Delete Identical
Overview
The Delete Identical tool identifies and removes redundant records from a feature dataset. It determines whether two features are identical based on the specified attribute field combination and the configured spatial geometry tolerance, then removes duplicate records from the dataset.
Use Cases
- Attribute data cleaning: delete features with completely duplicated IDs or codes.
- Spatial redundancy cleanup: remove features that fully overlap in location and have identical attributes.
- Multi-source data integration: automatically remove duplicate reported records after merging data from different organizations.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Input features | The dataset from which duplicate records will be removed. | Supports all common geometry types. |
| Fields for identifying duplicates | Attribute fields used to determine uniqueness. | Required. Multiple fields can be used together. |
| XY coordinate tolerance | Spatial threshold used to determine whether geometry locations are the same. | Default: 0.001. |
| Include geometry | Specifies whether geometry shape is included in the duplicate check. | Default: Yes. |
| Output feature dataset | The output dataset after duplicate records are removed. | Supports common vector formats. |
Steps
- Start the tool: Open the Geoprocessing Toolbox, go to Vector Tools > Feature Processing > Trim, and open the Delete Identical tool pane.
- Set the input: Select Input features.
- Configure parameters: Select the key Fields for identifying duplicates and set an appropriate XY coordinate tolerance.
- Configure the output: Set the output path and file name.
- Run the tool: Click Run and review the result.
Notes
- Tolerance settings depend on the precision requirements of the data. For large-scale data, a millimeter-level tolerance is recommended.
- The tool keeps only the first record in each duplicate group. If you need to keep records based on a specific rule, such as the newest record, sort the input data first.
- Records are treated as duplicates only when both attributes and geometry, if selected, meet the matching conditions. It is recommended that you run Repair Geometry before removing duplicates.