nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Multiple ring buffer error

LuděkKrtička

Hello,
I am having problems with Multiple Ring Buffer tool in ArcGIS 10. Not working for me, even for my colleagues. I searched forum, but no help solving my case. After selecting input layer, when you start to define distances following error occures:
ERROR
updateParameters Execution Error:
Runtime error: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xa0 in position 0: ordinal not in range(128)

file with screenshot:
http://www1.osu.cz/~krticka/MultipleRingBufferError.jpg

My system info:
Microsoft® Windows Vista�?� Business , Service Pack 2
ArcGIS 10 SP1
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Python 2.6.5 (Python files and subfolders are in c:\Python26\ArcGIS10.0\)

Thank you for any help.

Ludek Krticka

Find more posts tagged with

Accepted answers

All comments

HadleyRemas

I had this same error so I wrote to ESRI Poland help-desk.

Here is an answer:
Create new Toolbox in ArcCatalog
Add it to ArcToolbox
Copy Multiple Ring Buffer to your new Toolbox
Right click -> Properties -> Validation -> Edit
Open script
Find: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, '')
Correct it to: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, 'C')

In my situation it works correctly now. I have ArcGIS 10 SP2 and Windows 7 OS.

Works perfect for me too! Thanks for the solution!!!

MaryamBazargani

Thanks a lot! I had the same problem and this solution (see the one below) resolved it ! 😉

I had this same error so I wrote to ESRI Poland help-desk.

Here is an answer:
Create new Toolbox in ArcCatalog
Add it to ArcToolbox
Copy Multiple Ring Buffer to your new Toolbox
Right click -> Properties -> Validation -> Edit
Open script
Find: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, '')
Correct it to: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, 'C')

In my situation it works correctly now. I have ArcGIS 10 SP2 and Windows 7 OS.

MarcelHoule

I had this same error so I wrote to ESRI Poland help-desk.

Here is an answer:
Create new Toolbox in ArcCatalog
Add it to ArcToolbox
Copy Multiple Ring Buffer to your new Toolbox
Right click -> Properties -> Validation -> Edit
Open script
Find: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, '')
Correct it to: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, 'C')

In my situation it works correctly now. I have ArcGIS 10 SP2 and Windows 7 OS.

Does not work on my system (ArcGIS 10 spe, WinXP). What is the meaning of the 'C' value anyway ?

MarcelHoule

I think I have it working now.

This was a statement in the original script:

codeblock = '''def pullDistance(distL, *fids):
return min([i for i, j in zip(distL, fids) if j != -1])'''

I changed it to the following:

codeblock = '''def pullDistance(distL, *fids):
return min([i for i, j in zip(distL, fids) if j == 1])'''

and now it seems to be working. Not sure if this fix is universal though.

I tried that but got the same error.

MelanieHans

I have been getting the same error in ArcCatalog 10. Is there a way to see where it is hanging up? When you look in Geoprocessing - Results it just says failed.

SabrinaKlein

I am having a similar issue with the multiple ring buffer.
I can run one ring, but not more than one. It also completes but the layer itself doesn't show up on the table of contents or map. I have waited 45 min- hour for it to do so. I have left the pre-generated file name and location, changed the file name and location to "multbuff" and left it. Maybe I am missing something. My prof told me it takes a little while to use it. Yet the other day I did a five ring buffer in about 5 minutes. Now it wont do it. Please help.
Much thanks,
Elvenlotus

DonFerguson

I think I have it working now.

This was a statement in the original script:

codeblock = '''def pullDistance(distL, *fids):
return min([i for i, j in zip(distL, fids) if j != -1])'''

I changed it to the following:

codeblock = '''def pullDistance(distL, *fids):
return min([i for i, j in zip(distL, fids) if j == 1])'''

and now it seems to be working. Not sure if this fix is universal though.

MichalBrach

I had this same error so I wrote to ESRI Poland help-desk.

Here is an answer:

Create new Toolbox in ArcCatalog
Add it to ArcToolbox
Copy Multiple Ring Buffer to your new Toolbox
Right click -> Properties -> Validation -> Edit
Open script
Find: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, '')
Correct it to: locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, 'C')

In my situation it works correctly now. I have ArcGIS 10 SP2 and Windows 7 OS.

DonFerguson

I am also having a problem with the Multiple Ring Buffer. The error seems to be in dissolving the rings into seperate features. The script generates the rings, merges them but the dissolve either crashes or doesn't actually dissolve all of the rings into separate features.

thoughts?
Don Ferguson

IrshadJamal

Greetings,

Have any of you folks found a workaround for the multiple ring buffer error? I am in the same predicament as you when buffering at a distance of 2000m. I am using ArcGIS 9.3.

Would very much appreciate your feedback

Thanks.

