Simplify polylines

Reduce the number of AutoCAD 3d polyline vertices so that the maximum spatial distance between any points on the original polyline to the simplified polyline is smaller than specified.

Access methods

8 Toolbar:  

8 Menu: ComputationalCAD † Simplify polylines

7 Command entry: CC:LINES:SIMPLIFYPLINE

Dialog

Select polylines:
Select the polylines to simplify. This may be 2d or 3d polylines.

Specify epsilon range:
Specify the maximum spatial distance between any point on the original polyline to the simplified polyline. Expects a positive value or zero.

Keep original polylines [Yes/No]:
Specify if the original polylines shall be deleted.
<Yes>:          The original lines will not be deleted. (default)
<No>:            The original lines will be deleted.

Summary

The command creates a new 3d polyline sharing start and end vertex with the original polyline. Successively going through the intermediate vertices of the original polyline, an intermediate vertex will only be added to the simplified polyline if necessary to ensure that the maximum spatial distance between any points on the original polyline to the simplified polyline is smaller than specified.

Example

Figure 14:203 vertices in one polyline (black) reduced to 23 vertices in a simplified polyline (red)

Command line prompt:

Number of vertices before    : 203

Number of vertices after     : 23

Number of polylines processed: 1

Number of polylines failed   : 0

 

 

Figure 15: A polyline with 1682 vertices (left) reduced to a polyline with 182 vertices (right)

Command line prompt:

Number of vertices before    : 1682

Number of vertices after     : 182

Number of polylines processed: 1

Number of polylines failed   : 0

 

Figure 16: 37832 vertices in 307 polylines (one selected) reduced to 5851 vertices

Command line prompt:

Number of vertices before    : 37832

Number of vertices after     : 5851

Number of polylines processed: 307

Number of polylines failed   : 0