Entering WKT

You can also create features by entering Well-Known Text (WKT) directly. WKT is a text format for describing features. This document describes how to enter WKT directly into Neatline.

Converting to EPSG 900913 / EPSG 3857

Probably the biggest sticking point for entering WKT is making sure that you use the correct projection. This needs to be EPSG 3857. Of course, if your data already uses EPSG 3857, you can skip this section.

You can convert many coordinate systems, including WGS 84, to EPSG 3857 at the Coordinates transformation online site.

In the left-hand panel, paste in the coordinates that you want to transform. If you're using WGS 84, you may need to check "Switch X <-> Y." Then click the "Transform" button to get the results.

Copy the results from the "Output - transform pairs" panel, and change to the window containing your Neatline editor.

Entering WKT

In the Neatline editor, select the item that you want to add WKT for and choose the "Map" tab. At the bottom of this pane, enter the WKT in the box labelled "Geometry (Well-Known Text)," wrapping the whole thing in a GEOMETRYCOLLECTION.

If necessary, make sure you're using the re-projected data from the previous section.

Click "Save."

For example, this places a point on Charlottesville, VA.

For Example

Say you have the WKT for Death Valley in WSG 84, and you wish to create a Neatline item for it:

POINT(36.246944 -116.816944)

1. First, you'll need to transform the point to EPSG 3857. Visit Coordinate transformations online. In the panel, "Input coordinate pairs," paste in the POINT clause. You don't have to remove the POINT or the parentheses.

2. Next, click "Switch X <--> Y."

3. Click "Transform."

   

4. Copy the transformed coordinates, -13004002.7221;4334653.90345.

5. Go to the edit page for the Neatline exhibit that you wish to add the item to.

6. Click "New Record."

7. In the "Title" field, enter "Death Valley."

   

8. Click the "Map" tab.

9. Scroll to the bottom of the tab, to the section labelled "Spatial Data."

10. Paste the transformed coordinates into the text block labelled, "Geometry (Well-Known Text)."

11. Edit the coordinates into valid WKT. Add POINT( before the coordinates, change the semicolon (;) into a space, and close the parenthesis at the end.

    

12. Click "Save."

13. Exit out of the item and enter it again. This resets the viewport to point to the new point feature.

In this case, the viewport was zoomed in too far, but once you scroll out, you can see that the point is positioned, in fact, in the middle of nowhere.