Downloading and Using Shapefiles
 Each general distribution layer
on the downloads page contains three types
of files: a data dictionary
in html format, a viewable layout in pdf format and an
ArcView shapefile in zipped format.
Conversions, projections, consultations or support are not provided for
general distribution data.
The data dictionary for each shapefile can be viewed by clicking on the .txt button on the
ArcView shapefile download page. It is in html format and can
be printed directly from the screen or downloaded to a directory.
The data dictionary includes information about data sources, formating,
coding and legends contained within each shapefile. It also indicates the
last update of the shapefile.
A 17" x 11" layout of each ArcView shapefile can be viewed by clicking
on the .pdf button or the
shapefile icon. It is in pdf format and can be viewed or printed using
Acrobat Reader, which is free from Adobe.
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Once the map is displayed, you can use the adobe
toolbar to fit your window, pan, zoom in or out, search or print the map on
your own printer. The size of the original map and screen reduction are
shown on the lower left-hand status bar. |
Each shapefile can be downloaded to a directory or disk by clicking on
the .shp button. Each shapefile is composed of multiple
files and has been compressed into a self-extracting zip file. Each zipped file contains the most of following
individual files, which must all be saved to be properly used by a mapping
software:
- shapefile.shp: shapefile
- shapefile.dbf: database
- shapefile.shx: shapefile (internal)
- shapefile.sbn: shapefile (internal)
- shapefile.sbx: shapefile (internal)
- shapefile.avl: legend
- shapefile.rtf: data dictionary (rich text document)
- shapefile.prj: projection file
Identify a directory to place the self-extracting zip file into, when
prompted. The wizard will ask you if you wish to extract the file. If your browser loads the data onto the screen instead of asking you where
to save the file, go back and click with your right mouse button and select
"Save Link As" in Netscape or "Save Target As" in
Internet Explorer.
The shapefile can only be
unzipped using programs that recognize multi-file archives, such as WinZip,
ZipCentral and Stuffit.
Each shapefile is in Boulder County's standard projection and coordinate
system and includes standard attributes and primary keys. It has a scale of
1:24,000 and is in Colorado State Plane, North Zone projection, based on the
1992 HARN adjustment of the 1982 North American Datum (HPGN NAD 83/92).
Each shapefile was created using ESRI's ArcView mapping software and can be used by
both ArcView and ARC/INFO (ESRI products). Check the software documentation
to determine whether it can be used by other GIS or mapping software. A shapefile can also be viewed using ArcExplorer, which is
free from ESRI.
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ArcExplorer can be used to view
an ArcView shapefile in a windows environment. |
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