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Tutorial Coordinate Reference Systems

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Coordinate
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TNTmips
TNTedit™
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TNTview®
Coordinate Reference Systems

Before Getting Started

A coordinate reference system defines how your georeferenced spatial object relates
to real locations on the Earth’s surface. A common interface is used throughout the
TNT products for selecting or defining a coordinate reference system for geospatial
data or geospatial operations. This booklet introduces you to the Coordinate Refer-
ence System window and its operation.
Prerequisite Skills This booklet assumes that you have completed the exercises in
the tutorial booklets Displaying Geospatial Data and TNT Product Concepts. Those
exercises introduce essential skills and basic techniques that are not covered again
here. Please consult those booklets and other TNT reference materials (installed or
on MicroImages’ web site) for any review you need.
Sample Data Some of the exercises presented in this booklet use sample data that
is distributed with the TNT products. If you do not have access to a TNT products
DVD, you can download the data from MicroImages’ web site. In particular, this
booklet uses in the CB_TM Project File in the CB_DATA data collection.
More Documentation This booklet is intended only as an introduction to coordi-
nate reference systems. Details of using coordinate reference systems can be found
in a variety of tutorial booklets, Technical Guides, and Quick Guides, which are all
available from MicroImages’ web site (go to http://www.microimages.com/search
to quickly search all available materials, or you can narrow your search to include
only tutorials or TechGuides).
TNTmips® Pro and TNTmips Free TNTmips (the Map and Image Processing Sys-
tem) comes in three versions: the professional version of TNTmips (TNTmips Pro),
the low-cost TNTmips Basic version, and the TNTmips Free version. All versions
run exactly the same code from the TNT products DVD and have nearly the same
features. If you did not purchase the professional version (which requires a software
license key) or TNTmips Basic, then TNTmips operates in TNTmips Free mode.
All the exercises can be completed in TNTmips Free using the sample geodata pro-
vided.
Randall B. Smith, Ph.D., 16 August 2013
©MicroImages, Inc., 2005-2013

You can print or read this booklet in color from MicroImages’ Web site. The
Web site is also your source for the newest tutorial booklets on other topics.
You can download an installation guide, sample data, and the latest version of
TNTmips Free.
http://www.microimages.com

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 Coordinate Reference Systems

Welcome
TNTmips provides the most advanced software for STEPS
; choose Tools / Map
creating, displaying, processing, and analyzing all types
Calculator from the
of geospatial data. The “geo” in geospatial means TNTmips menu
that the data objects in your TNT Project Files include ; in the Coordinate
spatial reference information that relates the features Reference System 1
groupbox, press the
portrayed in these objects to positions in the real world.
Specify button to open
Geospatial referencing enables TNT processes to ac- the Coordinate
curately overlay different geodata layers for display Reference System
and processing, to report real-world positions of fea- window
tures in View windows, and to reproject (warp) geodata
objects when necessary (among other procedures).
Spatial referencing for image or map data can be set Coordinate
Datum
System
up manually using the Georeference process or as-
signed when you import geospatially-referenced data
from an external file format, such as a GeoTIFF file.
Geographic locations in a geospatial object are speci-
fied in terms of the object’s coordinate reference Coordinate
system. A coordinate reference system combines a Reference
coordinate system with a datum, which gives the re- System
lationship of the coordinate system to the surface and
shape of the Earth. A coordinate system may also in-
clude a coordinate transformation (traditionally
called a map projection) that relates positions in geo- The Coordinate Reference
detic coordinates to positions in the coordinate system. System window and the
spatial referencing
Definitions for terms in bold type above and on sub- standards it implements are
sequent pages can be found on the inside back cover introduced on pages 4-5.
of this booklet. Additional conceptual background in- Pages 6-13 show you how
formation can be found in the tutorial booklet entitled to select or set up a
coordinate reference system
Introduction to Map Projections. using predefined
components. Backward
The Coordinate Reference System window is used compatibility warnings are
throughout the TNT products to set the coordinate ref- discussed on page 14.
erence system for a geospatial object or for a geospatial Pages 15-18 cover setting
operation. You can choose from hundreds of pre- up and saving private
coordinate reference
defined coordinate reference systems, thousands of systems and a utility for
combinations of coordinate systems and datums, or changing settings for
create and save specialized private coordinate refer- incorrectly-referenced data.
ence systems. A short glossary of spatial
referencing terms can be
found on page 19.

