Feature Class

A feature class is a collection of geographic features that share the same geometry type (point, line, or polygon) and the same set of attribute fields (schema). Feature classes are the fundamental organizational unit for vector data in Esri geodatabases.

• Point: Discrete locations (e.g., sample sites, well heads, claim monuments)
• Polyline: Linear features (e.g., roads, streams, vein traces, pipelines)
• Polygon: Area features (e.g., mining claims, lease boundaries, geological units)
• Multipoint: Multiple points per feature (e.g., LiDAR returns)
• Multipatch: 3D features with surfaces and textures

Feature class properties: - Defined coordinate system (projection) - Attribute table with typed fields - Spatial index for query performance - Optional: domains, subtypes, editor tracking - Optional: topology rules, relationship classes

• File geodatabase: Stored as part of a .gdb folder on disk
• Enterprise geodatabase: Stored in a relational database (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle)
• Shapefile: Single feature class stored as multiple files
• GeoPackage: Open standard SQLite-based format

Common feature classes in mining: - Mining claim boundaries (polygons) - Drill hole locations (points) - Access roads and trails (polylines) - Geological contacts and faults (polylines) - Mineral survey boundaries (polygons) - PLSS sections, townships, and ranges (polygons)

Advantages over shapefiles: - Longer field names (up to 64 characters) - More data types supported - No practical size limits - Topology and relationship support - Better performance for large datasets