Open Table of Contents

Generalize  Polygons

Generalizes ( reduces the number of vertices required to represent a polygon ) the features of a polygon layer using the Douglas-Poiker algorithm. Preserves the polygon topology

Inputs:

• A polygon feature class
• Generalization Tolerance (maximum offset) - the maximum distance that the generalized polyline will differ from the original one 

Outputs:

• New  polygon feature class 
  • The output feature class will contain all the features of the original data set
  • The attributes of the input data set are preserved.

Notes: 

• The function goes through a complex process in order to generalize the polygons and preserve the topological relations between them. See this white paper for details about the process.
• If you have stand alone polygons only (there are no polygons that share a common boundary) you can use the "Stand alone only" option to make the process faster. DO NOT use this option if there are polygons that share boundary.
• The Generalization tolerance should be specified in the units of the spatial reference of the input feature class