Find Similar (Business Analyst)
Summary
Scores potential sites or trade areas against an existing well-performing master site.
Usage
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When using the conventional Find Similar approach (the Use Conventional Find Similar Approach parameter is checked), set your ranges (expressed as percentages) for each variable at 25 percent for your initial analysis. This will give you a better chance to score your potential sites at a ranking of more than zero.
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If you are unsure of the variables needed to properly score your master and potential sites, run the Find Similar analysis using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) (the Use Conventional Find Similar Approach parameter is unchecked). This approach allows you to enter as many variables as desired and lets Business Analyst determine the best variables to score the sites.
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The conventional Find Similar approach is limited to a maximum of five variables.
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When using PCA, you have the option of running the analysis on points or polygons.
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If a point layer is selected, you must select a radius that will contain the extent at which the site-scoring variables will be selected and analyzed.
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If a polygon layer is selected, the extent at which the site-scoring variables will be selected and analyzed is contained within each polygon.
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The master site can be chosen from one of the features in the target layer.
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It is recommended that the Boundary PCA eigenvalue of 1 be left as the default based on the widely accepted Kaiser criterion.
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When choosing the Number of Features to Rank, you can limit the number of features displayed in the output in the analysis. All the features are analyzed with this approach, but only the top x features will be displayed.
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Only target sites or polygons in the active extent or study area will be used in the analysis.
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The Field Mapping file option is only necessary when you have a master site that is different from the potential sites and contains ID fields that are different that the potential sites layer. If the ID fields are the same, then this option is not necessary.
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The Field Mapping file must be created using the Find Similar wizard in Business Analyst and exported in order to be imported in the Find Similar GP tool.
Syntax
| Parameter | Explanation | Data 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
Select to access online Business Analyst data to use in the analysis.
| Boolean |
Code Sample
# 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)