Buffering features

You can create a buffer around selected features. Once a buffer has been applied, you can use the buffer to select features from another layer. Selecting features of one layer with the features of another layer's buffer can be applied to solve many problems. A project to widen roads may involve buffering the road features and then selecting features from a parcels layer that overlaps the buffer.

The map units must be set in order to create a buffer. The map units are the units your data is stored in. You can set the map units by clicking the View menu, clicking Scale Bar properties, and pointing to Map Units.

How to buffer features:

  1. Click the Buffer button.

  2. Type a distance for buffering the feature.

  3. Click miles, meters, kilometers, or feet for the Buffer Units.

  4. Click Apply to see the buffer.

  5. Check the box to select features from another layer.

  6. Click a layer to select features from.

  7. Click OK to see the selection and close the dialog box.

Tips:

If the buffer is generating unexpected results, verify that the map units are set appropriately. You can set the map units by clicking the View menu, clicking Scale Bar Properties, pointing to Map Units, and then clicking the appropriate unit.

The smallest buffer distance that can be specified is .007.

You can view attributes for any layer on your map, including the one you've selected features from with your buffer. To do this, make the layer active in the legend.