NAD_1983_Albers Projection to Ohio SPNAD83 issue

[sfore]

I downloaded a wetland shape file from FWS.gov for Cadiz, Ohio area.  The shape is in NAD_1983_Albers. I finally found a coord system to set/edit in Mapwspace, but the .shp is still off. 

My drawing is State Plane Nad83 North Zone. The only coords I could get the shape file to even drop anywhere close on my map was US48 Code.

See pic. You can see the lake to the right is off.  Any ideas on how to fix this or a different coord system to project the shape file too?

Thanks, Shawn

[Pointdump]

Shawn,

What year/version C3D are you using? Service pack?

Can you zippola and post your shapefile or a link to it?

Dave

[sfore]

Hey Dave, I'm using Civil 3D 2016 with all the latest SP's and HF's including Map SP's.

Luckily, someone with ArcMap projected it correctly for me. Surely Civil 3D/Map can also do it. It turns out that Albers is a common government projection used. I didn't know that.

Zip file is attached.

[Pointdump]

Shawn,

I drag-n-dropped that shapefile into C3D 2016, which normally assigns the correct coordinate system automatically, but it didn't recognize the projection defined in the PRJ file:

PROJCS["NAD_1983_Albers",GEOGCS["GCS_North_American_1983",DATUM["D_North_American_1983",SPHEROID["GRS_1980",6378137.0,298.257222101]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0.0],UNIT["Degree",0.0174532925199433]],PROJECTION["Albers"],PARAMETER["False_Easting",0.0],PARAMETER["False_Northing",0.0],PARAMETER["Central_Meridian",-96.0],PARAMETER["Standard_Parallel_1",29.5],PARAMETER["Standard_Parallel_2",45.5],PARAMETER["Latitude_Of_Origin",23.0],UNIT["Meter",1.0]]

So you'll want to create a "custom" projection, using the PRJ file for parameters and naming it "NAD_1983_Albers". Then all will be good.

Dave

[sfore]

Not sure I follow what you're saying. How do I create a "custom" prj file?

I opened up the prj file I sent you in notepad. Then I opened up the prj file from the correctly projected shp file done in ArcMap and there are differences between the 2 prj files.

Lets say I didn't have an accurately projected shp file that was done in ArcMap, how would I know how to create a custom prj file to project the shp file correctly?

[Pointdump]

Shawn,

No, not a custom PRJ file, but a custom projection in your _MAPCSLIBRARY. You can create one from scratch or modify one of the existing projections in the library by duplicating, re-naming, and editing. I'll make you a Screencast tomorrow morning.

Dave

[Pointdump]

Shawn,

I duplicated, re-named, and edited the US48 projection in the MAPCSLIBRARY. US48 was already an Albers projection, so all I had to change was the Datum, from NAD27 to NAD83. That difference of Datums was why the shapefile didn't agree with Bing Live Maps.

Dave

[Pointdump · Accepted solution]

Shawn,

Here's a Screencast on how to Duplicate and Edit the US48 Coordinate System to a re-named "NAD_1983_Albers" Coordinate System. The only change needed was to use the NAD83 Datum instead of the NAD27 Datum.

I noticed a strange glitchiness in Bing Live Maps. Use _MAPCSASSIGN to assign OH83-NF to your drawing instead of through Drawing Settings. Then Drag-n-Drop the Shapefile into your drawing. (Same as using _MAPCONNECT.)

Dave

[sfore]

Thanks Dave, that worked like a charm!

I didn't use Bing Maps for my Aerials anyway. I used OSIP Aerials from the OGRIP site. I set my coords under drawing settings. Everything worked nice. Appreciate the screencast. That helped.

Shawn

[sfore]

Dave, hope this message finds you as it's been a while for this topic. The Albers coordinate system reared its face again. I can see the NAD_1983_Albers coordinate system that I created in my coordinate system, but other users can't see it. Are the coordinate systems on the hard drive of each workstation? I was thinking if I added it to template, that everyone would see it, but I don't think that's the case. Will each person need to add this coordinate system on their computer?

[Pointdump]

Hi Shawn,
A custom coordinate system usually gets added to MAPCSLIBRARY when the recipient opens the drawing. The default setting is to pop up a dialogue box asking if you want to add it. That is set in MAPOPTIONS >> Coordinate Systems Tab.
If that coordinate system is in your template, then anyone using the template should have it.
Another way to transfer a custom coordinate system is to use MAPCSLIBRARYEXPORT to export as XML. The recipient will use MAPCSLIBRARYIMPORT to add the new definition to their MAPCSLIBRARY.
Dave

[sfore]

Thanks Dave, I appreciate the help. I ended up having to export from my computer, then import via MAPCSLIBRARYIMPORT the xml file for other users. We then restarted Civil 3D to populate the coordinate system definitions and it shows up.