Plot Upload and Analysis Trouble Shooting

The following guide is designed to assist you if you have any problems with uploading or analyzing your plots with the TradeAware system.

Why are my plots not uploading?

There are a few different reasons why your data upload may not be working. The majority of these are driven by the limitations of the EU TRACES system which are documented here.

The file is not GeoJSON Polygons/Multipolygons

The system currently accepts polygons and multi-polygons in GeoJSON format.

The file is larger than 10mb

Our file size limit is 10mb for an upload. If your file is larger than this, then divide it into smaller files (our guide below shows how: How to split large GeoJSON files).

Any single plot is larger than 10,000 hectares

The maximum single plot size you can upload is 10,000 hectares. If your plot is larger than this, divide it into smaller areas (our guide below shows how: How to split large GeoJSON files).

Plots "Kink"

When our system says that the plot "kinks" this means that it self-intersects. Self-intersecting geometries—where parts of a boundary overlap or loop back—are problematic because they make calculations, such as area and spatial relationships, unreliable, and can lead to errors in processing. This is also a requirement of the EU TRACES system which is documented here. You will need to resolve the self-intersection (our guide below shows how: How to resolve geometry kinks)

Plots are in the wrong projection

Files uploaded to TradeAware have to use the CRS84 projection (longitude, latitude format). If your files use a different projection, you will need to reproject them for compatibility.

Plots contain 3D geometries

The system only supports 2D geometries. Files with 3D or higher-dimensional data need to be converted to 2D by removing any additional dimensions.

How do I use the name of my plots from a GeoJSON file?

If you GeoJSON contains a property on the plots that is the name of the plots, you can bulk upload this in TradeAware. For this to work, these must be included in the feature properties as a "name" field.

e.g. Working example

{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "name": "123" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon"...

e.g. Non-working example

{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "id": "123" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon"...

When you upload plots with a name, a short number will be added to the end to ensure uniqueness. For example, the plot with name 123 above if the first in the file would become 123_1.

Why are my plots not analyzed?

If you do a bulk upload, the time to complete the analysis depends on the size of your upload. If it's not ready right away, feel free to check back later.

How to split large GeoJSON files

Splitting Large GeoJSON Files: Step-by-Step Instructions

If you have received an error indicating that your GeoJSON file exceeds the 10,000 hectares limit, follow the steps below to split your file into smaller parts. These instructions will guide you through using free online tools to manage your data efficiently.

Option 1: Using GeoJSON.io

https://geojson.io is a free, online editor for GeoJSON files, allowing you to manually split and manage your data.

1. Visit https://geojson.io in your browser.

2. Upload Your GeoJSON File:

   • Click on "Open" at the top of the page.

   • Choose "File" and upload your GeoJSON data. Your data will be visualized on the map.

3. Manually Split the Features:

   • Click on individual features or groups of features you want to split.

   • Use the "Edit" option to select and delete the features you don't need in the current file, leaving only the desired features.

4. Export the Split Files:

   • Click "Save" to export the remaining features as a new GeoJSON file.

   • Repeat the process until your file is split into smaller parts.

5. Re-upload the Files: Upload the newly created, smaller GeoJSON files to resolve the size limit issue.

Option 2: Using MyGeoData Converter

MyGeoData Converter is a free online tool that can help you manage and split large GeoJSON files.

1. Open MyGeoData Converter: Visit mygeodata.cloud in your browser.

2. Upload Your GeoJSON File:

   • Click "Upload Data" and select your GeoJSON file.

3. Split the File:

   • Follow the prompts to convert and split your GeoJSON file. You may choose to split by attributes or manually, depending on your file's structure.

4. Download the Split Files:

   • Download the resulting smaller GeoJSON files.

5. Re-upload the Files: Use the newly created files to proceed with your workflow.

Important Notes:

• File Size Limits: Most free online tools have file size limits (typically around 5-10MB). If your file exceeds these limits, consider using a free desktop application like QGIS for more advanced splitting.

• Manual Splitting: Some tools, like https://geojson.io , require manual effort to split features. Be prepared to repeat the process if necessary to get your data within the acceptable limits.

How to resolve geometry kinks

When our system says that the plot "kinks" this means that it self-intersects. Self-intersecting geometries—where parts of a boundary overlap or loop back - need to be resolved before they can be uploaded to TradeAware. If you require more technical information, please reach out to support.

There are two ways to do this:

• Manual cleanup - The best way how to deal with intersections is by manually cleaning the geometries one by one and making sure that intersections don’t exist anymore. By doing so, you are in full control about how geometries are changed.

• Automatic cleaning - Another way to automatically resolve the issue is by first, applying a small buffer to the geometry to resolve the self-intersection. Please use that method with caution and check your results, as this might also alter your original geometry at other areas!

Manual Cleaning

You can manually inspect and edit your plot geometry using various tools including online using geojson.io. This is useful for quickly resolving small geometry issues such as overlaps, sharp spikes, or duplicate vertices.

Steps:

1. Open https://geojson.io in your browser.

2. Load your geometry

   1. Click the top-left menu icon (☰)

   2. Select “Open” → “File” and upload your .geojson file or

   3. Copy your GeoJSON and paste it directly into the left-side text editor

3. Inspect your geometry visually

   1. The map on the right displays your plot

   2. Look for sharp spikes, small overlaps, or irregular edges that could cause geometry kinks

   3. Invalid or problematic shapes may appear jagged, twisted, or looped over themselves

   4. Zoom in to carefully check vertex placement—tiny kinks may only be visible at high zoom level

4. Edit the geometry

   1. Click on a polygon to select it

   2. Click and drag a vertex to adjust its position

   3. Double-click a line to add a new vertex

   4. Click a vertex and press Delete (or Backspace) to remove it

   5. Ensure the polygon ring is closed

   6. The first and last vertex should be the same

   7. geojson.io automatically maintains closed rings, but double-check the coordinate list in the left panel if needed

5. Save your cleaned geometry

   1. Click the menu icon (☰)

   2. Select “Save” → “GeoJSON” to download the updated file

Automatic Cleaning

To do this you will need to use a geospatial tool such as QGIS. Applying a minimal buffer in QGIS is a simple and effective way to resolve geometry issues.This micro-buffer gently reshapes the geometry just enough to eliminate overlaps and self-intersections without significantly altering the shape.

Steps:

1. Open your geometry file in QGIS.

2. In the top menu, select: Vector → Geometry Tools → Buffer

3. In the Buffer tool dialog:

   • Distance: set to 0.000001 (in degrees)

   • Segments to approximate: leave as default (e.g. 5)

4. Click Run to create the new buffered layer.

5. Save the output as a new GeoJSON or shapefile.

6. You can re-check geometry validity via: Vector → Geometry Tools → Check Validity