How to prepare a field delivery package
After field measurement, the real value is a delivery package that others can understand.
Field takeaways
- Delivery should state CRS and data source.
- KML, DXF, GeoJSON and CSV serve different users.
- Photos and notes preserve context.
- Layer names should be meaningful.
- MapLab Survey exports multiple formats from one project.
The basic delivery package
Even a small field job deserves: a PDF or TXT report, a KML/KMZ viewing file, a DXF for CAD, a CSV point list, and a photo folder or photo report. All of it must hang off the same coordinate logic — if three of five files are TUREF and two are WGS84, you have delivered a puzzle, not a package.
The coordinate note
The coordinate system belongs in the file name and inside the report: "TUREF_TM33", "WGS84_KML", "ED50_source". KML/KMZ carries WGS84 by nature; DXF and CSV are in whatever system you exported — and only you know which, so write it down.
Who opens which file?
The client reads the PDF and opens the KML on a map. The reviewing engineer compares the CSV coordinates against their own system. The CAD operator drops the DXF into the drawing. The GIS team asks for GeoJSON/Shapefile. Build the package with that in mind and every recipient finds their file — and nobody calls asking for "one more format".
The naming template
One line of discipline: date_project_content_system — for example "20260820_siteA_stakeout_TUREF_TM33.dxf". Folders follow the same logic: report/, cad/, gis/, photo/. Whoever searches the archive in six months should find the file without opening it.
The five-minute pre-delivery check
Open the DXF in an empty drawing: right place? Compare the CSV's first row against a known coordinate. Open the KML on a map: parcel where it should be? Does the report's area match the layer's? Are photos attached to the right points? These five checks eliminate nearly all post-delivery correction calls.
Try these steps on your own phone.
MapLab Survey handles RTK/GNSS point capture, drawing, area and volume calculations and coordinate conversion, then exports to DXF, KML/KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, NCZ or CSV. Capture, calculation and export work offline. Live NTRIP corrections and online basemaps need a connection.
Frequently asked questions
What should delivery include?
Report, CRS note, export files and photos.
KML or DXF?
KML for viewing, DXF for CAD.
Why CSV?
For point table checks.
Can MapLab Survey help?
Yes.
Technical references
The field guidance in this article is aligned with the technical and official references below.
Related: Measurement report · Field layers · NetCAD QGIS AutoCAD export · MapLab Survey