Barriers can be used to restrict territory creation in some areas and restrict areas of the territory.
A barriers layer can be placed anywhere within the territory design layer group layer. Moving barriers outside the territory solution removes or disables barriers located in this section. The territory solution layer can contain any number of barrier layers. Additional barrier layers can only be created by copying and pasting the original layer in the ArcMap table of contents. Barrier layers can be renamed, without a change in function, and they can also be removed. The Setup Barriers command adds the Barriers layer back to the territory solution if the layer was removed.
A default barriers group layer is created with a territory solution in the Constraints group layer.
Any feature layers placed into the barriers layer of a territory solution layer become barriers for this territory solution layer. Any number of layers can be placed into barriers and can be point, line, polygonal, or group layers. Layers located in the Business Analyst barriers layer Business Analyst Network Barriers will be applied to all Territory Design layers with the same rules as barriers located in the Barriers layer. This is a global setting.
Layers can be added in one of the following ways:
- Setup Barriers command
- Add Data context menu command for barriers layer
- Copy from the table of contents and paste to barriers layer
- Copy from the table of contents to the barriers layer with CTRL key pressed
- Drag layers from the table of contents to the barriers layer
Layers added to a barriers layer using methods 1–4 above will be assigned special symbols:
- Point barriers: red X
- Line barriers: red line
- Polygonal barriers: red polygon
- Restricted areas: red hatched polygon
Layers added using method 5 will keep the original layer symbol.
Setup Barriers
The Setup Barriers command is available in context menu for Constraints layer, Barriers layer, and in the Territory Design menu.
The Setup Barriers command shows the Setup barriers dialog box for the territory solution layer. This dialog box allows you to manage the list of barriers and shows a list of barriers of selected territory solution layer (from all Barriers layers). Added barriers will be placed into the first Barriers layer of the selected territory solution layer. The Setup Barriers command from the main menu will be applied to the Active territory solution layer.
How do barriers work in Territory Design?
Barriers are used in Create Territories from Seed Points, Create Territories from Centers of Density, and Balance algorithms. Barriers are used for Straight Line and Drive Time/Distance types.
As shown in the graphic below, Territory Design polygonal barriers have different meaning from ArcGIS Network Analyst extension or Business Analyst polygonal barriers.
The Territory Design polygonal barriers allow you to create territories inside the barrier polygon and restrict areas of this territory by the boundary of the polygon. ArcGIS Network Analyst extension and Business Analyst polygonal barriers do not allow you to place anything into a barriers polygon.
The table below shows how barriers are utilized depending on distance and barrier shape type.
| Barrier Shape Type | Distance Type: Straight Line | Distance Type: Drive Time/Distance |
|---|---|---|
Point | Not supported | NA/SM Solver |
Line | TD algorithms | NA Solver |
Polygon | TD algorithms | TD algorithms |
Point barriers and Drive Time/Distance distance
A candidate territory is not allowed by the barrier if point barriers block streets used by the network solver to access this territory.
Line barriers and Straight Line distance
A candidate territory is allowed by line barrier if the line traced from the growing territory to the candidate territory center is not intersected with a barrier. line.
Line barriers and Drive Time/Distance distance
A candidate territory is allowed by the line barrier if the candidate is accessible by roads. Opposite to the Straight Line distance, the line barrier doesn't have a dead zone.
Polygonal barriers and Straight Line and Drive Time/Distance distances
A candidate territory is allowed by a polygonal barrier if both centers (growing territory and candidate center) are located inside or outside the barrier polygon.
Polygonal barriers and Straight Line and Drive Time/Distance distances
A restricted area is a polygonal feature that doesn't allow territories to be assigned. When a restricted area is present, new territories can't access the area covered by the restricted area. If a restricted area is applied to an existing territory solution, any territories within the area will be locked from automatic territory generation or balancing. These elements can be reassigned manually.