Split polygon features into sectors with equal arc lengths in ArcGIS Pro

Summary

In ArcGIS Pro, polygon features can be split into sectors with equal arc lengths to separate large polygon features into manageable sections. This method is useful when dividing feature boundaries, such as a lake boundary, into equal distances or a specific number of sectors. Data collected from each sector of the split polygon feature can then be individually managed.

This article describes the workflow to split polygon features, such as circles or any irregular-shaped polygons, into sectors with equal arc lengths in ArcGIS Pro. In this example, a polygon feature representing a lake in the image below is used to demonstrate the workflow.

Procedure

1. Open the ArcGIS project with the polygon feature layer containing the feature to be split.
2. Create the polygon centroid using the Calculate Geometry Attributes or Feature To Point tool to find the center point of the polygon. Refer to How To: Find the centroid of polygons using the Calculate Geometry Attributes tool in ArcGIS Pro for instructions. In this example, the centroid of the polygon, represented by the red point, is created.

3. Create points of equal distance along the polygon perimeter using the Generate Points Along Lines tool.
   1. In the Geoprocessing pane, search for and select Generate Points Along Lines (Data Management Tools).
   2. For Input Features, select the polygon feature layer from the drop-down list. In this example, the feature layer named 'Polygon' is used.
   3. For Output Feature Class, if necessary, specify the name of the output feature layer. In this example, the output feature class is named 'Polygon_my_points.'
   4. For Point Placement, select By percentage from the drop-down list to create the points using a percentage, or ratio.
   5. For Percentage, type the percentage value to proportionally place the points. In this example, to divide the perimeter into 8 sectors, 12.5 percent is used as it is an eighth of a hundred.

Note:
Alternatively, to create points by specifying the exact distance on the ground between each point, select the By distance point placement and type the desired distance for the Distance parameter.

6. Check the Include End Points check box.
7. Click Run.

The points are created with equal distance along the perimeter of the polygon feature.

4. Use the Split tool to split the polygon feature by drawing lines from one point to another point while crossing the centroid. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Split a polygon feature for instructions. The image below shows the line drawn to split the polygon feature.

Note:
To edit only one feature in a feature class, ensure the desired feature is selected using the selection tools. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Select features interactively for more information.

The polygon feature in the image below is split into eight sectors of equal arc lengths.