Map Projections... Using the Projector Mod!

Extension

Map Projections... Projecting in ArcCatalog

Introduction... Defining a shapefiles coordinate system
Sometimes a shapefile does not have any information showing which coordinate system was used to define its features. In this case, the Shape column Spatial Reference property will be unknown. You can work with shapefiles even if their coordinate system hasnt been defined, but you may not be able to take advantage of all the available functionality. For example, you may be unable to add the shapefile to some maps, and its automatically created metadata will be incomplete. You can define a shapefiles coordinate system in ArcCatalog in several ways... You can Select one of the predefined coordinate systems provided with ArcCatalog, Import the coordinate system parameters used by another data source, or define a New custom coordinate system. Afterwards, you can Modify individual parameters as required. A shapefiles coordinate system parameters are stored in the same location as the shapefile, in a .prj file with the same name as the shapefile. Once a coordinate system has been defined, you can modify individual parameters. For example, you might want to modify one parameter in a coordinate system that was imported from another data source or customize one of the predefined coordinate systems. After creating a custom coordinate system, you can save it as a separate .prj file. Note... Defining a shapefiles coordinate system is not the same thing as projecting your data. What we are doing is assigning a coordinate system and projection to a shapefile whose Spatial Reference is unknown. In other words, you know what coordinate system and projection the shapefile is in, but the shapefile does not know and we need to tell it what coordinate system or projection it is in.

Step 1: Initalize ArcCatalog and choose the shapefile whoose coordinate system you want to define
Start ArcCatalog

Click the shapefile whose coordinate system you want to define.

On the File menu...

Click Properties Or Right Click on the shapefile whose coordinate system you want to define. Click Properties

Step 2: Shapefile Properties

Click the Fields tab.

We are working with a shapefile whoose coordinate system needs to be defined. In other words, we know what coordinate system the shapefile is in and we need to assign those parameters to it.

In the Data Type list column... Click the Geometry column

In the Field Properties list below... Click the ellipses button (...)

* Notice Spatial Reference is Unknown We will soon tell it what projection it is in.

Step 3: Selecting a predefined coordinate system.

The following steps will take you through the process of assigning a coordinate system to your shapefile so the spatial reference will no longer be unknown.

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box, You are given three options... ~ Select ~ Import ~ New

This tutorial will cover all three options and will begin with Selecting a Pre-defined Coordinate System. Click Select

Step 4: Navigating to the Coordinate System your data is in

Navigate to the coordinate system you want to use. For example, you can use one of the predefined coordinate systems in the Coordinate Systems folder that was provided with ArcCatalog. For this tutorial, we know our shapefile was projected in Florida Albers so we will navigate to it. Browse to \\Epic80\library\production\projections

Select fdepalbers.prj

Click Add

Your unknown data has now been assigned the FDEP Florida Albers projection.

Notice the Details dialog box has been updated to the Albers FDEP projection.

If needed,
Click Modify to change the coordinate system parameters. Or Click Clear and repeat steps 1-4

Click OK in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box.

The Spatial Reference has now been defined. You are now able to take advantage of all the available functionality.

Click OK

Step 5: Importing a Coordinate System

Now we will use import to copy coordinate system parameters used by another data source.

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click Import

Step 6: Navigate to the data source whose coordinate system parameters you want to copy
Again, we are assigning the coordinate system parameters your data is in so the shapefile Spatial Reference will no longer be unknown. Click the data source whose coordinate system parameters you want to copy

Click Add

The coordinate systems parameters are listed in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box.

If needed...

Click Modify to change the coordinate system parameters. OR Click Clear and repeat steps 4-5.

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog...

Click OK

The Spatial Reference has now been defined. You are now able to take advantage of all the available functionality.

Click OK

Step 7: Defining a New Geographic and Projected Coordinate System

For most users, setting or picking a coordinate system is practically the same as setting or picking a datum. And, in fact, the coordinate system parameters include datum. There are two types of coordinate systems: geographic and projected. Geographic coordinate systems use latitude and longitude coordinates on a spherical model of the earths surface. Projected coordinate systems use a mathematical conversion to transform latitude and longitude coordinates that fall on the earths three-dimensional surface to a two-dimensional surface. Each data source stores the parameters that define its coordinate system as an integral part of its data. However, those parameters can also be stored in separate files so that they can be reused when defining data for different projects. Choose Geographic coordinate system when your data is decimal degrees. Choose Projected coordinate system when your data is Albers. For this tutorial, defining a New Geographic Coordinate System and defining a New Projected Coordinate System will be demonstrated.

Step 7... Option 1: Defining a New Geographic Coordinate System

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click New and Click Geographic

The New Geographic Coordinate System dialog window opens... Enter in the Coordinate System Parameters for your shapefile... Type a name for the custom coordinate system. Type a name for your custom Spheroid and Datum, or click the Datum or Spheroid Name dropdown arrow and click a predefined datum or spheroid. Type the appropriate semimajor and semiminor or inverse flattening values Type the appropriate degrees, minutes, and seconds defining the prime meridian and type a name for this line of longitude. Or click the Prime Meridian dropdown arrow and click a predefined line of longitude. Click OK

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click OK

The Spatial Reference has now been defined. You are now able to take advantage of all the available functionality.

Click OK

Step 7... Option 2: Defining a New Projected Coordinate System

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click New and Click Projected

 Type a name for the custom coordinate system.

Click the Projection Name dropdown arrow and click one of the supported projections. Type the appropriate parameter values for the projection.

Click the Linear Unit dropdown arrow and click a predefined unit of measure. Or Click <custom> in the dropdown list, type the appropriate meters per unit, then type a name for your custom units. Define the projections datum by selecting a predefined geographic coordinate system or defining a new geographic coordinate system. Afterwards, you can modify the geographic coordinate systems parameters if you wish. Click OK

The coordinate systems parameters are listed in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box.

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click OK

Step 8: Modifying a coordinate systems parameters

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box...

Click Modify.

The Geographic or Projected Coordinate System Properties dialog box appears.

Follow the steps for defining either a new geographic or a new projected coordinate system to change the appropriate parameters.

Click OK

Step 9: Saving a coordinate system to a file

In the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box... Click Save As. Navigate to the location where you want to place the coordinate system file. For example, place it in a shared folder on the network.

Type a name for the coordinate system file. Click Save

The coordinate system file appears in the folders Contents list.