How can you convert geospatial data between formats?

1 What are geospatial data formats?

Geospatial data formats are ways of storing and organizing data that describe spatial features, such as coordinates, attributes, topology, geometry, and projection. Popular formats include Shapefile, a vector format consisting of multiple files with extensions .shp, .shx, .dbf, and others; GeoJSON, a JSON-based format that encodes geospatial data as text; GeoTIFF, a raster format that embeds georeferencing information in a standard TIFF image file; and KML, a XML-based format used to display geospatial data on web-based platforms. These formats can store points, lines, polygons, attributes, and styles. They are widely used for geographic information systems (GIS), satellite imagery, digital elevation models, and other raster data.

2 Why convert geospatial data between formats?

There are many reasons why you may need to convert geospatial data between formats, such as using different tools or software that support different formats. For example, you could convert a shapefile to GeoJSON for a web mapping application or a GeoTIFF to KML to view it on Google Earth. Additionally, you may need to convert a large raster file to a smaller vector file to optimize performance or quality of your data analysis. In addition, you may need to convert your data to a specific format that is mandated by a government agency or client in order to comply with the standards or requirements of your data provider or consumer. Moreover, you could convert a low-resolution image to a high-resolution one for improved visualization.

3 How to convert geospatial data using QGIS?

QGIS is a free and open-source GIS software that can read and write many geospatial data formats. To convert geospatial data between formats, you can open QGIS and add the layer you want to convert. Then, right-click on the layer name in the Layers panel and select Export > Save Features As. In the Save Vector Layer as dialog box, choose the format you want to convert to from the Format drop-down menu. Specify the file name and location where you want to save the converted data, and optionally change the coordinate reference system, geometry type, attribute fields, and other options according to your needs. Finally, click OK to start the conversion process.

4 How to convert geospatial data using GDAL?

GDAL is a library of command-line tools that can manipulate geospatial data formats. You can use GDAL to convert geospatial data between formats by using the gdal_translate or ogr2ogr commands. For example, to convert a GeoTIFF file to a KML file, you can use the following command: gdal_translate -of KML input.tif output.kml To convert a shapefile to a GeoJSON file, you can use the following command: ogr2ogr -f GeoJSON output.json input.shp You can also specify various options and parameters to customize the conversion process, such as the projection, the resolution, the extent, and the attributes. For more details, you can refer to the GDAL documentation.

5 How to convert geospatial data using online tools?

If you don't have access to QGIS or GDAL, or you want a more straightforward and faster way to convert geospatial data between formats, there are online tools available. MyGeodata Converter is a web-based service that can convert geospatial data between more than 100 formats. Mapshaper is another web-based tool that can convert and simplify geospatial data. GeoConverter is a web-based tool that can convert geospatial data between KML, GPX, GeoJSON, and CSV formats. All these online tools allow you to upload your data, choose the output format, and download the converted data. Additionally, you can view, edit, filter, and project your data online.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?