Radius Mapping Tool
Catrin Muzquiz
Choose the Right Radius Tool by selecting one that best fits your needs. ArcGIS, Maptive, and others offer various features for creating radius maps. Consider factors like ease of use, data integration capabilities, and customization options.
Before you start mapping, have a clear understanding of the data you are working with. Knowing what you want to visualize and why helps in choosing the right type of radius map and the appropriate visualization technique.
Avoid cluttering your map with too much information. Focus on the most important data points to make your map readable and effective. Use radius calculators to highlight key zones of interest or concern.
Colors can significantly impact the readability and interpretability of your map. Use contrasting colors for different zones to make comparisons easier. Also, be mindful of colorblind-friendly palettes to make your maps accessible to a wider audience.
If you have multiple data sets, consider layering them on your map. This can provide a more comprehensive view and allow for more complex analyses. However, ensure that the layers are distinct and easy to toggle on and off for clarity.
If you're using public transport to do your analysis, it can look like we don't include a specific transit line. But it is rare that we have forgotten to add it! We have a full data team collecting transport data, and they're rarely caught out. It's usually due to understanding how we calculate travel time catchments. We build the area to include:
That means if you set your max travel time at 30 minutes, and the train journey you think should be included takes 28 minutes, it probably won't show up, because the other steps push it over the max 30 min limit. Try adding an extra 5-10 minutes to your max catchment area and see if this helps! Understand how we built our public transport model
This demo was built to showcase the TravelTime API. To use the full capabilities of the API you will need coding skills, or experience with one of our integrations: QGIS, Alteryx or ArcGIS. Access to the API gives you larger travel time catchment areas, more transport mode options and large request volumes. Access the developer playground here.
Our map tool allows you to create a 'How far can I go map' by transport mode and time limit. For example someone can ask how far can I drive from my home in 30 minutes. The tool outputs shapes, also known as travel time isochrones visualise where's reachable. Sometimes these shapes are incorrectly labelled as a 'travel time radius map'. A radius is always just a circular shape, but a travel time shape is completely unique as it analyses all locations reachable using a specific mode of transport.
You can use this tool to find the radius around a point on the map. First type in the radius required in kilometers or miles and then click on the map at the center of where you wish the circle to appear. You can then create as many radii as you wish.
You can now export all the drawn radii on the map to Google Earth for improved display and printing. You must have Google Earth installed (or another application capable of importing KML files). You need to have a radius displayed on the map before the output will work. Please report any bugs.
The CSV option allows you to upload bulk points to the map. To do this you must format your points using the convention of latitude,longitude,radius per line where latitude and longitude are in decimal format and radius in km. Make sure to strip out any whitespace. You can upload as many lines as you wish, however more lines will take more time and every web browser will have its limits on the maximum number of lines (hence circles drawn) before things slow to a halt.
For your use case, I would recommend using the Kernal Density geoprocessing tool instead. Heat Map symbology is good for quick and dynamic visualization. But for reliable and defensible density analysis, the tool will give you more control.
In Heat Map symbology, the radius searches a set distance, rather than for a certain number of nearby points. This distance, as Edie described, is in screen units (points), rather than map units (meters, feet, etc). Just as with other symbology methods (Single symbol, graduated colors, etc) when you set the size to 10 points and zoom in and out, that size is relative to the screen, not the ground/map. So you can think of radius as the symbol size.
If radius is set to 25, the radius of the heat map "blob" around each point will be 25 points. Here is an image that helps to visualize it. It shows the same point data symbolized twice, first with heat map, and then with point symbols that have 25pt long lines attached to them:
Unfortunately, I don't know the specifics of how points relate to map units. Since one is tied to the screen and the other to the ground, it would vary at every scale. If this kind of control is needed for your map, I recommend using the Kernal Density tool instead. Heat Map symbology is based on the Kernal Density algorithm.
Sorry for the confusion. "Measured in points" means points as in the map units. Points is a measurement commonly used in typography, but we also use it in symbology. There are approximately 72 points in an inch. So, to cast a wider search area when calculating the heat map symbology, use a larger radius value.
Hello Edie - I took the Cartography MOOC a year or so ago and really enjoyed it. I feel like an idiot here but I just can't grasp this "points" thing in terms of the radius value for the Symbolize by Density (Heat Map) option in ArcGIS Pro. I understand what points are in terms of typography; I understand there are approximately 72 points per inch. You say the "points" in this case are in terms of the map units - so if I have a map with units in US Survey Feet, is the value I enter in the radius also in US Survey Feet? Do I have to do any kind of mathematical conversion vis-a-vis "points"? Or does "points" simply mean the same thing as "whatever your map units happen to be"?
I have a workflow that runs a unique point (sold-to ID or city) through find nearest tool to find nearby retail points within a set radius. At present it only works for a single point at a time. How would I loop through a list of points to find nearest for each of them and union all the results together? End product would be a Tableau map that allows user to select a point and see all nearest store locations. If there is an alternative approach to get this result, please enlighten me.
Would you mind sharing how you did it? I'm working through a similar issues. Trying to find locations within a 50-mile radius of each other. Through Tableau, I'd like to be able to select the location and see which locations are within 50-miles of it. Overlap is ok.
I used a geocoder tool to get the location points, filter out the set of locations I want my user to be able to select from (this could be store locations, cities, etc.) and pull the uniques. Then feed that into the target input for the "find nearest" tool. The universe input is all locations.
From within your configuration for the "find nearest" tool, set the number of nearest points and max distance. One key for me here was unchecking the "ignore 0 distance matches". Then I could use the 0 distance property to color my drop-down list differently from the universe points within Tableau.
One other tip: you can always set the max distance to a large value and then provide your user a slider or other toggle in Tableau to let them choose the radius (rather than being limited to 50 miles only). Hope this helps!
Our mapping tool will allow you to view the TV transmitters in your area. Using this tool, you will see the radius patterns showing the distance of coverage between your location and the broadcast towers. The towers are shown by black markers on the map, and you can click on each tower to see the affiliate, band, latitude, longitude, and heading for each transmitter. Certain variables unrelated to the antennas performance can affect reception, such as terrain, tall buildings, and trees. Call our Connection Crew or chat with us online if you need assistance with choosing the best TV antenna for your location.
A radius analysis tool allows users to create and analyze areas around a specific point or set of points on a map. Users can specify a central location and define a radius distance; the tool generates a boundary around that location. This feature is helpful in various applications, including:
Burning fossil fuels at power plants creates emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2), mercury (Hg), and other pollutants. NOX and SO2 emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine PM, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and exposure to mercury can increase the possibility of health issues ranging from cancer to immune system damage.
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