topic Re: How to select points in multiple buffers? in Geoprocessing Questions

How to select points in multiple buffers?

Chris_Kell — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:14:30 GMT

Hi All,

I'm having one of those moments where you just can't remember how to do something, you know its easy, and Googling has't provided an answer.

I have two separate buffers around two distinct schools. I have student represented as pointsl. How can I select those students who are contained in both buffers?

Thanks

-Chris

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

ArnoldKuilman — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:26:41 GMT

You need to use the "Select By Location" tool. See example screenshot below.

I made a selection of offshore installations by two ring buffers around two installations, as an example:

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

Chris_Kell — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:47:36 GMT

Arnold,

Thanks for you answer. My situation is a little different...

The blue and green buffers are drawn around two separate schools. They are also stored as two separate feature classes. Students are represented as either purple circles or gold squares. How can I select just those students that are in the overlap of the two buffers?

How can I use select by location to first select students in the blue buffer, then using the current selection the students in the green buffer which would produce just those students in both buffer? Or is another tool more suitable?

Thanks Chris

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:56:34 GMT

select the first buffer, then use select by location to select all the students within that buffer

then select the second buffer and select by location again but using select from set as the option (not new selection)

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

ChrisDonohue__GISP — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:59:43 GMT

There are several ways you could do this. Probably the easiest is to Intersect (Geoprocessing tool) the two buffers to produce a feature class that only contains the overlap area. Then run a Select by Location for the students using the newly-derived overlap feature class.

Chris Donohue, GISP

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

SpencerV — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 19:03:44 GMT

Hi Chris,

I believe you can still use the "Select by Location Tool". Run the first selection that you described, selecting all students in the blue circle, then prepare to run a second select by location query. This time you will change the "Selection method". Instead using "select features from" use "select from currently selected features in" and run the query as you normally would with the green circle. This should give you the points that are in both circles.

Good luck!

Re: How to select points in multiple buffers?

Chris_Kell — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 19:35:56 GMT

Thanks Spencer!

Sometimes you can't see the forest through the trees!

-Chris