Multiple ring buffer error

[LarsJakobsen]

I have tried two times now to do a multibuffer.

It fails after that it worked an hour, and should do the output.

Can i report this? and where?

Executing: MultipleRingBuffer Vand C:\Users\Lars\Documents\ArcGIS\Default.gdb\Altvand_MultipleRingBuffer3 50;100;150;200;250;300;350;400;450;500;550;600;650;700;750;800 Meters distance ALL FULL
Start Time: Sat Sep 25 10:45:15 2010
Running script MultipleRingBuffer...
ERROR 999999: Error executing function.
Failed to execute (Buffer).

Completed script MultipleRingBuffer...
Failed to execute (MultipleRingBuffer).
Failed at Sat Sep 25 11:50:30 2010 (Elapsed Time: 1 hours 5 minutes 15 seconds)

Executing: MultipleRingBuffer Vand C:\Users\Lars\Documents\ArcGIS\Default.gdb\Altvand_MultipleRingBuffer5 100;200;300;400;500;600;700;800 Meters distance ALL FULL
Start Time: Sat Sep 25 11:52:22 2010
Running script MultipleRingBuffer...
ERROR 999999: Error executing function.
Failed to execute (Buffer).

Completed script MultipleRingBuffer...
Failed to execute (MultipleRingBuffer).
Failed at Sat Sep 25 12:21:10 2010 (Elapsed Time: 28 minutes 48 seconds)

[KimOllivier]

I have a rule that any process that takes longer than a "cup of coffee" should be interrupted and a better way found. Multiple ring buffer is a particularly difficult process because it is a script that repeats the problem many times. You problem is likely to be inappropriate data.

Can you get a single buffer to work?

Buffers can be miss-applied if you have the wrong tolerances and over complex source that you are buffering. You can easily end up with millions of intersections that have to be resolved, and eventually after an hour the process runs out of memory. There is a good presentation by Dale Honeycutt and al "Overlay and Proximity" technical workshop http://proceedings.esri.com/dvd/uc/2009/uc/tws/workshops/tw_715.pdf that explains what happens in a buffer_dissolve.

Start with a very simple shape and get that working. Experiment with simplifying the source first and make sure it finishes in seconds. Then try the multiple buffer.