simplification
Fast linestring simplification using RDP or Visvalingam-Whyatt and a Rust binary
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you work with geographic data or need to reduce coordinate counts in LineStrings. The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and offers prebuilt wheels for modern Python versions. Install friction is moderate due to compilation, but binary wheels mitigate this. Verify the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 compatibility with your project before committing.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python >=3.10; numpy is a runtime dependency.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for Python 3.10–3.14 on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Active maintenance with recent release (67 days ago) and no known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
BlueOak-1.0.0 (unclear) — Licensed under Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 (BlueOak-1.0.0), a permissive open-source license. License treatment is marked unclear in the package metadata, so verify the license terms directly if commercial use is a concern.
last release 2026-06-08 (67 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-07 · 194 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 336,213 downloads/mo, #7,467 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from simplification.cutil import simplify_coords
import numpy as np
coords = [[0.0, 0.0], [5.0, 4.0], [11.0, 5.5], [17.3, 3.2], [27.8, 0.1]]
simplified = simplify_coords(coords, 1.0)- Whether the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 is compatible with your project's license requirements (marked 'unclear' in metadata).
- Performance characteristics on your specific data size and complexity (benchmarks in documentation are illustrative, not guaranteed).
What it is and what it does
Simplification is a Python library that reduces the number of points in a LineString while preserving its overall shape using two well-established algorithms: Ramer–Douglas–Peucker (RDP) and Visvalingam-Whyatt (VW). It wraps a Rust binary via FFI and integrates with numpy, accepting both Python lists and numpy arrays as input. The library supports a topology-preserving variant of VW for cases where valid geometry output is critical.
The package is designed for geographic and geometric applications where coordinate reduction is needed—such as map rendering, data compression, or polyline simplification. It offers variants that return either simplified coordinates or the indices of retained points, allowing flexible integration into downstream workflows. Prebuilt wheels cover Python 3.10–3.14 across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Use it for
- Reduce map tile complexity by simplifying LineStrings before rendering on web maps or mobile applications.
- Compress GPS traces or trajectory data for storage and transmission while retaining navigable geometry.
- Decimate high-resolution polylines (e.g., from OSRM or Google Maps APIs) to reduce API response size.
- Prepare geographic data for analysis by removing noise-induced coordinate redundancy before spatial operations.
- Validate geometry integrity using the topology-preserving VW variant when simplification must not break polygon/line validity.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you work with geographic data or need to reduce coordinate counts in LineStrings.
The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and offers prebuilt wheels for modern Python versions. Install friction is moderate due to compilation, but binary wheels mitigate this. Verify the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 compatibility with your project before committing.
Install
simplification on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for Python 3.10–3.14 on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Active maintenance with recent release (67 days ago) and no known vulnerabilities.
Requires Python >=3.10; numpy is a runtime dependency.
License in practice
Licensed under Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 (BlueOak-1.0.0), a permissive open-source license. License treatment is marked unclear in the package metadata, so verify the license terms directly if commercial use is a concern.
Quickstart
from simplification.cutil import simplify_coords
import numpy as np
coords = [[0.0, 0.0], [5.0, 4.0], [11.0, 5.5], [17.3, 3.2], [27.8, 0.1]]
simplified = simplify_coords(coords, 1.0)Verify before relying
- Whether the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 is compatible with your project's license requirements (marked 'unclear' in metadata).
- Performance characteristics on your specific data size and complexity (benchmarks in documentation are illustrative, not guaranteed).
Package facts
| License | BlueOak-1.0.0 unclear |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagenumpy |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 67 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 336,213 / month, #7,467 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: EducationIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: GISTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: simplification-1.0.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_x86_64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp311-abi3-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp311-abi3-macosx_11_0_x86_64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp311-abi3-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp311-abi3-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; simplification-1.0.0-cp311-abi3-win_amd64.whl
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See also rdp · topojson · polyline · pypolyline · onnxsim · pygeoif · affine · flexpolyline · mgrs · fast-simplification