Extract Vertices

Draft: written, not yet checked by a person Operation · extract-vertices

One point for every vertex of each line or polygon.

Pitfall. A polygon ring's first and last vertex are the same point; engines differ on whether it is output once or twice.

Pitfall. Some tools output only the ends of each line (nodes) rather than every vertex.

About this operation
Also called	Feature Vertices To Points, extract nodes, dump points, vertices to points, explode to points
Group	`vector/geometry`
Checks	`geometry.valid`
Pitfalls	2 listed above
Columbus tool	Not stated
Notes	Not stated
Status	active
Broader	Not stated
Narrower	Not stated
Related	`points-along-lines` `explode-lines`

Parameters

Not stated

Direction	Name	Type	Geometry	Note
Input	`layer`	vector	Not stated	Not stated
Output	`output`	vector	point	Not stated

Engine	Tool	Parameters	Differences
`apache-sedona`	`sedona.sql.ST_DumpPoints`	`layer` → `geometry`	Returns an array of points. A Spark SQL function: arguments are columns or column names, run over a Spark DataFrame.
`grass`	`v.to.points`	`layer` → `input` `output` → `output`	Polygon outlines are boundaries without a category, which are skipped unless layer = -1, so a polygon gives only its centroid; with layer = -1 the vertices come out with categories in layer 2 only. use = node outputs only the ends of each line; start and end one of them. Preset: `{"use":"vertex"}`
`postgis`	`st_dumppoints`	`layer` → `#1`	Returns rows of (path, geom); the path gives the ring and vertex index.
`qgis`	`native:extractvertices`	`layer` → `INPUT` `output` → `OUTPUT`	Adds each vertex's index, part, distance along the feature and angle as fields.
`turf-js`	`turf.explode`	`layer` → `geojson`	Turf works on GeoJSON in longitude/latitude (WGS 84); data in another CRS must be reprojected first.
`whiteboxtools`	`ExtractNodes`	`layer` → `input` `output` → `output`	None noted