[mapserver-users] Center in lat/lon, radius in miles?

[Bill Lubanovic]

Although I've read the docs and the list archives, installed the demo,
and have built working applications, I'm stuck on something that sounds
simple.

I'm trying to plot a map with its center at a given lat/lon and a radius
of a given number of miles.   The map would actually include features
within the bounding box of this circle, not clipped to the circle.

The data files (state/county/etc. boundaries) are good, and the
projection from lat/lon to lcc and other projections works in the
template file.   But I'm not sure how to define the extent around the
center point, since the original lat/lon (DD) space doesn't equate to
miles.  I'm approximating the bounding box by trial and error.  Should I
use proj.4 to calculate the extents in miles from each lat/lon
counterpoint?  Or is there a way in Mapserver to specify this directly?

Thanks,
Bill Lubanovic
Mad Scheme Limited

I wish I may/I wish I might/I wish I were/A trilobite