CREATE LAYER

Creating a layer is the first step in using Data Loader to:

• Load your spreadsheet Address or Coordinate data sets (csv files) into LandVision™


• Manually build a Spatial data layer. You create an empty layer in LandVision™, and can then manually add spatial data (points, lines, or polygons) and attribute information to your layer. This is a flexible way to create a Spatial layer for specific information tracking needs. (See Drawing Tools in Related Documents for information about drawing points, lines, or polygons.)

It is important to correctly prepare your Address and Coordinate data sets (csv files) before loading them into LandVision™. The requirements in this section are for both Address and Coordinate data sets. Differences in requirements are noted.

Requirements

• Required File Type: Address and Coordinate data must be stored in Comma Delimited (*.csv) files.
  • To save a database or spreadsheet file as a Comma Delimited file, perform a “Save As” and select “CSV (Comma Delimited) (*.csv)” for “Save as type.”
  
  
• Upload File Size Limit: 30MB


• Required Fields: Your Address and Coordinate *.csv files must contain, at a minimum, the exact fields below:
  • Required Address fields: source_address, source_city, source_state, source_zipcode
  • Required Coordinate fields: latitude, longitude
  
  
• Not Supported in Fields: Your csv file cannot include fields with these values:
  • Field names: spaces, special characters, field names starting with numbers
    
    Tip: Use underscores to replace the spaces in your field names.
  
  
  • Currency (e.g., dollar signs)
  • Commas
  • Percent signs
  
  
• Character Limit in Fields: 100


• Reserved Field Names: Your csv file cannot include these field names: Key, Geometry, Sidx, _Cftid, _Geo_Type, _Dmp_Id, _Sessionid, _Recseq, _Createdby, _Createddate, _Retiredby, _Retireddate, _Status, _X_Coord, _Y_Coord, _Xmin, _Ymin, _Xmax, _Ymax, Unit, Address_number, Predirectional, Prefix, Street, Suffix, Postdirectional, UnitDesignation, City, StreetAbbr, Zipcode, Countycode, Geostatus, MatchStatus, State, Score, Parcel_id, AddressID, GEOMETRY_BIN, Opacity, Size, Color, Image, _SEQ_ID, _SYMBOLOGY, DRAW_TYPE, Location_ID.


• The full reserved keyword list can be found, here

Adding Fields

Creating an Address or Coordinate layer involves deciding which fields in your csv file that you want to load into LandVision™. You then identify those fields by their field names in the Create Layer window. The examples to the right show the field names in a csv file which have been added to the Create Layer window.

Here are some guidelines for adding fields:

• You don’t have to load all the fields in your csv file for a successful Data Load. Don’t add fields to the Create Layer window that you don’t want to be part of your layer.


• You can add fields in any order in the Create Layer window. The order doesn’t have to match the order in your csv file.


Here’s how to create an Address or Coordinate Layer:

1. Click the More Layers button at the bottom of the Legend. The Browse Layers window appears.


2. Select a folder from the Folder drop-down list in which to save your data set.
   
   Note: To create a new folder for your data set, select New. The Create Folder window appears. Enter the name of your new folder and click OK. Your new folder appears in the Folder drop-down list.


3. Click the Create Layer button . The Create Layer window appears.
   
   Note: If you don’t have permission to use your selected folder, the Create Layer button is grayed out. Select another folder to save your data set.


4. In the Create Layer window:
   1. Folder Name: Automatically filled in with your selected folder name.
      
      Note: The folder name starts with your LandVision™ Account name.
   2. Layer Name: Enter the name of your layer. You can use spaces and mixed cases. Do not use special characters.
   3. Geometry Type: Select Point from the drop-down list. Address and Coordinate layers are Point layers.
   
   
5. Click the Add Field button for every field in your csv file that you want to load into LandVision™ (See Adding Fields above for more information).


6. Perform the following for each field:
1. Name: Enter an exact field name from your csv file.
2. Displayed Name (optional): If the meaning of the field name is not easy to understand, enter an alternate field name.
3. Type: Select the data type from the drop-down list.
   • Text: All text fields including addresses with numbers.
     Tip: If you don’t know the data type for a field, select Text.
   • Integer: Whole numbers
     Tip: The integer type has a length limit of 9 digits. If your number field contains data with more than 9 digits, select text for Type.
   • Decimal: Integers with decimals. You must select this data type for latitude and longitude fields.
   • True / False: A conditional filter for certain data types
   • Xml: Not applicable


7. Click the Create Button . Your layer name appears in the Available list of the Browse Layers window.

1. Click the More Layers button at the bottom of the Legend. The Browse Layers window appears.


2. Select a folder from the Folder drop-down list in which to save your data set.
   
   Note: To create a new folder for your data set, select New. The Create Folder window appears. Enter the name of your new folder and click OK. Your new folder appears in the Folder drop-down list.


3. Click the Create Layer button . The Create Layer window appears.
   
   Note: If you don’t have permission to use your selected folder, the Create Layer button is grayed out. Select another folder to save your data set.


4. In the Create Layer window:
   1. Folder Name: Automatically filled in with your selected folder name. Note: The folder name starts with your LandVision™ Account name.
   2. Layer Name: Enter the name of your layer. You can use spaces and mixed cases.
   3. Geometry Type: Select Line, Point, or Polygon from the drop-down list, depending on the type of Spatial layer that you’d like to create.
   
   
5. Click the Add Field button to add attribute fields to your layer.


6. Perform the following for each field:
   1. Name: Enter an attribute name.
   2. Displayed Name (optional): Not applicable
   3. Type: Select the data type from the drop-down list.
      • Text: All text fields
      
      Tip: If you don’t know the data type for a field, select Text.
      • Integer: Whole numbers
      • Decimal: Integers with decimals. You must select this data type for latitude and longitude fields.
      • True / False: A conditional filter for certain data types
      • Xml: Not applicable
   
   
7. Click the Create Button . Your layer name appears in the Available list of the Browse Layers window.

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