An overview of the Analysis toolset

The Analysis toolset contains tools used to perform analysis when using the Network Analyst extension. The toolset contains tools to create a new network analysis layer and set its analysis properties for each solver provided with the Network Analyst extension, tools to add network analysis objects to one or more network analysis classes, a tool to solve the analysis, and a tool to generate driving directions.

Tool	Description
Add Field To Analysis Layer	Adds a field to a sublayer of a network analysis layer.
Add Locations	Adds network analysis objects to a network analysis layer. The objects are added to specific sublayers such as Stops and Barriers. Objects are input as features or records.
Calculate Locations	Adds fields to the input features that contain the network location of the features. The tool is used to store the network location information as feature attributes to quickly load the features as inputs for a network analysis layer.
Directions	Generates direction information from a network analysis layer with routes. The direction information is written to a file in either XML or text format.
Make Closest Facility Layer	Makes a closest facility network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A closest facility analysis layer is useful in determining the closest facility or facilities to an incident based on a specified network cost.
Make Location-Allocation Layer	Makes a location-allocation network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A location-allocation analysis layer is useful for choosing a given number of facilities from a set of potential locations such that a demand will be allocated to facilities in an optimal and efficient manner.
Make OD Cost Matrix Layer	Makes an origin–destination (OD) cost matrix network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. An OD cost matrix analysis layer is useful for representing a matrix of costs going from a set of origin locations to a set of destination locations.
Make Route Layer	Makes a route network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A route analysis layer is useful for determining the best route between a set of network locations based on a specified network cost.
Make Vehicle Routing Problem Layer	Makes a vehicle routing problem (VRP) network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A vehicle routing problem analysis layer is useful for optimizing a set of routes using a fleet of vehicles.
Make Service Area Layer	Makes a service area network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties. A service area analysis layer is useful in determining the area of accessibility within a given cutoff cost from a facility location.
Solve	Solves the network analysis layer problem based on its network locations and properties.
Update Analysis Layer Attribute Parameter	Updates the network attribute parameter value for a network analysis layer. The tool should be used to update the value of an attribute parameter for a network analysis layer prior to solving with the Solve tool. This ensures that the solve operation uses the specified value of the attribute parameter to produce appropriate results.

Tools in the Analysis toolset

Related tools

After performing network analysis using the Solve tool, you can use the results with other geoprocessing tools for further analysis. For example, after finding a five-minute drive-time polygon around a store location using service area analysis, you might want to find the customers of a particular age group that live within this area for mailing marketing materials. This can be done by using the Select Data tool to select only the polygons from the service area network analysis layer, the Select Layer By Location tool to find the customers, and the Copy Features tool to create a feature class with the list of customers.