Vector Data
Troubleshooting Polygon Centreline Tool Errors Polygon centreline tools, designed to extract the central spine line from area features in vector GIS datasets, are invaluable for many analysis tasks. However, these tools can sometimes produce errors or incomplete results that require troubleshooting. Locating Gaps in Polygon Borders Gaps along the borders of area polygons prevent the…
Simplifying Complex Polygons Polygon geometries derived from geospatial data often contain intricate details and complex boundaries. While this can accurately model real-world geographical formations, excessive vertex density increases data volume and slows analysis. Simplifying polygons by smoothing jagged edges and removing insignificant protuberances improves processing efficiency without sacrificing fidelity. Generalization methods balance competing demands of…
Understanding Geographic Information Systems A geographic information system (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data that is related to locations on the Earth’s surface. GIS integrates many types of data and applies this data across organizations and domains. Key capabilities of GIS technology include: Mapping locations and assets Performing spatial analysis to…
What is Centreline Extraction and Why It Matters Centreline extraction refers to the computational process of identifying and representing the skeletal midlines of transportation networks and utility lines from spatial data. This reveals key paths and connectivity that are crucial for applications like routing, asset management, and service area analysis. For road networks, extracted centrelines…
Defining the Problem: Challenges with Irregular Shapes and Multipart Features The United Kingdom has vast offshore areas in the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean that are utilized for maritime activities such as shipping, fishing, oil and gas extraction, and wind power generation. Analyzing and mapping these spaces poses unique geospatial challenges due to the complex…
Sources of Error in Geospatial Data Geospatial data such as vector files, rasters, point clouds, and imagery contain positional and attribute inaccuracies that originate from numerous sources. These errors accumulate through the workflow and degrade data quality. During data acquisition through field surveys, GPS receivers, digitization, or scanning, random and systematic errors get introduced due…
