How to import and export geography

A lot of conservation work is map-based, so it's important that Landscape has easy-to-use tools for working with your geographical data. You can import your existing map data in certain formats. You can also export geography that you create in Landscape for data storage or use in other platforms. This article explains how to import geography to a single record or work item, as well as how to export geography from different contexts.

Jump to...

• Importing map data
• Exporting map data
  • For a single layer
  • For selected objects
  • For multiple layers or objects
• FAQs

Importing map data

Prerequisites

User Permissions: Ensure you have the necessary permissions to add geography to records.

Gathering materials/resources

File format: When importing, ensure your data is in one of the following supported formats:

• Shapefile (.shp)*
• Google Earth files (.kml or .kmz)*
• GPS Exchange Format (.gpx)
• Photos (.jpg/.jpeg) with georeferenced metadata
• A .csv file of latitude and longitude (read more here)
• A file exported from another Landscape map*

*indicates the only acceptable area file types for a Portfolio record boundary

Attribute fields: Unlike typical GIS systems, Landscape uses fixed attribute fields (Name, Label, Description, Status, Type). Instead of creating custom GIS attributes for additional data points, use Landscape's existing data fields (like Contact records for landowners) to house detailed information. To automatically import attributes like Name or Status, ensure your shapefile's field names exactly match Landscape's fixed fields:  NAME     ,MAPLABEL     ,STATUS     ,TYPE     , and DESCRIPT   . These are the only attribute fields that can be imported to Landscape, but all-lower-case field names are also supported.

Instructions

1. Navigate to the specific record or work item that will house the data.
2. In the horizontal menu above the map, click Edit map features for the current record.
3. In the same menu as step #2, click Import map features.
4. Select the relevant file type and follow the prompts to save the mapped data to the correct layer.

Next Steps

Once your data is mapped, you can edit individual points, lines, and areas, or style your layers to distinguish different types of features.

Exporting Map Data

Instructions

For a single layer:

1. Navigate to the specific record or work item containing the data you are exporting.
2. In the horizontal menu above the map, click Export map features.
3. Select the layer to be exported and the file type, then click OK. Your exported file will save to the default Downloads folder for your browser.

For selected objects:

1. Navigate to the specific record or work item containing the data you are exporting.
2. Click on the geography (area, point, or line) to be exported. Select multiple objects by holding Shift+click, or use the multi-select rectangle tool.
3. The 'Selected Map Features' panel will appear to the left of the map.  Click Export the selected ... features.

4. Select the file type, then click OK. Your exported file will save to the default Downloads folder for your browser.

For multiple layers or objects:

Use Data Viewer to query and perform bulk exports, like all this year's site visit points, all trail (human use) lines, or all easement boundaries. The bulk method also allows you to include Landscape fields as attributes in the exported shapefile.

1. Open or create the View that contains the data you want to export. The exported shapefile will contain all the fields included in the results table. The exported file will also respect any filters you enable in the results list.

2. Choose the option to display the results as a Map.
3. A map will appear on the right side of the screen. Click Export map features in the map view menu: