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L:\SURVEY\QAQC\CFLHD Current Standards and Specifications for SMROW\CFLHD-File-Naming-Conventions.doc

File Naming and Backup Procedures for Survey, Mapping, ROW and Utilities

I. Files from the field crews will be backed up to a server or some other safe means on a weekly basis. 

The files that must be backed up are appropriate data files and CADD files. These would include 

all raw and edited field data that have not been previously backed up and the most recent CADD 

files.

II. Files will be named according to the following convention:

1. Use the first two characters to designate the state or the first four characters of the wildlife 

refuge or park designation. 

2. Designate the second two to three characters as the route number including any paren 

designation.

3. Use the next character/s to designate the individual originating the file. That list of codes

follows:

Note: Consultant designations are no longer tracked, but are listed for historical reference. 

When a file comes from a consultant, use the designator for that project’s COTR.

B = Art Brownless V = Rich Howard

BB = Bob Bell W = Keith Wertz

BR = Brooke Rosener X = Rich Coco

C = Kasey Clemmer Y = Dylan Buffington

D = Darwin Kleeman Z = Ron Hall

G = Bryan Clark LP = Lee Pennell

H = Jim Holben A = MK Centennial

I = David Aldrich CB = Carter Burgess

J = Dave Jackson CH = CH2M Hill

K = Kathy Baughman E = RBF Consulting

L = Alan Blair F = Robert Bein, Steve Franklin

M = Tim Meister HD= HDR Engineering

P = Brenda Povsha JC = John Chance Land Surveys, Inc.

R = Ron Bukowski PB = Parsons Brinkerhoff

RV = Rick Vanderbeek PJ = PBS&J

S = Dave Stogsdill Q = Wilson and Company

T = Tom Laidlaw WG = Washington Group

U = Brad Alexander WP=Woolpert

4. The following two characters indicate the year in which the file was created, as in “07” for 

2007.

5. The next characters indicate if the file is in V8-X30 or X10 format. Use X30 or X10 to 

designate this. If the file is in V7 format, use V7 (the levels will always be X10 when the 

format is V7 so this need not be designated).

6. The following characters will be “met” to indicate that the file is metric. It will be assumed that 

a file is English if this designation is absent.

7. The last characters will be 3D if that is the format of the file. It will be assumed that the design 
updated 12/7/2007-k

L:\SURVEY\QAQC\CFLHD Current Standards and Specifications for SMROW\CFLHD-File-Naming-Conventions.doc

file is 2D if this designation is absent.

8. The file extension is descriptive of the contents of the file.

9. For example: lame1(1)k07X30met.map, would indicate a CADD map file for the 1(1) Lake 

Mead project created in 2007 by Kathy Baughman, in V8-X30 2D metric format .

III. Files that are being sent to the office should be compressed using the current compression software 

approved by IT. This is particularly important for files sent over the LAN. (As of August 2007, 

that software was WinZip.)

IV. All ASCII data files submitted to the office should contain a header containing pertinent 

information about the file being submitted. At a minimum, the data included in the header will

contain:

1. Date 

2. Who is responsible for the file

3. The location and/or route being referenced

4. The type of data being submitted

5. The path and name of the file

6. Any special information which may be significant to the correct interpretation of the data 

contained in the file

V. A list of the names and locations of pertinent GPK files can be included with the CADD file as a 

text entry in a prominent place in the graphics.

VI. When complete, files are transmitted to the designer and/or PM via email. The file names are 

considered final and will remain the same over time. If one of these files needs some data added or 

revised the procedure for this is:

1. Place a copy of the file in a working directory and indicate that it is version one. 

2. Make changes in the first file (now “version 2”) without changing the file name. 

3. The information about what was changed can be associated with the file itself. To do this, close

the file, go to Windows Explorer or File Manager, find the file and right click on it. 

4. In the drop down menu, click on “Properties”. 

5. The next drop down has four tabs. Click on the “Summary” tab then on “Comments”. 

Note: If the “Summary” tab has a button labeled “Advanced” click this before going to 

“Comments” 

6. A key-in box will appear where you may type any information you choose. Include your 

name/initials, the date and what you think pertinent to describe changes made.