XY Resolution (Environment setting)

Tools that honor the XY Resolution environment will apply the x,y resolution to output geodatasets. The x,y resolution, expressed as a very small distance, refers to the number of significant digits used to store x,y coordinate values.

Caution:

By default, a tool that uses this environment setting will use the x,y resolution of the input feature class's spatial reference. Overriding the default XY Resolution is not recommended. Instead, ensure that your input data spatial reference uses the default settings for its XY Resolution and XY Tolerance properties prior to analysis.

For a description of how a geodataset's default x,y resolution is calculated, see Spatial reference and geoprocessing.

Usage notes

• This environment setting will be ignored if the output is in a geodatabase feature dataset.
• If the XY Resolution environment is not set, tools such as Create Feature Class, Create Feature Dataset, and Create Raster Catalog will set the default x,y resolution at 0.0001 units.
• If the XY Resolution value produces an x,y domain that is not large enough to span all features being processed, an x,y resolution and domain large enough to accommodate the features will be calculated instead. This frequently will occur when the output is a geodataset created in a low-precision (9.1.x or earlier) personal or enterprise geodatabase.
• If the environment has measurement units other than those of the output coordinate system, the distance will be converted to an equivalent distance in the center of the output coordinate system. This is not recommended when the environment is set to a linear unit (such as feet or meters) while the output coordinate system is unprojected (geographic) or in the inverse situation (a decimal degree environment with a projected output coordinate system).
• If the units are set to Unknown, the units are assumed to be the same as those of the output coordinate system.

Dialog syntax

XY Resolution—The x,y resolution to be set on the output geodatasets. Set this environment if the default x,y resolution is inadequate.

Scripting syntax

arcpy.env.XYResolution = linear_unit

XYResolution syntax

Parameter	Explanation
linear_unit	Sets the x,y resolution to be used on output geodatasets. The x,y resolution, expressed as a very small distance, refers to the number of significant digits used to store x,y coordinate values.

Script example

import arcpy

# Set the XYResolution environment to a linear unit
arcpy.env.XYResolution = "0.002 Meters"