Vector Operations

Vector operations transform feature geometries: buffering, dissolving, intersecting, clipping, simplifying, and more. Implemented using GeoPandas and Shapely, running in the local or cloud compute tier.

Part of the geo domain.

Operations

Operation	Type	Description	Key Params
vector_buffer	vector → vector	Create buffer zones around geometries. Supports positive (expansion) and negative (erosion) buffers. Output is always polygon.	distance (meters, required), cap_style, join_style, dissolve (bool)
vector_dissolve	vector → vector	Merge features into a single geometry, optionally grouped by attribute.	by (attribute name)
vector_intersection	vector + vector → vector	Geometric intersection of two feature sets. Returns overlapping portions.	(none)
vector_union	vector + vector → vector	Geometric union of two feature sets. Returns combined area.	(none)
vector_simplify	vector → vector	Reduce vertices while maintaining shape (Douglas-Peucker algorithm).	tolerance (required)
vector_clip	vector + vector → vector	Clip features to a mask polygon. Only portions inside the mask are retained.	(none, mask is an input)
vector_centroid	vector → vector	Compute centroid points for polygon or line features.	(none)
vector_harmonize	vector → vector	Harmonize feature attributes using crosswalk mappings.	crosswalk reference
vector_spatial_containment	vector + vector → vector	Spatial containment query: features from set A that are within features of set B.	(none)
vector_name_clean	vector → vector	Clean and normalize feature name attributes.	rules
vector_upstream_trace	vector → vector	Trace upstream network from a point through connected features.	(network topology)

Examples

Buffer and Dissolve

layers:
  analysis/exclusion-zones:
    type: vector
    description: "500m buffer around protected areas, dissolved"
    compute:
      op: vector_buffer
      inputs:
        features: { layer: source/protected-areas }
      params:
        distance: 500
        dissolve: true
    style:
      fill: "#D32F2F"
      fill-opacity: 0.3
      stroke: "#B71C1C"

Intersection

layers:
  analysis/overlap:
    type: vector
    compute:
      op: vector_intersection
      inputs:
        features1: { layer: source/parcels }
        features2: { layer: source/flood-zones }

Clip Features to Study Area

layers:
  analysis/local-roads:
    type: vector
    compute:
      op: vector_clip
      inputs:
        features: { layer: source/road-network }
        mask: { layer: source/study-area }

Dissolve by Attribute

layers:
  analysis/county-boundaries:
    type: vector
    compute:
      op: vector_dissolve
      inputs:
        features: { layer: source/census-tracts }
      params:
        by: county_fips