Troubleshoot Shape Files That Do Not Load in CMaps Plugin for Xcelsius

Use the following steps to troubleshoot a Shapefile that is not loading properly within your dashboard.Xcelsius or Flash Player Crashes
If Xcelsius or Flash consistently crashes while loading a shapefile, the Shapefile could be too large for CMaps Plugin to consume. It is recommended not to load shapefiles greater than 2MB. With a correctly formatted and compressed SHP file, CMaps Plugin can successfully consume shapefiles containing thousands of individual shapes with hundreds of thousands of data points.1. Make sure your URLs are configured properly

If you are using a relative path:

example: /folder/shapefile.shp

  • The SHP file will not appear in preview mode, within Xcelsius.
  • The SWF and SHP file will need to be in the same directory.
  • Do not use a leading “/” if the SHP and SWF are in the same folder. A leading “/” will force the SWF to look for the SHP in the root directory of your web/application server
  • You will need to setup Flash Player Security settings: CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

If you are using an absolute path:

example: http://yourserver:8080/folder/shapefile.shp

  • Make sure that the URL is correct by pasting it into your browser. This should force the browser to download the SHP file.
  • Ensure your server supports a .SHP MIME type. In many cases .SHP is not supported file type so you will need to convert the SHP file extension. For example, IIS will not serve a .SHP file through HTTP but will a .TXT, so simply making a copy of the SHP and changing it to .txt will resolve the issue.
  • If the SHP and SWF are NOT on the same physical server you will be required to place a crossdomain.xml policy file into the root directory of your web server/application server. This is a standard requirement for any Flash (SWF) application.
  • You will need to setup a crossdomain.xml policy: 
    CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO SET IT UP

If you are connecting to a SHP file on your local PC

example: C:/folder/shapefile.shp

  • Use the file:// syntax instead of \\. In addition, you will need to ensure that your local flash player security settings allow access to the drive for which your .SHP is loaded.

2. Make sure the SINGLE shape file URL is bound to 1 cell
When using a SHP file for shape data a single series can only contain a single URL within the Map Overlay Data property. You can NOT be use multiple SHP file URLs. There should be a 1-1 relationship between series and .SHP file URLs.

4. Verify the source of your .SHP file
Because the Shape file format is an open standard, any organization can use or create software programs that generate SHP files. You will want to ensure your .SHP files come from a credible source. If you require assistance from Centigon Solutions technical support, providing this information will assist the team to locate a potential cause and resolution.

5. Verify the coordinate system and projection used to generate your .SHP file
Google Maps uses a Geodetic coordinate system with the WGS84 datum which is probably more information than a typical dashboard / report developer will need to know. This information can be extremely helpful when consulting with a GIS expert. If you retrieve files from free web sites, there is a chance that the coordinate system can differ from what Google Maps will accept. Feel free to contact Centigon Solutions support, and one of our technicians can quickly verify the origins of your shapefile:support@centigonsolutions.com

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