Book Image

Learning ArcGIS Pro 2 - Second Edition

By : Tripp Corbin GISP
Book Image

Learning ArcGIS Pro 2 - Second Edition

By: Tripp Corbin GISP

Overview of this book

Armed with powerful tools to visualize, maintain, and analyze data, ArcGIS Pro 2 is Esri's newest desktop geographic information system (GIS) application that uses the modern ribbon interface and a 64-bit processor to make using GIS faster and more efficient. This second edition of Learning ArcGIS Pro will show you how you can use this powerful desktop GIS application to create maps, perform spatial analysis, and maintain data. The book begins by showing you how to install ArcGIS and listing the software and hardware prerequisites. You’ll then understand the concept of named user licensing and learn how to navigate the new ribbon interface to leverage the power of ArcGIS Pro for managing geospatial data. Once you’ve got to grips with the new interface, you’ll build your first GIS project and understand how to use the different project resources available. The book shows you how to create 2D and 3D maps by adding layers and setting and managing the symbology and labeling. You’ll also discover how to use the analysis tool to visualize geospatial data. In later chapters, you’ll be introduced to Arcade, the new lightweight expression language for ArcGIS, and then advance to creating complex labels using Arcade expressions. Finally, you'll use Python scripts to automate and standardize tasks and models in ArcGIS Pro. By the end of this ArcGIS Pro book, you’ll have developed the core skills needed for using ArcGIS Pro 2.x competently.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
1
Section 1: Introducing and Navigating ArcGIS Pro
4
Section 2: Visualizing, Maintaining, and Analyzing Data
13
Section 3: Sharing Data and Automating processes
18
GIS glossary

Buffer tool

The Buffer tool is one of the most frequently used tools in ArcGIS. It creates a new polygon layer around the input layer based on a specified distance. The buffer distance can be a single value or can be based on an attribute field in the attribute table of the features being buffered. You can choose to buffer any feature type. You can buffer points, lines, or polygons.

However, the output will always be a polygon, as shown in the following screenshot:

Buffers are extremely useful. They can be used to help determine whether features in one layer are within the distance of another layer. They can also help us create features for other purposes, such as creating the rights-of-way for roads or railroads, as shown in the preceding screenshot.

In this illustration, you can see that a new polygon layer has been created around the existing street centerlines, all at a uniform distance. This new layer represents the rights...