Transform Geometry

The transform_geometry MCP tool buffers, simplifies, rotates, scales, translates, or calculates centers for a GeoJSON geometry.

Use this tool to derive a new geometry from an existing geometry or calculate a representative center point.

Tool name

transform_geometry

Request URL

https://api.geoapify.com/v1/mcp?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY

Input parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	`buffer`, `simplify`, `rotate`, `scale`, `translate`, `center`, `center_mean`, `center_median`, or `center_of_mass`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to transform or use for the center calculation.
`distance`	number	Conditionally	Buffer radius or translation distance. Required for `buffer` and `translate`.
`units`	string	No	Buffer or translation distance units. Default: `kilometers`.
`steps`	integer	No	Circular arc segments per quadrant for `buffer`, from 1 to 128. Default: `8`.
`tolerance`	number	No	Non-negative simplification tolerance for `simplify`. Default: `1`.
`high_quality`	boolean	No	Set to `true` to use the slower, higher-quality simplification algorithm. Default: `false`.
`angle`	number	Conditionally	Clockwise rotation in degrees. Required for `rotate`.
`pivot`	array	No	Rotation pivot in `[longitude, latitude]` order. Defaults to the geometry centroid.
`factor`	number	Conditionally	Positive scale multiplier. Required for `scale`.
`origin`	string or array	No	Scale origin: `center`, `centroid`, `sw`, `se`, `nw`, `ne`, or a `[longitude, latitude]` position.
`direction`	number	Conditionally	Translation direction in decimal degrees, where `0` is north and `90` is east. Required for `translate`.
`z_translation`	number	No	Translation applied to the optional third coordinate.

Supported distance units are meters, metres, millimeters, millimetres, centimeters, centimetres, kilometers, kilometres, miles, nauticalmiles, inches, yards, feet, radians, and degrees.

Coordinates use WGS84 [longitude, latitude, optional elevation] order. Each operation accepts only its operation-specific fields. Center operations accept only operation and geometry; the input schema does not allow additional properties.

Operations

Operation	Input	Output
`buffer`	Geometry, distance, optional units and steps	Buffer GeoJSON or an empty result
`simplify`	Geometry, optional tolerance and quality	Simplified GeoJSON
`rotate`	Geometry, angle, optional pivot	Rotated GeoJSON
`scale`	Geometry, factor, optional origin	Scaled GeoJSON
`translate`	Geometry, distance, direction, optional units	Translated GeoJSON
`center`	Geometry	Bounding-box center Point
`center_mean`	Geometry	Mean-center Point
`center_median`	Geometry	Median-center Point
`center_of_mass`	Geometry	Center-of-mass Point

Example request

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 4,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "transform_geometry",
    "arguments": {
      "operation": "center",
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [13.405, 52.52]
      }
    }
  }
}

Response

The tool returns structuredContent.type as geojson and the transformed geometry or calculated center in structuredContent.data. A transformation with no result returns type: "empty" and data: null.

Example response

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 4,
  "result": {
    "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": "{\"type\":\"geojson\",\"data\":{\"type\":\"Feature\",\"properties\":{},\"geometry\":{\"type\":\"Point\",\"coordinates\":[13.405,52.52]}}}" }],
    "structuredContent": {
      "type": "geojson",
      "data": {
        "type": "Feature",
        "properties": {},
        "geometry": {
          "type": "Point",
          "coordinates": [13.405, 52.52]
        }
      }
    },
    "isError": false
  }
}

Related tools

Combine Geometries - intersect, subtract, merge, or envelope geometries.
Measure Geometry - calculate numeric measurements or locate points on geometries.

Related API

For direct HTTP API integration, see Geometry Operations API.

`buffer`

Use buffer with transform_geometry to create a polygon around a geometry at a specified radius.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `buffer`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to buffer.
`distance`	number	Yes	Buffer radius in the selected `units`.
`units`	string	No	Distance units. Default: `kilometers`.
`steps`	integer	No	Arc segments per quadrant, from 1 to 128. Default: `8`.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "buffer",
  "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [13.405, 52.52] },
  "distance": 500,
  "units": "meters",
  "steps": 16
}

Output

type: "geojson" with the buffer Polygon or MultiPolygon Feature in data.
type: "empty" with data: null when no buffer geometry is produced.

