GDAL-VECTOR-GEO...ODE-COLLECTIONS(1)

📦
version 3.11.5 · 3 versions
, in fedora 43

✨ GDAL-VECTOR-GEOM-EXPLODE-COLLECTIONS(1) ✨

okay bestie, we're in the GDAL manual section 1, and today's main character is gdal-vector-geom-explode-collections — the tool that takes your collection-type geometries and goes poof, one feature per geometry, no crumbs left behind 💅

🌸 Added in version 3.11.

📜 NAME

gdal-vector-geom-explode-collections — Explode geometries of type collection of a vector dataset

(yeah that's the whole job description, she's focused, she's iconic)

🦋 SYNOPSIS

Usage: gdal vector geom explode-collections [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT>

Explode geometries of type collection of a vector dataset.

Positional arguments:
  -i, --input <INPUT>                                  Input vector datasets [required]
  -o, --output <OUTPUT>                                Output vector dataset [required]

Common Options:
  -h, --help                                           Display help message and exit
  --json-usage                                         Display usage as JSON document and exit
  --config <KEY>=<VALUE>                               Configuration option [may be repeated]
  --progress                                           Display progress bar

Options:
  -l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER>             Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
  -f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>  Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
  --co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE>                Creation option [may be repeated]
  --lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE>         Layer creation option [may be repeated]
  --overwrite                                          Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
  --update                                             Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
  --overwrite-layer                                    Whether overwriting existing layer is allowed
  --append                                             Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
  --output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER>                        Output layer name
  --active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER>                        Set active layer (if not specified, all)
  --active-geometry <ACTIVE-GEOMETRY>                  Geometry field name to which to restrict the processing (if not specified, all)
  --geometry-type <GEOMETRY-TYPE>                      Geometry type
  --skip-on-type-mismatch                              Skip feature when change of feature geometry type failed

Advanced Options:
  --if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT>                  Input formats [may be repeated]
  --oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE>                    Open options [may be repeated]

💖 DESCRIPTION

so basically gdal vector geom explode-collections produces one feature for each geometry in any kind of geometry collection. it's giving "one of you goes here, one of you goes there" ✨

for example, if a feature contains a geometry MULTIPOINT(1 2,3 4), two corresponding target features will be generated: one with a geometry POINT(1 2) and another one with geometry POINT(3 4). cute, right? 🎀

⚠️ but lowkey important: collections are not recursively exploded. so GEOMETRYCOLLECTION(GEOMETRYCOLLECTION(POINT (1 2),POINT(3 4)) will be exploded as GEOMETRYCOLLECTION(POINT (1 2),POINT(3 4)). she does one layer of peeling, not a full onion situation 😭

it can also be used as a step of gdal vector pipeline. slay, pipeline girlies stay winning 🫶

🌟 Standard options

  • -f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT> — which output vector format to use, bestie. allowed values may be given by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort (yes, pipe it, you know you want to 🐚)
  • --co <NAME>=<VALUE> — many formats have one or more optional dataset creation options that can be used to control particulars about the file created. for instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation options to control the version. may be repeated. the dataset creation options available vary by format driver, and some simple formats have no creation options at all. a list of options supported for a format can be listed with the --formats command line option, but the documentation for the format is the definitive source of information on driver creation options. see Vector drivers format specific documentation for legal creation options for each format. also, heads up: dataset creation options are different from layer creation options, don't mix them up 💀
  • -lco <NAME>=<VALUE> — layer creation option (format specific). it's the layer's glow-up, not the dataset's 💅
  • --overwrite — allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset. otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or dataset already exists. so if you didn't ask, she's not touching your stuff 🙈
  • --active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER> — set the active layer. when it is specified, only the layer specified by its name will be subject to the processing. other layers will be not modified. if this option is not specified, all layers will be subject to the processing. choose your fighter 👑
  • --active-geometry <ACTIVE-GEOMETRY> — set the active geometry field from its name. when it is specified, only the specified geometry field will be subject to the processing. other geometry fields will be not modified. if this option is not specified, all geometry fields will be subject to the processing. this option can be combined together with --active-layer — friendship bracelets, both at once 🫶
  • --geometry-type <GEOMETRY-TYPE> — change the geometry type of exploded geometries to be one of GEOMETRY, POINT, LINESTRING, POLYGON, CIRCULARSTRING, COMPOUNDCURVE, CURVEPOLYGON, POLYHEDRALSURFACE or TIN. Z, M or ZM suffixes can be appended to the above values to indicate the dimensionality. the presence of geometries that cannot be coerced to the specified type will cause an error, unless --skip-on-type-mismatch is specified 😳
  • --skip-on-type-mismatch — do not generate output features when their target geometry type does not match the one specified by --geometry-type. she just… doesn't see them. no drama, no error 💀

🚀 Advanced options

  • --oo <NAME>=<VALUE> — dataset open option (format specific). may be repeated. 🔁
  • --if <format> — format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s). it is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to select the appropriate driver. this option can be repeated several times to specify several candidate drivers. note that it does not force those drivers to open the dataset. in particular, some drivers have requirements on file extensions. so like… she'll try, but she's not making promises 🤷‍♀️ may be repeated.

🌈 GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET)

this program supports serializing the command line as a JSON file using the GDALG output format. the resulting file can then be opened as a vector dataset using the GDALG: GDAL Streamed Algorithm driver, and apply the specified pipeline in a on-the-fly / streamed way. it's giving no files, just vibes, streaming straight through ⭐

🎀 EXAMPLES

✨ Example 1: Only retain parts of geometry collections that are of type Point.

$ gdal vector geom explode-collections --geometry-type=POINT --skip-on-type-mismatch in.gpkg points.shp --overwrite

periodt. that's the whole thing 💅

👑 AUTHOR

Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>

(legend behavior honestly, thank you for your service 🫡)

1998-2025

and that's the tea bestie 🍓 — this page came from the GDAL manual, dated Oct 29, 2025. go explode some collections, you've got this 💖✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from