Ag Leader SMS Basic and Advanced Manual - Manual (Page 140)

SMS Basic and Advanced Manual
same attribute, the software will compare the data in the new file to the items already in the
Selection List. If it finds new values it will automatically add the new values to the list and just link
to ones it finds that already exist. This is a very powerful tool for making sure the data you collect
and work with is consistent and convenient.
Notes on importing TIGER data:

When importing TIGER data the software automatically sets the commonly used attributes for
import and also classifies/groups the feature types into a more usable form, such as Roads,
Ponds, Streams, etc all get linked to a category by the software. If you want to see these
categories and display a legend, tooltip, etc for them then it is probably best if you import them
into the Management Tree. But if you only want to display the TIGER data as a visual reference
without a legend or being interactive then import the data as a Background.

There are two TIGER import formats that are supported. One is the *.RT1 file which contains all
the road, streams, lakes, etc detail data. The other file is the *.RT7 which only contains county
subdivision data. These two files must be imported separately if you want to see data from both
in your system.
How to batch import data (i.e. ESRI Shape,and text files). (ADVANCED)
Follow these steps for using the batch import feature:
Note: This feature can be used to import in batch many different file formats. The formats include, CSV
(.csv), Dbase (.dbf), Map Info (.mid/.mif), ESRI Shape (.shp) and Text (.txt) files. It is best to only batch
import one file format at a time.
1. Go to the Tools Menu and select Batch Command Utility or select the Batch Command button from the Main
Toolbar.
2. The Batch Command Utility should now be displayed. Select the Import Files option from the batch
command list and click the OK button.
3. You should now see the Select Batch Import Files dialog. Now select one of two options for saving
management information when the files are being imported.

Prompt for management settings for each file – This option will allow you to select the location you
want to save each file in the management tree. So at the start of processing each file you will be
prompted to set the location to save the imported data. If you have boundaries setup for your
fields you can use the “Auto-Select Grower/Farm/Field” button and it will auto-select the location in
the management tree by spatial location of the data.

Don’t prompt for individual management settings – This option does not allow you to set the
management for each file. You set the management location to save the first imported file and
after that all others save to that location. If you have boundaries setup you can run a spatial sort
after the processing is complete if you want to sort the data into its proper location which can
sometimes be a faster process over setting the save location for each import file.
4. Next select the Import File Format and then “Add” the files that are desired for importing to the list. If you
have a template you can select it and the template will be used for the attribute selection when you reach
that point in the import process. Once the files and/or template have been selected you can click the OK
button.
5. You will now see the Select Import Type dialog. Select the appropriate Import Data Type for the data that
you are importing. If you want to Clip Imported Data to Field Boundaries then that option needs to be
selected below. Click the NEXT> button once you have made your selections.

Hint: If you are importing point data in batch you can select the Clip to Boundary option and it will
spatial sort your data on import. This would be a good option if you want to choose the Don’t
prompt for individual management settings option and let the spatial sorting auto-sort on
import.
6. Next you are going to see the Select Column Attributes dialog. If you loaded a template in step 3 then the
columns should be filled out based on the template settings, note that you can also load a template at this
point if it was not loaded in step 3. If not you will need to define all attributes that you want to import for all
the files. Once setup you can save your template if desired then click the Next> button.
7. Depending on your selection in step 2 this will vary, if you selected to prompt then you are going to be
prompted after each file is processed to enter the management. Note the file name is located in the title of
each management selection save dialog. If you selected to not prompt then you are going to be prompted
on the first file and after that it will save all the files in that location. After the processing is complete you are
done, you can now work with the files that you imported. You may want to rename the datasets if the name
is not what you desire, which will be the name of the import file by default.
How to export an ESRI Shape file.
Follow these steps to export an ESRI Shape file from the software:
1. Select the data in the Management Tree that you would like to export or select a layer in the active map.
134