ee.Geometry.LineString.distance

  • Calculates the minimum distance between two geometries, with one being a LineString.

  • Returns the distance as a float value, potentially in meters on the sphere depending on projection.

  • Accepts optional parameters for error tolerance (maxError) and projection (proj) for customized calculations.

  • Can be used with various geometry types for 'right' input, such as Point as demonstrated in the examples.

 Returns the minimum distance between two geometries.

UsageReturns
LineString.distance(right, maxError, proj, spherical)Float
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.
sphericalBoolean, default: falseIf true, the calculation will be done on the unit sphere. If false, the calculation will be elliptical, taking earth flattening into account. Ignored if proj is specified. Default is false.

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.Point(-122.090, 37.423);

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

// Print the result to the console.
print('lineString.distance(...) =', lineStringDistance);

// 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');

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.Point(-122.090, 37.423)

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

# Print the result.
display('linestring.distance(...) =', linestring_distance)

# 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