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Coordinate Reference Systems

Coordinate Reference System Window

The controls on the Coordinate Reference System win-
The coordinate reference
dow are organized on tabbed panels. The Predefined
system that is currently in panel is shown by default when the window opens.
use or selected is shown at This panel presents a scrolled hierarchical listing of
the bottom of the Coordinate hundreds of predefined coordinate reference systems
Reference System window.
This field is automatically
that can be selected in a single step, including many
updated as you make or that are tailored to particular nations or states/prov-
change selections. inces. On this panel you can also select from several
globally-applicable coordinate systems such as Uni-
versal Transverse
Mercator that can
be paired with any
available datum to
form a coordinate
reference system
appropriate for any
specific area.
The Datum tabbed
panel allows selec-
tion of a datum and
accompanying da-
tum transforma-
tions. In the
majority of cases you can complete the selection of
your desired coordinate reference system using only
If you open the Coordinate
Reference System window
the Predefined and Datum panels.
from a process that is using In the event that the required coordinate reference
georeferenced data, the
“Current” coordinate system is not provided on the Predefined panel, you
reference system is set from can use controls on the Coordinate System, Datum,
that data. If you open the and Projection panels to specify all of the elements of
window with no geodata in your private, custom coordinate reference system, and
use or selected, as in this
example, this field defaults save it for later use. Once you have selected or set up
to WGS84 / Geographic a coordinate reference system, all of its particulars are
(longitude / latitude listed on the Details tabbed panel.
coordinates using the World
Geodetic System 1984
datum).
; keep the Coordinate Reference System window open
and proceed to the next exercise

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 Coordinate Reference Systems

Spatial Referencing Standards

In order to facilitate the exchange and use of geospatial data by different individuals
and organizations, it is important to have a common framework and structure for
expressing spatial referencing information. To further this goal, the specification of
coordinate reference systems and their components in the TNT products conforms
to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 19111:2003
entitled Spatial Referencing by Coordinates, which in turn encompasses the Open
Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) Abstract Specification of the
same name. These standards define the elements necessary
to fully specify a coordinate reference system and also pro-
vide a uniform framework for coordinate conversions and
for coordinate transformations between different coordi-
nate reference systems.
Although these ISO and OGC documents specify how a coordinate reference sys-
tem should be defined, it is up to each geospatial analysis system to provide all of the
actual geodetic parameter values needed to define the hundreds of coordinate sys-
tems and datums that are in common use throughout the world. The European
Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) Geodesy Parameters database is used by the TNT
products as the source for most predefined coordinate reference systems, coordinate
systems, and datums provided through the Coordinate Reference System window.
This widely-used data source has been incorporated in the GeoTIFF data exchange
specification as well as in other data models. The
European Petroleum Survey Group
EPSG database is updated regularly with parameters
for newly-added datums and coordinate systems. As
they become available, these updates are also incor-
porated in the TNT products and are distributed with
the weekly software updates for the latest version of
the TNT products. In addition, the TNT products
also provide certain coordinate reference systems or their elements that are not found
in the EPSG database.
By conforming to international standards for spatial referencing and incorporating
the EPSG database, the TNT products provide you with a robust yet flexible founda-
tion for all spatial operations with your data.

Request Additional Coordinate Reference Systems

If coordinate reference system components you routinely use are not available
in the Coordinate Reference System window, you can ask MicroImages to
add them at no cost to you. Your request must provide all the required
parameters for the new datum, datum transformation, coordinate system, or
map projection. Updates to coordinate reference systems are implemented
as part of the regular patches to your current version of the TNT products.

