[mapserver-users] Shapefile and coordinate systems

[woodbri at swoodbridge.com]

Tomas,

Shapefiles were not designed with anyway to identify what projection 
their data is in, so the best you can do is guess based on what clues 
you might have available. For example, if the data seems to fall 
within values of 90>X>-90 and 180>Y-180 then it may be geographic 
coordinates. Otherwise if the units are like NNNNNN.N then it is 
probably in some projection. The projection used is most likely 
dependent on what location on the earth the data is from as different 
locales tend to use different locations.

You can use the data without knowing what the projection is with 
mapserver unless you are trying to use it with other data that is 
also projected AND in a different projection.

-Steve W.

On 3 Nov 2002 at 13:58, Tomas Kaminskas wrote:

> Hello,
> maybe this is not a right place to post this message, but I'm really
> stuck with this problem. How shapefiles manage coordinates, how can I
> find in what coordinate system is my concrete shapefile? I'm weak in
> this area, so any help needed! Tomas.
> 
>