To better understand the Closest Site and Point-in-Polygon tabs see the following table which describes the options available.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
|
Define Input Fields |
|
| Longitude |
Allows you to select the appropriate options for Longitude. The options for Latitude and Longitude are the same as the Field Name under Assign Outputs. |
| Latitude |
Allows you to select the appropriate options for Latitude. The options for Latitude and Longitude are the same as the Field Name under Assign Outputs. |
|
Processing Parameters |
|
| Process if Field is Blank |
Allows you to process only those records with missing data in a particular field, which you specify using the drop-down list. This is useful for cleaning up a previously processed database. This option is ignored, and the record is processed if any of the following critical match fields are missing or empty:
This option is ignored and the record is processed if any of the following critical match fields begins with an "E".
Note: This option is disabled when producing a CASS report—Centrus Desktop must
process all records for CASS compliance.
|
| Max Distance (Miles) |
Informs Centrus Desktop how far to look for a site. For example, if you are interested only in those sites within 50 miles of an address, enter 50 in the Max Distance (Miles) box. |
|
Assign Outputs |
|
| Output Assignment |
Associates address data elements with output field names. By default, the list of field names is the same as the input fields in the Define Input Fields section of the dialog box. You can assign address data elements to existing field names, or create new fields to receive the data. Note: If you are using Z4 Change Processing, be sure to select the Z4ChangeResult
address element in this dialog box.
By default, outputs are ordered alphabetically by field name. Click Output Assignment to view outputs ordered alphabetically by output assignment. |
| Available Outputs |
To associate a data output with an output field:
The selected element appears in the Output Assignment column next to the field name to which it is assigned. An A icon appears before the output, signifying that the data is assigned to an output field. To create a new field:
The selected output appears in the Output Assignment column next to the field name to which it is assigned. A P or a C icon appears before the address element, signifying that the data is assigned to your new output field. If the currently selected field is an input field, click Unassign to remove its output assignment. If the currently selected field is a new field, click Unassign to delete it. You may unassign an output assignment from any tab. |
| Blank if Unmatched | Clears all output fields defined within the module if Centrus Desktop cannot match the record. |
TObject files and layers
The Point-in-Polygon module requires geocoded addresses with Latitude/Longitude coordinates as input. To geocode the addresses in your files, we recommend that you use the Centrus Desktop Address Coding module, for the quickest, most accurate geocode assignments. You can even geocode and perform spatial analyses in the same task.
The available outputs are determined by the contents of the object files or layers you have specified in the Process Options dialog box. Geographic features (points, lines, or polygons) are imported into the native Centrus Desktop format. To import your data into the .gsb format, Centrus Desktop is able to import most popular third-party data formats.
The Point-in-Polygon tab displays only a Configure button until a .gsb file is specified in the Point-in-Polygon page of the Process Options dialog box.
For more information about specifying or importing layers, see Shape Layers.
Point-in-Polygon analysis
Point-in-Polygon (or PiP) analysis determines in which object, or objects, a point falls. This analysis requires a buffered object file, as well as a geocoded address file containing latitude and longitude fields. The Point-in-Polygon module can perform analyses on polygons, as well as buffered lines, buffered points, and buffered polygons. Centrus Desktop can process an entire file of points against an object file very rapidly.
The following diagram illustrates the different types of buffering.
Buffered objects allow you to determine if, for example, a point is within 500 feet of a shoreline, or within 2 miles of a store, or within 1.3 miles of a sales territory. Centrus Desktop performs buffering automatically; the only requirement is that the object file (.gsb) be built with buffering enabled.
A point can be located in four areas relative to a polygon. These areas are illustrated in the following diagram, along with the status codes which represent the areas. The status codes are defined in Status codes.
