I am trying to create an environmental sampling plan using an irregular shaped polygon. I need to divide an irregular shaped polygon into 30 equal area polygons. I have multiple sampling plans that I need to complete, so I have been searching for a way to automate this, rather than divide the polygon by hand.
Based on some research, I have found that creating a parcel fabric and using the parcel division tool will get me what I need. However, not only is my polygon irregularly shaped, but it also contains several donuts within the polygon. These areas represent islands and I don't want them included in the 30 equal area polygons.
I have tried to create this in two different ways and have yet to get it working. First, I created a parcel fabric excluding the donuts (there were no donut polygons - just holes of no data). When using the parcel division tool, I received the following error "A generated split line did not intersect with the source parcel" and the division was not completed. I assume this was because the split lines intersected the no data holes in the parcel.
I then created a parcel fabric including the donuts, each as individual parcels in the parcel fabric. I no longer am receiving the error, but the result I'm getting is just the large donut on its own and no division occurred.
If anyone has used the parcel division tool on polygons with donuts, how were you able to exclude the donuts from the parcel division?
To help visualize, below in purple are the donuts I want to exclude in the parcel division and the green is the area I want to divide.