ST_DumpPoints
Name
ST_DumpPoints — Returns a set of geometry_dump (geom,path) rows of all points that make up a geometry.
Synopsis
    
     geometry_dump[]
     
      ST_DumpPoints
     
     (
    
    geometry
    
     geom
    
    
     )
    
    ;
   
Description
   This set-returning function (SRF) returns a set of
   
    geometry_dump
   
   rows formed
				    by a geometry (
   
    geom
   
   ) and an array of integers (
   
    path
   
   ).
  
   The
   
    
     geom
    
   
   component of
   
    geometry_dump
   
   are
				    all the
   
    POINT
   
   s that make up the supplied geometry
  
   The
   
    
     path
    
   
   component of
   
    geometry_dump
   
   (an
   
    integer[]
   
   )
				    is an index reference enumerating the
   
    POINT
   
   s of the supplied geometry.
					For example, if a
   
    LINESTRING
   
   is supplied, a path of
   
    {i}
   
   is
					returned where
   
    i
   
   is the
   
    nth
   
   coordinate in the
   
    LINESTRING
   
   .
					If a
   
    POLYGON
   
   is supplied, a path of
   
    {i,j}
   
   is returned where
   
    i
   
   is the ring number (1 is outer; inner rings follow) and
   
    j
   
   enumerates the
   
    POINT
   
   s (again 1-based index).
  
Enhanced: 2.1.0 Faster speed. Reimplemented as native-C.
Enhanced: 2.0.0 support for Polyhedral surfaces, Triangles and TIN was introduced.
Availability: 1.5.0
   
    
   
   This method supports Circular Strings and Curves
  
   
    
   
   This function supports Polyhedral surfaces.
  
   
    
   
   This function supports Triangles and Triangulated Irregular Network Surfaces (TIN).
  
   
    
   
   This function supports 3d and will not drop the z-index.
  
