Pitney Bowes MapInfo Professional - Manual (Page 397)

Almost all projections you will use are one of these types. They are either cylindrical (regular or transverse),
conic, or azimuthal projections and are customized by slightly different projection parameters. Projection
parameters are options that describe how the projection is arranged.
You can further customize projections by specifying different parameters for the projection you want to
use. For example, you can specify the longitude and latitude of any point on the Earth to create your
own Azimuthal projection of that point. You can customize conic projections by specifying the parallel
of latitude at which the cone should be tangent.
Building Blocks of a Coordinate System
In this section, we provide the tables required to create your own coordinate systems using map
projections, datums, units, Origins, Standard Parallels, Azimuths, Scale Factors, False Eastings, False
Northings, and Ranges. You might want to create your own coordinate system if accuracy is crucial to
understanding your data or if your data is specified in relation to a non-standard point, and you would
prefer to keep your data in that custom coordinate system.
Coordinate Systems, Projections, and their Parameters
By specifying a projection type and various required parameters, you create a mathematical algorithm
for producing equivalent coordinates in degrees for the projected coordinate system. Each projection
has specific parameters you can customize to make your maps more geographically accurate. The
following table details each major coordinate system type and the parameters you can use to customize
that system. The parameters are listed in the order they appear in the relevant projection entries in the
MAPINFOW.PRJ file. To create your own coordinate system using a particular projection, you must add
an entry into the MAPINFOW.PRJ file.
The parameters of a coordinate system are (in this order):
• Coordinate System Name
• Projection Type
• Datum
• Units
• Original Longitude
• Original Latitude
• Standard Parallel 1
• Standard Parallel 2
• Azimuth
• Scale Factor
• False Easting
• False Northing
• Range
Each of these headings is described in detail in the next few pages. Note:
For a complete list of common coordinate systems and their necessary parameters, see Projections
and Their Parameters
Projection Types
The projection type is the equation or equations used by a coordinate system. For a list of projections
MapInfo Professinal uses, see
Projection Types List .
397 MapInfo Professional User Guide
Chapter 15: Working with Coordinate Systems and Projections