A shapefile is a geospatial vector data format from Esri that stores the location, shape, and attributes of geographic features like points, lines, or polygons. It is not a single file but a collection of related files with a common filename, with at least three required components: a .shp file for geometry, an .shx file for the index, and a .dbf file for attributes. Shapefiles are widely used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to display and analyze spatial data but have limitations, such as a 2 GB file size limit and the inability to store topological relationships. (source: Gemini)

List content of a shapefile

Python

One way to list the content of a shape file is by using Python. You can find two example scripts on our servers under:

    ~data/Shapefiles/Example_scripts

Convert shapefile outlines to gridded mask in netCDF

Shapefile polygons that are the outline of an area can get converted to gridded masks, for example in netCDF format with Python. You can find an example script from Yassine Hammadi on our servers:

    ~data/Shapefiles/Example_scripts/Convert_shapefile_to_netCDF/convert_shp_to_netCDF.py

Create polygons from model output

The following example script from Devon Gulley creates polygons for the Google Maps projection standard from gridded model output:

    ~data/Shapefiles/Example_scripts/Creating_shapefiles_from_model_output/polygon_maker.py

The resulting pkl file will only be useful if software you're using requires shapes. It can be found on our servers under:

    ~data/Shapefiles/Example_scripts/Creating_shapefiles_from_model_output/polygons.pkl

The final output of the above script is also visible using Google Maps projection under:

    https://devongulley1602.github.io/UHI_plots/TEB_fields.htm

Our collection

You can find a small collection of shapefiles on our servers under:

    ~data/Shapefiles/Shapefiles

Selection of download sites

Shapefiles are available for download from many different web sites. Below you find a list of a few of them:

Quebec

• https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/dataset/decoupages-administratifs
  Pour les découpages administratives de Quebec. Mais on peut chercher pour différents autres types des données.

Canada

• https://ftp.maps.canada.ca/pub/nrcan_rncan/vector/index/html/index_produits_geospatiaux_fr.html#link
  On choisit d'abord le theme, ensuite le type de données et finalement la province. Ca va nous donner un lien a telecharger.
• https://search.open.canada.ca/opendata
  

Worldwide

• https://public.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/world-administrative-boundaries
• https://data.humdata.org/dataset
  For country boundaries check "COD - Subnational Administrative Boundaries" under "DATA SERIES".
• https://www.hydrosheds.org
  Suite of global digital data layers in support of hydro-ecological research and applications worldwide.

Help

Si vous êtes étudiant à l'UQAM dans le Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère et vous avez besoin d'aide concernant les fichiers shapefile, vous pouvez contacter Viorel Horoi (horoi.viorel@uqam.ca).