Workflow diagram

Analysis using GeoAnalytics Tools

Analysis using GeoAnalytics Tools is run using distributed processing across multiple ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Server machines and cores. GeoAnalytics Tools and standard feature analysis tools in ArcGIS Enterprise have different parameters and capabilities. To learn more about these differences, see Feature analysis tool differences.

Examples

An agricultural development company sampled thousands of terrestrial quadrats across a county. The data includes a soil_depth field, and a suitability field. The suitability field was calculated by classifying soil_depth values into categories of low or high. The quadrats can be dissolved based on the suitability field to determine where the most expansive suitable area is located.

Usage notes

Specify the area feature layer you want to dissolve boundaries for using the Choose area layer whose boundaries will be dissolved parameter.

Use the Choose dissolve method parameter to define how boundaries are dissolved by selecting from one of two options:

The Allow multipart features option determines whether the results will include multipart or single part features. A multipart feature is defined as one feature that is broken up into noncontiguous parts. For example, the state of Hawaii could be considered a multipart feature because its separate geometric parts are classified as a single state. The following options are available when deciding to create multipart or single part output:

The following table outlines how the multipart parameter operates for each dissolve option:

Dissolve method	Multipart is false (default)	Multipart is true
Areas that overlap or are adjacent (default)	Three features are created when all values are dissolved and multipart is false. Only overlapping features are dissolved. This is the same as the standard analysis tool's Dissolve option. This is the default.	One feature is created when all values are dissolved and multipart is true. When you select this option, the result will always be one feature.
Areas with the same field value	Four features are created when the dissolve is applied based on the field (here, the field is the color of input points). Only overlapping features with the same value of the specified fields are dissolved.	Two features are created when the dissolve is applied based on the field (here, the field is the color of input points) and multiparts are allowed. Values with the same field value will always be a single feature.

If Use current map extent is checked, only the features that are visible within the current map extent will be analyzed. If it's not checked, all input features in the input layer will be analyzed, even if they are outside the current map extent.

Limitations

Inputs to the Dissolve Boundaries tool must be area features.

How Dissolve Boundaries works

The following describes how the Dissolve Boundaries tool works:

[130, 8, 250] = 3

130 + 8 + 250 = 388

[130, 8, 250] = 8

[130, 8, 250] = 250

388/3 = 129.333

= 14641.33

= 121.0014

ArcGIS API for Python example

The Dissolve Boundaries tool is available through ArcGIS API for Python.

# Import the required ArcGIS API for Python modules
import arcgis
from arcgis.gis import GIS
from arcgis.geoanalytics import manage_data

# Connect to your ArcGIS Enterprise portal and confirm that GeoAnalytics is supported
portal = GIS("https://myportal.domain.com/portal", "gis_publisher", "my_password")
if not portal.geoanalytics.is_supported():
    print("Quitting, GeoAnalytics is not supported")
    exit(1)   

# Find the Feature Layer containing the features you want to dissolve and apply a filter
dissolve_features_search = portal.content.search("study_areas", "Feature Layer")
dissolve_features = dissolve_features_search[0].layers[0]
dissolve_features.filter = "region = 'Nebraska'"

# Define the fields containing the values used to dissolve features
dissolve_fields = "soil_suitability"

# Define the statistics to calculate for dissolved areas 
summary_fields = [{"statisticType" : "Sum", "onStatisticField" : "quadrat_area_km2"},
                  {"statisticType" : "Mean", "onStatisticField" : "soil_depth_cm"},
                  {"statisticType" : "Any", "onStatisticField" : "quadrat_desc"}]


# Set the tool environment settings
arcgis.env.out_spatial_reference = 3310
arcgis.env.output_datastore= "relational"
arcgis.env.defaultAggregations= True

# Run the Dissolve Boundaries tool
dissolve_result = manage_data.dissolve_boundaries(input_layer = dissolve_features,
                                                  dissolve_fields = dissolve_fields,
                                                  summary_fields = summary_fields,
                                                  multipart = True,
                                                  output_name = "Soil_Suitability_dissolved")

# Visualize the tool results if you are running Python in a Jupyter Notebook
processed_map = portal.map('Nebraska')
processed_map.add_layer(dissolve_result)
processed_map

Similar tools

Use Dissolve Boundaries when you want to aggregate intersecting areas or areas with the same field value into a single area. Other tools may be useful in solving similar but slightly different problems.