You could use the multiring buffer tool to classify the areas around a feature into near, moderate distance, and long distance classes for an analysis. For example, you might buffer a school by one mile and use the buffer to select all the students that live more than one mile from the school to plan for their transportation to and from school.
![sas geodist example sas geodist example](https://d1xn1bcogdo8ve.cloudfront.net/901/image.png)
Buffers are usually used to delineate protected zones around features or to show areas of influence. These tools output information with buffer features or tables. Feature-based proximity toolsįor feature data, the tools found in the Proximity toolset can be used to discover proximity relationships. The raster-based cost-distance tools accumulate the cost of each cell traversed between sources and destinations. The raster-based Euclidean distance tools measure distances from the center of source cells to the center of destination cells. The Near tool adds a distance measurement attribute to the input features. For example, the Buffer tool outputs polygon features, which can then be used as input to overlay or spatial selection tools such as Select Layer By Location.
![sas geodist example sas geodist example](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SEI_82399592.jpg)
The feature-based tools vary in the types of output they produce. Proximity tools can be divided into two categories depending on the type of input the tool accepts: features or rasters.
![sas geodist example sas geodist example](https://www.statology.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/sampleSpace1.png)