If FarmQA won't save a field boundary you drew or drove, or rejects a boundary, management zone, or map layer file you uploaded, the shape has invalid geometry — lines that cross, pieces that overlap, or points that don't form a closed shape. Find the message you're seeing below, then fix the shape and try again.
Errors when drawing or driving in the mobile app
"The shape may not contain any crossing lines"
- Cause: The boundary crosses over itself. The points where it crosses show in red.
- Fix: Drag the red points apart, or select a red point and select Erase in the upper-right corner to remove it. Then save again.
"Invalid shape: Separate shapes may not overlap"
- Cause: In a field with more than one piece, one piece touches or overlaps another — often because the second piece starts too close to the first.
- Fix: Move the second piece away from the first so they don't touch, then save again.
Errors when uploading a file
First check the file against the upload requirements:
- For a new field, see the file requirements in Upload field boundaries.
- For replacing an existing field's shape, see the file requirements in Edit a field boundary.
If the file type is right and the upload still fails, the message tells you what's wrong with the geometry:
| Error message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Topology Validation Error | The shape breaks a general geometry rule. Check the other causes in this table. |
| Repeated Point | The same point appears twice in a row. |
| Hole lies outside shell | A hole extends past the outer edge of the shape. |
| Holes are nested | One hole sits inside another hole. |
| Interior is disconnected | A shape that should be one piece is split into disconnected parts. |
| Self-intersection | A line or boundary crosses over itself. |
| Ring Self-intersection | The outer edge or a hole's edge crosses itself. |
| Nested shells | One shape's outer edge sits completely inside another's. |
| Duplicate Rings | The same edge appears twice in one shape. |
| Too few points in geometry component | A piece has too few points to form a shape — fewer than 3 for a polygon, or fewer than 2 for a line. |
| Invalid Coordinate | A point has a missing or out-of-range coordinate. |
Fix the file in GIS software
Most GIS software can repair these errors automatically — in ArcGIS, use Repair Geometry. The steps below use QGIS, which is free.
Find the problem areas
- In QGIS, import your file as a new vector layer.
- Select Vector › Geometry Tools › Check Validity.
- Set Input layer to your file, then select Run. QGIS creates three new layers.
- Close the Check Validity window. Use the new layers to see which parts of your file are valid and which aren't.
Repair the file
- In QGIS, import your file as a new vector layer.
- If the Processing Toolbox isn't open, select Processing › Toolbox.
- In the Processing Toolbox, under Vector geometry, double-click Fix geometries.
- Set Input layer to your file, then select Run. QGIS creates a new layer named Fixed geometries.
- Export the Fixed geometries layer as a shapefile, then upload it to FarmQA again.