GIS File Formats

• Proprietary AutoDesk vector format, as well as .dxf (Drawing Exchange Format)
• Best viewed using AutoCAD Map 3D, but also compatible with ArcMap and QGIS
• It is possible to export DWGs from the above softwares as well as Global Mapper

• DEMs come in multiple file formats so we made a guide detailing those formats and how to view them in Global Mapper, ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, and QGIS
• AutoCAD Map 3D requires an extension for DEMs, such as the freely available (for 32-bit) MicroDEM

• GIS file format used by Esri (creator of ArcGIS) to store a collection of datasets
• Best viewed using ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGIS Pro)
• If you opened a folder and it has a bunch of files that look like a00000001.gdbindexes and a00000003.dgbtablx, it's a geodatabase and you'll need to navigate through the Catalog window in ArcMap to view the feature classes
• More details.

• Esri GIS file that stores the path to a source dataset and other layer properties, including symbology
• Best viewed using ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGIS Pro)
• More information about layer files and layer packages

• Industry standard GIS file format developed and regulated by Esri
• Best viewed using ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGIS Pro) but can also be viewed using Global Mapper, QGIS, and Google Earth Pro. AutoCAD Map requires an extension.
• New to shapefiles? This may help.

• XML grammar able to integrate geographic information of all forms, including 3D data
• Easily viewed in Global Mapper
• Can be viewed in ArcGIS (ArcMap, ArcScene, ArcGIS Pro) using Quick Import with the Data Interoperability extension
  • Go to Customize > Extensions... to make sure Data Interoperability is turned on
• Can convert to AutoCAD and other formats in FME Quick Translator (available on library GIS workstations)

• Spatial data file format developed for Google Earth using XML notation
• KMZ (.kmz) is a compressed KML file
• Google Earth, Google Earth Pro, Global Mapper, and you can import KMLs into both ArcGIS and QGIS
• You can also export KML/KMZ files from all the softwares listed above
• More details

• GeoJSON is "an open standard format designed for representing simple geographical features, along with their non-spatial attributes. It is based on the JSON format."
• Easily viewed in QGIS and Global Mapper, add the dataset the same as any other vector dataset
• ArcGIS Pro requires conversion to feature class

LiDAR files come in multiple file formats so we made a guide detailing those formats and how to view them in Global Mapper, ArcMap, and ArcGIS Pro

• An Esri layer package includes "one or more layers and all referenced data sources to create a single compressed .lpk file" and is used to share layers between users
• Most common are .lpk (ArcMap) and .lpkx (ArcGIS Pro) but layer packages can include a number of other file extensions
  • All the file extensions have 'pk' in them so that's an indicator
• ArcGIS Pro Extract Package and ArcGIS Desktop/ArcMap Extract Package tools
• Global Mapper supports .lpk; may need to extract as below for other package files (e.g. vpkx)
• On a Mac or for QGIS, rename the .lpk/.lpkx/etc. as a .zip, then extract using 7zip, Archive Utility (Mac), or your usual zip file extraction tool

• GIS raster file format developed and regulated by Esri
• Instructions for importing coverages into ArcMap 10
• More details

• GIS file format developed and regulated by Esri
• You can import ArcInfo Interchange data into ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog) using these instructions
• .e00 files are not compatible with ArcGIS Pro

• Esri GIS file which is highly compressed, read-only data structure that can store spatial geometry (points, lines, and polygons), and attribute data
• Best viewed using ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog)
• Instructions for converting to shapefile or geodatabase feature class

• The MapInfo TAB format is a geospatial vector data format for geographic information systems software. It is developed and regulated by MapInfo as a proprietary format
• Best viewed using MapInfo, which is not available on the GIS workstations in the library
• Some workflows for converting TAB files using ArcMap, QGIS, and other tools