Remove Cutback Vertices (Topographic Production)

Summary

Removes unwanted cutbacks from polyline and polygon features.

Cutbacks are high-angle turns that cause features to turn back toward themselves. These angles affect polyline and polygon features and can be caused during an editing session. For example, through a digitizing error, a river feature may have a short segment (less than one meter) that turns back toward itself and back in the original direction again.

Illustration

Roads before and after running Remove Cutback Vertices with a 40 degree minimum angle are shown. One cutback remains because it touches another feature.

Usage

Caution:

This tool modifies the input data. See Tools that modify or update the input data for more information and strategies to avoid undesired data changes.

• If the angle formed by a vertex and its two neighboring points is smaller than the Minimum Angle parameter value, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.

• When the Skip vertices coincident between multiple features parameter is checked, the vertices that have angles smaller than the Minimum Angle parameter value will not be removed from the feature geometry if they touch another feature in the Input Features parameter value.

• If you performed edits on features in the map prior to running the tool, you can undo the results of the tool. If you haven't performed edits prior to running the tool, you cannot undo the results of the tool.

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Features	The polyline or polygon feature class from which cutback vertices will be removed. This feature class (or layer) will be modified.	Feature Layer
Minimum Angle	The minimum angle threshold value in degrees. The angle value should be within the range of 0–180. If the angle formed by a vertex and its two neighboring points is smaller than the specified minimum angle, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.	Double
Removal Method (Optional)	Specifies whether cutbacks will be removed sequentially (individually) or all at once. Sequential—Cutbacks will be removed sequentially for a feature. After a cutback is removed, the change in geometry is considered when determining cutbacks to the remaining vertices of a feature. This is the default. All—Cutbacks will be removed for all vertices at once.	String
Skip vertices coincident between multiple features (Optional)	Specifies whether cutback vertices will be removed when the vertex is snapped to another feature in the same feature class. Checked—Cutback vertices with angles less than the specified Minimum Angle value will not be removed from the feature geometry if they are snapped to other features. Unchecked—Cutback vertices will be removed without considering whether they are snapped to other features. This is the default.	Boolean

Derived Output

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Updated Input Features	The polygon or polyline features with cutbacks removed.	Feature Layer

Python

arcpy.topographic.RemoveCutbackVertices(in_features, minimum_angle, {removal_method}, {skip_coincident_vertices})

Name	Explanation	Data Type
in_features	The polyline or polygon feature class from which cutback vertices will be removed. This feature class (or layer) will be modified.	Feature Layer
minimum_angle	The minimum angle threshold value in degrees. The angle value should be within the range of 0–180. If the angle formed by a vertex and its two neighboring points is smaller than the specified minimum angle, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.	Double
removal_method (Optional)	Specifies whether cutbacks will be removed sequentially (individually) or all at once. SEQUENTIAL—Cutbacks will be removed sequentially for a feature. After a cutback is removed, the change in geometry is considered when determining cutbacks to the remaining vertices of a feature. This is the default. ALL—Cutbacks will be removed for all vertices at once.	String
skip_coincident_vertices (Optional)	Specifies whether cutback vertices will be removed when the vertex is snapped to another feature in the same feature class. SKIP_COINCIDENT—Cutback vertices with angles less than the minimum_angle value will not be removed from the feature geometry if they are snapped to other features. REMOVE_COINCIDENT—Cutback vertices will be removed without considering whether they are snapped to other features. This is the default.	Boolean

Derived Output

Name	Explanation	Data Type
updated_features	The polygon or polyline features with cutbacks removed.	Feature Layer

Code sample

RemoveCutbackVertices example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone sample script demonstrates how to use the RemoveCutbackVertices function to ignore cutbacks that are snapped to a feature.

# Name: RemoveCutbackVertices_sample.py
# Description: Determines a cutback in a line or polygon based on a provided angle and repairs it.
# In this example, the tool will ignore any cutbacks that are snapped to a feature to avoid creating gaps.

# Import System Modules
import arcpy

# Check Out Extensions
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Foundation")

# Set workspace
arcpy.env.workspace = r'C:\Data\Editing_Sample.gdb'

# Setting Local Variables
roads = r"Roads"
minimum_angle = "25"
removal_type = 'SEQUENTIAL'
skip_coincident_vertices = 'REMOVE_COINCIDENT'

# Execute Remove Cutback Vertices
arcpy.topographic.RemoveCutbackVertices(roads, minimum_angle, removal_type, skip_coincident_vertices)

# Check In Extensions
arcpy.CheckInExtension("Foundation")

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

• Basic: No
• Standard: Requires Production Mapping
• Advanced: Requires Production Mapping