CreateBuffers

inputLayer

feature | required

The point, line, or polygon features to be buffered.

Syntax: As described in detail in the Feature input topic, this parameter can be one of the following:

• A URL to a feature service layer with an optional filter to select specific features
• A feature collection

Examples:

• {"url": <feature service layer url>, "filter": <where clause>}
• {"layerDefinition": {}, "featureSet": {}, "filter": <where clause>}

distances

double | sometimes required

An array of double values used to buffer the input features. You can enter a single distance value or multiple values, separating each value with a comma.

You must supply values for either the distances or field parameter. Use distances to create buffers with uniform distances for all features.

Examples:

• "distances": [4.0]
• "distances": [4.0, 5.0, 6.0]

field

string | sometimes required

A field from inputLayer containing a buffer distance. Multiple distance values per feature are not supported using this method.

You must supply values for either the distances or field parameter. Use field to create buffers that vary distance between features.

Example: "field": "Setback"

units

string | optional

Default value: Miles or Kilometers

Accepted values: Meters | Kilometers | Feet | Miles | NauticalMiles | Yards

The linear unit to be used with the distance values specified in distances or contained in the field value. The default value depends on whether your user profile is configured for U.S. standard or metric units.

Example: "units": "Feet"

dissolveType

string | optional

Default value: None

Accepted values: None | Dissolve

Specifies how overlapping buffers are processed in the output.

The following options are available:

• None—Overlapping areas are kept.
• Dissolve—Overlapping areas are combined.

Example: "dissolveType": "Dissolve"

ringType

string | optional

Default value: Disks

Accepted values: Disks | Rings

Specifies how multiple-distance buffers are processed.

Specifies whether the outer buffers should include the areas within the smaller buffers when multiple values are provided in the distances parameter.

The following options are available:

• Disks—Larger buffers include areas within one or more smaller buffers. For example, if the distances are 10 and 14, the result will be two buffers, one from 0 to 10 and one from 0 to 14.
• Rings—Larger buffers do not include areas within one or more smaller buffers. For example, if the distances are 10 and 14, the result will be two buffers, one from 0 to 10 and one from 10 to 14.

Example: "ringType": "Disks"

sideType

string | optional

The functionality and accepted values for sideType depend on whether the input features are lines or polygons.

sideType is only used for single distance buffers.

Lines

Default value: Full

Accepted values: Full | Right | Left

Specifies the side of the line that will be buffered. In most cases, the buffer should apply to both sides of the line (Full).

The left and right side of the line is determined based on the direction of the line from its start coordinate to its end coordinate and may not represent the same side of the line when displayed spatially. Specifying left or right usually means you know that the line features were created and stored in a particular direction (for example, upstream or downstream in a river network).

The following options are available for line features:

• Full—Both sides of the line will be buffered.
• Right—Only the right side of the line will be buffered.
• Left—Only the left side of the line will be buffered.

Example: "sideType": "Right"

Polygons

Default value: No value

Accepted values: No value | Outside

Specify whether the buffer includes or excludes the polygon being buffered.

The following options are available for polygon features:

• No value—The polygon being buffered is included in the result buffer.
• Outside—The polygon being buffered is excluded in the result buffer.

Example: "sideType": "Outside"

endType

string | optional

Default value: Round

Accepted values: Round | Flat

The shape of the buffer at the end of line input features. At the ends of lines, the buffer can be rounded (Round) or be straight across (Flat).

This parameter is not valid for point or polygon input features and is only used for single distance buffers.

The following options are available:

• Round—Buffers will be rounded at the ends of lines.
• Flat—Buffers will be flat at the ends of lines.

Example: "endType": "Flat"

outputName

string | optional

The name of the output layer.

If provided, the task will create a feature service of the results. You define the name of the service. If an outputName value is not provided, the task will return a feature collection.

Syntax:

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{
  "serviceProperties": {
		"name": "featureServiceName"
  }
}

You can overwrite an existing feature service by providing the itemId, serviceURL, or name value of the existing feature service and setting the overwrite property to true. Including the serviceProperties parameter is optional. As described in the Feature output topic, you must either be the owner of the feature service or have administrative privileges to perform the overwrite.

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{
  "itemProperties": {
		"itemId": "52d34e7598e7484188228xxxxxx",
		"overwrite": true
  }
}

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{
  "serviceProperties": {
		"serviceURL": "https://organization.example.com/<context>/rest/services/Hosted/
		FeatureServiceName/FeatureServer"
  },
  "itemProperties": {
		"overwrite": true
  }
}

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{
  "serviceProperties": {
		"name": "featureServiceName"
  },
  "itemProperties": {
		"overwrite": true
  }
}

context

string | optional

The Context parameter contains the following additional settings that affect task operation:

• Extent (extent)—A bounding box that defines the analysis area. Only input features that intersect the bounding box will be analyzed.
• Output spatial reference (outSR)—The output features will be projected into the output spatial reference.

Syntax:

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{
"extent" : {extent},
"outSR" : {spatial reference}
}

f

string | optional

Default value: html

Accepted values: html | json

The response format.

bufferLayer

features | required

The buffer polygons.

Fields

Depending on the tool configurations, the following fields may be included in bufferLayer:

• All fields from inputLayer.

• Buffer Distance in [Unit] (BUFF_DIST)—A double value based on distances. This field is not included when field is used for the buffer distance.

• ORIG_FID—The unique ID for the input feature.

• Areas in Square Miles or Area in Square Kilometers (AnalysisArea)—The total area of the buffered feature. The unit in this field is based on whether the value for units is imperial or metric.

The included fields depend on the dissolveType setting and whether the buffer distance is configured using the distances or field parameter.

"dissolveType"="None""dissolveType"="Dissolve"

The following output fields are included when dissolveType is None:

Field name	distances parameter	field parameter
inputLayers fields
BUFF_DIST
ORIG_FID
AnalysisArea

Included Not included

Request example

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{"url":"https://<analysis url>/CreateBuffers/jobs/<jobId>/results/bufferLayer"}

The result has properties for parameter name, data type, and value. The contents of value depend on the outputName parameter value provided in the initial request.

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{
  "paramName":"bufferLayer",
  "dataType":"GPString",
  "value":{"url":"<hosted feature service layer url>"}
}

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{
  "paramName":"bufferLayer",
  "dataType":"GPString",
  "value":{"layerDefinition": {}, "featureSet": {}  }
}

See Feature output for more information about how the result layer or collection is accessed.