Generate Isochrone

This tool allows to produce a map which indicates the distance from a single location, such as a ‘walking distance to schools’. Time-based travel maps can be created for different two modes of transportation:  foot and motor vehicle. The newly created isochrones are saved as Earthlight layers in the repository. This is how generated and styled instance of Isochrones looks:

• 10 minutes by foot
  
• 2, 4 and 7 kilometres Isochrone
  

Generate Isochrone Settings window contains 4 sections:

1. Units:
   
   This field allows you to choose a base for generated isochrone. You can select one from the following bases:
   • Distance from start point – generates isochrone based on the entered distance.
     - metres
     - kilometres
     - feet
     - yards
     - miles
   • Time from start point – generates isochrone based on time.
     - minutes
     - hours
     
     

2. Value and unit
   Here you can enter value/values for the selected units. 

   Generate Isochrone tool accepts 3 types of characters in value field: numbers, commas and dots. You can use them all together in the value field, for example:
   - Isochrone with 3 different distances: 300,700 and 1000 metres

   

   - Isochrone with 3 different distances: 0.5, 1.5 and 3.5 kilometres

   

   
   There are two types of isochrones: monovalent and multivalent

   • Monovalent isochrone

     

     In this scenario, generated isochrone will be based on just one value. This is how monovalent isochrone instance looks:

     

   • Multivalent isochrone

     

     In case of multivalent isochrones you need to separate each value with coma "," character.

     Multivalent isochrones allows you to display few values in a single isochrone. This is how multivalent isochrone layer looks:
     
     
     

3. Locomotion type
   
   This section allows you to select a locomotion type. Earthlight supports two locomotion types: foot and motor vehicle.
   
   
4. Control buttons
   
   This section contains 2 buttons:
   • Generate – if all isochrone settings are configured you can click this button to start the operation.
     In the case when Values field is empty it won't be possible to generate an Isochrone. 
     
   • Cancel – this button is closing the Generate Isochrone Settings window. Settings are not saved.
     
     

How to use Generate Isochrone tool.

To generate an isochrone layer please go to Routing tab and select Set Start Point tool.

Click on the map in the location which you want to set as starting point for the new isochrone.

Now click the Generate Isochrone tool icon.

Generate Isochrone Settings window will appear. You can now configure all settings for the new isochrone. In the upper part of this documentation you can find a detailed description of all fields of Generate Isochrone Settings window. In this instance we will set everything to create a multivalant isochrone (3 and 5 minutes) with locomotion type set to car. This is how settings window should be configured in this case:

When all settings are prepared you can click Generate button. New Isochrone will appear on the map. 
On the screenshot below, you can see two yellow areas which covers how far we can travel for a given time (3 and 5 minutes). 

Saving or deleting isochrone

After the isochrone is generated users can save it as annotation or record by choosing the option from the context menu after right-clicking the isochrone area.

When the latter is chosen user will be presented with Save Isochrone As Record window where the layer and column can be set for the new record to be saved in.

To delete the isochrone simply choose Remove Isochrone(s) from the context menu.

How to set styles for Isochrone layers.

To learn more about styling isochrone layers please follow this link: Style Isochrones