How can I create a cost distance matrix between polygons in the same layer?

[TaraLal]

I'm trying to make a table of distances between each polygon in a layer but I want to do that using cost distance not Euclidean distance. I've made a cost distance raster but now I can't find a tool that will tabulate the distance between each polygon. Can this be done using polygons or would I have to use point data and even then why tool would do that? The near tool uses straight line distances. 

Any thoughts would be very helpful. 

Thanks!

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Cost distance is for raster data as is Euclidean distance.  Polygons are represented as zones in raster world.  The Near tool is for vector data.  

So can you clarify if you are using raster data or vector data.  And if you have raster data, how have you discretized your zones? (perhaps by RegionGroup?)

[TaraLal]

Hi Dan,

thanks for your reply. The polygons are vector data. Would I need to

convert them to raster? I need to work out the distance between

administrative districts on an island chain. I wanted to calculate the

distance using time taken to travel.

Would you know if this is possible?

Thank you.

[XanderBakker]

I assume that you would need to run a CostDistance for each polygon and retrieve the values of the cost for each destination polygon (perhaps using a zonal statistics minimum or mean depending on the value you are interested in: Zonal Statistics—Help | ArcGIS Desktop ). You could also use CostPath to visualize the optimum routes between the polygons.

[TaraLal]

Hi Xander,

Thanks for your answer. Would I need to separate each polygon into a different layer to run a cost distance?  

I will try zonal stats  to see if that can provide a solution. 

Thanks again.

[XanderBakker]

I suppose that if you select the polygon you want to process just before you execute the cost distance, it will use only the selected feature(s).