyssey 62:History 363:. Esri 96:vector 74:, and 52:buffer 449:stub 369:2021 76:MOSS 40:zone 334:doi 26:In 494:: 409:. 385:. 359:. 348:^ 330:16 328:. 324:. 289:. 277:^ 197:). 70:, 34:, 480:e 473:t 466:v 455:. 424:. 395:. 371:. 342:. 336:: 236:( 123:r 110:. 108:r 100:r 23:.

Index

Proximity analysis
geographic information systems
spatial analysis
zone
geographic feature
proximity analysis
ARC/INFO
Odyssey
MOSS

vector
Minkowski Sum
cartesian coordinate space
map projection
Euclidean geometry
ArcGIS Pro
spherical trigonometry
great circles
Dilation (morphology)
Erosion (morphology)
OGC ST_Buffer function
PostGIS
buffer function
BufferOp
v.buffer
Buffer (Analysis)


"4.4.5 Buffering"
Geospatial Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide to Principles, Techniques, and Software Tools

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