Simplify Building (Coverage)

License Level:BasicStandardAdvanced

Summary

Simplifies the boundary or footprint of building polygons while maintaining their essential shape and size.

Learn more about how Simplify Building (Coverage Tools) works

Illustration

Simplify Building illustration

Usage

Syntax

SimplifyBuilding_arc (in_cover, out_cover, simplification_tolerance, {minimum_area}, {selection_file}, {CheckConflict})
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_cover

The input coverage containing building polygons.

Coverage
out_cover

The output coverage containing simplified buildings as preliminary regions with a subclass BLDGSIM. The output coverage name must be different from the input coverage name.

Coverage
simplification_tolerance

Sets the simplification tolerance in coverage units. A tolerance must be specified and must be greater than zero.

Double
minimum_area
(Optional)

Sets the minimum area to be retained in coverage units. The default is the square of the simplification tolerance. Enter 0 to include all buildings.

Double
selection_file
(Optional)

A special file created using the ArcPlot command WRITESELECT (see ArcInfo Workstation Help for command reference). It identifies coverage features selected in ArcPlot. This option allows you to simplify selected buildings in the input coverage.

File
CheckConflict
(Optional)

Specifies whether or not to check for potential conflicts, that is, overlapping or touching, among buildings.

  • NOT_CHECKSpecifies not to check for potential conflicts; the resulting buildings may overlap.
  • CHECK_CONFLICTSpecifies to check for potential conflicts so that some of the conflicts can be avoided and flagged.
Boolean

Code Sample

Buffer example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to simplify a building coverage.

# Name: SimplifyBuilding_Example.py
# Description: Simplifies a building coverage
# Requirements: ArcInfo Workstation

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"

# Set local variables
inCover = "campus"
outCover = "C:/output/cartocampus"
simplificationTolerance = 6
minimumArea = 55
checkConflict = "CHECK_CONFLICT"

# Execute SimplifyBuilding
arcpy.SimplifyBuilding_arc(inCover, outCover, simplificationTolerance,
                           minimumArea, "", checkConflict)
arcpy.Clean_arc(outCover)

Environments

Related Topics

Licensing Information

ArcGIS for Desktop Basic: No
ArcGIS for Desktop Standard: No
ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced: Requires ArcInfo Workstation installed
6/18/2012