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Coordinate Reference Systems

Predefined Panel
The Predefined panel uses an interactive tree control
to organize its selections into hierarchical groups that
you can expand or contract as needed to show or hide
their contents. The highest-level groups on the Pre-
Your Recent group defined Panel are Recent, Global and Regional, and
undoubtedly lists a different
set of coordinate reference
National and Local. The Recent group lists the last
systems than those shown ten coordinate reference systems you have selected in
here, and it may have fewer any TNT process. For your convenience, the Recent
than 10 if you have just group is automatically expanded when you first open
begun using TNTmips or
you routinely work with a
the Coordinate Reference System window, allowing
small number of coordinate you to select any of these recently-used entries in one
reference systems. step. The coordinate reference system set as “Cur-
rent” when the window opens is always listed at the
top of the Recent group.

Click on the
box control to
collapse an
expanded
group (“-” sign
inside the box symbol) or
expand a collapsed group Group headings at any level in the Predefined list have
(“+” sign inside the box
symbol).
a box-shaped symbol to the left of their entry. This
symbol is a control button that you left-click to ex-
pand the group to show its contents or collapse to hide
its contents. The symbol inside the box control changes
; keep the Coordinate from “+” when the group is collapsed to “-” when the
Reference System group is expanded. You will use these controls as we
window open and
proceed to the next explore the other main groups in the Predefined list in
exercise the next exercise.

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 Coordinate Reference Systems

National and Local Group

As their names suggest, the Global and Regional group STEPS
; left-click in the box
and National and Local group subdivide coordinate
control to the left of the
reference systems by their geographic extent. The Recent group’s heading
National and Local group includes subgroups for many to collapse it
individual nations. Each of these subgroups can be ; left-click in the box
control to the left of the
expanded to find coordinate reference systems spe-
National and Local
cific to that nation, such as the ones shown here for heading to expand it
Antarctica. (Although not a nation, Antarctica has ; under the National and
special status under international treaty and so is listed Local group heading,
expand the Antarctica
as a national group.) group
All of the entries in the National and Local groups are
complete coordinate reference systems that can be
selected in a single step. (After selecting a coordinate
reference system, you should also select appropriate
datum transformations on the Datum panel, as dis-
cussed on a later page.) You can easily identify entries
that represent a coordinate reference system: they be-

gin with the datum name followed by the “/” character, ; leave the Predefined
then the coordinate system name. In the Antarctica panel’s tree list as
group there are entries for two coordinate reference shown in the right-hand
illustration and proceed
systems that combine the same datum (WGS84) with to the next page
different coordinate systems.

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Coordinate Reference Systems

US State Plane Coordinate System

STEPS Some national groups in the Predefined panel are sub-
; collapse the Antarctica
divided in various ways. China has a subgroup for
group
; using the vertical scroll each of two datums in common use there, with each
bar on the right side of subgroup including a set of geographic zones that col-
the Predefined panel, lectively span the entire country. The Canada and
scroll down through the
National and Local group
United States groups have a subgroup for each prov-
and expand the United ince or state. Each group for a U.S. state includes
States group entries for the United States State Plane Coordinate
; expand the group for the System (SPCS) zones for that state. These entries
state of Alabama
; click on the first entry in
combine the SPCS zones with different datums to form
the Alabama group to complete coordinate reference systems.
select it
; press [OK] on
the Coordinate
Reference
System
window to
accept the
current
selection and
return to the
Map Calculator
window

The datums available for use with State Plane Coordi-

When you select a
coordinate reference
nate zones are the North American Datum 1927
system, the Current field is (NAD27), North American Datum 1983 (NAD83),
automatically updated to and a version of NAD83 adjusted using the state’s High
show the selection. Accuracy Reference Network (HARN). The HARN
network for each state is a set of high-quality geodetic
control stations that have been located using very ac-
curate Global Positioning System (GPS) readings.

page 8
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Units for US State Plane Coordinates