`simplify`

Use simplify with transform_geometry to reduce geometry complexity while preserving its general shape.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `simplify`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to simplify.
`tolerance`	number	No	Non-negative simplification tolerance. Default: `1`.
`high_quality`	boolean	No	Use the slower, higher-quality algorithm. Default: `false`.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "simplify",
  "geometry": { "type": "LineString", "coordinates": [[13.38, 52.5], [13.39, 52.512], [13.405, 52.52], [13.42, 52.531], [13.44, 52.54]] },
  "tolerance": 0.001,
  "high_quality": true
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson" with the simplified geometry Feature in data.

`rotate`

Use rotate with transform_geometry to rotate a geometry clockwise around a pivot.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `rotate`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to rotate.
`angle`	number	Yes	Clockwise rotation angle in degrees.
`pivot`	array	No	`[longitude, latitude]` pivot. Defaults to the geometry centroid.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "rotate",
  "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[13.38, 52.5], [13.42, 52.5], [13.42, 52.54], [13.38, 52.54], [13.38, 52.5]]] },
  "angle": 45,
  "pivot": [13.4, 52.52]
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson" with the rotated geometry Feature in data.

`scale`

Use scale with transform_geometry to resize a geometry by a positive multiplier.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `scale`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to scale.
`factor`	number	Yes	Positive scale multiplier.
`origin`	string or array	No	`center`, `centroid`, `sw`, `se`, `nw`, `ne`, or `[longitude, latitude]`.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "scale",
  "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[13.38, 52.5], [13.42, 52.5], [13.42, 52.54], [13.38, 52.54], [13.38, 52.5]]] },
  "factor": 1.5,
  "origin": "center"
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson" with the scaled geometry Feature in data.

`translate`

Use translate with transform_geometry to move a geometry by a distance and compass direction.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `translate`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry to move.
`distance`	number	Yes	Translation distance in the selected `units`.
`direction`	number	Yes	Direction in degrees: `0` is north and `90` is east.
`units`	string	No	Distance units. Default: `kilometers`.
`z_translation`	number	No	Translation applied to an optional third coordinate.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "translate",
  "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [13.405, 52.52] },
  "distance": 500,
  "direction": 90,
  "units": "meters"
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson" with the translated geometry Feature in data.

`center`

Use center with transform_geometry to return the center of a geometry's bounding box.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `center`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry whose bounding-box center should be calculated.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "center",
  "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[13.38, 52.5], [13.42, 52.5], [13.42, 52.54], [13.38, 52.54], [13.38, 52.5]]] }
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson"; data is the Point Feature at the center of the geometry bounding box.

`center_mean`

Use center_mean with transform_geometry to calculate the arithmetic mean of all geometry vertices.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `center_mean`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry whose mean center should be calculated.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "center_mean",
  "geometry": { "type": "LineString", "coordinates": [[13.38, 52.5], [13.41, 52.53], [13.44, 52.54]] }
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson"; data is the mean-center Point Feature.

`center_median`

Use center_median with transform_geometry to find the center that minimizes total distance to the input vertices.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `center_median`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry whose median center should be calculated.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "center_median",
  "geometry": { "type": "MultiPoint", "coordinates": [[13.38, 52.5], [13.405, 52.52], [13.44, 52.54]] }
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson"; data is the median-center Point Feature.

`center_of_mass`

Use center_of_mass with transform_geometry to calculate a geometry's center of mass.

Input

Field	Type	Required	Description
`operation`	string	Yes	Must be `center_of_mass`.
`geometry`	GeoJSON geometry	Yes	Geometry whose center of mass should be calculated.

Arguments example

{
  "operation": "center_of_mass",
  "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[13.38, 52.5], [13.43, 52.5], [13.42, 52.55], [13.38, 52.54], [13.38, 52.5]]] }
}

Output

Returns type: "geojson"; data is the center-of-mass Point Feature.