[GIS] Creating buffers that will not overlap in QGIS

bufferintersectionoverlapping-featuresqgisvector

I am dealing with a .shp with a number of points in it. The distances between points range from ~300m to 5km.

I wish to create a 1 km buffer around each point with as little overlap as possible. Each buffer should have an ID. Where 1km buffers overlap with each other, I would like to give that buffer a different ID.

So lets say I have 50 points, and I create a 1 km buffer around every point. Owing to the short distances between my points in the Shapefile, overlapping between buffers are inevitable. Where there is overlap, I would like to give one of those buffers a particular ID. I would like to replicate this throughout my entire dataset until there are no buffers of the same ID overlapping.

I am sure this is possible in QGIS with a combination of the vector manipulation tools, I am just struggling on the best approach.

I am using QGIS 2.0.1 Dufour.

My problem is exhibited on the left image. The resolution is on the right image. Not how the ID of the buffer has changed to prevent overlapping of the same ID

Best Answer

I would Intersect the buffers, turning the overlap into polygons.
Apply a Spatial Join from the original Points to assign the original ID, clear the ID's that don't have a match.
Join the two layers on the ID to compare Area. The buffers that overlapped have buffer.area > intersect.area.

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