ESRI Shape Format (SHP)

The LEADTOOLS Vector Imaging Pro toolkit includes everything you need to create powerful 2-D and 3-D viewers, editors, and converters that support SHP along with other vector and raster image formats. This eliminates the need to install or license the original application that created the SHP-formatted vector objects, and allows you to include only the functionality for your specific needs.

Using Vector Imaging Pro, you can:

Load SHP files and enable clients to view them using zoom & pan functions.
Convert SHP files to DGN, RDL, DGN, DRW, DWF, DXF, EMF, WMF, PLT, Gerber, PCL, PCT, SVG, VWPG, CMX or DWG formats for use in CAD applications.
Load SHP files and add, edit, change, or delete individual objects, then re-save to any format (including SHP!).
Copy whole SHP files or indvidual SHP objects into Microsoft Quickdraw, Word Perfect, or Microsoft Office documents.

The ESRI Shape format is a vector format created by the Environmental System Research Institute. The SHP file can support point, multi-point, polygon, polyline and multi-patches. This file format has a much faster drawing speed and more editing capabilities than other data sources. It is supported by the ARC Explorer 2.0 and ARCView.

This file format contains three files:

Main file: *.shp

Index file: *.shx

DBase file: *.dbf

This file format is not supported in the non-vector toolkits.

The default extension used by this format is: SHP.

This file format does not support layers, grouping objects or embedded raster objects.

File constants associated with this file format are:

Constant	Read Support	Write Support	Description
FILE_SHP	Yes	Yes	[255] ESRI Shape – Environmental System Research Institute.

When SHP files are rasterized, they are 24 BPP.

The following table indicates which objects LEAD can load and which objects it can save:

Object:	Load:	Save:
PolyDraw	Supported	Not Supported
Polyline	Supported	Supported
Vertex	Supported	Not Supported

Required DLL: LFSHP. For a listing of the exact DLLs needed, based on the toolkit version, refer to Files To Be Included With Your Application.