In-Class Exercise 8 [Intro to ModelBuilder]

As the ModelBuilder help pages Links to an external site.describe

ModelBuilder is an application you use to create, edit, and manage models. Models are workflows that string together sequences of geoprocessing tools, feeding the output of one tool into another tool as input. ModelBuilder can also be thought of as a visual programming language for building workflows. 

It can help you lay out your analysis steps in a graphical form but ModelBuilder (in lieu of using a programming language) becomes essential when you wish to perform an operation on a large number of files or use variables from one step as a parameter in another step.

I. Simple model

Today we're going to produce some simple models in ModelBuilder to introduce the process.

First you'll create a model along these lines

Using Dissolve: All as the Buffer method.

II. Multiple values

Next we'll make it more complicated by producing additional buffers by Right-clicking Buffer and choosing Distance as a variable for the Buffer tool 

Right click Distance > Properties and choose "This variable contains: A list of values". Then enter 50, 100, and 150 meters as values.

Assignment: Save screenshot of multiple values buffer and results to upload as assignment.