Geodetic Densify (Data Management)

Summary

Creates new features by replacing the segments of the input features with densified approximations of geodesic segments. The following types of geodesic segments can be constructed: geodesic, great elliptic, loxodrome, and normal section.

Illustration

Geodetic Densify tool illustration

Usage

  • The end points of the segments will be connected using a geodetic approximation. The input segment type is irrelevant; linear and nonlinear (circular arc, elliptic arc, and Bezier curve) segments with common end points will produce the same output.

  • No output feature will be written for an input feature that consists of a single segment with coincident start and end points. For example, a polygon feature made of a single circular arc will not be written to the output.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Input Features

The input line or polygon features.

Feature Layer
Output Feature Class

The output feature class containing the densified geodesic features.

Feature Class
Geodetic Type

Specifies the type of geodetic segments that will be created. Geodetic calculations are performed on the ellipsoid associated with the input data's coordinate system.

  • GeodesicThe segments will be the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the spheroid (ellipsoid).
  • LoxodromeThe segments will be the line of equal azimuth (from a pole) connecting the two points.
  • Great elliptic The segments will be the line made by the intersection of a plane that contains the center of the spheroid and the two points.
  • Normal sectionThe segments will be the line made by the intersection of a plane that contains the center of the spheroid and is perpendicular to the surface at the first point.
String
Distance
(Optional)

The distance between vertices along the output geodesic segment. The default value is 50 kilometers.

Linear Unit

arcpy.management.GeodeticDensify(in_features, out_feature_class, geodetic_type, {distance})
NameExplanationData Type
in_features

The input line or polygon features.

Feature Layer
out_feature_class

The output feature class containing the densified geodesic features.

Feature Class
geodetic_type

Specifies the type of geodetic segments that will be created. Geodetic calculations are performed on the ellipsoid associated with the input data's coordinate system.

  • GEODESICThe segments will be the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the spheroid (ellipsoid).
  • LOXODROMEThe segments will be the line of equal azimuth (from a pole) connecting the two points.
  • GREAT_ELLIPTIC The segments will be the line made by the intersection of a plane that contains the center of the spheroid and the two points.
  • NORMAL_SECTIONThe segments will be the line made by the intersection of a plane that contains the center of the spheroid and is perpendicular to the surface at the first point.
String
distance
(Optional)

The distance between vertices along the output geodesic segment. The default value is 50 kilometers.

Linear Unit

Code sample

GeodeticDensify example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the GeodeticDensify function in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.management.GeodeticDensify(r"C:\data.gdb\flight_lines", 
                                 r"C:\data.gdb\flight_lines_geodesic", 
                                 "GEODESIC")

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