Exporting layers
Layer exports let you hand off a subset of project data — for sharing with collaborators, backing up before a major edit, moving content between projects, or feeding data into an external GIS tool. For the click-by-click flow and supported formats, see Importing and exporting → How to export a layer.
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
- Recognize what a layer export captures and what it does not
- Pick the right destination format
- Re-import an exported layer into a different project
What a layer export captures
A layer export packages everything Siter knows about the features on the layer:
- Geometry
- Type codes
- Attributes
- Explosives data (for QD-visible features)
- Notes
Result sets, drawings, and project-level configuration are not included — those are project-scoped. For a full project handoff, see Export and import.
There's currently a bug when importing just the Siter layers, not all data is restored. This will be remedied soon and is not an issue when exporting and importing entire projects.
Layer export vs project export
| Use a layer export when | Use a project export when |
|---|---|
| You only need a subset of features | You need the whole project state |
| The destination GIS tool consumes shapefiles or GeoJSON | The destination is another Siter environment |
| Cross-feature relationships within the layer are sufficient | Relationships span more than one layer |
If relationships matter and they cross the layer boundary, export at the project level — the layer-level export will silently drop the cross-boundary relationships.
Try it
Export a QD-visible layer with at least one PES from one project, import it into a different project, and run analysis. Confirm the features appear with their original type codes, attributes, and explosives intact. If you exported features that had relationships outside the layer, confirm those relationships are absent in the destination — this is the practical reason to export at the project level when relationships matter.
Related
- Capability reference: Importing and exporting → How to export a layer — click-by-click steps
- Importing layers — the reciprocal operation
- GeoJSON import and export — Module 13 deep dive on the format
- Shapefile import
- Export and import (project-level)