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Make Route Analysis Layer (Network Analyst Tools)

Summary

Makes a route network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A route network analysis layer is useful for determining the best route between a set of network locations based on a specified network cost. The layer can be created using a local network dataset or a routing service hosted online or in a portal.

Usage

  • This tool is typically used as the first step in a network analysis workflow. Once the layer is created, you can add inputs to it using the Add Locations tool and solve the analysis using the Solve tool.

    Learn more about the network analysis layer workflow

  • When ArcGIS Online or an ArcGIS Enterprise portal whose routing services are configured using ArcGIS Online is used as the input network data source, solving the analysis will consume credits and will be subject to certain limits, such as the number of allowed inputs.

    Learn more about credit consumption and analysis limits in network analysis

  • By default, the new analysis layer's data will be created in a new, automatically-named feature dataset in the Current Workspace geoprocessing environment, which is usually the project geodatabase. Table-based data will be created at the root level of the same geodatabase because tables cannot be stored in a feature dataset. You can override this behavior using the Analysis Geodatabase and Analysis Feature Dataset Name parameters.

  • Although this tool can be used in a Python script, the recommended best practice for performing network analysis in Python is to use the solver classes in the arcpy.nax module instead.

    Learn more about performing network analysis in Python.

Parameters

Label Explanation Data type

Network Data Source

The network dataset or service on which the network analysis will be performed.

The parameter can be specified using the following:

  • The catalog path to a network dataset.

  • A network dataset layer

  • The URL for ArcGIS Online or an ArcGIS Enterprise portal configured with standard routing services

To use a portal URL, you must be signed in to the portal with an account that has routing privileges.

Learn more about network analysis using routing services

When using ArcGIS Online or an ArcGIS Enterprise portal whose routing services are configured using ArcGIS Online as the input network, solving the analysis will consume credits and will be subject to certain limits, such as the number of allowed inputs.

Learn more about credit consumption and analysis limits in network analysis

Network Dataset Layer; String

Layer Name

(Optional)

The name of the network analysis layer that will be created.

String

Travel Mode

(Optional)

The name of the travel mode to use in the analysis. The travel mode represents a collection of network settings, such as travel restrictions and U-turn policies, that determine how a pedestrian, car, truck, or other medium of transportation moves through the network. Travel modes are defined on your network data source.

An arcpy.na.TravelMode object and a string containing the valid JSON representation of a travel mode can also be used as input to the parameter.

String

Sequence

(Optional)

Specifies whether the input stops must be visited in a particular order when calculating the optimal route. This option changes the route analysis from a shortest-path problem to a traveling salesperson problem (TSP).

  • Use current orderThe stops will be visited in the input order. This is the default.

  • Find best orderThe stops will be reordered to find the optimal route. This option changes the route analysis from a shortest-path problem to a traveling salesperson problem (TSP).

  • Preserve both first and last stopThe first and last stops will be preserved by input order. The rest will be reordered to find the optimal route.

  • Preserve first stopThe first stop will be preserved by input order. The rest will be reordered to find the optimal route.

  • Preserve last stopThe last stop will be preserved by input order. The rest will be reordered to find the optimal route.

String

Time of Day

(Optional)

The start date and time for the route. Route start time is typically used to find routes based on the impedance attribute that varies with the time of the day. For example, a start time of 7:00 a.m. can be used to find a route that considers rush hour traffic. The default value for this parameter is 8:00 a.m. A date and time can be specified as 10/21/05 10:30 AM. If the route spans multiple days and only the start time is specified, the current date is used.

After the solve, the start and end times of the route are populated in the output routes. These start and end times are also used when directions are generated.

Configure the analysis to use one of the following special dates to model a day of the week or the current date instead of a specific, static date:

  • Today—12/30/1899

  • Sunday—12/31/1899

  • Monday—1/1/1900

  • Tuesday—1/2/1900

  • Wednesday—1/3/1900

  • Thursday—1/4/1900

  • Friday—1/5/1900

  • Saturday—1/6/1900

Learn more about how dates and times are used and interpreted in a network analysis

Date

Time Zone

(Optional)

Specifies the time zone of the Time of Day parameter.

