Creating Buffers
Included in this tutorial:
Accessing the Buffer tool and reviewing its parameters
Running the tool and reviewing results
Software version in examples: ArcGIS Pro 2.8.2
Tutorial Data: The tutorial includes demonstration with sample data available here.
Credits: L. Meisterlin with Moses Levich, Thiago Lee and Erik Strand (2021)
Buffers are polygons generated based on distances from input vector features. They can be generated using the Buffer tool, with constant distances or values within the input layer’s attribute table.
the Buffer tool
Accessing the Buffer tool
In the Geoprocessing toolbox, find the Buffer tool under Analysis Tools > Proximity > Buffer. Alternatively, you can find the tool by using the search function.
the Buffer tool’s basic parameters
Choose the input features and name the output feature class and its location.
Distance [value or field]: Determine the distance for the buffer boundary and its units. You can specify a constant distance or an attribute field from the input features to determine the distance of the buffer boundary.
Dissolve type: Choose whether a new polygon will be created for each feature, or whether connected buffers will be dissolved. (See also the standalone Dissolve Tool described in Dissolving Features ).
Running the tool with an example
In the example below, we create a dissolved buffer polygon around input point features at a constant distance of 0.1 miles. Because the output is dissolved, it will contain a single feature.
creating a dissolved buffer around input point features