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Coordinate Geometry API
Generate Metes
POST

/v1/cogo/generate-metes

coordinates*
api_key*
curl --request POST \
  --url https://osm.buntinglabs.com/v1/cogo/generate-metes

This API endpoint generates the bearing (cardinal/compass direction) and distance (in meters) between consecutive points in a supplied polygon (GeoJSON).

This endpoint is useful for rendering survey diagrams like this:

metes and bounds COGO API

​
Request Parameters

coordinatesrequired
array

A sequence of coordinates (single array of [longitude, latitude] points) that will be used to generate the bearing and distance. Similar to the GeoJSON requirement, the coordinates must be closed (the first must equal the last).

Because it is a single sequence (“ring”), it cannot have any holes and cannot be a MultiPolygon. It will have no properties.

Providing at least 6 decimal places is recommended (approximately 11 cm precision). An example sequence of coordinates might look like this, in JSON:

{
  "coordinates": [
    [ -77.03787199, 38.89854538 ],
    [ -77.03784314, 38.89617453 ],
    [ -77.03680463, 38.89537525 ],
    [ -77.03571997, 38.89560426 ],
    [ -77.03521802, 38.89639905 ],
    [ -77.03520648, 38.89854538 ],
    [ -77.03787199, 38.89854538 ]
  ]
}
api_keyrequired
string

Your account’s API key. You can create an API key by registering for an account and copy and paste it from your account dashboard.

​
Response

When features are successfully counted, a 200 OK response will be issued, with Content-Type: application/json. The body will be a FeatureCollection of GeoJSON LineStrings, where each LineString represents a line from the polygon.

Each LineString belongs to a Feature which will have the properties bearing_sexagesimal, true_bearing_degrees, and distance_meters.

distance_meters
float

The distance along this line, in meters.

true_bearing_degrees
float

This represents the bearing (or azimuth) of the line. This bearing is calculated from true north and has values 0°-360°, where 0° is due north and 90° is due east.

bearing_sexagesimal
string

This is a string formatting of true_bearing_degrees that surveyors typically use. It designates the north/south cardinal direction in which to travel and the angle from which one should deviate.

For example, N 21° 25' 15″ E is equivalent to true bearing 21.42. This is sexagesimal (base-60), hence 25/60 ~ 0.42.

In the event of an error, an error response will be issued, usually with a 5xx error code. The error will be JSON-formatted, with an error field describing the cause.

error
string

The error message if the extract request parameters were incorrectly formatted.

This response field will not be present if the extract succeeds.

curl --request POST \
     --url https://osm.buntinglabs.com/v1/cogo/generate-metes \
     --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
     --data '{
     "api_key": "demo",
     "coordinates": [[-77.037871,38.898545],[-77.037843,38.896174],[-77.036804,38.895375],[-77.035206,38.898545],[-77.037871,38.898545]]
}'

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [{
    "type": "Feature",
    "properties": {
      "bearing_sexagesimal": "S 0° 31' 35″ E",
      "distance_meters": 263.224,
      "true_bearing_degrees": 179.473
    },
    "geometry": {
      "coordinates": [
        [ -77.037871, 38.898545 ],
        [ -77.037843, 38.896174 ]
      ],
      "type": "LineString"
    }
  }]
}