The purpose of this work was to create a tool that would enable calculation of area index for input data in circular sectors. Created tool, is able, to process polygon, line and point data. Tool was created for ArcGIS software version 10.x and it was written in programming language Python.
Primary application of this tool is focused on towns and cities. It enables closer look, into spatial distribution of observed phenomenon, in regard, to selected origin point.
Final tool was divided into four parts (scripts) each serving a different purpose. Purpose of the first three script is to create circular sectors based on input parameter values. These three scripts allow user to create sectors with manual distances between each circle or sectors which have constant area. The third script is only supplementary and allows user to create sectors from interactively placed origin point. Fourth and final script is used for calculation of area index itself.
Area index is calculated in different ways based on input data. If the input data is a polygon area index is polygon area/sector area and converted to a percentage. If the input data is a line area index is line length/sector area, and it is also converted to a percentage. If the input data are points, then only number of points in each sector is calculated.
As part of this work was created a map document representing the tools possibilities. Aside from the map document a test package was appended which includes short user manual and information leaflet. As part of the test package was included a geodatabase with test data and templates for Olomouc.