The main component of the software is to interact with vector files within PCS. The main vector formats in PCS are Shape (SHP) files and File Geodatabases (FDB). PCS also supports other vector formats wholly or partly connected with functions. The comprehensive list of the supported vector formats and their usage can be found below:
- Shapefiles - Read/Write - PCS is mainly designed to interact with SHP files, where the user can add, modify or remove objects, create attribute fields, modify them, remove them and change the attributes of the SHP files. Point, polyline and polygon SHPs are supported. The software will ignore the projection of the SHP files.
- File Geodatabase - Read/Write - PCS can also work the same way as FDB as it works with SHP files.
- DXF/DWG - Read/Write - PCS can read the CAD formats (except DGN, up to version 2013), but it cannot directly edit anything in a DXF/DWG file. PCS needs to import a DXF/DWG file to SHP and can export SHP/FDB to DXF/DWG format. This conversion, generally, supports essential CAD elements like blocks, points, texts and polylines, as well as a few additional exceptions for some functions. The DXF files themselves are loaded into the projects in read-only mode.
- Triangulated TRI files - Read/Write - The TRI file is a PCS-specific TIN surface file where PCS can store a 3D TIN. PCS can create and write these files in TRI format or convert them to SHP or CAD formats. PCS does not offer a direct modification tool for the triangles.
- Text-based vectors - Read - PCS can handle text files with fixed structure to create point clouds or point SHP files from them.
- KML - Write - PCS can export KML files from SHP or FDB input if the projection has been set inside the project explorer - and utilize this KML in Google Earth Pro or other applications. PCS is not capable of reading KML files.
- GeoJson - Write - PCS can create GeoJson files from SHP or FDB files if the projection has been set inside the project explorer - and utilize these GeoJson files in Google Maps View or other software.
- PLY - Write - PCS can write the TRI, SHP and FDB files into PLY files for use on other software.
Some other tools might use different or unique vector formats, but these formats will be described based on the specific tool's usage.