SPM Desktop > Features > Spatial analysis > Overlay

Overlay

Allows you to create new features based on geometric and data operations between two existing feature groups. These operations are':' Intersect, Union, Erase, Identity, Clip, Paste and Symmetric Difference

Editions: Professional

Overlay

A complete set of overlay tools that allow you to create new objects based on spatial and attribute relationships between two groups of existing objects. These operations are essential for advanced spatial analysis and include:

  • Intersect: Creates new objects from the overlapping areas of both input groups. Only the geometry and data common to both are preserved.
  • Union: Merges all geometries from both groups into a single set of combined objects, consolidating their spatial extent.
  • Erase: Removes portions of the first group that overlap with the second, preserving only the non-overlapping areas.
  • Identity: Keeps all features from the first group and adds attribute data from overlapping features in the second group where intersections exist.
  • Clip: Trims the objects from the first group to the spatial boundaries of the second group, like applying a geometric mask.
  • Paste: Similar to Union, but includes only features from the second group that don’t overlap with the first.
  • Symmetric Difference: Generates new objects from the areas that are exclusive to each group—removing the parts where they overlap.

frequently asked questions
  • Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and higher
  • 1024 x 768 VGA graphics, or higher
  • 1 GHZ 32-bit or 64-bit processor, or faster
  • 1 GB RAM or more (4GB recommended)
  • 2 GB free disk space, or more
  • Microsoft .NET 4.5 (installer included)
  • Windows Installer 3.1 or later
Spatial files
  • Esri Shape file - (SHP)
  • Google Earth file - (KML, KMZ)
  • OpenStreetMap file - (OSM, PBF, OSC) (1)
  • LiDAR file - (LAS, LAZ)
  • GPS exchange format file - (GPX)
  • Esri ASCII Grid file - (ASC, ASCII) (1)
  • ASCII text file - (ASC, CSV, NEZ, TXT, XYZ, UPT)
  • SQLite file - (SQLITE, DB)
  • GeoPackage file - (GPKG)
  • GML file - (GML, GZ, XML)
  • Autodesk SDF file - (SDF) (3)
  • MicroStation v.7 file - (DGN) (2)
  • AutoCAD DXF file - (DXF) (2)
  • Esri ArcInfo export file (ASCII) - (E00) (1) (2)
  • MapInfo file - (TAB) (2)
  • MapInfo interchange format file - (MIF/MID) (2)
  • GeoJSON file - (GEO.JSON)

Spatial raster files
  • Variable resolution Raster image file - (Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF/COG TIFF) (1) (4)

Spatial data servers and Geo-databases
  • Esri Geodatabase File - (GDB) (1)
  • PostGIS database
  • Microsoft SQL Server Spatial database
  • MySQL database (1) (3)

Image map servers
  • WMS/OGC API Maps Web Map Services (4)
  • WMTS/OGC API Tiles Web Map Tile Services (4)
  • XYZ/TMS Tile Map Services (4)

Other spatial data sources
  • Open Database Connectivity ODBC (1)
  • WFS/OGC API Features data store (1)
  • WFS data store (FDO) (1) (3) (5)
  • WFS data store (OGR) (1) (2) (5)

(1) Read-only
(2) OGR data source
(3) FDO provider
(4) Background Maps technology
(5) DEPRECATED - Whenever possible use the native WFS/OGC API Features data provider

Note: certain data Providers are only valid for some Editions of the application
  • Spatial Manager applications are updated and released every 3 or 4 months