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Shapefile import

Shapefiles are the most common interchange format for legacy GIS data — GIS departments at most installations have shapefile archives going back decades. Siter accepts shapefiles packaged as a .zip archive containing the full set of sidecar files, and converts the contained features into Siter features on import.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

  • Package a shapefile correctly for import
  • Run the shapefile import and verify the resulting features
  • Recognize common import failures and how to recover

What a shapefile actually is​

The term "shapefile" is misleading — it's not a single file but a bundle of sidecar files that together describe one dataset. The minimum required set:

FilePurpose
.shpThe geometry (the actual feature shapes)
.shxAn index into the geometry
.dbfThe attribute table (one row per feature)
.prjThe coordinate reference system

Optional but commonly present: .cpg (character encoding), .sbn/.sbx (spatial index), .shp.xml (metadata).

For Siter, package all of these into a single .zip archive. Loose individual files will not import.

[TODO: FILL IN — confirm Siter's exact required-vs-optional file list and any size or feature-count limits.]

Packaging the zip​

The zip should contain the sidecar files at the root, not in a subdirectory:

my-shapefile.zip
├── magazines.shp
├── magazines.shx
├── magazines.dbf
└── magazines.prj

Not:

my-shapefile.zip
└── magazines/
    ├── magazines.shp
    └── ...

[TODO: FILL IN — verify Siter's zip-structure expectations against actual import behavior.]

Running the import​

[TODO: FILL IN — exact import UI flow: layer panel or settings menu → import shapefile → file picker → preview → commit. Note any per-import options for layer assignment, coordinate transformation, attribute mapping.]

After import, the features land on a new layer. Verify the layer flavor — shapefile imports often default to a particular flavor (typically background) that may not be what you intend. See Adding layers and Changing a feature's layer if the imported features need to participate in analysis.

Attribute mapping​

Shapefile attributes do not automatically map to Siter attributes — the columns in the .dbf are typically named for the source GIS system, not for Siter's type-code or attribute taxonomy. After import:

  1. Review the imported features' Siter attributes — they will likely be at default values
  2. Use bulk attribute editing to apply the correct values where the source data implies them
  3. Set type codes appropriately (bulk type-code edit)

This step is unavoidable for any non-trivial import. Plan time for it.

Common failures​

SymptomCauseFix
"Missing .prj" errorCoordinate reference system not declaredAdd a .prj file matching the source CRS
Features appear in the wrong locationCRS mismatch with projectSet the project's spatial reference correctly, or transform the shapefile in QGIS first
Attribute names truncatedShapefile DBF format limits column names to 10 charactersSource-side issue; Siter cannot recover the full names
Garbled text in attributesCharacter encoding mismatchAdd or correct the .cpg sidecar file
Geometry rejectedSelf-intersecting polygons or other validity issuesRepair in QGIS before re-zipping

[TODO: FILL IN — Siter-specific error messages for each case.]

Try it​

Take any shapefile (or generate one in QGIS) representing a few facility footprints:

  1. Package the sidecars into a single zip with files at the root
  2. Import into a Siter project
  3. Verify the features land on a layer with the correct flavor (move them if not)
  4. Bulk-edit the type codes and attributes to match the actual facilities
  5. Run analysis and confirm the imported features participate as expected