Classic Explode a Table of LineStrings into nodes
SELECT edge_id, (dp).path[1] As index, ST_AsText((dp).geom) As wktnode
FROM (SELECT 1 As edge_id
	, ST_DumpPoints(ST_GeomFromText('LINESTRING(1 2, 3 4, 10 10)')) AS dp
     UNION ALL
     SELECT 2 As edge_id
	, ST_DumpPoints(ST_GeomFromText('LINESTRING(3 5, 5 6, 9 10)')) AS dp
   ) As foo;
 edge_id | index |    wktnode
---------+-------+--------------
       1 |     1 | POINT(1 2)
       1 |     2 | POINT(3 4)
       1 |     3 | POINT(10 10)
       2 |     1 | POINT(3 5)
       2 |     2 | POINT(5 6)
       2 |     3 | POINT(9 10)
 Standard Geometry Examples
   SELECT path, ST_AsText(geom)
FROM (
  SELECT (ST_DumpPoints(g.geom)).*
  FROM
    (SELECT
       'GEOMETRYCOLLECTION(
          POINT ( 0 1 ),
          LINESTRING ( 0 3, 3 4 ),
          POLYGON (( 2 0, 2 3, 0 2, 2 0 )),
          POLYGON (( 3 0, 3 3, 6 3, 6 0, 3 0 ),
                   ( 5 1, 4 2, 5 2, 5 1 )),
          MULTIPOLYGON (
                  (( 0 5, 0 8, 4 8, 4 5, 0 5 ),
                   ( 1 6, 3 6, 2 7, 1 6 )),
                  (( 5 4, 5 8, 6 7, 5 4 ))
          )
        )'::geometry AS geom
    ) AS g
  ) j;
   path    | st_astext
-----------+------------
 {1,1}     | POINT(0 1)
 {2,1}     | POINT(0 3)
 {2,2}     | POINT(3 4)
 {3,1,1}   | POINT(2 0)
 {3,1,2}   | POINT(2 3)
 {3,1,3}   | POINT(0 2)
 {3,1,4}   | POINT(2 0)
 {4,1,1}   | POINT(3 0)
 {4,1,2}   | POINT(3 3)
 {4,1,3}   | POINT(6 3)
 {4,1,4}   | POINT(6 0)
 {4,1,5}   | POINT(3 0)
 {4,2,1}   | POINT(5 1)
 {4,2,2}   | POINT(4 2)
 {4,2,3}   | POINT(5 2)
 {4,2,4}   | POINT(5 1)
 {5,1,1,1} | POINT(0 5)
 {5,1,1,2} | POINT(0 8)
 {5,1,1,3} | POINT(4 8)
 {5,1,1,4} | POINT(4 5)
 {5,1,1,5} | POINT(0 5)
 {5,1,2,1} | POINT(1 6)
 {5,1,2,2} | POINT(3 6)
 {5,1,2,3} | POINT(2 7)
 {5,1,2,4} | POINT(1 6)
 {5,2,1,1} | POINT(5 4)
 {5,2,1,2} | POINT(5 8)
 {5,2,1,3} | POINT(6 7)
 {5,2,1,4} | POINT(5 4)
(29 rows)
 Polyhedral Surfaces, TIN and Triangle Examples
-- Polyhedral surface cube --
SELECT (g.gdump).path, ST_AsEWKT((g.gdump).geom) as wkt
  FROM
    (SELECT
       ST_DumpPoints(ST_GeomFromEWKT('POLYHEDRALSURFACE( ((0 0 0, 0 0 1, 0 1 1, 0 1 0, 0 0 0)),
((0 0 0, 0 1 0, 1 1 0, 1 0 0, 0 0 0)), ((0 0 0, 1 0 0, 1 0 1, 0 0 1, 0 0 0)),
((1 1 0, 1 1 1, 1 0 1, 1 0 0, 1 1 0)),
((0 1 0, 0 1 1, 1 1 1, 1 1 0, 0 1 0)), ((0 0 1, 1 0 1, 1 1 1, 0 1 1, 0 0 1)) )') ) AS gdump
    ) AS g;
-- result --
  path   |     wkt
---------+--------------
 {1,1,1} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {1,1,2} | POINT(0 0 1)
 {1,1,3} | POINT(0 1 1)
 {1,1,4} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {1,1,5} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {2,1,1} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {2,1,2} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {2,1,3} | POINT(1 1 0)
 {2,1,4} | POINT(1 0 0)
 {2,1,5} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {3,1,1} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {3,1,2} | POINT(1 0 0)
 {3,1,3} | POINT(1 0 1)
 {3,1,4} | POINT(0 0 1)
 {3,1,5} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {4,1,1} | POINT(1 1 0)
 {4,1,2} | POINT(1 1 1)
 {4,1,3} | POINT(1 0 1)
 {4,1,4} | POINT(1 0 0)
 {4,1,5} | POINT(1 1 0)
 {5,1,1} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {5,1,2} | POINT(0 1 1)
 {5,1,3} | POINT(1 1 1)
 {5,1,4} | POINT(1 1 0)
 {5,1,5} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {6,1,1} | POINT(0 0 1)
 {6,1,2} | POINT(1 0 1)
 {6,1,3} | POINT(1 1 1)
 {6,1,4} | POINT(0 1 1)
 {6,1,5} | POINT(0 0 1)
(30 rows)
  -- Triangle --
SELECT (g.gdump).path, ST_AsText((g.gdump).geom) as wkt
  FROM
    (SELECT
       ST_DumpPoints( ST_GeomFromEWKT('TRIANGLE ((
                0 0,
                0 9,
                9 0,
                0 0
            ))') ) AS gdump
    ) AS g;
-- result --
 path |    wkt
------+------------
 {1}  | POINT(0 0)
 {2}  | POINT(0 9)
 {3}  | POINT(9 0)
 {4}  | POINT(0 0)
  -- TIN --
SELECT (g.gdump).path, ST_AsEWKT((g.gdump).geom) as wkt
  FROM
    (SELECT
       ST_DumpPoints( ST_GeomFromEWKT('TIN (((
                0 0 0,
                0 0 1,
                0 1 0,
                0 0 0
            )), ((
                0 0 0,
                0 1 0,
                1 1 0,
                0 0 0
            ))
            )') ) AS gdump
    ) AS g;
-- result --
  path   |     wkt
---------+--------------
 {1,1,1} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {1,1,2} | POINT(0 0 1)
 {1,1,3} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {1,1,4} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {2,1,1} | POINT(0 0 0)
 {2,1,2} | POINT(0 1 0)
 {2,1,3} | POINT(1 1 0)
 {2,1,4} | POINT(0 0 0)
(8 rows)