21.5 Tiny Bytes: Exporting Prescriptions

It is one thing to have a variable rate map. It is another to have a variable rate map on a controller. In this episode of Tiny Bytes, we dive into the basics of exporting prescriptions. 

In this episode, we talk polygons, polygon count limits, vertices, and file size constraints. Whether you're working with modern systems or legacy equipment, this episode equips you with the basics to help you better understand the prescription making process.

GK Technology supports farmers by bridging the gap between cutting-edge tech and older equipment, ensuring prescriptions are accurately applied across diverse setups. If you’re looking to master the art of precision ag exporting, this episode is packed with invaluable insights to make your beautiful maps work.

Tiny Byte Shapefile Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2297340/episodes/15807779

https://gktechinc.com/

Episode Transcript

Jodi (00:00):
And now it's time for a tiny bite of knowledge.
Hey Sarah, I finally got backmy soil test reports and I know
exactly how much slime I want toapply on my field and I've

(00:21):
written up a beautifulprescription for this field with
a non-treated control.
I'm so excited, but what theheck do I do now?

Sarah (00:30):
Export the prescription.
It is time to export thatprescription.
And yes, odi, you can write theabsolute most beautiful
prescription map on the face ofthe planet, but you actually
have to export that prescription.
And yes, jodi, you can writethe absolute most beautiful
prescription map on the face ofthe planet, but you actually
have to get that prescriptioninto the controller and the

(00:52):
tractor or the fertilizerspreader, the applicator,
planter, whatever it actuallyhas to get into that computer so
that computer can understandthe information and make the
application actually occur.
And there is no two controllersthat act the same.
Isn't that great?
It's something.
Let me tell you what.
Today we're going to talk aboutexporting prescriptions, and

(01:15):
there are a lot of differentways to export out prescriptions
.
Keep in mind most frequentlywhat we are talking about for a
file format when we areexporting prescriptions is a
shapefile format.
But there are other export filetypes that are out there.
Some of the older controllersactually took TIFFs.
That was actually a really niceway.

(01:36):
That was an image export.
Actually it was very nice.

Jodi (01:39):
Also XMLs, but by far and away today, I'd say, the most
common file export that we aredealing with is a shapefile and
if you want to know more aboutshapefiles, about all the
different files that areincluded inside of a shapefile,
we do have a tiny bytes episodeabout that, so go back into the
Tiny Byte files and check it out.
But that is again what Sarahmentioned, the most common type

(02:00):
of file that we're going to sendout to a rate controller these
days.
All right, so Sarah mentionedto no two controllers in
tractors these days really actthe same, and so what we're
trying to do with a prescriptionand exporting the prescription
is basically translating thatprescription we've written in
ADMS or a different software, adifferent precision ag software,

(02:21):
and translate it into thelanguage of what that controller
understands.
And so it's one thing to have areally nice map on your
computer, but it's a completelyother thing for that map to be
readable by the rate controllerthat you're trying to use out in
the field.
And so this is really where therubber meets the road taking
our ideas and our VRTprescriptions and whatever we

(02:43):
want to do in terms of our mapsand actually getting it out
there and having it applied whenwe are exporting out that
prescription as a shapefile.

Sarah (02:52):
We're going to talk about shapefile exports today
primarily.
There are a number of differentthings that you need to
consider and, as always, I thinkthis is a really important
place to let everybody know thatDarin Johnson has been writing
software and gettingprescriptions out to controllers
and successfully making themwork since the late 90s.

(03:12):
As a matter of fact, that guyactually made prescriptions work
on fertilizer spreaders beforeGPS was on those things, so we
do have some historicalknowledge about making sure that
prescriptions can work.

Jodi (03:26):
And those spreaders are still out there.
I think both Sarah and Iexported out prescriptions to
Falcon IIs this year.

Sarah (03:34):
That is correct.
We can still export to thatFalcon II.
So just be aware of that.
I mean, there are farmers insome places out there where they
go and buy their own spreaders.
They're used and it works greatfor their purposes.
But yes, we have the capabilityof exporting to those older
controllers, but we can alsoexport up to the most modern
that are on the market today aswell.

(03:54):
So lots of opportunities there.
But there's some things withinthose shape files that we need
to be thinking about to have asuccessful export to those
different controllers.

Jodi (04:04):
I think the first step in all of this is, when you're
writing that prescription, makesure you know exactly what
controller you're exporting to.
That was the first thing for megetting into this space.
You know, not coming from aprecision ag background, I just
completely forgot that I need toknow exactly what controller
I'm exporting to.
That way I know what some ofthese requirements that we're
going to talk about have to be.

Sarah (04:25):
Absolutely.
That is really critical becauseI need to speak that language
that that controller is going tounderstand.
When we are thinking about eachcontroller individually,
there's different parametersthat they will have and accept.
Let's talk about polygon count.
First of all.
What is a polygon?
So a polygon, simply put on ashapefile, it is the way that we

(04:47):
partition out the area of thefield where a certain rate is
going to be applied.
So, for example, sometimes weactually create a grid across a
prescription and then withinthat grid, in the center of that
grid, we're going to assign arate in there and that's going
to be the rate that gets appliedin that square, in that grid.
And those grids will bedifferent sizes, oftentimes six

(05:08):
meters, seven meters, eightmeters, someplace in that.
6 to 10 meters is a lot oftimes where we end up having
those grids.
However, we can also partitionout a field based on the rate.
So, in other words, we willtell the shapefile to take a
look at all of the rates thatare 100 pounds and consider that
to be one polygon or 2.
The next rate, 120 pounds, thatwould be the next polygon.

