Simplify Polygons

 

 

Purpose

 

This tool allows simplifying polygons.

 

Description

 

The tool provides ArcGIS users with capabilities to simplify polygon features. There are two simplification algorithms provided:

• Point remove

• Bend simplify

 

Usage

 

1. Select the "Simplify Polygons" tool from the XTools Pro Feature Conversions menu.

2. Select the input layer containing polygons that you wish to simplify.

3. Specify the name and location of the output feature class.

4. Select the required simplification algorithm (either Point remove or Bend simplify).

5. Select how possible topological errors should be handled.

6. Specify simplification tolerance.

7. Define minimum area for simplified polygons (simplified polygons smaller than the specified area will be removed from the output feature class).

8. Select if you wish to keep collapsed zero-area polygons as points.

9. Press Run to simplify polygons.

 

 

 

There are two simplification algorithms available:

 

• Point remove

- This algorithm removes redundant points from the polygon shape. The algorithm is faster but provides more coarse simplification output.

• Bend simplify

- This algorithm removes minor bends along the polygons while preserving the shape of the original polygons. The algorithm provides better and more appealing simplification output, although is known to be slower in most cases.

 

Following options are provided for handling possible topological errors in the output feature class:

• No check

- Output polygons won't be checked for topological errors.

• Flag errors

- Output polygons will be checked and found topological errors will be flagged in a new SimPgnFlag field.

• Resolve errors

- Output polygons will be checked and found topological errors will be resolved as possible in the output feature class. MinTol and MaxTol fields with minimum and maximum tolerance values are added.

 

Simplification tolerance defines the degree at which the simplification operation may affect the input polygon features:

• Point remove

- for this algorithm tolerance means maximum allowable offset.

• Bend simplify algorithm

- for this algorithm tolerance means length of the reference bend baseline.

 

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