1. Import Files
The Import button will either add a layer to the map (in the case of SHAPE files such as those created by ESRI products) or open image files for viewing. If you wish to add a layer to your map that contains SHAPE file data, use the following steps: NOTE: SHAPE files can be extremely large. Importing them into DMIS may cause long download times, especially if using dial-up connections. If your map view is zoomed out to a large geographic area, DMIS may present a message box as shown on this slide. If you select OK and continue the importation process, you may not receive all the data in the SHAPE file. When you receive this warning message, consider whether a smaller area of view may satisfy your needs. As a practical matter, you should only try to import SHAPE files of 10 KB or less.
Import Shape File: Click the Import button.
The Open dialogue box appear. 
Navigate and select the file.  
Once you locate the file, highlight it with the cursor, and select Open. 
A Retrieving WMS message appears in the upper left-hand corner of the map.  When the retrieval is complete, a layer is automatically created and named in the layer tree along the right side of the map, and the features retrieved are visible on the map. 
Import Marplot file: Information that you export from MARPLOT must be in a .txt file format. You should carefully plan what you are going to export from MARPLOT, as you can only import one type of information at a time.  This is because you must choose one symbol to represent all of the data being imported.  
Click the Import button.
Select the file to be imported (the file that was created when you exported the map in MARPLOT).
Choose a symbol.
Click Open to import the file.
MARPLOT Release Notes:
The Interagency Board (IAB) members, during a previous meeting, requested that DMI-Services include functions to interoperate with the CAMEO/MARPLOT product suite. User needs and requirements were reviewed with respect to this request, and a decision was made to support the importation of “Simple Point Format Files” exported from the Marplot software product. The basic assumption used when developing this functional support was that CAMEO data associated with a Marplot map would be of the most interest.
The “Simple Point Format” readers developed for this software release may assign the wrong value for the feature name if the record in the exported file contains only five or seven tokens.
The export routine from MARPLOT will write incomplete “Simple Point Format” records for all selected map elements except those represented as points.
The source file can be edited to insert a “No Data” item for blank record properties.
Please note that a “tab” character is required to separate record values.
The “Simple Point Format” reader requires that the export file be ASCII text.
The symbols used in the import interface cannot be changed by editing the “…\config\SymbolSetConfig.xml” file.