How to Use the Download Data Tool

Use the Download Data Tool to convert Map Room data into tabular form, letting you download data as a .csv file. This tool is available to all SparkMap users.

1

Load Your Map Layer

2

Select Your Location

3

Explore and Download Your Data

Step 1 – Load Your Map Layer

The Download Data Tool is only accessible once you add a map layer in the Map Room.

Once you’ve added the map layer from which you wish to download data, there are two ways to access the Tool. First, you can click the ellipses next to the data info button in the Map Room Legend (Figure 1). Or, click the “Tools” button in the left menu and scroll to the Download Data heading (Figure 2). Either way you access the tool, the following steps will be the same.

Download data tool access in map legend
Figure 1 – Download Data tool in legend
A SparkMap visitor chooses "Select Data" from a list of available tools.
Figure 2 – Finding the download data tool

Step 2 – Select Your Location

After choosing the Download Data Tool, four data selection options will appear: Select by Rectangle, Select by Polygon, Select by Lasso, and Select by Radius (Figure 3).

Download data selection window in map room
Figure 3 – Data selection options

Choose whichever data selection option allows you to best draw a border around your location of interest.

Upon choosing a data selection option, instructions for drawing your area will appear (Figure 4).

Select data by lasso option chosen
Figure 4 – Lasso selection options

Draw your area of interest on the map (Figure 5).

Map showing selected block groups outlined in purple
Figure 5 – Area drawn on map

Step 3 – Explore and Download Your Data

Once your shape is complete, a selection result section will appear at the bottom of your menu (Figure 6). Click the “View Data” button to explore your selection.

Selection box showing number of data sets in circles area
Figure 6 – Selection Result section

After clicking the “View Data” button, a table view of data for your selected locations will appear on the right side of the screen (Figure 7).

To download your attribute table as .csv, select the “Export CSV” button. 

Table showing area deprivation index for Outagamie County, Wisconsin
Figure 7 – Table of data selected from map