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The Export area allows you to export any area that has been defined by a user-generated mapped layer (e.g., Add to Map | Area or Import | Areas). You cannot export layers due to the licensing restrictions (which we are working on), but you can view all layers in an external application using WMS.

Exported areas can be re-imported later into the Spatial Portal if you wish to reuse common shapes, or used in external GIS products (such as Google Earth, uDig or Diva GIS).

Export My Area
Export My Area

The user defined area, generated via digitising a polygon on the map and shown here in red, can be exported from the Spatial Portal in three different standard formats (Shapefile, KML, WKT).

Export Area Menu Option
Export Area Menu Option

From the menu option, select ‘Export’, and then ‘Areas’.

If you have a one or more predefined active areas mapped, then these will be available as an option to export, e.g., ‘My Area’ or ‘Barossa’.

Select an Export area option
Select an Export area option

Multiple areas (mapped layers) can be combined into a single export file using the ‘All area layers’ option. In this case, both the ‘My Area’ and ‘Barossa’ layers will be exported as a single file.

Select to export all predefined area layers
Select to export all predefined area layers

Press the ‘Next’ button.

Select an export area format option
Select an export area format option

Select one of the three area export formats:

Export Shapefile

Export Area Shapefile
Export Area Shapefile

Pressing the ‘Next’ button produces the Shapefile zip.

Export Shapefile zip file
Export Shapefile zip file
Shapefile Zip Contents
Shapefile Zip Contents

The Shapefile is an common open standard developed by ESRI that can be imported into many GIS products.

Shapefile loaded into uDig
Shapefile loaded into uDig

Export Keyhole Markup Language (KML)

Export Area KML
Export Area KML

Pressing the ‘Next’ button produces a zip file containing the KML file.

Export KML zip file
Export KML zip file

The KML file contained within the zip file.

An example KML file
An example KML file

The KML file is then available for loading into Google Earth or Google Maps or other software that accepts KML.

KML loaded into Google Earth
KML loaded into Google Earth

Export Well Known Text (WKT)

Export Area Well Known Text (WKT)
Export Area Well Known Text (WKT)

Pressing the ‘Next’ button produces a zip file containing the WKT text file.

Export WKT zip file
Export WKT zip file

The WKT text file contained within the zip file.

Contents of the WKT file
Contents of the WKT file

The WKT is a very simple and readable text format that is also supported by a range of products. Two useful things about WKT are that the coordinates can be directly edited, and because it is simple text, it is likely to be compatible i.e. (read) well into the future.