Buffer zone according to the surface

2018
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04-04-2018 10:56 AM
RobertoFilloramo
New Contributor III

Using ArcGIS (10.3.1), is it possible to create a buffer zone according to the surface with a variable radius (i.e. 5-10-15 Km)? Which means that the buffer zone is not "flat", yet it has a shape that followed the surface.

Thanks

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XanderBakker
Esri Esteemed Contributor

Are there any buf_3D featureclasses created? This is the actual result of the tool and not the pnt_buf featureclasses. If these are not created the process is not running completely and some error is occurring in the process.

If I select a single line that passes through some relatively steep slopes (line Line_D 357):

... and I extract the slope values, the mean slope is 25.7%:

 

This would mean that the buffer should pass at 2905 meters from the center point. It passes at 2920. The reason for this difference is that the slope direction is taken into account. If you traverse a steep slope maintaining the same altitude, you will traverse at a slope of 0%. A slope map returns the maximum slope in any direction.. 

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22 Replies
DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

Check xander_bakker‌'s solution for surface buffers

RobertoFilloramo
New Contributor III

Thank you for replying me.... So I used the Xander's code in my python, it gave me the buffer zones (max dist. 3000) yet it showed an error:

"Runtime error  Traceback (most recent call last):   File "<string>", line 72, in <module>   File "c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.3\arcpy\arcpy\management.py", line 3246, in AddField     raise e ExecuteError: ERROR 000464: Cannot get exclusive schema lock.  Either being edited or in use by another application. Failed to execute (AddField)."

Some suggestions?

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

well that one is pretty well raised when the condition is true.  Sometimes, a save, shut down and reboot fixes things to ensure that locks are removed. Don't browse with other applications either

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RobertoFilloramo
New Contributor III

Ok, I will try to save and reboot the program. Anyway, the obtained raster is not like in the Xander's picture, it is "flat" as I had done it with the buffer wizard

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DanPatterson_Retired
MVP Emeritus

everything is in a projected coordinate system I assume and there is a sufficient elevation difference that you will actually 'see' the affect that xander_bakker

's script produce?  If you have a small elevation difference relative to the buffer, not much is going to be visible unless you compare the result with an intersection with a conventional buffer

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RobertoFilloramo
New Contributor III

well, my dtm values are High : 927,206, Low : -17,8801. I assume that with these values it should appear different (which means like Xander's pic). I tried another time using some points placed in a more hilly area, yet the circle buffer zones are stil "flat" without any surface adapting. 

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XanderBakker
Esri Esteemed Contributor

Is it possible to share the actual data? Or at least a screenshot (perhaps a hillshade with the starting point and the resulting buffer?) That would really help to see what you have. 

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RobertoFilloramo
New Contributor III

I attached some screenshots: DTM, points, slope, resulting bufferpointssloperesulting buffers

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XanderBakker
Esri Esteemed Contributor

Can you share an area of the DEM around a point just big enough for the buffer to fit and the settings (pixsize and steps) you used for the scrip and the resolution of the DEMt? I would like to validate the intermediate results to see what is going on. 

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