ArcObjects Library Reference (GeoDatabase)

Tin CoClass

The Esri TIN component.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Description

The Tin coclass is used for surface modeling and other types of spatial analysis. TIN is an acronym for Triangulated Irregular Network. A TIN is comprised of adjacent, non-overlapping, triangles formed from input points and vertices. It is a complete planar graph that maintains topologic relationships between its constituent elements: nodes, edges, and triangles.

TINs are most commonly used as surface models. They provide a natural solution for handling vector based inputs, particularly 3-D geometry. Points, lines, and polygons can be used. Lines and polygon boundaries, that provide structure and definition to the surface, are enforced as triangle edges. Source vertices are maintained in the triangulation and honored precisely in any resulting analysis. These traits make TIN the solution of choice for photogrammetrically derived mass points and breaklines. It's also an appropriate model to use for irregularly spaced input points like soundings and LiDAR.

The creation, editing, and analysis of TIN objects requires a 3D Analyst license.

There are a number of properties and methods that can be used on the TIN and its components to:

Discover the relationships between elements
Navigate through it
Modify properties of elements
Perform proximity based functions
Perform surface analysis

When being used, TINs are held in memory. For processing efficiency they should not be so large as to exceed physical RAM. When dealing with large input datasets consider an iterative, tile based, approach.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Extended Error Information

Use the ISupportErrorInfo method InterfaceSupportsErrorInfo to determine if the object supports extended error information. If the object supports extended error info, VC++ developers should use the OLE/COM IErrorInfo interface to access the ErrorInfo object. Visual Basic developers should use the global error object Err to retrieve this extended error information.

Interfaces

Interfaces	Description
IDataset	Provides access to members that supply dataset information.
IFunctionalSurface (esriGeometry)	Provides access to information about the functional surface, generating heights given x,y locations. Also see IFunctionalSurface2.
IFunctionalSurface3 (esriGeometry)	Provides access to members that allow fuller interpolation of polygonal patches.
IGeoDataset	Provides access to members that provide information about a Geographic Dataset.
IGeoDatasetSchemaEdit	Provides access to members that change the schema of a GeoDataset.
IMetadata	Provides access to members that manage and update metadata.
IMetadataEdit	Provides access to members that provide information about whether metadata can be edited.
INativeTypeInfo	Provides access to the native type.
ISupportErrorInfo	Indicates whether a specific interface can return Automation error objects.
ISurface	Provides access to members that control surfaces.
ITin	Provides access to members that control TINs.
ITinAdvanced	Provides access to members that control advanced TIN functions.
ITinAdvanced2	Provides access to members that control advanced TIN functions.
ITinAdvanced3	Provides access to members that control advanced TIN functions.
ITinClock	Provides timing utilities.
ITinEdit	Provides access to members that control TIN editing.
ITinEdit2	Provides access to members that control TIN editing.
ITinEditErrorLog	Provides access to TIN's internal edit errors.
ITinFeatureEdit	Provides access to methods that control TIN 'features'.
ITinNodeCollection	Provides access to members that control TIN nodes.
ITinNodeInfo	Provides access to TIN node's properties.
ITinSelection	Provides access to members that control TIN selction methods.
ITinSurface	Provides access to members that control TIN surfaces.
ITinSurface2	Provides access to members that control TIN surfaces.
ITinSurface3	Provides access to members that control TIN surfaces.

Event Interfaces

Interfaces	Description
ISurfaceIntersectionEvents (default)	Provides access to events that occur with a surface intersection process.

Working with Events

[Visual Basic 6.0]

When working with Tin's default outbound interface in Visual Basic 6 declare variables as follows:

Private WithEvents pTin as Tin