The Clip tool is used to trim a spatial dataset according to the perimeter defined by a polygonal layer. This operation is particularly useful for narrowing the extent of data to a targeted area. For example, a country’s boundary layer can be clipped to focus on a specific state or province.
There are two tools available for this task: Clip and Pairwise Clip. Both can be accessed through the following paths in ArcGIS Pro:
- Geoprocessing > Toolboxes > Analysis Tools > Extract > Clip
- Geoprocessing > Toolboxes > Analysis Tools > Pairwise Overlay > Pairwise Clip
To configure the Clip tool, the following steps should be followed:
Input Features or Dataset: Select the layer that will be clipped. This can include points, lines, or polygons (e.g., clip_points, clip_lines).
- Clip Features: Choose the polygon layer that defines the clipping area (e.g., clip_area).
- Output Feature Class or Dataset: Indicate the location in a directory or geodatabase where the clipped layer will be saved.
After the process is complete, the resulting layer will include only the portions of the input features that fall within the boundaries of the clipping polygon.
Configuration of the “Clip” tool.
After the process is complete, the resulting layer will include only the portions of the input features that fall within the boundaries of the clipping polygon.
