Select By Location: graphic examples

This table below contains the list of the Relationship options available in the Select Layer By Location geoprocessing tool and the equivalent relationship found in the Select By Location... dialog found in the Selection menu in ArcMap, ArcScene and ArcGlobe.

Geoprocessing tool

Selection\Select By Location...

INTERSECT

Target layer(s) features intersect the Source layer feature

INTERSECT_3D

Target layer(s) features intersect (3d) the Source layer feature

WITHIN_A_DISTANCE

Target layer(s) features are within a distance of the Source layer feature

WITHIN_A_DISTANCE_3D

Target layer(s) features are within a distance of (3d) the Source layer feature

CONTAINS

Target layer(s) features contains the Source layer feature

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

Target layer(s) features completely contains the Source layer feature

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

Target layer(s) features contains (Clementini) the Source layer feature

WITHIN

Target layer(s) features are within the Source layer feature

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

Target layer(s) features are completely within the Source layer feature

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

Target layer(s) features are within (Clementini) the Source layer feature

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

Target layer(s) features are identical to the Source layer feature

BOUNDARY_TOUCHES

Target layer(s) features touch the boundary of the Source layer feature

SHARE_A_LINE_SEGMENT_WITH

Target layer(s) features share a line segment with the Source layer feature

CROSSED_BY_THE_OUTLINE_OF

Target layer(s) features are crossed by the outline of the Source layer feature

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

Target layer(s) features have their centroid in the Source layer feature

The WITHIN_A_DISTANCE spatial relationship and 3D spatial relationship operators like INTERSECT_3D and WITHIN_A_DISTANCE_3D are not included in the graphics below. For details on 3D relationships, see Select By Location 3D relationships.

Clementini spatial relationships

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI and CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI refers to the within and contains spatial relationship as defined in the following paper: Clementini, Eliseo, Paolino Di Felice, and Peter van Oosterom, "A Small Set of Formal Topological Relationships Suitable for End-User Interaction," Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Advances in Spatial Databases, 277–295, June 23–25, 1993.

Contrast of the three "contains" spatial relationships

Definition of boundary: For lines, the boundary is the two endpoints; for polygons, the boundary is the edge.

Contrast of the three "within" spatial relationships

Legend for graphics

For all the graphic examples below, the following legend applies:

The graphics are labeled A, B, C, and so forth. Each relationship (INTERSECT, CONTAINS, and so on) that is valid for that combination of geometries is listed in the left column of the table. The geometric cases that would be selected for that relationship are listed in the right column of the table.

Select point using point

Select point using point graphic
Select point using point

INTERSECT

A

CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A

WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A

Select point using point table

Select point using multipoint

Select point using multi-point graphic
Select point using multipoint

INTERSECT

A, C

CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A

WITHIN

A, C

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A, C

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, C

Select point using multipoint table

Select point using line

Select point using line graphic
Select point using line

INTERSECT

A, C

WITHIN

A, C

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, C

Select point using line table

Select point using polygon

Select point using polygon graphic
Select point using polygon

INTERSECT

A, C

WITHIN

A, C

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, C

Select point using polygon table

Select multipoint using point

Select multi-point using point graphic
Select multipoint using point

INTERSECT

A, C

CONTAINS

A, C

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, C

WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, D

Select multipoint using point table

Select multipoint using multipoint

Select multi-point using multi-point graphic
Select multipoint using multipoint

INTERSECT

A, C, E, F

CONTAINS

A, F

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, F

WITHIN

A, C

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A, C

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, D

Select multipoint using multipoint table

Select multipoint using line

Select multi-point using line graphic
Select multipoint using line

INTERSECT

A, C, E, F

WITHIN

A, C, E

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A, E

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, D, E

Select multipoint using line table

Select multipoint using polygon

Select multi-point using polygon graphic
Select multipoint using polygon

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E, F

WITHIN

A, C, D, E

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A, D, E

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, B, C, E, F

Select multipoint using polygon table

Select line using point

Select line using point graphic
Select line using point

INTERSECT

A, C, D

CONTAINS

A, C, D

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

A, D

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, D

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

D

Select line using point table

Select line using multipoint

Select line using multi-point graphic
Select line using multipoint

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E

CONTAINS

A, C, E

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, E

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

D

Select line using multipoint table

Select line using line

Select line using line graphic
Select line using line

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J

CONTAINS

G, H

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

G

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

G, H

WITHIN

F, H

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

F

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

F, H

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

H

BOUNDARY_TOUCHES

C, E

Select line using line table

Select line using polygon

Select line using polygon graphic
Select line using polygon

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O

WITHIN

A, D, G, H, I, O

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

A

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

A, D, G, H, I

BOUNDARY_TOUCHES

D, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O

SHARE_A_LINE_SEGMENT_WITH

G, I, J, K, M, O

CROSSED_BY_THE_OUTLINE_OF

C, E, H, L, N

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, C, D, E, G, H, I, J, O

Select line using polygon table

Select polygon using point

Select polygon using point graphic
Select polygon using point

INTERSECT

A, B

CONTAINS

A, B

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, D

Select polygon using point table

Select polygon using multipoint

Select polygon using multi-point graphic
Select polygon using multipoint

INTERSECT

A, B, C, E

CONTAINS

A, B, E

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, B

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

A, D

Select polygon using multipoint table

Select polygon using line

Select polygon using line graphic
Select polygon using line

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O

CONTAINS

A, D, G, H, I, O

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

A

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

A, D, G, H, I

BOUNDARY_TOUCHES

D, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O

SHARE_A_LINE_SEGMENT_WITH

G, I, J, K, M, O

CROSSED_BY_THE_OUTLINE_OF

C, E, H, L, N

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

E, I, L

Select polygon using line table

Select polygon using polygon

Select polygon using polygon graphic
Select polygon using polygon

INTERSECT

A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M

CONTAINS

C, E, H, M

COMPLETELY_CONTAINS

C

CONTAINS_CLEMENTINI

C, E, H, M

WITHIN

F, G, H, M

COMPLETELY_WITHIN

F

WITHIN_CLEMENTINI

F, G, H, M

ARE_IDENTICAL_TO

H, M

BOUNDARY_TOUCHES

D, E, G, H, I, J, M

SHARE_A_LINE_SEGMENT_WITH

D, H, I, M

CROSSED_BY_THE_OUTLINE_OF

A, E, G, J, K

HAVE_THEIR_CENTER_IN

C, E, F, G, H, K, L

Select polygon using polygon table
11/18/2013