@turf/explode

What is @turf/explode?

@turf/explode is a module from the Turf.js library that is used to convert a GeoJSON object into a collection of points. This can be useful for various geospatial analyses where you need to work with individual points extracted from more complex geometries like polygons or lines.

What are @turf/explode's main functionalities?

Convert Polygon to Points

This feature allows you to convert a polygon into a collection of points. Each vertex of the polygon becomes an individual point in the resulting GeoJSON FeatureCollection.

const turf = require('@turf/turf');
const polygon = turf.polygon([[
  [-81, 41],
  [-81, 47],
  [-72, 47],
  [-72, 41],
  [-81, 41]
]]);
const exploded = turf.explode(polygon);
console.log(exploded);

Convert LineString to Points

This feature allows you to convert a LineString into a collection of points. Each vertex of the LineString becomes an individual point in the resulting GeoJSON FeatureCollection.

const turf = require('@turf/turf');
const line = turf.lineString([
  [-81, 41],
  [-81, 47],
  [-72, 47],
  [-72, 41]
]);
const exploded = turf.explode(line);
console.log(exploded);

Convert MultiPolygon to Points

This feature allows you to convert a MultiPolygon into a collection of points. Each vertex of each polygon in the MultiPolygon becomes an individual point in the resulting GeoJSON FeatureCollection.

const turf = require('@turf/turf');
const multiPolygon = turf.multiPolygon([[
  [[-81, 41], [-81, 47], [-72, 47], [-72, 41], [-81, 41]]
], [
  [[-91, 31], [-91, 37], [-82, 37], [-82, 31], [-91, 31]]
]]);
const exploded = turf.explode(multiPolygon);
console.log(exploded);

Other packages similar to @turf/explode

geojson-flatten

The geojson-flatten package is used to flatten nested GeoJSON objects into simpler geometries. While it doesn't specifically convert geometries into points like @turf/explode, it can be used to simplify complex GeoJSON structures, making it easier to work with individual geometries.

geojson-utils

The geojson-utils package provides a variety of utility functions for working with GeoJSON data, including point-in-polygon tests and distance calculations. While it doesn't offer the specific explode functionality, it provides a broader set of tools for GeoJSON manipulation.

jsts

The jsts (JavaScript Topology Suite) package offers a wide range of spatial operations and geometric algorithms. It includes functionality for converting geometries to points, but it is more complex and feature-rich compared to @turf/explode.

README

@turf/explode

explode

Takes a feature or set of features and returns all positions as points.

Parameters

• geojson (Feature | FeatureCollection) input features

Examples

var poly = {
  "type": "Feature",
  "properties": {},
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Polygon",
    "coordinates": [[
      [177.434692, -17.77517],
      [177.402076, -17.779093],
      [177.38079, -17.803937],
      [177.40242, -17.826164],
      [177.438468, -17.824857],
      [177.454948, -17.796746],
      [177.434692, -17.77517]
    ]]
  }
};

var points = turf.explode(poly);

//=poly

//=points

• Throws Error if it encounters an unknown geometry type

Returns FeatureCollection<point> points representing the exploded input features

---

This module is part of the Turfjs project, an open source module collection dedicated to geographic algorithms. It is maintained in the Turfjs/turf repository, where you can create PRs and issues.

Installation

Install this module individually:

$ npm install @turf/explode

Or install the Turf module that includes it as a function:

$ npm install @turf/turf