[mapserver-users] MapInfo and projections

[Martin, Daniel]

I am using data from MapInfo in MapServer 3.6, which is working great,
except the resulting maps aren't projected as I'd like them.  In simple
terms, they look squished.  My background is in development, not GIS.  I
will be the first to admit my GIS knowledge is rather limited.  My
understanding of projections is minimal.
 
This is what I see in the MapInfo TAB files:
"\Spatial Reference\Geographic\Projection" = ""
"\Spatial Reference\Geographic\Projection\Clause" = "CoordSys Earth
Projection 1, 0"
"\Spatial Reference\Geographic\Projection\Name" = "Longitude / Latitude"
"\Spatial Reference\Geographic\Coordinate Units" = "Decimal Degree"
"\Spatial Reference\Geodetic" = ""
"\Spatial Reference\Geodetic\Datum" = "na"
"\Spatial Reference\Geodetic\Ellipsoid" = "na"

Every layer is like this, so I simply identified each layer with
"proj=latlong" in the .map file.  I also identified the map as
"proj=latlong".  Using these settings, in MapServer I get a squished map.
When I open the same layers in MapInfo where I have them identified with a
projection of Latitude / Longitude they map perfectly (ala don't look
squished).
 
Every time I've defined the map with another projection, I end up looking at
a blank map.  I can't seem to figure out which projection I should be using.
I have created one map of Germany and one of Missouri, and both exhibit the
same problem.
 
Does anyone have experience using MapInfo tables that could shed some light
for a GIS newbie?
 
Thanks,
Dan Martin
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/mapserver-users/attachments/20020606/711bfde4/attachment.htm>