I've uploaded DRA Version 2.2.6 today. The big new feature since Version 2.2.4 (my last diary) is the ability to read a 'block equivalency' file and color the map according to the file. These files are a common way to express a redistricting plan and such a file is available for the California June 10th Draft Plan for congressional redistricting.
Other changes: (1) the ability to get rid of the text 'CD' on CD labels; (2) fix for states that have non-number names or non-consecutive numbers for legislative districts; this had caused some files to not load, including for Minnesota.
See below for more details plus a DRF file you can use to load the CA draft plan in DRA.
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Loading Block Equivalency Files
1) To load a 'block equivalency' file in DRA, the file must be a CSV (comma separated values) with at least 2 columns. The first column has the block id and the second the CD/LD/SD the block is to be placed in.
2) You must first choose the state and the numbers of CDs/LDs/SDs for the scenario you are interested in.
3) Then go to Tools/Auto Color and select the appropriate command from the dropdown.
4) If you are using vote districts, the file must contain vote district IDs. These must match the IDs DRA has exactly.
5) If you are using block groups, you can choose to load a file containing block group IDs, which must match exactly, or a file containing block IDs.
6) If you load a file with block IDs, the app strips the part for the block, leaving a block groups ID, which must match exactly. If a block group is split between districts, the app chooses the district that gets the most blocks. You can output a report of the splits using a button in Tools/More Options.
7) Note that you can Save VTD data as CSV to produce a file that meets the requirements to load back using this feature; for files saved this way before version 2.2.5, you have to swap a couple of columns to meet the requirement.
California
David Jarman wrote about the June 10th draft here and here. Here is the equivalency file (warning: 19MB) from the commission as a DBF. This lists all 710,000+ census blocks and the named congressional district each goes in.
I converted this to a CSV (by importing in Excel and saving as CSV). Then with the new feature (which was in 2.2.5 a few days ago for California only), I auto-colored a map. Because DRA supports only block groups, almost 800 of the 23,000 block groups got split. The result was CD populations that were off their targets by up to 12,000 people. I hand modified the map to get all deviations under 1000 and came up with a DRA map that is reasonably close to the June 10th draft.
Right click and save this DRF (about 1MB) and then you can load it into DRA and play around with it. The CD numbers are way different from the current districts, since the commission gave them names. In this case the app assigns numbers in the order it sees the CD names.
Here's the Bay Area.
Here's the LA Area.
Enjoy. Thanks.