How Polygon To Raster works

The following information specifies how the cells in raster datasets are assigned values under various conditions when using the Polygon to Raster tool.

The three ways to control how the cell will be assigned a value when more than one feature falls within a cell. are described below.

Cell center

When the Cell assignment type parameter is set to the Cell center option, the following apply:

• If no priority is specified, the following apply:
  • If the cell center falls within only one feature, the attribute of that feature is assigned to the cell.
  • If the cell center falls within more than one feature, the feature with the smallest Feature ID (FID) is selected.

• If priority is specified, the following apply:
  • If the cell center falls within only one feature, the attribute of that feature is assigned to the cell.
  • If the cell center falls within more than one feature, the following apply:
    • If the priority values are different, the one with the highest priority is selected.
    • If the priorities are the same, the one with the lowest FID is selected.
  • If the feature boundary coincides with a cell boundary, the boundary rules apply.

Maximum area

When the Cell assignment type parameter is set to the Maximum area option, the following apply:

• If no priority is specified, the following apply:
  • If only one feature overlaps the cell, it must overlap by at least 50 percent to be selected.
  • If multiple features overlap a cell, the largest overlapping area must be greater than the area in the cell that is not covered by any feature or the cell will be assigned a NoData value.
  • If only one feature has the largest area, it is selected.
  • If more than one feature has the same size area, the one with the lowest FID is selected.
• If priority is specified, the following apply:
  • The feature with the largest positive priority is automatically selected for conversion regardless of the size of the overlapping area.
  • If the feature in question overlaps the cell by less than 50 percent, the following apply:
    • If the priority is greater than zero, the feature is considered.
    • If the priority is equal to zero, the feature is not considered.
  • If only one feature has the largest area, the feature is selected.
  • If more than one feature has the same largest area, the following apply:
    • If their priorities are different, the one with the highest priority is selected.
    • If their priorities are the same, the one with the lowest FID is selected.
  • If the feature boundary coincides with a cell boundary, the boundary rules apply.

Maximum combined area

When the Cell assignment type parameter is set to the Maximum combined area option, the following apply:

Note:

For this description, the combined feature is considered to be a single feature with the FID equal to the lowest of the combined features and the priority equal to the highest of the combined features.

• If no priority is specified, the following apply:
  • If only one feature overlaps the cell, it must overlap by at least 50 percent to be selected.
  • If only one feature has the largest area, it is selected.
  • If more than one feature has the same size area, the one with the lowest FID is selected.

• If priority is specified, the following apply:
  • The feature with the largest positive priority is automatically selected for conversion regardless of the size of the overlapping area.
  • If the feature in question overlaps the cell by less than 50 percent, the following apply:
    • If the priority is greater than zero, the feature is considered.
    • If the priority is equal to zero, the feature is not considered.
  • If only one feature has the largest area, it is selected.
  • If more than one feature has the same largest area, the following apply:
    • If their priorities are different, the one with the highest priority is selected.
    • If their priorities are the same, the one with the lowest FID is selected.
  • If the feature boundary coincides with a cell boundary, the boundary rules apply.

Examples using different options for the cell assignment type

The image below shows an example for the cell assignment type.