  • Local time at locationsThe Time of Day parameter refers to the time zone in which the first stop of a route is located. This is the default.If you are generating many routes that start in multiple times zones, the start times are staggered in coordinated universal time (UTC). For example, a Time of Day value of 10:00 a.m., 2 January, means a start time of 10:00 a.m. eastern standard time (3:00 p.m. UTC) for routes beginning in the eastern time zone and 10:00 a.m. central standard time (4:00 p.m. UTC) for routes beginning in the central time zone. The start times are offset by one hour in UTC.The arrival and departure times and dates recorded in the output Stops feature class will refer to the local time zone of the first stop for each route.

  • UTCThe Time of Day parameter refers to coordinated universal time (UTC). Choose this option if you want to generate a route for a specific time, such as now, but aren't certain in which time zone the first stop will be located.If you are generating many routes spanning multiple times zones, the start times in UTC are simultaneous. For example, a Time of Day value of 10:00 a.m., 2 January, means a start time of 5:00 a.m. eastern standard time (10:00 a.m. UTC) for routes beginning in the eastern time zone and 4:00 a.m. central standard time (10:00 a.m. UTC) for routes beginning in the central time zone. Both routes start at 10:00 a.m. UTC.The arrival and departure times and dates recorded in the output Stops feature class will refer to UTC.

String

Line Shape

(Optional)

Specifies the shape type that will be used for the route features that are output by the analysis.

Regardless of the output shape type specified, the best route is always determined by the network impedance, not Euclidean distance. This means that only the route shapes are different, not the underlying traversal of the network.

  • Along networkThe output routes will have the exact shape of the underlying network sources. The output includes route measurements for linear referencing. The measurements increase from the first stop and record the cumulative impedance to reach a given position.

  • No linesNo shape will be generated for the output routes.

  • Straight linesThe output route shape will be a single straight line between the stops.

String

Accumulate Attributes

(Optional)

A list of cost attributes to be accumulated during analysis. These accumulated attributes are for reference only; the solver only uses the cost attribute used by the designated travel mode when solving the analysis.

For each cost attribute that is accumulated, a Total_ [Impedance] property is populated in the network analysis output features.

This parameter is not available if the network data source is an ArcGIS Online service or the network data source is a service on a version of Portal for ArcGIS that does not support accumulation.

String

Generate Directions on Solve

(Optional)

Specifies whether directions will be generated when running the analysis.

For an analysis in which generating turn-by-turn directions is not needed, turn directions generation off to reduce the time it takes to solve the analysis.

  • CheckedTurn-by-turn directions will be generated on solve. This is the default.

  • UncheckedTurn-by-turn directions will not be generated on solve.

Boolean

Time Zone for Time Fields

(Optional)

Specifies the time zone that will be used to interpret the time fields included in the input tables, such as the fields used for time windows.

  • Local time at locationsThe dates and times in the time fields for the stop will be interpreted according to the time zone in which the stop is located. This is the default.

  • UTCThe dates and times in the time fields for the stop refer to coordinated universal time (UTC).

String

Ignore Invalid Locations at Solve Time

(Optional)

Specifies whether invalid input locations will be ignored. Typically, locations are invalid if they cannot be located on the network. When invalid locations are ignored, the solver will skip them and attempt to perform the analysis using the remaining locations.

  • CheckedInvalid input locations will be ignored and only valid locations will be used. This is the default.

  • UncheckedAll input locations will be used. Invalid locations will cause the analysis to fail.

Boolean

Analysis Geodatabase

(Optional)

The file geodatabase workspace where the new network analysis layer's sublayer data will be stored. When this parameter is not specified, the sublayer data will be created in the Current Workspace geoprocessing environment, which is usually the project geodatabase.

Learn more about the analysis data source of a network analysis layer

Workspace

Analysis Feature Dataset Name

(Optional)

The name to use for the new feature dataset that the tool will create in the analysis geodatabase to store the network analysis layer's sublayer data. When not specified, the feature dataset will be created with a random unique name.

Learn more about the analysis data source of a network analysis layer

String

Derived output

Label Explanation Data type

Network Analyst Layer

The output network analysis layer.

Network Analyst Layer

Environments

Current Workspace

Licensing information

  • Basic: Yes
  • Standard: Yes
  • Advanced: Yes