[Mapserver-users] Help Request / datum shifts

[Hankley, Chip]

> Chip, you mention that "One option would be to put the 
> windows compiled datum shift files on the MapServer site 
> along with the MapServer downloads.". Would this be a 
> "plug-n-play" way of attaining this datum shift functinality 
> in a Windows environment? Would one merely copy the 
> datum-shift files into the proj/nad directory and go 
> forward making maps?

It sounds like Frank is going to put compiled PROJ4 binaries up on the
remotesensing.org web site in the near future. I'm sure there will be some
type of accompanying documentation... but, you are basically correct. Those
files just need to be in the PROJ4 directory (C:\PROJ4\nad and C:\PROJ4 if
you're using PHP MapScript).

Ultimately, remotesensing.org is the appropriate place for the binaries as
PROJ4 is a separate entity with it's own update timetable. This way Frank
(the PROJ4 keeper upper) can maintain a current set of binaries that all
people can access (not just MS users).

> I'm also surprised that this kind of discussion hasn't 
> happened in the past.

Just a hunch, but I don't think THAT many people work with data in multiple
projections... and even LESS in multiple datums. Take from that the sub-set
of folks on windows, and you only have a handful of people that would have
experienced this (remember on the *NIX side, they would have compiled PROJ4
as part of their original build).

> I restate my offer that if someone would help me make this go, I'd be 
> happy to bring together necessary documentation and data files for a 
> beginning user that would chronicle the problem and solution and 
> enable them to reverse engineer themselves into understanding.

That's great. When Frank gets the info up, you might check out the info in
the WIKI, and add whatever is necessary.

Cheers!

Chip