Summary
Creates multiple buffers at specified distances around the input features. These buffers can optionally be merged and dissolved using the buffer distance values to create non-overlapping buffers.
Illustration
Usage
If the input features have a projected coordinate system, planar buffers will be produced in the output. Ensure the input features have a coordinate system that is suitable for distance analysis, such as an equidistant projection.
If the input features have a geographic coordinate system, geodesic buffers will be produced in the output, as planar buffers of non-projected features would be highly inaccurate.
If the dissolve all option is specified, the output feature class will contain one feature for each distance specified in the Distances parameter; all buffers the same distance from the input features will be dissolved together.
Syntax
arcpy.analysis.MultipleRingBuffer(Input_Features, Output_Feature_class, Distances, {Buffer_Unit}, {Field_Name}, {Dissolve_Option}, {Outside_Polygons_Only})
Parameter | Explanation | Data Type |
Input_Features | The input point, line, or polygon features to be buffered. | Feature Layer |
Output_Feature_class | The output feature class that will contain multiple buffers. | Feature Class |
Distances [distance,...] | The list of buffer distances. | Double |
Buffer_Unit (Optional) | The linear unit to be used with the distance values. If the units are not specified, or the default is chosen, the linear unit of the input features' spatial reference is used. If default is used and the Output Coordinate System geoprocessing environment has been set, the linear unit of the environment will be used. The linear unit is ignored if the input features have an unknown or undefined spatial reference.
| String |
Field_Name (Optional) | The name of the field in the output feature class that stores the buffer distance used to create each buffer feature. If no name is specified, the default field name is 'distance'. This field will be of type Double. | String |
Dissolve_Option (Optional) | Determines if buffers will be dissolved to resemble rings around the input features.
| String |
Outside_Polygons_Only (Optional) | Valid only for polygon input features.
| Boolean |
Code sample
The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the MultipleRingBuffer tool in immediate mode.
import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data/airport.gdb"
arcpy.MultipleRingBuffer_analysis("schools", "c:/output/output.gdb/multibuffer1", [10, 20, 30],
"meters", "", "ALL")
The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the MultipleRingBuffer tool.
# Name: MultipleRingBuffer_Example2.py
# Description: Create multiple buffers for the input features
# Import system modules
import arcpy
# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data/airport.gdb"
# Set local variables
inFeatures = "schools"
outFeatureClass = "c:/output/output.gdb/multibuffer1"
distances = [10, 20, 30]
bufferUnit = "meters"
# Execute MultipleRingBuffer
arcpy.MultipleRingBuffer_analysis(inFeatures, outFeatureClass, distances, bufferUnit, "", "ALL")
Environments
Licensing information
- Basic: Yes
- Standard: Yes
- Advanced: Yes