1. Training Session D: Loading Shapefiles into StatPlanet
Nov 2013
Training Session D: Loading Shapefiles into StatPlanet
Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0

2. Loading Shapefiles into StatPlanet
Preparing StatPlanet to read a new Shapefile
Testing the map
Importing example data
StatPlanet User Guide: Chapter 4.1
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018

3. Two Steps to Tell StatPlanet to Use a New Shapefile
Step 1: Copy your map files to the StatPlanet folder:
Go to Training_Materials\Example_maps
Copy the “Provinces” map files. Only the Provinces.dbf and Provinces.shp are needed, but you can copy all Province files. (Select the files and to copy, right-click anywhere on your selection and select “Copy”).
Go to Training_Materials\StatPlanet_new_shapefile_map\map
Paste the files here. (right-click -> paste).
Double-click on ‘update_map.bat’ to run it. This will automatically rename your files. You can also manually do this by removing or renaming the existing map.dbf and map.shp, and renaming your map files – in this case, Provinces.dbf becomes map.dbf, and Provinces.shp becomes map.shp.
After this, also copy MAP.SHP and MAP.DBF from this folder into the \web\map folder, replacing existing files (Training_Materials\StatPlanet_new_shapefile_map\web\map)
StatPlanet User Guide: Chapter 4.1
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018

4. Two Steps to Tell StatPlanet to Use a New Shapefile
Step 2: Prepare the Data Editor to use the new Shapefile
Open the StatPlanet Data Editor (in the folder StatPlanet_new_shapefile_map) but don’t ‘Clear Data’ at this stage
Click on the ‘Setup Shapefile map’ button (in the sheet ‘Import’)
You will be asked to identify the ID column: select the column by typing the column number (highlighted in yellow in row 1) in the dialog.
In most cases the correct column number has already been identified and you just need to click on ‘OK’. But sometimes a different column number needs to be entered:
An ID column is one where there are no duplicates or empty cells, and the value in each row is unique. Moreover, there cannot be any symbols or special characters – it needs to be alphanumeric (numbers or letters a-z or A-Z only). The best ID column is one which fulfils these requirements.
Next, you need to identify the Name column from your DBF file. These are the actual region names as they should be displayed in StatPlanet.
StatPlanet User Guide: Chapter 4.1
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018

5. Testing if the Shapefile imported properly
Open StatPlanet.exe
At this stage, we are more concerned about the map as a whole displaying properly than data content
Is the whole map visible?
You may need to zoom or move the map & copy co-ordinates & zoom into the Settings sheet
Refer back to ‘How Permanent Custom Regions Work’
Does the map look ‘blocky’?
Close StatPlanet and go to the main StatPlanet folder
Rename SHPreader.swf to SHPreader_orig.swf
Rename SHPreader2.swf to SHPreader.swf
Re-open StatPlanet.exe and the map should look better
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018

6. Repeat the process
Try to import another map, this time the “Regions” map from the “Training_Materials\ Example_maps” folder.
Before pasting your map files to the “map” folder, remove all files except for “map.dbf”, “map.shp” and “update_map.bat”. Then paste your region map files. This is because update_map.bat does not know which map to use if there are multiple maps in the folder.
Try importing some example data from the folder “Example_data”, file “MDG_data_regions”.
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018

7. How would you customise your map of Vietnam?
Could the map be positioned & zoomed better?
Can the map legends be improved?
Are there any custom regions to be defined?
Do any map points need to be added?
Add meta-data:
Source
Unit
Indicator descriptions or ‘Stories’ (in the Story panel)
General map area popups
Indicator-specific map area popups
StatPlanet Training 2013
20/09/2018