About the ArcGIS Network Analyst extension tutorial

The ArcGIS Network Analyst extension allows you to build a network dataset and perform analyses on a network dataset. A good way to learn Network Analyst is to use it. In the exercises in this tutorial, you will do the following:

• Use ArcCatalog to create and build a network dataset from feature classes stored within a geodatabase.
• Define connectivity rules and network attributes for the network dataset.
• Perform various network analyses in ArcMap using the Network Analyst toolbar.
• Learn how to use the ArcGIS Network Analyst extension geoprocessing tools to create models that automate analyses.

To use this tutorial, you need to have ArcGIS installed with the Network Analyst extension and have the tutorial data installed on a local or shared network drive on your system.

Tutorial data

The tutorial data is available on ArcGIS.com. After downloading the data, you can extract it wherever you like. It may be helpful, however, to extract the data to C:\arcgis\ArcTutor, since this is referred to in the exercises as the default location of the data.

In this tutorial

• Exercise 1: Creating a network dataset
• Exercise 2: Creating a multimodal network dataset
• Exercise 3: Finding the best route using a network dataset
• Exercise 4: Finding the closest fire stations
• Exercise 5: Calculating service area and creating an OD cost matrix
• Exercise 6: Creating a model for route analysis
• Exercise 7: Servicing a set of orders with a fleet of vehicles
• Exercise 8: Finding best routes to service a set of paired orders
• Exercise 9: Choosing optimal store sites using location-allocation
• Exercise 10: Configuring live traffic on a network dataset
• Exercise 11: Performing network analysis using traffic data
• Exercise 12: Performing network analysis using restriction attributes