spatial difference

[johnwoollett1]

I have two features consisting of polygon shapes. How can I run a query that gives me the areas in one feature that do NOT overlap areas in the other feature.

Thanks

[JayantaPoddar]

Are you using ArcGIS Desktop? Then you are looking for Erase.

[johnwoollett1]

I am using ArdGIS desktop, I am not looking to erase, just get a list of polygons from two feature classes that do not overlap

[JayantaPoddar]

Maybe you would like to Select By Location, the features from Polygon1 which overlap with Polygon2. Then Switch Selection to get the non-overlapping polygons. You could export the attribute table with the selected features to get the list of tables.

Repeat the same for Polygon2 as well.

I think, this can also be automated using Python.

[AdamZiegler1 · Accepted solution]

Hi John - I would do this process separately for each feature class.

1. Select all the features in feature class A
2. Use Select by Location
   1. Set Selection Method to 'remove from the currently selected features in'
   2. Target layer: feature class A
   3. Source layer: feature class B
   4. Spatial selection method: 'intersect the source layer feature'
3. The results are the features in feature class A that do not overlap feature class B
4. You could right click on the layer in the TOC and choose 'Selection' --> 'Create layer form selection' which will preserve the featues in their own layer, so that you can perform the same steps on feature class B

Hope this helps,

Adam Z

[JoshuaBixby]

If you use the Select Layer By Location tool instead of the Select By Location dialog, there is an invert_spatial_relationship parameter you can use to do what you want in a single step.