Vector layers referencing tab separated values files

IMPORTANT

Read more about Data Workbench’s End-of-life announcement.

When creating a vector layer that references a tab separated values (.tsv) file, the vector data is obtained by retrieving drawing instructions as well as longitude and latitude data from the .tsv file.

To define a vector layer that references a .tsv files, you must have the following:

  • A .tsv file that contains the data used to draw the vectors on the globe, including longitude and latitude data. For more information about the required format of the .tsv file, see Vector TSV File Format.

  • A layer file that specifies the location of the .tsv file. For more information about the required format of the layer file, see Vector Layer File Format.

Vector TSV file format

The .tsv file must contain the following three tab separated columns:

  • Begin: This column should indicate whether to begin a new line. Values in this column can be either 0 (do not begin a new line) or 1 (begin a new line).
  • Longitude: This column should contain longitude values.
  • Latitude: This column should contain latitude values.
NOTE

Any additional columns are ignored.

Following is a sample .tsv file that contains data for a vector layer:

Vector layer file format

Each vector layer file referencing .tsv files must be formatted using the following template:

Layer = VectorLayer:
  TSV Files = vector: n items
    0 = string: Maps\\File Name.tsv
    1 = string: Maps\\File Name.tsv
    . . .
    n-1 = string: Maps\\File Name.tsv
  Color = v3d: color vector
  Alpha = double: alpha
  Width = double: width
  Error Factor = double: error factor
Parameter Description
TSV Files

Path(s) to the .tsv file(s) containing the vector data.

Example: Maps\\USVectorData.tsv

Color The RGB color vector, which is expressed as (red,green,blue). For each color in the vector, you can enter a value from 0.0 to 1.0. For example, (1.0, 0.0, 0.0) is bright red, and (0.5, 0.5, 0.5) is gray.
Alpha Controls the transparency of the vectors shown on the globe. The range is 0 to 1, with 0 being the most transparent.
Width Optional. Sets the width of the data in pixels. The recommended range is 1 to 4.
Error Factor Controls how accurately the vectors are drawn. For larger values, the vectors are drawn less accurately but faster. The default value is 5.

On this page