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I have a polygon layer (although I have also converted it to points and tried it that way). I would like to copy this layer into excel and add it back in after editing some things. I've attempted to do this by copying the attribute table, pasting it into excel, making my edits, saving the sheet as a CSV, and using "add a delimited text layer" to put it back into my QGIS project. I have not altered the "well-known text" column, and have used that when QGIS asks for the geometry (although I have also tried using the X and Y fields when attempting to do this when the layer is converted to points).

My problem is that the layer appears in the wrong place when I add it back in (the original is in New England, and the version I add back in is off the northern coast of Quebec, when compared to a Google Maps layer imported from the QuickMapServices plugin). The original layer is in the right place, before and after I add what should be its identical twin back in.

Should this be theoretically possible? And/or am I missing a step?

Other things I've tried:

Switching project and/or layer CRSs. I have not found one that fixes the problem - and in any case, the original layer is in the right place, and according to its attribute table, has the same geometry as my copied layer.

Just using a join. The original layer has one point for each geometry - I'd like to have multiple points in some locations (with the other fields differing). I don't see a way to do that outside of excel, other than manually drawing new features, which would be prohibitively time-consuming.

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  • I wonder what CRS is used for the WKT column when you copy the attribute table into a spreadsheet. I would expect it to be the CRS that the layer is in, but maybe it's the CRS of the project. Try this: select one feature and copy-paste it into a spreadsheet. Change the CRS of the project. Copy-paste the same feature into the same spreadsheet. Compare the WKT of the two features; are they the same? – csk Feb 7 at 20:47
  • I performed the test I suggested. When I copied a point feature into a spreadsheet, it had the same WKT geometry regardless of what CRS the project was in. So that's not the issue. – csk Feb 7 at 20:51
  • Two more suggestions: 1. Make sure that when you import the new CSV layer into QGIS, that you choose the correct CRS for the layer. It should be the same CRS as the original layer. If that doesn't fix it, try 2. Instead of copying the layer into excel, save it as a CSV. You can edit the CSV in excel, save it and re-import it into QGIS. Hopefully this method will solve your issue (unfortunately without really ever understanding what caused the issue). – csk Feb 7 at 20:53
  • Another note, if you have any multi-part geometries, each additional geometry part will take up another line on the spreadsheet, overwriting the data that should have been on that line. So copy-pasting from the attribute table into a spreadsheet is not a good method. – csk Feb 7 at 20:57
  • I feel like you are asking the wrong question. Try asking how to get the job done in GIS without excel. If you only want to multiply certain ponts you can select them on the map and copy/paste them in same or other layer. You can also select points based on atribute values, combinations of them, range... Once you discover field calculator you will never think for excel again. – Mat Feb 7 at 21:03

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