ST_DumpPoints
Name
   ST_DumpPoints — Returns a set of
   
    geometry_dump
   
   rows for the coordinates in a geometry.
  
Synopsis
    
     geometry_dump[]
     
      ST_DumpPoints
     
     (
    
    geometry
    
     geom
    
    
     )
    
    ;
   
Description
   A set-returning function (SRF) that extracts the coordinates (vertices) of a geometry.
            It returns a set of
   
    geometry_dump
   
   rows,
                each containing a geometry (
   
    
     geom
    
   
   field)
                and an array of integers (
   
    
     path
    
   
   field).
  
- 
     
the
geomfieldPOINTs represent the coordinates of the supplied geometry. - 
     
the
pathfield (aninteger[]) is an index enumerating the coordinate positions in the elements of the supplied geometry. The indices are 1-based. For example, for aLINESTRINGthe paths are{i}whereiis thenthcoordinate in theLINESTRING. For aPOLYGONthe paths are{i,j}whereiis the ring number (1 is outer; inner rings follow) andjis the coordinate position in the ring. 
To obtain a single geometry containing the coordinates use ST_Points .
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)