This article will explain how to zip your file components for upload and visualization in Birdi, along with troubleshooting to repair a shapefile if a required component is missing data, to enable visualisation in Birdi.
Ensure you have the necessary shapefile or DXF components
Shapefiles may contain the following components as separate files on your computer:
.shp (geometry file)
.shx (shape index file)
.dbf (attribute data file)
.prj (projection file)
.xml (metadata file)
.cpg (encoding file)
notes - Birdi only requires the .shp, .shp, .prj and .dbf however all of the above can be included in your zip upload.
DXF files will need the .dxf file (the drawing file) and a .prj file which holds the projection information of your layer, allowing it to be shown correctly on a map.
Steps to zip file components on Max iOS
Select all relevant file components.
Right-click to open the menu.
Select Compress.
This will create a new .zip folder in the current directory named "Archive.zip" You can right-click this folder to rename it. We recommend using the same layer name as the original file for clarity.
Steps to zip file components on Windows (Version 10):
Select all relevant file components.
Right-click to open the menu.
Hover over Send to and select Compressed (zipped) folder.
This will create a new .zip folder in the current directory. The folder will automatically have the same prefix as the original file components, so renaming it is usually unnecessary.
How to repair a shapefile if a necessary component is missing
If you find that your shapefile is missing the .shx or .dbf component, you can repair it using the following steps:
Use QGIS to repair the shapefile:
Open the corrupt shapefile in QGIS, a free GIS software.
Use the Vector > Geometry Tools > Repair Geometries tool to recreate the missing .shx file.
Re-export the shapefile by selecting Save As > ESRI Shapefile. This process will automatically generate the missing .dbf file.
Following these steps will ensure your shapefile is repaired and ready for upload.