This is the user guide for the KML Cruncher. Topics covered are as below:

Overview
Shape File
DBF File
Label Field
Tolerance
Error Handling

Overview

the KML Cruncher is a web service which offers online ESRI polygon ShapeFile to KML file conversion and generalisation. The service is implemented as a Servlet and is hosted online at http://kmlcruncher.spacetimeresearch.com/shp2KML.

back to top

Shape File

The "Shape File" is the ESRI ShapeFile from which user wants to convert and generalise to KML file. It contains geospatial vector data, and should have the file extension of ".shp".

Use the file upload control to specify a shape file on file system for conversion. e.g. "C:\shapes\sampleShape.shp"

back to top

DBF File

The "DBF File" is a file with the extension of ".dbf", it always has same name and comes together with the shape file.

Use the file upload control to specify a dbf file on file system for conversion. e.g. "C:\shapes\sampleShape.dbf"

back to top

Label Field

The "label Field" is a column name in DBF file, it is used as the value of "name" and "description" for "placemark" in generated KML file.

Choose one of the column names in the dbf file to put here. e.g. if "sampleShape.dbf" contains column named "SHAPE_ID", then "SHAPE_ID" should be put in "Label Field". If this value is not supplied or the supplied value does not exist in dbf file, the first column will be used as default.

back to top

Tolerance

The "Tolerance" is used for polygon generalization during the conversion process, a default value of 0.0005 is supplied. The smaller tolerance is, the more detailed polygons in resulted KML file will be.

A float is expected for the value of "Tolerance", e.g. 0.001 or 0.05; if the servlet cannot parse the value as float, system will abort with an exception.

back to top

Error Handling

The KML Cruncher is designed to handle properly when certain error occurs:

Shape file or DBF file not specified

Error page will display with message: file not specified.

Uploaded file with incorrect file extension

Error page will display with message: incorrect file extension.

Shape file and DBF file number of records do not match

Error page will display with message: number of records do not match.

Label field not specified or unmatch

System will use the values of first column in dbf file as default.

Incorrect tolerance value

Error page will display with message: incorrect tolerance value.

back to top