Remove Cutback Vertices (Topographic Production)

Summary

Removes unwanted cutbacks for polyline and polygon feature classes or layers.

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. One cutback remains because it touches another feature.

Usage

Caution:

This tool modifies the input data. See Tools that do not create output datasets 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, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.

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

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

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Features	The polyline or polygon feature class from which the tool will remove cutback vertices. 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 below the specified minimum angle, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.	Double
Removal Method (Optional)	Indicates whether cutbacks should be removed one at a time or all at once. Sequential —Cutbacks will be checked sequentially for a feature. After a cutback is removed, the change in geometry is taken into consideration when determining cutbacks in the remaining vertices of a feature. This is the default. All —Cutbacks will be checked for all vertices at once.	String
Skip vertices coincident between multiple features (Optional)	Indicates whether to remove cutback vertices when the vertex is snapped to another feature within the same feature class. Checked—Vertices that have angles less than the specified Minimum Angle will not be removed from the feature geometry if they are snapped to other features. Unchecked—Cutback points will be deleted without considering whether they are snapped to other features. This is the default.	Boolean

Derived Output

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Updated Input Features	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 the tool will remove cutback vertices. 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 below the specified minimum angle, the vertex is a candidate for cutback removal.	Double
removal_method (Optional)	Indicates whether cutbacks should be removed one at a time or all at once. SEQUENTIAL —Cutbacks will be checked sequentially for a feature. After a cutback is removed, the change in geometry is taken into consideration when determining cutbacks in the remaining vertices of a feature. This is the default. ALL —Cutbacks will be checked for all vertices at once.	String
skip_coincident_vertices (Optional)	Indicates whether to Remove Cutback Vertices when the vertex is snapped to another feature within the same feature class. SKIP_COINCIDENT —Vertices that have angles less than the minimum_angle will not be removed from the feature geometry if they are snapped to other features. REMOVE_COINCIDENT —Cutback points will be deleted without considering whether they are snapped to other features. This is the default.	Boolean

Derived Output

Name	Explanation	Data Type
updated_features	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 tool 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.RemoveCutbackVertices_topographic(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