12/17/2014

BufferinginMapInfo|GeoInformation

GeoInformationTipsandtutorialsonworkingwithGIS

06/Aug/2012

inGIS,MapInfo
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BufferinginMapInfo
AbufferisaregionthatsurroundsanyotherobjectinMapInfo.Abuffercanbecreatedaround
lines,pointsorregions.Youcaneitherselectanindividualobject,oryoucanselecttocreate
buffersforalltheobjectsinalayer.
Buffersareveryusefulforselectingallthefeaturesinonelayerthatarewithinacertaindistance
ofanotherfeature.Forexampleallthehousesthatarewithin5kmofaproposedsuperstore,all
thewatermainsthatarewithin200metresofarailwayline.
Intheexamplebelow,IwillshowhowtoselectalltheLocalLand&PropertyGazetteeraddress
pointsthatarewithin1kmofthehospital.

(http://infogeoblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/clip_image0024.jpg)
1. Fromthemenu,selectTable,Buffer
2. TheTableBufferboxappears.
1. ThetoppulldownlististitledBufferObjectsfromTable.Inthiscase,Iwillselectthe
hospitallayer.
2. ThebottompulldownlististitledStoreResultsIntable.Itispossibletoselectanexisting
table(e.g.ifyoualreadyhavepreviousbuffersopen)butnormallyIselectNew.
3. PressNext
4. ThenextboxistheNewTablebox.TypicallyIchoosetoaddthenewtabletotheCurrentMap
WindowandIusethesametablestructureasthetablethatIamusingtocreatethebuffer.
5. IntheNewTableStructure,youcanmakeamendmentstothecolumnnamesandtypes.Press
Projectiontoselectaprojectionforthenewtable.Inthiscase,IamusingOSNationalGrid
(EPG27700).
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BufferinginMapInfo|GeoInformation

6. Presscreate.Inthenextbox;selectthenameandlocationofthenewtable.Itisgoodpractice
tonameitwiththefeatureandbufferdistance,e.g.Hospitals_1km_buffer
7. Inthebufferobjectsbox:

(http://infogeoblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/clip_image0042.jpg)
Ihaveentered1kmforthebuffersize.IhaveselectedonebufferforeachobjectasIwantabuffer
aroundthisspecifichospital,ratherthanabufferaroundagroupofallthehospitalsinthedata
set.
Thelowestbox(BufferWidthDistanceUsing)istochoosebetweenaCartesianandaSpherical
coordinatesystem.Cartesiansystemsareprojectionsontoa2dimensionalsurface.Most
countriesnationalgirdsareexamplesofthese.BritishNationalGrid,whichisthecoordiante
systembeingusedhereisaCartesiansystem.
SphericalsystemsarebasedonEarthssphere.WGS84isanexample.OSNationalGridisa
Cartesiansystem.WGS84isanexampleofasphericalsystem.
8. Thebufferregionhasbeencreated,butithasaratheruglysolidfill.Theregionstylecanbe
usedtochangeitsstyle:

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(http://infogeoblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/clip_image0063.jpg)
9. Thebufferisnowcomplete.IamgoingtousetheRegionSelectbuttontoselectalltheaddress
pointswithinthebuffer:

(http://infogeoblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/clip_image0082.jpg)
Justlikeanattributesquery,theselectioncanbeviewedinthebrowser,orsavedasanewtable:

(http://infogeoblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/clip_image0102.jpg)
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AdditionalBufferTypes
ConcentricRing:Thiscreatesmultipleringsatdifferentdistance.Itisatool,ratherthanan
integralfeature.ItcanbeenabledbyusingthemenutoselectTools,ToolManagerandchecking
thetwoboxesnexttoConcentricRingBuffers.
ConvexHull:Thisusestheminimumnumberofpointsandlinestoenclosetheselection.Its
anglesareallconvex;thereforenoneofthemcanbegreaterthan180degrees.Selecttheobject(s)
thenusethemenutoselectObjects,ConvexHull.
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AboutLukeNicolaides
IvebeenworkinginGISforover10years.IveusedMapInfoandESRIlotsatwork,andmore
recentlyIvestartedtoexperimentwithQGIS.Thisblogwillbringtogethersomeofmytipsand
tutorials.
ViewallpostsbyLukeNicolaides
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