Site boundaries, easements, asset registers and service corridors usually live in a separate GIS tool from scan data. With vector layers, users can bring this GIS data into the same 3D scene as their point clouds, meshes and BIM models in SKAND, with no conversion required.
Supported Formats
GeoJSON (.geojson or .json): upload as a Vector layer.
GeoPackage (.gpkg): upload as a Vector layer.
Shapefile (.shp and .prj): upload as a Vector layer.
KMZ (.kmz): upload as a BIM/CAD Model layer, the same way as KML.
Prepare Your Data
One file per layer – Each vector layer is created from a single file. A folder of shapefiles becomes one layer per .shp file.
Shapefiles need a matching .prj – Select the .shp and its .prj together, and make sure both share the same file name (for example, site_boundary.shp and site_boundary.prj). The .prj file tells SKAND where in the world the data belongs.
No need to unzip KMZ files – KMZ is the zipped KML format exported by Google Earth, and SKAND accepts it as is.
Create a Vector Layer
Follow these steps to upload a GeoJSON, GeoPackage or Shapefile.
Important: Make sure all vector files are uploaded and linked to your project.
On the Project Dashboard, click New Layer.
Enter a layer name and select a capture date.
Choose Vector as the layer type for GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and Shapefiles or choose BIM/CAD Model for KMZ. Click Next.
Click the + button and locate the file. For a Shapefile, select both the .shp and .prj files together.
Tick the vector file and hit Select.
Review the file(s). To make changes, click Previous Step. Once everything is confirmed, click Done.
Users are redirected to the Project Dashboard. Once the layer is published, click View on Explore to visualize it.
Turn Individual Layers On and Off
Some files contain more than one layer of data. A GeoPackage often holds several tables, a KML is usually organized into folders, and a DXF carries its CAD layers. These now appear nested under the parent layer in the layer list, each with its own eye icon.
Follow the steps below on how to do it:
Note: Data from the GeoPackage tables are visualised as child layers nested under the main GeoPackage layer.
Click the eye icon next to a nested layer to hide or show it.
In this example, the nodes are hidden, while the watercourse links remain visible.
Toggling the parent GeoPackage layer on displays all its child layers.
Troubleshooting
Shapefile appears in the wrong location or does not load – Confirm the .prj file was selected together with the .shp and that both files share the same name.
File does not load as expected – Send the file to support@skand.io and the team will take a look.