ArcGIS 10.0 Raster – Converting Raster Data into Regularly Sampled Points

arcgis-10.0arctoolboxdemraster

I am wondering if there's another way to convert raster data (ex: DEM) into regularly sampled points. I've used Raster to Point under ArcToolbox previously, but if the raster data is huge, that's a lot of points! Is there a way to specify the number of points or to specify the cell width and height so they're nicely spread out? I am aware of the Create a Fishnet tool, but that doesn't seem to be working for me at the moment. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Best Answer

Alternatively, you could proceed as followed:

  1. Use the aggregate tool on your input data to create a coarser raster with the same extent.
  2. Convert the resulting raster to points.
  3. Use these points to sample the original grid.

The key here is the aggregation factor which controls the degree of generalization of your input data, e.g. the spacing of the resulting sampling points.

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