Zones within the US State Plane Coordinate System STEPS
; press [Specify...] on the
originally referenced the NAD27 datum and were de-
Map Calculator window
fined using US feet as the measurement unit for the to reopen the Coordinate
coordinate system. However, it is common to find Reference Systems
geospatial data referenced to a NAD27 SPCS zone window
; note that the coordinate
but using meters as the unit of measure.
reference system
you just selected is
listed at the top of
the Recent group

The definition of a coordinate system in the ISO19111 ; collapse the Recent

group and expand the
standard and in the EPSG database includes the mea- National and Local group
surement unit used to express coordinate locations. ; locate and expand the
Therefore a coordinate system and measurement unit United States group and
cannot be selected independently. Where a group in its Alabama subgroup
; select the entry for
the Predefined list contains similar coordinate refer- NAD27 / SPCS27
ence systems using different units, the measurement Alabama East zone
(ftUS)

unit is identified in parentheses at the end of the coor- ; keep the Coordinate
dinate system part of the list entry. To choose between Reference System
window open with the
feet or meters for a SPCS zone, select the appropriately current settings and
labeled entry in the Predefined list of coordinate refer- proceed to the next
ence systems. exercise

page 9
Coordinate Reference Systems

Global and Regional Group

STEPS The Global and Regional group includes entries for
; collapse the National
coordinate reference systems and coordinate systems
and Local group and
expand the Global and that are not targeted toward use within a particular
Regional group nation. This group includes a number of subgroups as
; expand the Asia well as several additional list entries.
subgroup in the Global
and Regional group The Asia and Europe geographic subgroups include
; examine the Asia group entries for many complete coordinate reference sys-
entries, then collapse
the group again tems appropriate for use within these continents. Most
; expand the Europe of the coordinate reference systems in the Asia sub-
subgroup in the Global group combine the Pulkovo 1942 datum with various
and Regional group
coordinate systems using the Gauss-Kruger zonation
; select the first entry in
the Europe subgroup system (with a choice of 6-degree or 3-degree Gauss-
Kruger zones).

The Europe subgroup includes coordinate reference

systems that provide a choice of several datums in
; keep the Coordinate combination with either Universal Transverse
Reference System
window open with the
Mercator (UTM) or Gauss-Kruger zonal coordinate
current settings and systems. This subgroup also includes several Europe-
proceed to the next wide entries (including the entry selected in this
exercise exercise).

page 10
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Coordinate Reference System using UTM

The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordi- STEPS
; collapse the Europe
nate system divides the globe into a series of numbered
subgroup of the Global
zones that are 6 degrees of longitude in width and di- and Regional group in
vided by the equator into north and south portions. the Predefined list
Each UTM zone has its own planar coordinate sys- ; expand the Universal
Transverse Mercator
tem, and each zone has an entry in the Universal
(UTM) subgroup of the
Transverse Mercator subgroup within the Predefined Global and Regional
list’s Global and Regional group. group
; scroll downward through
When you select a UTM zone in the Predefined list, the list of UTM zones
you are not selecting a complete coordinate reference and select UTM zone
system, but only specifying the coordinate system to 12N (CM 111W)
be used. The datum already specified in the Current
field (in this example ETRS89 from the previous ex- A subgroup is also provided
in the Global and Regional
ercise) is retained when you select a UTM coordinate group for each variety of the
system (zone). In most cases you will need to select a Gauss-Kruger zonation
different datum on the Datum panel in order to create system. A Gauss-Kruger
the desired coordinate reference system. We will show zone, like a UTM zone,
specifies a coordinate
that procedure next. system, but not a datum,
and it is selected in the
same way as a UTM zone.

scroll down through the UTM zones...

