Generate Threshold Drive Times (Business Analyst)

Available with Business Analyst license.

Summary

Creates a feature class of network distance trade areas that expand around point features until criteria is reached.

Usage

  • The size of output polygons is determined by the Threshold Values parameter value provided for a selected Threshold Variable parameter value from the Business Analyst dataset.

  • The Threshold Variable parameter accepts only variables of Count type. Median, Average, Percent, or Index cannot be used.

  • Multiple threshold drive time polygons can be created around each input by typing individual values into separate threshold value text boxes.

  • The ID Field parameter uniquely identifies the point location around which threshold drive time polygons will be created.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Input Features

The input point feature layer.

Feature Layer
Output Feature Class

The output feature class containing the drive time polygons.

Feature Class
Threshold Variable

The selected Business Analyst dataset variable to which the threshold value will be applied.

Threshold variables must be numeric. No other statistic type is supported.

String
Threshold Values

The threshold variable value that will determine the size of the output rings. The rings will expand until they contain the threshold value of the selected variable.

Double
Distance Type

The method of travel that will be used to create the output polygons.

String
Distance Units
(Optional)

The distance units that will be used with the threshold values.

String
ID Field
(Optional)

The ID that uniquely identifies each input point and is included in the output as an attribute.

Field
Travel Direction
(Optional)

Specifies the direction of travel that will be used for output polygon creation.

  • Toward StoresThe direction of travel will be from customers to stores. This is the default.
  • Away from StoresThe direction of travel will be from stores to customers.
String
Time of Day
(Optional)

The time and date that will be used when calculating distance.

Date
Time Zone
(Optional)

Specifies the time zone that will be used for the Time of Day parameter.

  • Time Zone at LocationThe time zone in which the territories are located will be used. This is the default.
  • UTCCoordinated universal time (UTC) will be used.
String
Search Tolerance
(Optional)

The maximum distance that input points can be from the network.

The default value is 5,000 meters.

Linear Unit
Polygon Detail
(Optional)

Specifies the level of detail that will be used for the output drive time polygons.

  • StandardPolygons with a standard level of detail will be created. This is the default.
  • GeneralizedGeneralized polygons will be created using the hierarchy present in the network data source to produce results quickly.
  • HighPolygons with a high level of detail will be created for applications in which precise results are important.
String
Iterations Limit
(Optional)

Restricts the number of drive times that can be used to find the optimal threshold limit.

Long
Minimum Step
(Optional)

The minimum distance between one threshold area candidate and the next as the model approaches the threshold value to prevent infinite iterations.

Double
Threshold Percent Difference
(Optional)

The maximum percentage difference between the target value and threshold value that will be used when determining the threshold drive time, for example, 5 percent. The default value is 5.

Double
Input Method
(Optional)

Specifies the type of value that will be used for each drive time.

  • ValuesA constant value will be used (all trade areas will be the same size). This is the default.
  • ExpressionThe values from a field or an expression will be used (trade areas can be different sizes).
String
Expression
(Optional)

A fields-based expression that will be used to calculate drive time.

SQL Expression

arcpy.ba.GenerateThresholdDriveTimeTradeArea(in_features, out_feature_class, threshold_variable, threshold_values, distance_type, {units}, {id_field}, {travel_direction}, {time_of_day}, {time_zone}, {search_tolerance}, {polygon_detail}, {iterations_limit}, {minimum_step}, {target_percent_diff}, {input_method}, {expression})
NameExplanationData Type
in_features

The input point feature layer.

Feature Layer
out_feature_class

The output feature class containing the drive time polygons.

Feature Class
threshold_variable

The selected Business Analyst dataset variable to which the threshold value will be applied.

Threshold variables must be numeric. No other statistic type is supported.

String
threshold_values
[threshold_values,...]

The threshold variable value that will determine the size of the output rings. The rings will expand until they contain the threshold value of the selected variable.

Double
distance_type

The method of travel that will be used to create the output polygons.

String
units
(Optional)

The distance units that will be used with the threshold values.

String
id_field
(Optional)

The ID that uniquely identifies each input point and is included in the output as an attribute.

Field
travel_direction
(Optional)

Specifies the direction of travel that will be used for output polygon creation.

  • TOWARD_STORESThe direction of travel will be from customers to stores. This is the default.
  • AWAY_FROM_STORESThe direction of travel will be from stores to customers.
String
time_of_day
(Optional)

The time and date that will be used when calculating distance.

Date
time_zone
(Optional)

Specifies the time zone that will be used for the Time of Day parameter.

  • TIME_ZONE_AT_LOCATIONThe time zone in which the territories are located will be used. This is the default.
  • UTCCoordinated universal time (UTC) will be used.
String
search_tolerance
(Optional)

The maximum distance that input points can be from the network.

The default value is 5,000 meters.

Linear Unit
polygon_detail
(Optional)

Specifies the level of detail that will be used for the output drive time polygons.

  • STANDARDPolygons with a standard level of detail will be created. This is the default.
  • GENERALIZEDGeneralized polygons will be created using the hierarchy present in the network data source to produce results quickly.
  • HIGHPolygons with a high level of detail will be created for applications in which precise results are important.
String
iterations_limit
(Optional)

Restricts the number of drive times that can be used to find the optimal threshold limit.

Long
minimum_step
(Optional)

The minimum distance between one threshold area candidate and the next as the model approaches the threshold value to prevent infinite iterations.

Double
target_percent_diff
(Optional)

The maximum percentage difference between the target value and threshold value that will be used when determining the threshold drive time, for example, 5 percent. The default value is 5.

Double
input_method
(Optional)

Specifies the type of value that will be used for each drive time.

  • VALUESA constant value will be used (all trade areas will be the same size). This is the default.
  • EXPRESSIONThe values from a field or an expression will be used (trade areas can be different sizes).
String
expression
(Optional)

A fields-based expression that will be used to calculate drive time.

SQL Expression

Code sample

GenerateThresholdDriveTimeTradeArea example (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the GenerateThresholdDriveTimeTradeArea function.

import arcpy
arcpy.ba.GenerateThresholdDriveTimeTradeArea("SF_Custs",r"C:\ Project1\Project1.gdb\SF_Custs_GenerateThresholdDriveTimeTradeArea","populationtotals.totpop_cy",[25000, 50000], "Driving Time","MINUTES", "CUST_ID", None,"TOWARD_STORES", None,"TIME_ZONE_AT_LOCATION", None,"STANDARD", 10, None, 5, Values, None)

Licensing information

  • Basic: Requires Business Analyst
  • Standard: Requires Business Analyst
  • Advanced: Requires Business Analyst

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