Find Similar (Business Analyst)

Summary

Scores potential sites or trade areas against an existing well-performing master site.

Learn more about how Find Similar works

Usage

Syntax

FindSimilar_ba (InputFeatureLayer, MasterSite, OutputFeatureClass, {UserDefineRadiuses}, {MeasureUnits}, {BDSFeatureClass}, {UseOrdinaryFS}, {UseOrdinaryFSVals}, {PCAFields}, {UserDefinedBoundVal}, {FSRankFeatNum}, {FSUseMasterSitesLayer}, {FSMasterSitesLayer}, {FSFieldMap}, {UseOnlineData})
ParameterExplanationData Type
InputFeatureLayer

The input features containing the data to be ranked based on similarity. The input features class points (stores) or polygons (trade areas).

Feature Layer
MasterSite

The primary feature that will determine how the site-scoring variables are ranked against other features in the target layer. The master site is chosen from one of the target layers.

String
OutputFeatureClass

The output feature class that will contain the Find Similar features. The output feature class will be ranked based on similarity to the master site.

Feature Class
UserDefineRadiuses
(Optional)

Defines the extent at which the demographics will be queried around the master site and the points in the target layer. This is only used if you have selected a point layer as the target layer.

Double
MeasureUnits
(Optional)

Defines how distance is measured in the Radius.

  • Decimal Degrees
  • Feet
  • Kilometers
  • Meters
  • MilesThis is the default
  • Nautical Miles
  • Yards
String
BDSFeatureClass
(Optional)

The data layer containing the variables (commonly ESRI demographic data) that will be used to determine how each site is ranked.

Feature Layer
UseOrdinaryFS
(Optional)

Determines if the conventional Find Similar approach is used.

  • TrueUses the conventional Find Similar approach.
  • FalseUses the Principal Component Analysis approach. This is the default
Boolean
UseOrdinaryFSVals
[[Layer, {Variable}, {Percentage}, {Category}],...]
(Optional)

The variables that will be used in the conventional Find Similar approach selected from the analysis data layer. In the conventional approach, you can add up to five variables.

Value Table
PCAFields
[[Layer, {Variable}, {Category}],...]
(Optional)

The variables that will be used in the Principal Component Analysis approach selected from the analysis data layer.

Value Table
UserDefinedBoundVal
(Optional)

Allows you to define an Eigenvalue other than the recommended value of one.

Double
FSRankFeatNum
(Optional)

Defines the number of features you can rank in the target layer based on similarity to the master site.

Long
FSUseMasterSitesLayer
(Optional)

Determines if you can select the master site from a different layer file than the target layer.

  • TrueAllows a seperate layer to be selected as the master site.
  • FalseThe master is selected from the Target Layer. This is the default.
Boolean
FSMasterSitesLayer
(Optional)

The features containing the master site. This option is used if you would like to select the master site from a different layer than the layer that will be used to rank the results of the Find Similar tool.

Feature Layer
FSFieldMap
(Optional)

The file containing the fields that will be used to map the Master Site to the Target Layer.

File
UseOnlineData
(Optional)

Access online Business Analyst data to use in the analysis.

  • Checked—Allows you to acess online Business Analyst data.
  • Unchecked—You will only have access to locally loaded Business Analyst data.

Select to access online Business Analyst data to use in the analysis.

  • TrueAllows you to acess online Business Analyst data.
  • FalseYou will only have access to locally loaded Business Analyst data. This is the default.
Boolean

Code Sample

FindSimilar Example (Stand-alone Script)
# Name: FindSimilar.py
# Description: Ranks the top ten customers using a 1 mile buffer around each customer based on current total population in the San Francisco area.
# Author: ESRI

# Import system modules

import arcview
import arcpy

arcpy.ImportToolbox("C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Desktop10.0\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Business Analyst Tools.tbx")
 
try:
  # Acquire extension license 
  arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Business")
 
  # Define input and output parameters for the Find Similar tool
  Target = "C:/temp/sf_cust.shp"
  Master = "1 : Customer  2"
  Output = "C:/temp/findsimilar.shp"
  Data = "C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/Desktop10.0/Business Analyst/Data/BDS/esri_bg"
  numRadius = 1
  numEigen = 1
  numRank = 10
  Params = "C:\\Program Files\\ArcGIS\\Desktop10.0\\Business Analyst\\Data\\BDS\\esri_bg.bds TOTPOP_CY TARGET_LAYER"
 
  # Create a Find Similar ouput
  arcpy.FindSimilar_ba(Target, Master, Output, "1", "Miles", Data , "false" , "#", Params, numEigen, numRank)
 
  # Release extension license
  arcpy.CheckInExtension("Business")
 
except:
  print arcpy.GetMessages(2)

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments

Related Topics

Licensing Information

ArcView: Requires Business Analyst
ArcEditor: Requires Business Analyst
ArcInfo: Requires Business Analyst

11/8/2010