Feature analysis tool differences

When a tool exists in both the standard spatial analysis and GeoAnalytics Tools toolsets, there are potential differences in that tool's execution. This topic describes the differences between the tools that are available in both toolsets. Some of these differences are common across all of the tools in the toolsets, and some apply to only a specific tool. For an overview of which tools are available in which toolsets, see Standard and GeoAnalytics Tools feature analysis comparison.

Major differences between the standard analysis and GeoAnalytics Tools

There are a few capabilities that are always different between the standard analysis and GeoAnalytics Tools tools available through GeoAnalytics Server. These differences are as follows:

• GeoAnalytics Tools can analyze data in big data file shares (a Big Data File Share item in portal), while standard analysis tools cannot. For more information about big data file shares, see What is a big data file share?.
• In many GeoAnalytics Tools, GeoAnalytics Server can apply time stepping to analysis, while standard analysis tools cannot.
• GeoAnalytics Server can optionally calculate the following statistics on fields that are not available in standard analysis tools: COUNT, VARIANCE, and RANGE on numeric fields, and COUNT and ANY on string fields.
• You cannot apply a Group By Field in GeoAnalytics Server or any subsequent options (minority/majority or percent points).

Individual tool differences

In addition to the differences that are common across multiple tools, individual tools also have some minor differences. The tools available in the standard and GeoAnalytics Tools toolsets are listed below with an outline of specific differences.

Aggregate Points

The differences in Aggregate Points between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• You can create square and hexagonal bins of a specified size on the fly using GeoAnalytics Server. These bins can optionally be used as the area to aggregate into instead of a polygon layer.
• You can apply time slicing with the GeoAnalytics Tools version of the tool.

Summarize Within

The differences in Summarize Within between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• You can create square and hexagonal bins of a specified size on the fly using GeoAnalytics Server. These bins can optionally be used as the area to aggregate into instead of a polygon layer.

Find Similar Locations

The differences in Find Similar Locations between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• The GeoAnalytics Tools version allows selection of the fields to append to the result.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version applies an attribute profile match method.

Calculate Density

The differences in Calculate Density between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• The GeoAnalytics Tools version of the tool allows you to calculate density on multiple fields at once.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version can calculate density into square or hexagonal bins.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version can apply time slicing.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools tool can specify if the density should be calculated using a kernel or weighted weights.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version does not allow polyline input data.

Find Hot Spots

The differences in Find Hot Spots between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• The GeoAnalytics Tools version of the tool requires you to specify the bin and neighborhood size.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version of the tool can apply time slicing.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version does not allow polygon input data.
• The GeoAnalytics Tools version does not apply a divide by field or bounding polygon layer.

Create Buffers

The differences in Create Buffers between standard feature analysis and GeoAnalytics Server are:

• You can specify multiple buffer distances in the standard analysis tool but only one buffer distance in the GeoAnalytics Tools.
• You can use a field or a field expression to create the buffer distance in the GeoAnalytics Tools. These options are not available in standard analysis.
• You can optionally choose between planar and geodesic buffers inGeoAnalytics Tools. In standard analysis, there is no option to do so, and a geodesic buffer is applied.
• You can choose the ring type, side type, and end type in standard analysis. These options are not available in GeoAnalytics Tools.
• You can dissolve differently in standard analysis and GeoAnalytics Tools in the following ways:
  • In the standard analysis toolset, you can choose whether or not to dissolve overlapping polygons.
  • In GeoAnalytics Tools, you can choose to dissolve all resulting features, none, or based on output fields. You can also decide if you want resulting features to be multipart or single part. If you wanted to recreate a dissolve overlapping that was completed in standard analysis, you would dissolve All and allow for multiparts.
• When you dissolve in GeoAnalytics Tools, you can calculate statistics for All or within Fields.