Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Urban Studies and Planning

11.220 Quantitative Reasoning and Statistical Methods for Planning

ArcGIS

HOME   |   TEST-OUT   |   BRUSH-UP   |   MATERIALS

ArcGIS > Buffer

1. Double-click on the "Layers" name at the top of the table of contents. Click on the "General" tab. Change display units to meters if it's unknown.

2. Go to Tools->Buffer Wizard...

If the "Buffer Wizard" does not appear in the Tools menu, do the following:

a. Click the Tools menu and click Customize.

b. Click the Commands tab.

c. Click Tools in the Categories list.

d. Click Buffer Wizard in the Commands list and drag it to the Tools menu on the Main menu.

The Tools menu will open and you can drop it within the menu at any location.

Optionally, you can choose to place the Buffer Wizard on any of the menus or toolbars you wish.

e. Click Close on the Customize dialog box.

3. You'll create a buffer from the selected roads of the major roads (majmhd).

4. Set the distance.

5. Set the Buffer type and save it on your own space.

6. The outcome looks like the following. You can change the buffer symbol by double-clicking on the buffer layer name and choosing the Symbology tab or click once on the buffer color patch. Look for the cross-hatch pattern in the list of symbols.

Created by Myounggu Kang on January 25, 2004. Edited by Rhonda Ryznar on January 19, 2006.