Creates a set of related tables to store the appropriate entities in spatial map data.
map_table(x, ...)object to tidy
arguments passed to methods
list of tibbles
The basic entities behind spatial data, and hence the "map tables" are:
the positions in geometric space, e.g. x, y, z, time, long, lat, salinity etc.
a single connected chain of vertices, or "parts"
a collection of branches aligned to a row of metadata
This is the basic "topology" of traditional GIS vector data, for points, lines, polygons and their multi-counterparts. By default map_tables will produce these tables and also de-duplicated the input vertices, adding a fourth table to link vertices to branches.
Other topology types such as triangle or quad meshes can extend this four-entity model, or exist without the branches at all. See "mesh_table" ??
These are currently classed as object_table, branch_table, branch_link_vertex_table, and vertex_table. But there are no methods.