Raster To TIN (3D Analyst)
Summary
Converts a raster to a triangulated irregular network (TIN) dataset.
Illustration
Usage
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Converting a raster to a TIN will not, in and of itself, produce a better surface. You need ancillary data that's compatible with, and improves, the surface definition. Such data could be added to the TIN using the Edit TIN tool.
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The default maximum allowable difference between the height of the input raster and the height of the output TIN is 1/10 of the z range of the input raster.
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While the maximum size of a TIN that can be used under Win32 is between 15 to 20 million nodes, it's recommended to cap the size at a few million. Large input rasters, and small z-tolerance settings, may exceed this. If size is an issue, consider processing subsets.
Syntax
| Parameter | Explanation | Data Type |
in_raster |
The input raster. | Raster Layer |
out_tin |
The output TIN dataset. | TIN |
z_tolerance (Optional) |
The maximum allowable difference in (z units) between the height of the input raster and the height of the output TIN. By default, the z tolerance is 1/10 of the z range of the input raster. | Double |
max_points (Optional) |
The maximum number of points that will be added to the TIN before the process is terminated. By default, the process will continue until all the points are added. | Long |
z_factor (Optional) |
The factor that the height values of the raster will be multiplied by in the resulting TIN dataset. This is typically used to convert Z units to match XY units. | Double |
Code Sample
The following sample demonstrates the use of this tool in the Python window:
import arcpy
from arcpy import env
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("3D")
env.workspace = "C:/data"
arcpy.RasterTin_3d("vermont_ele.tif", "C:/output/TIN_VT", "2", "1000", "1")
The following sample demonstrates the use of this tool in a stand-alone Python script:
'''*********************************************************************
Name: RasterTin Example
Description: This script demonstrates how to use the
RasterTin tool to create a TIN for each IMG raster in the
target workspace.
**********************************************************************'''
# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env
# Obtain a license for the ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("3D")
# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"
try:
# Create the list of IMG rasters
rasterList = arcpy.ListRasters("*", "IMG")
# Loop the process for each raster
if rasterList:
for raster in rasterList:
# Set Local Variables
zTol = 2
maxPts = 1500000
zFactor = 1
# [:-4] strips the last 4 characters (.img) from the raster name
outTin = "C:/Output/TIN_" + raster[:-4]
print "Creating TIN from " + raster + "."
#Execute RasterTin
arcpy.RasterTin_3d(raster, outTIN, zTol, maxPts, zFactor)
print "Finished."
else:
"There are no IMG rasters in the " + env.workspace + " directory."
except Exception as e:
# Returns any other error messages
print e.message