Importing Shapefiles

The Vectorworks Architect and Landmark products can import files in shapefile (.shp) format. Each GIS feature from the shapefile is converted to a Vectorworks object. In turn, each of these objects receives a corresponding data record, which is converted from the shapefile’s database file.

At import, the goal is to set a coordinate system for the document and use the same coordinate system for all georeferenced layers. Therefore, a shapefile must be imported into a new layer, into a document with georeferencing. If document georeferencing has not yet been specified, it is automatically enabled for both the document and the shapefile import layer.

The coordinate system for the shapefile’s imported geometry is defined in a .prj file which is included with the shapefile. The geometry can either be projected to conform to the document’s (or, if defined, the layer’s) coordinate system, or the shapefile’s coordinate system can be used for the new layer (and the document itself). Normally, the second option should only be used when importing the first shapefile into a new Vectorworks file; this is a convenient way of automatically specifying a coordinate system for the file, and enabling georeferencing for the new layer. Subsequent imports should use the first option, ensuring that a consistent coordinate system is used for all of the georeferenced layers in the file.

Alternatively, click the file to import and drag it into an open Vectorworks file.

2. Vectorworks detects the coordinate system for the imported GIS features from the projection (.prj) file, when one is located in the same folder as the shapefile. If no projection file is found, the shapefile cannot be imported.

Parameter	Description
Layer name	Enter the name of the new layer for the shapefile import; by default, the layer is named after the shapefile. If the layer name already exists in the file, the new layer is appended automatically with a numerical suffix.
Class name	Select an existing class to assign to the imported shapefile’s objects, or select New to create a new class
Project the imported GIS features and set the layer to be georeferenced by the document	Imports the shapefile using the document’s coordinate system, projecting the imported objects so that they match the document settings and display correctly. If the document is not already georeferenced, georeferencing is enabled.
Import the GIS features in the shapefile’s coordinate system	Uses the coordinate system from the imported shapefile at import. Normally, select the option to also Set the document’s coordinate system to match. If the option is deselected, the new layer may have a different coordinate system from the document and from the other layers in the file.
Set the document’s coordinate system to match	Switches the document coordinate system to that of the imported shapefile. When selecting this option, use caution if other georeferenced objects already exist in the file, since they are not automatically projected to match the coordinate system when it changes.
Coordinate system	Displays the coordinate system that will be assigned to the newly created layer

Command	Path
Import Shapefile	File > Import