Working with Shapefiles in QGIS

Shapefile is the oldest and still the most widespread format for exchanging geodata. Despite its limitations (a maximum of 2 GB, 10 characters per attribute name, one geometry type per file), Shapefile is supported by absolutely all GIS systems.

Exporting from osm2cdr.ru

When you export to Shapefile, you receive a ZIP archive with several files:

• .shp — the geometry of the objects
• .dbf — the attribute data (OSM tags)
• .shx — the spatial index
• .prj — the coordinate reference system description
• .cpg — the encoding (UTF-8)

Importing into QGIS

1. Extract the ZIP archive into a separate folder.
2. In QGIS: Layer → Add Layer → Add Vector Layer.
3. Specify the .shp file. QGIS will automatically pick up the other files.
4. Check the coordinate reference system in the layer properties (WGS 84 by default).

Typical tasks in QGIS

• Thematic maps — colouring objects by attribute (building type, road class).
• Buffer zones — calculating accessibility zones around schools, hospitals and stops.
• Areas and perimeters — automatic calculation via the field calculator.
• Overlay analysis — intersecting layers to identify areas that meet your criteria.
• Cartographic output — print layouts with a legend, scale bar and coordinate grid.

GeoPackage as an alternative

For new projects we recommend the GeoPackage format (.gpkg). It is a single file without the limitations of Shapefile: long attribute names, multiple geometry types, and a size of up to a terabyte. QGIS works with GeoPackage as easily as with Shapefile.