Connect to data from a variety of sources using the vector layer upload.

Gather your Files

Filetypes that are considered vectors for the purpose of uploading:

• .json → GeoJSON format

  <aside> 🎓 GeoJSON is a widely-used data format for displaying vectors in web maps . It is based on JavaScript object notation, a simple and minimalist format for expressing data structures using syntax from JavaScript.

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• .shp → Shape File format

  • Shapefiles are contained within .zip directories with multiple files that control the metadata, geolocation, and functionality of the data
  • Shapefiles can be point or polygon based

• .kml or .kmz → Google Earth format

• .dxf → CAD open data format

• .csv → Comma Separated spreadsheet.

  • For Point data only.
  • Requires a ADDRESS column with full address in that column
  • Row limit is 100 records

A Note on Filetypes:

<aside> ✅ GeoJSON, shape files, and KMZ files are easy to import into Giraffe. These are geospatial first data types and are easily parsed by the layer import applet.

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<aside> 👉 Shapefiles are contained within .zip directories with multiple files that control the metadata, geolocation, and functionality of the data. DO NOT UNZIP THE FILE. You must upload the entire zipped directory.

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<aside> ⚙️ Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet sources must be converted to CSV (comma delimited) before importing as a layer.

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<aside> 📢 CSV files can only reflect point based data. They need to include a column labeled ADDRESS with the street address. The row limit is 100 per upload.

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<aside> 🚨 Importing CAD (.dxf) vector data is often complex. DXF files are not typically geolocated, and depending on how they are authored, they may consist of many line segments rather than the line-strings and polygons which are native to Giraffe.

On the other hand, even line segments can be very useful to allow tracing using Giraffe's snap feature (holding down "s" will snap to any vector features on the map).

If there is a large amount of useful data that is only accessible as DXF files, you can follow the steps in How to import DXF files into Giraffe. Reach out to us using the in-app chat for support doing this.

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Access the Server Connection Applet

There are 2 ways to open the layer upload applet:

Data layer → Create Your own → select layer type

Main menu (☰) → Layers → select layer type

<aside> 💡 You can also drag any file into your giraffe window to automatically open the correct applet for that filetype.

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Upload a File

GeoJSON and shape files are easy to import into Giraffe. The data can be added as a data layer or converted into Giraffe features:

• Map data layers can be shared between users and added to multiple projects.
• Giraffe features will be added to the current project.

To import the data, click ☰ → Layers → Create Layer From Vector

The import tool will appear in the right bar. Upload the files and choose to import the contents as features or to create and style a vector data layer.

There are two upload options:

• Create a layer
• Import to project