page 11
Coordinate Reference Systems

Select Datum
STEPS Let’s assume that the UTM zone you selected on the
; left-click on the Datum
previous page, UTM zone 12N, is intended for use
tab to expose its panel
; click on Datum with geospatial data from Arizona, USA, and that the
combobox’s icon datum to be used is North American 1983 (NAD83).
button to show the The Datum menu on the Datum tabbed panel provides
scrolling list of datums
an extensive list of datums from which you can choose.
; scroll down and select
North American 1983 Some of these datums, such as World Geodetic Sys-
(NAD83) from the datum tem 1984 (WGS84), are designed for global use, but
list most were created for use in a particular country or
region.
Once you have se-
lected a datum (ei-
ther directly on
the Datum panel
or indirectly by
selecting a pre-
defined coordi-
nate reference
system), you can
select direct trans-
formations to
other datums (one
per datum) using
the Datum Trans-
The name of the currently-selected
transformation (the default selections in this formations list on
example) follows the datum name in each the Datum panel.
group entry in the Datum Transformations list. This list uses the
same type of con-
trols as the Pre-
defined list. Each
available datum is
; keep the Coordinate shown as a group entry in which you can find a list of
Reference System transformations. We will select datum transformations
window open with the for our current example next.
current settings and
proceed to the next
exercise

Note: Direct datum transformations may not be available for the particular
datum you selected because they are not mathematically defined or are not
provided in the EPSG geodetic parameter database.

page 12
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Datum Transformations
A datum transformation is used whenever a geospa- STEPS
; expand the WGS84
tial object (such as a raster or vector object) must be
group in the Datum
reprojected to register with another object Transformations list
georeferenced to a different datum. This situation can ; select the USA - Arizona
occur when objects are overlaid in a View window or (NADCON)
transformation, then
used in other spatial processing.
collapse the WGS84
A direct datum transformation provides the fastest and group
; repeat the above steps
most accurate transformation result. If a direct trans- for the NAD83(HARN)
formation is not selected or is not available, positions group
are first translated to the WGS84 datum, then to the ; collapse the
target datum. The two-step transformation may intro- NAD83(HARN) group
; expand the
duce slight positional inaccuracies compared to a direct NAD83(CSRS98) group
transformation. and deselect the
Canada - Atlantic
In some instances you can tailor your selection of da- offshore entry
tum transformations to the geographic location and
scope of your data. Here we are
setting up a coordinate reference
system for data from the state of
Arizona. When you are using the
NAD83 datum, individual ver-
sions of the transformations to
WGS84 and NAD83(HARN)
are available for most states, in-
cluding Arizona. Note that when
you select a different transforma-
tion for a datum, the
transformation name is updated
in the group name for the datum.
The global ITFR94 and ITFR96
(Internal Terrestrial Reference
Frame) datums each offer a
single transformation that is ap-
plicable throughout the continental United States (you
may want to open these datum groups to confirm this), ; click [OK] on the
so there is no need to change these selections in this Coordinate Reference
System window to
case. The NAD83(CSRS98) datum applies to offshore complete setup
eastern Canada, so its transformation can be deselected.

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Coordinate Reference Systems

Geographic Coordinate Reference System

STEPS Global coordinate systems using latitude/longitude can
; press [Specify...] on the
be selected from the Global and Regional Group on
Map Calculator window
to reopen the the Predefined tabbed panel. They are found in the
Coordinate Reference Geographic (latitude/longitude) subgroup. You can
System window choose from 2D and 3D versions using either degrees
; expand the Global and
Regional group on the
or grads as the map unit. To complete specification of
Predefined panel the coordinate reference system, choose the desired
; expand the Geographic datum from the Datum tabbed panel.
(longitude/latitude)
group Latitude/longitude coordinate systems reference loca-
; choose Geographic 2D: tions directly to the surface of an ellipsoid using angles
longitude, latitude
as coordinate units. Thus there is no map projection
(degrees)
; on the Datum tabbed associated with such systems. Because of their sim-
panel, select the World plicity and global applicability, latitude/longitude
Geodetic System 1984 coordinates are widely used for publicly-available
(WGS84) datum
; press [OK]
geodata. However, use of latitude/longitude coordi-
nate can complicate display and spatial analysis.
Because lines of longitude converge toward the poles,
the horizontal distance equivalent to one degree of
longitude varies with latitude. This characteristic com-
plicates computations of distances and areas. For
geodata of local or regional extent, use of a projected
coordinate system using planar coordinates provides
more accurate measurements and spatial computations.

