A Novel Method of Buffer Generation Based on Vector Boundary Tracing

Utilizing the property that the distances from all points located on the borderline of buffer zone to corresponding buffer target are the same, this paper presents a novel method of buffer generation based on vector boundary tracing. The new method can avoid complex vector calculations, such as line and curve segment intersection, clipping and recombination, the closure of borderline and so on, and also has an advantage of high precision the same as all existing vector-based algorithms. The main steps of this algorithm include: (1) Generate the initial tracing point set located on the borderline of buffer zone; (2) Obtain an integrated and closed borderline by tracing these points; (3) Construct the area targets on the basis of these closed borderlines. The test results and analysis indicate that this algorithm has a great advantage in the aspects of decreasing EMS memory consumption and improving calculation accuracy, and its computational efficiency can fully meet the demand of usual application in GIS. Furthermore, the principle of boundary tracing in the algorithm has a potential for further being promoted and used to design related spatial analysis algorithms.