shape files do not insert correctly in one particular drawing

[asloat]

This is really bizaar;

We have two templates, one is for engineering and the other is for survey work. Both where based of the same initial template and customized.

I am attaching Ortho images and shape files using data connections;

In the survey template everything comes in correctly.

In the engineering template the ortho image comes in correctly, but the shape files come in way out of place.

Both are brand new drawings and the only thing I have done to both is make sure the drawing settings for zone are set to State Plan NAD83 as per usual.

Is there another setting I am not aware of that affects this?

[Jay_B]

Does the system variable INSUNITS match in each template?

[asloat]

Yes, I just verified it; both are set to "0"

[asloat]

Worked on this some more last night, still unable to identify the difference that is causing this.

[jmayo-EE]

Can you post the template and shp files?

[asloat]

Thank you,

Here is the template and the wetland poly shapefiles. This is not unique to these shapefiles in particular, but happens with others as well. The shape files are from MassGIS Oliver.

[antoniovinci]

Well, those PRJ files sound weird, sir.

Please replace them with my attached ones, and start over: what happens..?

[jmayo-EE]

Your template file does not have the coordinate system assigned. I assigned it and both shp files imported without issue.

[asloat]

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@jmayo wrote:

Your template file does not have the coordinate system assigned. I assigned it and both shp files imported without issue.

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The template doesn't have a coordinate system intentionally as we sometimes don't use one. I had gone to the settings for the drawing and changed it to Mass Mainand US foot NAD83 before importing the shapefiles.

I can't look at the drawing settings in the file you uploaded as it appears to not like that it was saved in a newer version of CAD (I am in C3D2012), but looking at the shape files they appear to be in the same wrong location as I was seeing.

Correctly loaded into that coordinate system they should be near 722000, 2996700

Attached is the survey template in which I data connected the ortho and shape file and they appear in the correct geographic location. If you import this same Ortho into the other template I provided before, the Ortho goes to the same correct spot but the shape goes to the incorrect spot as you have in your file as well.

The Ortho is not correctly recognizing its coordinate system so you need to tell CAD it is in 26919 or UTM83-19

[asloat]

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@antoniovinci wrote:

Well, those PRJ files sound weird, sir.

Please replace them with my attached ones, and start over: what happens..?

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That caused the shape file coordinate system to not be recognized by C3D, so I assigned it the correct one (MA83) and still appears in the wrong spot.

[asloat · Accepted solution]

I have figured out the cause.

If a drawing does not have a coordinate system assigned to it, you must assign one, save the drawing, and then close it and reopen it. Once you do this, the shape files will insert in the correct spot. This sounds like a bug to me, not sure if it is known.

The easiest thing to do is to have your template already set to a coordinate system so you don't need to exit the drawing to avoid this, but in the case like I have where not everything is supposed to have a system, I will need to educate my users to this nuance.

Thank you for those who helped me on this.