Irshad

DWynne

Hello,
I am having problems with Multiple Ring Buffer tool in ArcGIS 10. Not working for me, even for my colleagues. I searched forum, but no help solving my case. After selecting input layer, when you start to define distances following error occures:
ERROR
updateParameters Execution Error:
Runtime error: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xa0 in position 0: ordinal not in range(128)

Hi Ludek,
I believe this issue you're describing is covered by this bug report: http://resources.arcgis.com/content/nimbus-bug?bugID=TklNMDYyNDk3

-Dave

JamieMacKay

I'm also having problems. I have been unable to generate dissolved multiple ring buffers using version 9.3.1 (which I gather is a well known bug) so I tracked down another machine with version 10. So far no success using the XY data attached. I'm trying to draw buffers at 18, 29 and 35m around each point, the tool produced an 18m buffer which didn't have any relation to the data points and was just a large rectangle somewhere on the screen. Please help!

Jamie

January.zip

NiklasNorrthon

Python 2.x actually supports unicode better than most programming languages. But as in other languages you have to think to get it done correctly, and since ArcGIS is developed in US, and non-ascii characters is something strange there, the developers are not used to thinking about this problem and they get it wrong most of the time.

The correct way to program python, is to use unicode strings instead of standard strings all the time. (To do that just put a u in from of the string literals). Then encode the strings to UTF-8, latin-1 or whatever just before writing to somehing that doesn't understand unicode, and decode immediatly when reading from something that doesn't provide unicode (like text files).

In Python 3 this is enforced, since standard strings are now unicode, and if you want something else (like byte strings) you must say so explicitly. But most of the unicode functionality is already in place in Python 2.

LuděkKrtička

When I set my alias to match yours (with the special characters) I am given the following error:
[ATTACH]4545[/ATTACH]

When I remove the special characters and replace them with EN ascii characters the tool runs fine on my machine (Windows XP SP3, ArcGIS 9.3.1)

Million of users are working with ArcGIS using their national localization, handling data in their geodatabases using different encoding without problem (of course that sometimes problem occurs). The problem you described: shapefile does not support unicode by default and it relies on your system locale to display the correct characters.
There is also problem with Python, version 2.x seems tobe ASCII only. Version 3.X should support unicode, but ArcGIS 10 is not working with version 3.x. But this should be not problem of script, which is ASCII, and shapefile, which contains only ASCII characters...

DonovanCameron

When I set my alias to match yours (with the special characters) I am given the following error:
[ATTACH]4545[/ATTACH]

When I remove the special characters and replace them with EN ascii characters the tool runs fine on my machine (Windows XP SP3, ArcGIS 9.3.1)

multi_buff_err.JPG

LuděkKrtička

I cannot reproduce your problem, but you failed to attached a layer file with the original name.

How I performed the process:
Open Arc Map
Add shape file
Open Arc Toolbox
Open Multi Ring Buffer
Saved results to shape file and set distances to 3 distances in meters

Can you create a buffer in general with that layer name?

Thanks

I am getting still the same error with the data you have. Changing name of layer doesn't take effect, problem persist. In original layer I changed just alias to be strictly ascii. I don't think it is problem of layer name. Such behaviour is same with any other layer, I was trying also ArcGIS sample data (U.S. Cities).
Other common analysis tools in Toolbox are working fine. Because it is causing also same problems to my colleague, I am thinking about some conflict with language localization of Windows (Czech), or problem with SP1 Python installation / user rights. Can you check structure of your python instalation folder please? I have python data in subfolder C:\Python26\ArcGIS10.0.

Thank you.

Ludek

pythonFolder.jpg

DanPatterson_Retired

try exporting the file out to a shapefile with a simple name (ie x.shp) and see if the error persists

achapkowski

I cannot reproduce your problem, but you failed to attached a layer file with the original name.

How I performed the process:

Open Arc Map
Add shape file
Open Arc Toolbox
Open Multi Ring Buffer
Saved results to shape file and set distances to 3 distances in meters

Can you create a buffer in general with that layer name?

Thanks

Capture.jpg

LuděkKrtička

Can you post your data and layer file exactly as shown on your screenshot in a zipfile?

I attached the data. But it is problem of every layer I am trying to work with.

data.zip

achapkowski

Can you post your data and layer file exactly as shown on your screenshot in a zipfile?

LuděkKrtička

I think the name of your layer is causing the problem because you have unsupported characters in your layer's name. Try changing the layer's name to something simple like: "Buffer Layer" and re-run the tool.

Thank you for reply, but it is not the right solution. The name of layer is ascii complying, shown name is from alias. I changed the alias to ascii only characters also and problem persists 😞

achapkowski

I think the name of your layer is causing the problem because you have unsupported characters in your layer's name. Try changing the layer's name to something simple like: "Buffer Layer" and re-run the tool.

Join the Conversation

Signed in members can post, follow updates, and more. New here? Register a free account.

Quick Links

Community Help
Find useful guides, FAQs, and documents to help you navigate and make the most of Esri Community.