Creating Buffers with a User-Defined Trace

You can create buffers using a user-defined route trace.

  1. On the system map, zoom to the area that you want to work on.
  2. Press SHIFT while clicking points for the route on the map.
    As you move from point to point, a trace appears on the map (see the dark line in the following example).
    Example of a route trace
    The trace follows the street network along the shortest path between each point that you click (waypoints).
    To move the map while drawing your route, release SHIFT, adjust the map view, press SHIFT again, and then continue clicking points on the map.
  3. After you finish tracing the route, click Analysis > Setup.
    The PLAN Options dialog box appears. On the Buffers tab, the route you created appears on the buffer list as a User Trace type.
  4. To define other attributes of the new buffer:
    1. Select the new route trace and in the Existing frame, click Properties....
      The Buffer Properties dialog box appears.
      Buffer Properties dialog box
    2. In the Name field, rename the route to something more descriptive.
    3. Change the values shown by default, if necessary.
    4. Click OK.
  5. In the PLAN Options dialog box, click OK.