ee.Geometry.LineString.difference

  • difference() returns the geometric difference between two geometries, essentially subtracting the 'right' geometry from the 'left'.

  • It's applicable to LineString geometries and likely other geometry types.

  • Optional parameters allow controlling the projection and error margin for the operation.

  • The result is a new geometry representing the portions of the 'left' geometry that do not intersect with the 'right' geometry.

Returns the result of subtracting the 'right' geometry from the 'left' geometry.

UsageReturns
LineString.difference(right, maxError, proj)Geometry
ArgumentTypeDetails
this: leftGeometryThe geometry used as the left operand of the operation.
rightGeometryThe geometry used as the right operand of the operation.
maxErrorErrorMargin, default: nullThe maximum amount of error tolerated when performing any necessary reprojection.
projProjection, default: nullThe projection in which to perform the operation. If not specified, the operation will be performed in a spherical coordinate system, and linear distances will be in meters on the sphere.

Examples

Code Editor (JavaScript)

// Define a LineString object.
var lineString = ee.Geometry.LineString([[-122.09, 37.42], [-122.08, 37.43]]);

// Define other inputs.
var inputGeom = ee.Geometry.BBox(-122.085, 37.415, -122.075, 37.425);

// Apply the difference method to the LineString object.
var lineStringDifference = lineString.difference({'right': inputGeom, 'maxError': 1});

// Print the result to the console.
print('lineString.difference(...) =', lineStringDifference);

// Display relevant geometries on the map.
Map.setCenter(-122.085, 37.422, 15);
Map.addLayer(lineString,
             {'color': 'black'},
             'Geometry [black]: lineString');
Map.addLayer(inputGeom,
             {'color': 'blue'},
             'Parameter [blue]: inputGeom');
Map.addLayer(lineStringDifference,
             {'color': 'red'},
             'Result [red]: lineString.difference');

Python setup

See the Python Environment page for information on the Python API and using geemap for interactive development.

import ee
import geemap.core as geemap

Colab (Python)

# Define a LineString object.
linestring = ee.Geometry.LineString([[-122.09, 37.42], [-122.08, 37.43]])

# Define other inputs.
input_geom = ee.Geometry.BBox(-122.085, 37.415, -122.075, 37.425)

# Apply the difference method to the LineString object.
linestring_difference = linestring.difference(right=input_geom, maxError=1)

# Print the result.
display('linestring.difference(...) =', linestring_difference)

# Display relevant geometries on the map.
m = geemap.Map()
m.set_center(-122.085, 37.422, 15)
m.add_layer(linestring, {'color': 'black'}, 'Geometry [black]: linestring')
m.add_layer(input_geom, {'color': 'blue'}, 'Parameter [blue]: input_geom')
m.add_layer(
    linestring_difference,
    {'color': 'red'},
    'Result [red]: linestring.difference',
)
m