Vector layers in Farm 360 can be imported or exported in 2 formats: shapefile or geojson files. In this article we explain characteristics and recommendations for use for each one.

Shapefiles

Shapefiles are a universal and standard format used by most geographic information systems (GIS).

It is important to note that each shapefile is made up of 3 or 4 files, all with the same name but different extensions:

• .shp: is the file that stores the geometric entities of the objects, that is, the points, lines or polygons that make up the map.
• .dbf: it is the database where the information of the attributes of the objects is saved. This “data structure” contains a series of columns that varies depending on the type of layer. If it is a field layer, the structure usually contains the name of the field, the crop, the area, etc. If it is an application layer, it will surely have the applied dose and speed.
• .shx: it is the one that relates the two previous files, that is, the forms with the associated information.

Some shapes include one more file, the .prj, which contains information about the coordinate system in which the data is expressed.

Geojson files

The second format used to import or export layers in is the Geojson, which allows you to store the geometry and the attributes associated with said geometry in a single file.

Geojson was developed as part of the OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards and is an open format that can be read as a text file. Due to its simplicity, it is widely used and accessed via programming languages.