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:

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.
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