Geodata using geographic (latitude/longitude) coordinates can be reprojected to a planar

coordinate reference system. Use the Automatic Resample process (Image / Resample
and Reproject / Automatic) or Geometric Warping process (Geometric / Reproject).

page 14
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Saved Coordinate Reference Systems

You can name and save custom coordinate reference STEPS
; in the Recent group on
systems using the Save As... button on the Coordi-
the Predefined panel,
nate Reference System window. This button is active select NAD83 / UTM
whenever the coordinate reference system you have zone 12N (CM 111W)
assembled does not duplicate an existing predefined ; press the Save As...
button at the bottom of
or previously-saved coordinate reference system. Af-
the Coordinate
ter you have saved one coordinate reference system, Reference System
a Saved group is included in the Predefined selection window
list below the Recent group. You can then quickly ; accept the default
settings provided in the
select any of your saved coordinate reference sys- Save coordinate
tems from this group. reference system
window and press its OK
This exercise shows a simple yet very useful example. button
You might frequently use a particular UTM (or Gauss- ; note that a Saved group
Kruger) zone and datum. If so, you can save this appears in the
Predefined list and
combination as a coordinate reference system in your
opens automatically to
Saved group, where you will always be able to find it show your saved
coordinate reference
system
; press [OK] on the
Coordinate Reference
System window

and select it in a single step, rather than having to ; press [Close] on the
reselect its components or rely on it remaining in the Map Calculator window
Recent group since its last use.

Your saved coordinate reference systems are maintained separately from the
predefined geodetic parameters provided with the TNT products. Your Saved
group therefore is preserved when you patch or update to a more recent version
of the TNT products.

page 15
Coordinate Reference Systems

Private Coordinate Reference Systems

STEPS In some cases you may need to import geospatial data
; choose Tools / Map
referenced to a coordinate system that does not match
Calculator from the
TNTmips menu any of the predefined choices in the Coordinate Ref-
; press [Specify...] on the erence System window. You can design and save a
Map Calculator window custom, private coordinate reference system to match
to reopen the
your data. To do so you must select the appropriate
Coordinate Reference
System window projected coordinate system type, select the datum,
; on the Coordinate and define the map projection to be used. The exer-
System tabbed panel, cises on this and the following page provide an example
use the Coordinate
System menu to select
of this procedure. They set up a hypothetical coordi-
Projected: Easting(E), nate reference system based on the Transverse
Northing(N) [meters] Mercator projection for a county in central Nebraska.
; on the Datum tabbed
panel, select
North American
1983 (NAD83)
from the Datum
menu
; set the Datum
transformations
as shown in the
lower
illustration

You can save a coordinate reference system for use by

the “current user” or for all users (everyone who uses
the computer). (One or the other of these choices may
; keep the Coordinate be disabled based on permissions set for the directo-
Reference System
window open with the
ries in which the information needs to be saved.) If
current settings and you have saved coordinate reference systems for both
proceed to the next “current user” and “all users”, they are listed under
page separate subgroups in the Saved group.

Note: To set up a local coordinate reference system that does not require a
standard Earth datum (for a construction site, for example), select one of the
Cartesian 2D: X, Y options from the Coordinate System menu (separate entries
for meters and feet are available). Selection of this nonprojected coordinate
system automatically sets the datum to Local engineering.

page 16
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Define Projection Parameters

The Projection tabbed panel is active whenever a pro- STEPS
jected coordinate system is in use. The Projection ; click on the Projection
tab
Method menu is automatically activated when you have ; from the Projection
used the Coordinate System menu to switch from a Method menu, select
nonprojected coordinate system (such as Geographic, the first Transverse
longitude / latitude) to projected coordinates. If the Mercator entry (NOT the
south-oriented entry)
Projection Method menu is not active when you ex- ; enter the values shown
pose the Projection panel, you can activate it by turning in the box below in the
on the User Defined toggle button next to the menu. Value fields in the table
on the Projection panel
Once you have selected the projection
Latitude of natural origin: N 41 44 00.0
method, you can then enter the required Longitude of natural origin: W 99 26 20.0
projection parameter values in the table Scale factor at natural origin: 1.00005462
on the Projection panel to complete False easting: 25000.00
setup of your private coordinate refer- False northing: 0.00
ence system. ; press [Save As...]
; in the Save coordinate
reference system
window, enter the
name Loup County
NE CRS and press
its OK button

