Description

A set-returning function (SRF) that extracts the components of a geometry. It returns a set of geometry_dump rows, each containing a geometry (geom field) and an array of integers (path field).

For an atomic geometry type (POINT,LINESTRING,POLYGON) a single record is returned with an empty path array and the input geometry as geom. For a collection or multi-geometry a record is returned for each of the collection components, and the path denotes the position of the component inside the collection.

ST_Dump is useful for expanding geometries. It is the inverse of a ST_Collect / GROUP BY, in that it creates new rows. For example it can be use to expand MULTIPOLYGONS into POLYGONS.

Enhanced: 2.0.0 support for Polyhedral surfaces, Triangles and TIN was introduced.

Availability: PostGIS 1.0.0RC1. Requires PostgreSQL 7.3 or higher.

	Prior to 1.3.4, this function crashes if used with geometries that contain CURVES. This is fixed in 1.3.4+

This method supports Circular Strings and Curves

This function supports Polyhedral surfaces.

This function supports Triangles and Triangulated Irregular Network Surfaces (TIN).

This function supports 3d and will not drop the z-index.

Standard Examples

SELECT sometable.field1, sometable.field1,
      (ST_Dump(sometable.geom)).geom AS geom
FROM sometable;

-- Break a compound curve into its constituent linestrings and circularstrings
SELECT ST_AsEWKT(a.geom), ST_HasArc(a.geom)
  FROM ( SELECT (ST_Dump(p_geom)).geom AS geom
         FROM (SELECT ST_GeomFromEWKT('COMPOUNDCURVE(CIRCULARSTRING(0 0, 1 1, 1 0),(1 0, 0 1))') AS p_geom) AS b
        ) AS a;
          st_asewkt          | st_hasarc
-----------------------------+----------
 CIRCULARSTRING(0 0,1 1,1 0) | t
 LINESTRING(1 0,0 1)         | f
(2 rows)

Polyhedral Surfaces, TIN and Triangle Examples

-- Polyhedral surface example
-- Break a Polyhedral surface into its faces
SELECT (a.p_geom).path[1] As path, ST_AsEWKT((a.p_geom).geom) As geom_ewkt
  FROM (SELECT ST_Dump(ST_GeomFromEWKT('POLYHEDRALSURFACE(
((0 0 0, 0 0 1, 0 1 1, 0 1 0, 0 0 0)),
((0 0 0, 0 1 0, 1 1 0, 1 0 0, 0 0 0)), ((0 0 0, 1 0 0, 1 0 1, 0 0 1, 0 0 0)),  ((1 1 0, 1 1 1, 1 0 1, 1 0 0, 1 1 0)),
((0 1 0, 0 1 1, 1 1 1, 1 1 0, 0 1 0)),  ((0 0 1, 1 0 1, 1 1 1, 0 1 1, 0 0 1))
)') ) AS p_geom )  AS a;

 path |                geom_ewkt
------+------------------------------------------
    1 | POLYGON((0 0 0,0 0 1,0 1 1,0 1 0,0 0 0))
    2 | POLYGON((0 0 0,0 1 0,1 1 0,1 0 0,0 0 0))
    3 | POLYGON((0 0 0,1 0 0,1 0 1,0 0 1,0 0 0))
    4 | POLYGON((1 1 0,1 1 1,1 0 1,1 0 0,1 1 0))
    5 | POLYGON((0 1 0,0 1 1,1 1 1,1 1 0,0 1 0))
    6 | POLYGON((0 0 1,1 0 1,1 1 1,0 1 1,0 0 1))

-- TIN --
SELECT (g.gdump).path, ST_AsEWKT((g.gdump).geom) as wkt
  FROM
    (SELECT
       ST_Dump( ST_GeomFromEWKT('TIN (((
                0 0 0,
                0 0 1,
                0 1 0,
                0 0 0
            )), ((
                0 0 0,
                0 1 0,
                1 1 0,
                0 0 0
            ))
            )') ) AS gdump
    ) AS g;
-- result --
 path |                 wkt
------+-------------------------------------
 {1}  | TRIANGLE((0 0 0,0 0 1,0 1 0,0 0 0))
 {2}  | TRIANGLE((0 0 0,0 1 0,1 1 0,0 0 0))

See Also

geometry_dump, Section 15.6, “PostGIS Geometry / Geography / Raster Dump Functions”, ST_Collect, ST_GeometryN