Ground Footprint — Algorithm Notes

Related user page: Ground Footprint

Purpose

Derive ground-level footprint polygons from centerline geometry and canopy footprint width cues.

Inputs and outputs

• Inputs: centerline vector, canopy footprint polygons, width-selection settings
• Output: ground footprint polygons

Method summary

1. Measure/aggregate canopy-derived width characteristics near each line.
2. Select operational width policy (e.g., percentile or max-based).
3. Buffer centerlines using selected width model.
4. Post-process and clean resulting polygons.
5. Write output footprint layer.

Assumptions

• Canopy footprint quality is sufficient to estimate representative widths.
• Width policy is chosen according to mapping objective (conservative vs inclusive).

Edge cases

• Outlier widths can inflate buffers under max-width strategy.
• Poor upstream canopy footprints propagate to ground footprint quality.