Direct Distances

The Direct Distances process calculates routes and distances from home to school based on geocoded addresses. It is similar to the GIS Routes and Distances process, except it can be run on transfer groups that do not have Use GIS selected. However, it can only process direct distances, as opposed to driving or walking distances.

This process uses the easting and northing of either the student's admissions or correspondence address, depending on whether the Use Admissions Address check box is selected for the transfer group. If the process is run before applications have been added then the current correspondence address is used, as an admissions address will not yet have been added. Applications that have neither an admissions nor a current address are not processed.

The following conditions must be met in order to use the Direct Distances process:

• Each student much have a geocoded correspondence and / or admission address.
• The bases to be used in the process must be geocoded. If any sites/gates have not been geocoded then preferences for those bases are skipped and an entry is made in the error log.

Click the magnifying glass button to choose sub groups for processing.

Calculation Criteria

There are several criteria available:

Nearest Point on Base

Select from:

• Nearest Site (ignores any geocoded gates)
• Nearest Gate (ignored any geocoded sites)
• Nearest Gate or Site (if both are geocoded One looks for whichever point is nearer)
• Nearest Gate, if no Gate then Nearest Site (looks for a geocoded gate first. If both a gate and site are geocoded, then the gate is used in preference)

Only active sites and open gates are considered, except in the case of future sites where the base or site will be open by the time the student starts at that base For in year transfer groups, this information is calculated from the date that the place is required. For normal phased transfer groups, One uses the start of the academic year that the places will be taken up.

Preferences for any sites/gates that are not geocoded are skipped and an entry is made in the error log.

Distance Calculation Method

Direct is the only distance calculation method available. This method calculates a straight line distance between the student's address and the base's nearest gate or site, using curved earth.

Update All or Unprocessed Preferences

• Update all Preferences for the Application:
  This function calculates (or recalculates) and overwrites all distances to preferences.
• Update Unprocessed Preferences only for the Application:
  This function only calculates distances for preferences where distances have not previously been calculated.

Pre-Process Direct Distances

When you click the Pre-process button, One checks the students' address and preference bases to ensure that they are geocoded. If any errors are encountered, an entry is made in the error log. Any errors or omissions (e.g. sites/gates not geocoded, preferences not in the sub groups etc.) should be corrected before the full calculation process is run. The number of students successfully checked is displayed.

Process Direct Distances

When the Process button is clicked, the relevant calculation or route map creation is carried out for each student with suitable preferences in the sub groups. Any students that cannot be processed are recorded in the error log. The number of students who have been successfully processed is displayed.

If the preferred base has a catchment defined, then any flags indicating that students live within the catchment area (the Catchment check box in Preference Reasons) are deleted when catchments are checked. The flag is then set to true for all students whose correspondence or admissions address is within the catchment polygon.

If a distance has been calculated, it is displayed in Preference Reasons.

The Use Admission Address check box in Transfer Group Details determines whether the correspondence or admissions address is used in these calculations.