[Mapserver-users] Can't seem to get the projection correct

[Ed McNierney]

Daniel -

You need to know what projection you're trying to emulate.  It is VERY
unlikely that any map you find in an atlas is using the "geographic"
projection you're using in your map.  The example you show from MapInfo
*might* be a Mercator projection (which you might commonly find in
atlases, too), which STRETCHES areas near the poles (i.e. Greenland
isn't nearly as big as most people think).  That's why your unprojected
data might appear squished by comparison.

	- Ed

Ed McNierney
President and Chief Mapmaker
TopoZone.com / Maps a la carte, Inc.
73 Princeton Street, Suite 305
North Chelmsford, MA  01863
Phone: (978) 251-4242  Fax: (978) 251-1396
ed at topozone.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Martin, Daniel [mailto:DMartin at erac.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 11:28 AM
To: mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
Subject: RE: [Mapserver-users] Can't seem to get the projection correct

David,
Thanks for your suggestion.  I tried it but it's not quite what I'm
looking
for.  I want horizontal lines of latitude, as I have now.  I'd just
rather
have the vertical less squished.

All,
I've attached a map displaying identical data in MapInfo and MapServer,
with
both applications' projection set to latlong.  In comparison you can
clearly
see that the MapServer output is vertically squished.

This isn't limited to MapInfo.  Nearly any map I can find of a
particular
area from any source (Mapquest, an atlas, anywhere) is similar to the
MapInfo view, and the MapServer view looks "squished", for lack of a
better
term.

I've attached a map file below.

I appreciate the help guys,
Dan Martin

#
# Start of map file
#
NAME NorthAmerica
STATUS ON
SIZE 800 600
UNITS dd
IMAGECOLOR 255 255 255
FONTSET "..\fonts\fontset.txt"
SYMBOLSET "..\symbols\symbolSet.txt"
IMAGETYPE PNG

#
# Projection definition, consult the PROJ.4 documentation for parameter
discussion
#
PROJECTION
		proj=latlong
END

#
# Start of web interface definition (including WMS enabling metadata)
#
WEB
  TEMPLATE ../Clients/rosaClient.html
  MINSCALE 1000
  IMAGEPATH "\inetpub\wwwroot\temp\"
  IMAGEURL "/temp/"
	HEADER "../queryTemplates/query_head.html"
	FOOTER "../queryTemplates/query_foot.html"
	EMPTY "../MapServer/noRecords.html"
END

QUERYMAP
  SIZE 200 200
  STATUS ON
  STYLE HILITE
  COLOR 255 255 0
END


# Start of reference map

REFERENCE
  IMAGE ../referenceImages/us-reference.gif
  EXTENT -124.986016 24.403641 -66.490832 68.268767
  SIZE 160 120
  STATUS ON
  COLOR -1 -1 -1
  OUTLINECOLOR 255 0 0
END


# LEGEND object
LEGEND
   STATUS off		 
   KEYSIZE 40 16
	 OUTLINECOLOR -1 -1 -1
   TEMPLATE "../legendTemplates/checkBox_legend.html"
END

#
# Start of scalebar
#
SCALEBAR
  IMAGECOLOR 0 125 90
	BACKGROUNDCOLOR 150 230 150
	OUTLINECOLOR 255 255 255
  LABEL
    COLOR 255 255 255
    SIZE large
  END
  STYLE 0
  SIZE 200 10
  COLOR 255 255 255
  UNITS miles
  INTERVALS 3
  TRANSPARENT TRUE
  STATUS TRUE
END

# Start of layer definitions
#
LAYER
  NAME "USA"

  PROJECTION
    "proj=latlong"
  END

  CONNECTIONTYPE OGR
  CONNECTION "\GISData\Namerca\USA\Usa_Maps\USA.TAB"

	STATUS DEFAULT
  TYPE POLYGON
  CLASS
    COLOR 225 225 185
    OUTLINECOLOR -1 -1 -1
  END
END

LAYER
  NAME "Canada"

  PROJECTION
    "proj=latlong"
  END

  CONNECTIONTYPE OGR
  CONNECTION "\GISData\Namerca\Canada\Canada.TAB"
	STATUS DEFAULT

  TYPE POLYGON

  CLASS
    COLOR 225 225 185
  END
END

END
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ed McNierney [mailto:ed at topozone.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 9:59 AM
> To: Martin, Daniel; mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
> Subject: RE: [Mapserver-users] Can't seem to get the 
> projection correct
> 
> 
> Daniel -
> 
> Unfortunately <g>, the map looks just fine.  What were you expecting?
> Do you have a sample of what a "geographic" projection of 
> that area does
> look like?  Canada's going to get stretched quite a bit that way.
> 
> 	- Ed
> 
> Ed McNierney
> President and Chief Mapmaker
> TopoZone.com / Maps a la carte, Inc.
> 73 Princeton Street, Suite 305
> North Chelmsford, MA  01863
> Phone: (978) 251-4242  Fax: (978) 251-1396
> ed at topozone.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Martin, Daniel [mailto:DMartin at erac.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 10:51 AM
> To: mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
> Subject: [Mapserver-users] Can't seem to get the projection correct
> 
> I've been playing with my projections for some time now, with no
> success.
> I'm using entirely OGR data (MapInfo data to be exact).  All 
> the data is
> in
> latlong.  No matter what I try, I end up with maps that are vertically
> challenged (squished).  See the attachment.
> 
> I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.
> 
> Thanks,
> Daniel Martin
>