Adding a Shapefile Layer

A shapefile is a collection of files that contains simplified geo-spatial and attribute information to describe points, arcs, and polygons. These points and shapes represent objects or locations on a map (e.g., a well, a lake, or political borders). The procedure is described below.

With Harmony, you can only select shapefiles with the .shp extension, but shapefiles usually contain a collection of files with different extensions. Harmony uses the following file types to make the import process faster and more accurate:

• DBF — contains shapefile information and labels for the data. (The information this file contains is used when shapes are converted to facilities.) This file is the least critical; if it is missing, the shapefile is still imported.
• PRJ — contains the datum for the shapefile in projection, unit, datum format. (Harmony supports NAD27, NAD83, and WGS84.) If this file is missing, the shapefile may not be placed in the correct location.
• SHX — loads individual shapes from the file. This file reads just the bounding boxes of an area and works as a sort of index for the .shp file, so that all the data contained in the .shp does not need to be cached. If this file is missing, loading may be slow and more memory may be consumed.

Because these files make using shapefiles easier, we recommend that you keep them together in the same directory.

To add a shapefile layer:

1. Click the GIS tab; then the Layers button.

2. Click the Add Layer () icon; then select Add Shapefile Layer.

The Open dialog box opens.

3. Locate the shapefile (.shp file) you want to use; then click Open. The shapefile is displayed in the selection tree under a node called Imported Shapefile Layers.

To view the shapefile on the GIS map, right-click the shapefile layer and select Goto Shapefile Area.

Note:   Harmony stores the shapefile’s name and path. If either changes, Harmony prompts you to locate the file the next time you open the project.

Shapefile Compatibility

If you encounter issues importing a shapefile, it may be because your shapefile is incompatible with Harmony. Ensure that your shapefile meets the following requirements:

• Mercator projection
• Geographic coordinate system (GCS)
• NAD 27, or NAD 83, or WGS 84
• Latitude and Longitude in decimal degrees