New to Shape Files

[neilgallen]

I may be missing something here, and it could be semantics, but you’ve mentioned a background map in tableau a few times now.

Tableau can work with shape files, but that would be one axis (either your column or row) on your worksheet. You can create a dual axis map for additional data, but this can get complex.

If you actually want this shape as a background, then you would want to use the shape file in something like mapbox, and then have that as your worksheet map background. There is lots of documentation on that out there.

Just an FYI. happy to help if I can.

[gene_denny]

Thanks, Neil.  In addition to rendering the shapes properly, this is exactly what I needed to know.  Through this thread, I have now been able to render the shapes properly even though we didn't have the original projection data that was needed.  I have now created the 4 output files needed to use in Tableau.

With Tableau now supporting dual axis maps, I think we may be good to go.  It would be easier to actually have these shapes as a part of a single background map, but the newer dual axis functionality should work ok, too.

Thanks to everyone for the contributions!  I spend about 80% of my work day in Alteryx and it has totally become my Swiss Army Knife for data.

If anyone is interested, I also authored a Use Case which is published here 

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Use-Cases/Alteryx-Providing-the-Data-Source-Functionality-o...

which more fully explains what we use Alteryx for, in addition to simple blending.  Could NOT live without this tool and Community!