Ecanvasser allows you to visualize the data of your Houses, or aggregated List data via our Map page, or in tables and graphs on the Dashboards page. Sometimes though, you might want to represent other external data side-by-side within Ecanvasser, and here we've got you covered too!
Why you might use Map Overlays
Display certain boundaries on your map as a reference
Use as a template for cutting your turf
Overlay our map with additional data (think previous election results, or maybe target areas for outreach)
In the example below, we've color-coded different areas based on what priority they are for your team to engage with:
Technical Specifications
The shapefiles must comply with the following specifications:
Either in KML, KMZ, or GeoJSON format
Contain a maximum of 1,000 polygons
Maximum file size of up to 10MB/20MB (Depending on file type)
Be styled prior to import
Styling Advice
When styling your file, you'll want to consider what the purpose of the file is.
For example, most of the time, it's likely that the uploaded file is intended to complement or augment the data already within Ecanvasser, so you'll want to choose a scheme that makes it visible and accessible, but not too overbearing.
We recommend the following be considered when styling your shapefile:
High transparency
Strong border
Pale color palette
File Format
KMZ files are zipped (or compressed) versions of KML files. As such, if you have a KML file that is larger than 3MB, you can reduce it in size greatly by converting it to a KMZ - you can often reduce the total file size by a factor of 3-10, depending on the file.
It's a straightforward process, and you learn how to do this here.
Uploading a Shapefile
From the Map page:
Click your Map Display Options
Scroll to the very bottom of the Display Options to the Map Overlays Section.
Select Upload Map Overlay File
3. Select which, if any overlay you wish to display on screen. You'll only be able to display one at a time.
Once displayed, you can:
Click any polygon within the Map Overlay to view how many houses and residents are within that area
Click the polygon to create and assign a turf, which is a significant time-save
Auto-label your turfs based on the tag info from within your Overlay file, which also reduces admin time
Downloading and Deleting a Shapefile
Once uploaded, these shapefiles files are stored in the Exports tab on the Imports & Exports page.
You can download your shapefile by clicking on the download icon
You can delete the shapefile permanently by clicking on the three dots and then selecting the delete option. This will remove the file from the Map page
If you have any questions reach out to us in-app, or contact support@ecanvasser.com