See Also
Display objects can be exported into shapefile formats (.shp/.dbf pairs) by going to the Onelines ribbon tab, then in the Active ribbon group, choosing GIS Tools > Export Oneline as Shapefile. This will open the Select Objects and Fields to Export Dialog, which is similar to the Select by Criteria Dialog.
The dialog is used to select one type of display object to export to the shapefile and the criteria used to select which specific objects will be included in the export.
Selecting Areas and Zones
Use the Area and Zone fields to select the areas and zones in which to select display objects. Ranges of area and zone numbers can be entered in the usual way, or the All Areas or All Zone boxes can be checked to select all areas and all zones respectively. The Areas and Zones tab pages can also be used to select the areas and zones in which to select display objects.
Selecting Voltage Levels
Specify the max and min voltage levels using the boxes that are provided, keeping in mind that all voltages are in kV. The All Voltages box can be checked to include all voltages without requiring the specification of a voltage range.
Selecting Layers
All layers can be selected by choosing the All option for Layers. If specific layers are to be selected, the Range option should be selected and the Layers tab should be used to check and uncheck specific layers in which to select display objects.
Type of Drawing Object
Select the type of object to export in the Type of Drawing Object dropdown box. Alternatively, the Find… button next to the dropdown can be used to select the object type from a list of available object types.
Filter
The Filter dropdown box provides a list of filters available for the selected Type of Drawing Object. The Find… button next to this dropdown can be used to find a filter or define a new filter for the selected object type. Filter options will not be enabled when an object type that does not allow filtering is selected.
Selecting Fields
The Fields list will be populated for object types that have associated fields. The selected fields will be written to the database file (.dbf) along with the value of the field. When the Specified option is selected, individual fields can be chosen by checking the box next to specific fields. When the All option is selected, then all fields associated with the selected type of object will be included in the database file. When the Show Only Commonly Used Fields option is checked, only those fields that are deemed to be commonly used will be displayed in the list. To show all fields associated with the selected object type, uncheck this box. Use the Check All and Uncheck All buttons to check all or uncheck all of the fields.
Advanced Selection Criteria
If only objects that are currently visible on the display (due to layering, etc.) are to be selected, check the box labeled Select only currently visible objects. If some display objects have been selected prior to opening the dialog, an advanced selection option becomes available. If the box labeled Use as a filter on presently selected objects is checked, the criteria chosen in the dialog will only affect the previously selected objects. In other words, only the objects that were previously selected AND that match the chosen criteria will remain selected when exporting to the shapefile.
Export Coordinates in Longitude,Latitude
If a valid map projection has been selected for displaying display object coordinates in longitude,latitude, then the option to Export coordinates in longitude,latitude will be enabled. (A valid map projection can be set with the Map Projection in Use Option found in the Geography/Coordinates category of the Oneline Display Options dialog.) By default, the Export coordinates in longitude,latitude option will be checked when it is enabled. When checked, the coordinates of the display objects will be exported to the shapefile in longitude,latitude instead of PowerWorld Simulator x,y coordinates.
Saving Shapefile Export Descriptions
Shapefile Export Description settings can be saved with the case by clicking Save As to save with a new name or Save to save with the current name. This will allow the quick recovery of settings that may have been previously used. Use the Rename button to rename an already saved set or the Delete button to remove a previously saved set of criteria. If Shapefile Export Description sets have been saved, they can be exported to an auxiliary file by choosing Save to AUX file. The Load from AUX file button will load an entire auxiliary file regardless of whether it contains Shapefile Export Descriptions or not.
Saving the Shapefile
After all criteria have been set, click OK. A dialog will open prompting for the name of the file to save. Enter a file name and click Save. The type of file that is specified in the dialog is a shapefile with .shp extension, however, three files will be saved. All files will have the name specified in the save dialog, but the extensions will be .shp, .dbf, and .shx.