; when you have completed this exercise, close the Coordinate

Reference System and Map Calculator windows

page 17
Coordinate Reference Systems

Change Coordinate Reference System

STEPS The Change Coordinate Reference System utility al-
; select Tools / Change lows you to correct errors that have been made in
Coordinate Reference
System from the setting up the coordinate reference system for a geodata
TNTmips menu object during georeferencing or import. The process
; press [Continue] on the prompts you to select one or more already-
Message window
georeferenced objects, then opens the standard
; in the Select Objects
dialog that appears, Coordinate Reference System window. Once you have
navigate to the CB_DATA selected the correct coordinate reference system pa-
directory and select rameters, clicking [OK] on this window updates the
raster object ELEVATION
from the CB_TM Project
georeference information for each of the selected spa-
File tial objects.
; if the spatial
referencing
settings were
incorrect, you
would use this
dialog as in
previous
exercises to
select the
correct
coordinate
reference
system.
; click [Cancel]
on the
Coordinate
Reference
System window

You can also use this utility to resolve problems with

the georeference information for external files (TIFF,
shapefile, and so on) that you are directly using in
TNTmips. In some instances the auto-link operation
that detects these files cannot determine their coordi-
nate reference system. This situation is mostly likely
to occur with spatial data files accompanied by
ArcWorld georeference files. If you can determine
the correct coordinate reference system from metadata
or other sources, you can use the Change Coordinate
Reference System procedure to set the correct infor-
mation for the auto-linked file.

page 18
 Coordinate Reference Systems

Spatial Referencing Terminology

The following terms and definitions for spatial referencing concepts and procedures
in the TNT Products have been adopted from the ISO standard 19111:2003 entitled
Spatial Referencing by Coordinates, Section 4, pages 1-5.

Coordinate Reference System: coordinate system that is related to the real world
by a datum. (For geodetic and vertical datums, it will be related to the Earth.)
Coordinate System: set of mathematical rules for specifying how coordinates are
to be assigned to points.
Cartesian Coordinate System: coordinate system that gives the positions of points
relative to n mutually perpendicular axes.
Coordinate Conversion: change of coordinates, based on a one-to-one relation-
ship, from one coordinate system to another based on the same datum. Example:
between geodetic and Cartesian coordinate systems or between geodetic coordi-
nates and projected coordinates, or change of units such as from radians to degrees
or feet to meters. (A coordinate conversion uses parameters that have constant val-
ues.)
Coordinate Transformation: change of coordinates from one Coordinate Refer-
ence System to another Coordinate Reference System based on a different datum
through a one-to-one relationship. (A coordinate transformation uses parameters
which are derived empirically by a set of points with known coordinates in both
Coordinate Reference Systems.)
Datum: parameter or set of parameters that serve as a reference or basis for the
calculation of other parameters. (A datum defines the position of the origin, the
scale, and the orientation of the coordinate system.)
Map Projection: coordinate conversion from a geodetic coordinate system to a
plane.
Projected Coordinate System: two-dimensional coordinate system resulting from
a map projection.
Geodetic Coordinate System or Ellipsoidal Coordinate System: coordinate sys-
tem in which position is specified by geodetic latitude, geodetic longitude, and (in
the three-dimensional case) ellipsoidal height.
Engineering Datum or Local Datum: datum describing the relationship of a coor-
dinate system to a local reference. (Engineering datum excludes both geodetic and
vertical datums.) Example: a system for identifying relative positions within a few
kilometers of the reference point.

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 Advanced Software for Geospatial Analysis
Coordinate Reference Systems

MicroImages, Inc.

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