A prescription shapefile that a monitor or equipment platform won't accept usually comes down to one of a few file details. Find the message or behavior you're seeing, then work through the fix. Most fixes mean exporting again with different options, which you do from Export prescriptions.
If you use John Deere Operations Center or Raven, you can skip the file entirely: send the prescription straight to your connected account with Send to OEM account. It's available to selected accounts, so email support@farmqa.com to turn it on. See Export prescriptions.
"Shapefile is in a projected format"
What you see: A John Deere display, such as a 2630, shows this message when it converts the file.
Cause: The download includes a projection (.prj) file. John Deere's conversion only accepts shapefiles without one.
Fix:
- Export the prescription again.
- Clear Include .prj file.
- Load the new zipped folder.
Operations Center says the file is empty or has no prescription
What you see: You upload the zipped folder to John Deere Operations Center, and it says there's nothing in the file or that the files don't contain a prescription.
Cause: Most often, the same projection file as above.
Fix:
- Export the prescription again with Include .prj file cleared.
- Upload the zipped folder as it downloads. Don't unzip it or rename the files inside.
"Missing numeric rate column"
What you see: The monitor can't find a rate in the file.
Cause: The rate was saved as text instead of a number. When you write a prescription, each attribute is either Number or Text, and monitors read rates only from number columns.
Fix: Write the prescription again and choose Number for each rate. See Write a prescription from a management zone.
The column name on the monitor doesn't match the product
What you see: The rate column shows a shortened or changed name, such as N_35_40_0_ instead of 35-40-0-10.
Cause: Shapefile column names can be at most 10 characters, must start with a letter, and can use only letters, numbers, and underscores. Longer or invalid names are shortened and given a prefix for the column's type.
Fix: Name rate attributes with 10 characters or fewer, starting with a letter. Put the full product name and unit in the prescription's Description instead.
The file is too large for the monitor
What you see: The monitor or platform rejects the file or reports that it's too large.
Cause: Each zone is made of many separate pieces. A grid laid over the field multiplies them.
Fix:
- Export the prescription again with Collect geometries checked. It combines each zone's pieces into one shape.
- If the file is still too large, remove the grid from the zone map and write the prescription again. See Edit management zones.
The export fails when Collect geometries is checked
What you see: The export works without Collect geometries but fails with it on.
Cause: Some shapes in the zone map have invalid geometry, such as overlapping points.
Fix: Email support@farmqa.com with the field name. Support can repair the shapes so you can write the prescription again.
The monitor shows one rate for every zone
What you see: The shapefile has several zones with different rates, but the monitor applies a single rate.
Cause: In one case, the fix was writing the rate as a whole number in pounds instead of a decimal in tons.
Fix: Check that the rate attribute is Number. If the monitor still shows one rate, email support@farmqa.com with the monitor model and the zipped file.
A new prescription doesn't show in Operations Center
What you see: You uploaded a new prescription for a field, but Operations Center keeps showing the old one.
Cause: Operations Center keeps the first prescription it imported for a field as the default, and holds later ones in a queue.
Fix: In Operations Center, open the queue, make the new prescription active, and delete the old one.