Adding latitude and longitude to a shapefile

[miaB4RPX]

Hi. I cannot figure out how to add latitude and longitude to each of the blocks in a drawing that I am trying to export a shapefile from. I have successfully exported a shapefile with points representing blocks, but lat and long are missing.

The program I am using requires a packaged file containing a .shp, a .shx and a .dbf file. I also need to use WGS84 CS. I am currently using World-Mercator. My site is located in Manhattan. Everything has been properly georeferenced. Screenshot is attached. 

[ChicagoLooper · Accepted solution]

Hello @miaB4RPX wrote

<<...The program I am using requires a packaged file containing a .shp, a .shx and a .dbf file....>>

I think you meant to say 'containing a .shp, a .shx, a .dbf and a .prj.' What program are you using to add or view your shapefile? Can you name that program? A shapefile has a minimum of four components.

1. shp=This is the geometry (or the vectors). They could be points. OR they could be lines. OR they could be polygons.
2. shx=This is the shape index. When you select a vector, the corresponding row in the Table becomes highlighted. Or if you select a row in the Table, the vector in modelspace becomes highlighted. The ability to go forward and reverse, from modelspace-to-Table AND from Table-to-modelspace, is due to the shx file.
3. dbf=This is the database file or the Table with rows and columns that displays the Data Attributes associated with the individual vectors.
4. prj=This is the projection file. It tells the shp where to plop down in modelspace. You can consider modelspace to be the surface of the Earth. The prj is responsible for providing the geospatial position on the Earth's surface. 

If you are not getting a prj file when you export your points (blocks) then you haven't assigned a Coordinate System to modelspace.

EXAMPLE: I have assigned the CS know as NY83-LIF (New York State Plane, NAD83, Long Island Zone, Feet) to modelspace. If I use MAPEXPORT to export my points to shapefile, then the prj file will DEFAULT to NY83-LIF which is the currently assigned CS in modelspace. 

If do NOT want NY83-LIF as the prj, then I can CONVERT to another coordinate system such as LL84 (WGS84 degrees also known as EPSG 4326). BTW, LL84 is the same projection used by Bing Maps, Google Earth Pro, and Google Maps.

In the image below, the current CS in modelspace is shown on the Options Tab and is highlighted blue. While still on the Options Tab, I can convert from NY83-LIF to a different coordinate system such as LL84. The end result is a shapefile with a prj file with WGS84 (Lat/Long degrees).

Step4=>Search LL84.

NOTES:

• In the above image, it is assumed you have already made the correct settings on the SELECTION tab and the DATA tab. The settings in the Selection and Data tabs will vary from mapexport-to-mapexport. The image only applies to the Options tab.
• If you do not assign an appropriate coordinate system to modelspace prior to MapExport, your export to shapefile won't have a prj file.
• When exporting block to shapefile, they will export as Points (they will not export to Lines and they will not export to Polygons). The location of the exported points will be the coordinates of each block's INSERTION POINT.

[miaB4RPX]

Thank you very much for your response. To answer your question, I am trying to upload to fulcrum app. I hadn't realized I needed a .prj file because their guidelines state "Shapefiles are composed of minimally 3 separate files —.shp, .shx, and .dbf—(and usually more), all... When I export, I receive the .shp, .shx, .dbf, .cpg, .idx, and .prj. When I try zipping the .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj files I still can't get fulcrum app to read the latitude and longitude.

[miaB4RPX]

Actually, I was just able to upload. I had to include all the files in zipped folder. That was my mistake. Thank you for your help!