(05:30):
Generally, different controllerscan handle different numbers of
polygons.
There are a lot of controllersout there that handle 10,000
polygons.
As a hard and fast rule, we'retrying to keep everybody down
below that.
I am aware of some instanceswhere controllers can handle
more than 10,000 polygons andhandle more detail, but as a
general rule that's going to bea really good number.

(05:52):
And it's also important tounderstand that there are some
controllers out there that canonly handle twenty, five hundred
or fifteen hundred polygons andif you go over that polygon
count, that controller is notgoing to be able to handle that
prescription.
So you have to know how manypolygons your controller can
handle.

Jodi (06:09):
Absolutely.
These are the points where, ifwe're trying to reduce polygon
count and when you're exportinga prescription, you should
always be able to see what thatpolygon count is Like.
We've talked about already.
Different controllers havedifferent requirements.
Not only do we have to becognizant of polygon count, but
we also need to remember that wemay have limits on how big that
file can be.
Different controllers havedifferent file size limitations,

(06:31):
so limits on how big that filecan be.
Different controllers havedifferent file size limitations.
So when we are exporting ashape file, we want to make sure
that we are keeping the filesize to a level that the rate
controller can handle.
Know what your rate controlleris, know what the maximum size
it can be and just remember, ifyou've got more polygons, if
you've got finer detail in thatprescription, most likely you're
going to have a larger filesize.

(06:51):
So keep that in mind.
And if you've got to reducethat file size, you're going to
have to make the prescriptionless detailed so that you can
meet that file size requirement.

Sarah (07:00):
To that point about file size and polygon count.
That actually leads intoanother very interesting thing,
dealing with the number ofvertices out there.
Anytime we're dealing withpolygons.
All polygons are literallylines connected by vertices.
If there are large numbers ofvertices, that can create some

(07:21):
issues with some controllers aswell.
This is a new one that I kindof ran into in the last couple
years.
Keep in mind that as you'retrying to manage the polygon
count, especially if you'retrying to reduce that polygon
count, if you've got a lot ofcurves in your polygons, you're
going to end up with a lot ofvertices and that vertice count
can get pretty big for somecontrollers and also increase

(07:43):
the size of the file.
So it's one of those things tojust kind of keep an eye on.

Jodi (07:48):
Yeah.
So like the point being here isthat, say, if you go ahead and
you dissolve the output so thatyou've got your different rates
into the same polygon, you mayhave reduced your polygon count
but that again those curves,every time that line changes
direction you're adding verticesand that vertices is going to
contribute to overall file size.
So even though you may havereduced your polygon count, it

(08:10):
doesn't mean that you'venecessarily reduced the file
size enough to get to yourcontroller.
So just keep that in mind thatvertices are data points and
they do add to the overall filesize as well.

Sarah (08:19):
And I actually have heard of controllers when they
receive a prescription that hastoo many vertices in it,
actually produce an error thatsays we cannot read this.
It has too many vertices.
Actually produce an error thatsays we cannot read this.
It has too many vertices.

Jodi (08:43):
It's not fun.
The error is not.
Another thing we have toconsider when we're exporting
these prescriptions to is howmany rates the controller can
actually handle.
Some controllers can handle alot more rates than others.
Some can handle maybe like 255rates or 175.
Some can handle infinite rates.
Just make sure you know whatyour controller is and what the
limitations are going to be forthat controller.

Sarah (09:00):
Every controller seems to take a little different file
structure.
Sometimes you need to put thatshapefile in a folder name
something very specific insideanother folder name something
very specific.
Sometimes it needs to be on theroot of the USB stick.

Jodi (09:13):
What does that mean when you say it needs to be on the
root of the USB stick?

Sarah (09:16):
That is a great question because we get that all the time
.
The root of the USB stick ismeaning it is not within any
folder at all.
You have the USB stick in thereand it is right there on the
USB stick, no folders involved.
But it is really important toknow exactly what that special
wording is, where all the littleor the capital letters are in

(09:37):
that file structure, if it needsto be within that file
structure.
I think it's interesting when wethink about field size and when
we think about exporting outprescriptions to different field
sizes.
Certainly, as you go east inthe United States we end up with
some smaller field sizes and asyou go west to western North
Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan,we get really big field sizes.

(09:59):
You know a section, twosections, and those
prescriptions for those fieldsare huge, acreage wise.
So it's very easy to have onefile for that file size to be
huge in and to itself.
Working with those controllersto get that prescription to be
effective can be challengingsimply due to the size of the
field.

(10:19):
Making sure we're watching thepolygon count, the vertex count,
the file size, all of that forthose bigger fields it can get
to be pretty challenging andsometimes we have to do some
different things, little tricksto kind of make that work on
those bigger fields.

Jodi (10:33):
One of the benefits of working with GK Technology is
that, so say, if you're tryingto export something, and in ADMS
specifically, and you're like Ican't get this to work or it's,
I've tried to send it out tothe rate controller and it just
isn't working.
Well, the beautiful thing aboutworking with GK is that we've
got people on staff that havebeen working with these
controllers since before.
They were even in ag right,like, as Sarah mentioned before,

(10:55):
darren's been exporting tocontrollers before GPS was
around.
We have really knowledgeablestaff that can help you walk
through and troubleshoot some ofthese issues with exporting,
because it's not always cut anddry.
But there's some things that wecan do to help you in ADMS.
There's some things that we cando that can make it so that you
can actually take theprescription you want and get it
applied in the field.

Sarah (11:15):
And that is a really great place to end this podcast
Export out.

Jodi (11:22):
Tune in next time for a tiny bite of knowledge from GK
Technology, where we have a mapand an app for that.