Merge polygons but retain geometry of shapes

Question

I'm not sure if it's possible but I wanted to merge these two polygons that overlap each other, but I'd like them to keep their original shapes (geometry). Is this possible?

start.png

result.png

GIS Day 2024.jpg

ec_blog_author_mixup.PNG

JimCousins · Answer

Perhaps I am still not understanding your goal. Can you do the union to maintain the boundaries of the 3 features, and add an identifying attribute like “Feature set 1” for the territory, and add another attribute “Type” and identify water or land. Then set symbology based on the “unique values, many fields” of these attributes? I am assuming you will have multiple territories, but this would allow you to differentiate between land and water, and between territories. If I am still not helping you, perhaps you should re-post with your full explanation, as a question with this many responses is typically assumed answered. Best of Luck, Manuel. Jim Jim Cousins GIS Project Scientist S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc. 7944 Wisconsin Avenue | Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Direct: (301) 500-2271 | Office: (301) 718-8900 jcousins@sspa.com PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL: This email and any attachments are intended only for the addressee(s) and may be confidential, proprietary, privileged, or otherwise protected by law from disclosure or use by a third party. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and its attachments, and destroy any electronic or hard copies that you may have created.

ManuelHolguin · Answer

The shape I'm working with includes an administrative boundary with the coastline and the water body included in its territory (the whole square). The star is an island that is within the same territory but still needing to be represented on the map.

JimCousins · Answer

Now I see. That is a different problem. Essentially you want a multipart feature – one row in the attribute table, that retains the star shape inside the square shape, and when you select either one of them, both are selected, as they are parts of the same object. The problem is that one feature completely contains the other. I do not know of a way to accomplish that. What are you attempting to accomplish? Perhaps there is a different workflow solution. jim Jim Cousins GIS Project Scientist S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc. 7944 Wisconsin Avenue | Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Direct: (301) 500-2271 | Office: (301) 718-8900 jcousins@sspa.com PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL: This email and any attachments are intended only for the addressee(s) and may be confidential, proprietary, privileged, or otherwise protected by law from disclosure or use by a third party. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and its attachments, and destroy any electronic or hard copies that you may have created.