[postgis-users] points from st_distance

[Stephen Woodbridge]

Ok, that would be cool. I could see a function like 
ST_ShortestLineBetween(geometry, geometry) that would return a line.

You might want to write an enhancement bug for that. Since these things 
are implemented in GEOS, you might also want to add the request to the 
GEOS tracker too.

-Steve.

nicklas.aven at jordogskog.no wrote:
> 
> Thanks a lot
>  
> Regina is right about what I want to do and I agree that "any of the 
> points that satisfies the below
> condition is a solution to that"
>  
> I made some corresponding solution in avenue a few years ago but without 
> buffer.
>  
> I don't think there is a practical problem, if you know about it, if you 
> just get one of possible many points at the same shortest distance.
> If the geometries is not snapped to a grid there should be very few 
> cases when more than one point from each geometry represents the 
> shortest line between the geometries if the precision of the 
> calculations is good enough.
> I still think it would be great with a built in function. I think it 
> ought to be much more efficient to get the points at the same time as 
> finding the closest distance instead of throwing them away inside the 
> function and then finding them again outside the function.
>  
> This is not an acute problem for me right now but I can see a lot of 
> possibilites from such a function. It would be possible to easy build 
> snapfunctions. It would also increase the possibilites to analyze what's 
> between two geometries.
>  
> If we could get the shortest line between geometries just as effective 
> as we now get the shortest distance I think it would open many doors. 
> Back in avenue this problem blocked the creative developing thinking 
> many times. But that's just from my quite amateur point of view.
>  
> thanks again
> Nicklas
> 
> 2009-02-11 Paragon Corporation wrote:
> 
> Steve,
>  >
>  >Maybe I misunderstood his question. I thought what he was asking was
>  >
>  >1) since ST_Distance gives the distance between the 2 points of each
>  >geometry that are closest. What is that point(s) that it is using.
>  >
>  >So our thinking is is that any of the points that satisfies the below
>  >condition is a solution to that
>  >
>  >So say you have Geometry A and geometry B and you want to know what set of
>  >points on Geometry A are closest to Geometry B
>  >
>  >The answer would be
>  >
>  >SELECT ST_Intersection(A, ST_Buffer(B, ST_Distance(A,B)))
>  >
>  >Hope that helps,
>  >Regina
>  >
>  >-----Original Message-----
>  >From: postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net
>  >[mailto:postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net] On Behalf Of 
> Stephen
>  >Woodbridge
>  >Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 11:50 AM
>  >To: PostGIS Users Discussion
>  >Subject: Re: [postgis-users] points from st_distance
>  >
>  >Hmmmm, why not do something like:
>  >
>  >
>  >select *, ST_distance(point, object) as dist from table expand(point,
>  >min_distance) && object and dist <= min_distance order by dist limit 1;
>  >
>  >-Steve
>  >
>  >
>  >Paragon Corporation wrote:
>  >>
>  >> Nicklas,
>  >>
>  >> You are correct there is no function for doing this. We have on
>  >> occasion needed to do this ourselves and what we usually do is
>  >>
>  >> 1) first find the minimum distance
>  >> 2) figure out which point/pointset on the geometry satisfies the
>  >> minimum distance using buffer and intersection (with minimum distance
>  >> being the buffer distance).
>  >>
>  >> I think I have the code lying around here somewhere.
>  >>
>  >> As far as ST_Distance goes. Haven't looked at the code that closely,
>  >> but it does some sort of recursive call and there could be more than
>  >> one point that satisfies the condition and it only cares about the
>  >> first one it comes across so such a thing may or may not be quite what
>  >> you are looking for.
>  >>
>  >> Hope that helps,
>  >> Regina
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >> *From:* postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net
>  >> [mailto:postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net] *On Behalf Of
>  >> *nicklas.aven at jordogskog.no
>  >> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 11, 2009 4:47 AM
>  >> *To:* postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net
>  >> *Subject:* [postgis-users] points from st_distance
>  >>
>  >> Hallo
>  >>
>  >> I have a question or suggestion.
>  >>
>  >> If I have missed some functionality please tell me.
>  >>
>  >> The thing is I have often needed information about from which points
>  >> the distance in st_distance is calculated.
>  >> I mean, somewhere in the function the information have to be. Would it
>  >> be possible to build a new function which returned the distance,
>  >> startpoint, endpoint as array or something like that.
>  >>
>  >> Am I right about that this functionality is missing and am I right
>  >> about that the points have to be identified somewhere in the function
>  >> and that it ought to be possible to present them in a function.
>  >>
>  >> If I'm right so far I would like to come this as a suggestion.
>  >>
>  >> I also have to thank you all for postgis.
>  >> It has been a very nice experience to start handling the gis analysing
>  >> and processing in database-environment.
>  >> My next step is to try to manage any of the procedural languages. Then
>  >> I guess I can do just anything with all the points and polygons out 
> there
>  >:-).
>  >>
>  >> /Nicklas
>  >>
>  >>
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