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Generate Desire Lines (Business Analyst Tools)

Summary

Generates a series of lines from each customer to an associated store location. These lines are often called spider diagrams. The tool can also generate an optional Wind Rose report from the output.

Note:

This tool is similar to the Generate Origin-Destination Links tool in the Analysis toolbox Proximity toolset.

Illustration

Generate Desire Lines tool illustration

Usage

  • The store layer and customer layer must each be a point feature class.

  • Generating desire lines with drive time and drive distance will take longer than using the straight-line (Euclidean) distance method.

  • The output shows the spatial distribution between the Store Layer and the Customer Layer parameter values and calculates the distance values between each store and customer.

  • Checking the optional Create Report parameter creates a Wind Rose report, which visualizes the distributions of customers around each store.

  • The Interpret Wind Rose report is a PDF document you can use to understand the various sections and elements of the Wind Rose report.

Parameters

Label Explanation Data type

Store Layer

The input point layer representing store or facility locations.

Feature Layer

Customer Layer

The input point layer representing customers or patrons.

Feature Layer

Output Feature Class

The resultant feature class that will be added to the Contents pane.

Feature Class

Store ID Field

A unique ID field representing a store or facility location.

Field

Associated Store ID Field

An ID field used to assign individual customers to stores.

Field

Distance Type

(Optional)

The method of travel that will be used for distance calculation. Straight Line is the default value.

When using Portal for ArcGIS or local data sources, travel mode options are dynamically populated.

String

Measure Units

(Optional)

The type of distance- or time-measuring units that will be used when calculating minimal distance.

String

Cutoff

(Optional)

The distance beyond which customers will be considered outliers and excluded from consideration during desire line generation.

Double

Travel Direction

(Optional)

Specifies the direction of travel that will be used between stores and demand points.

  • Toward Stores—The direction of travel will be from demand points to stores. This is the default.

  • Away from Stores—The direction of travel will be from stores to demand points.

String

Time of Day

(Optional)

The time at which travel begins.

Date

Time Zone

(Optional)

Specifies the time zone that will be used for the Time of Day parameter.

  • UTC—Coordinated universal time (UTC) will be used. Choose this option if you want the best location for a specific time, such as now, but aren't certain of the time zone in which the Customer Layer parameter value resides.

  • Local time at locations—The time zone of the Customer Layer parameter value will be used. This is the default.

String

Create Report

(Optional)

Specifies whether a Wind Rose report will be created.

  • Checked—A report will be created.

  • Unchecked—A report will not be created. This is the default.

Boolean

Report Title

(Optional)

The title of the Wind Rose report.

String

Output Report Folder

(Optional)

The output directory that will contain the Wind Rose report.

Folder

Report Format

(Optional)

One or more output report formats. The default value is PDF. Additional available formats are XLSX, HTML, CSV, and PAGX.

String

Derived output

Label Explanation Data type

Output Report

The output report file.

File

Environments

Current Workspace, Data Source, Network Source

Licensing information

  • Basic: Requires Business Analyst and Network Analyst
  • Standard: Requires Business Analyst and Network Analyst
  • Advanced: Requires Business Analyst and Network Analyst