Adding/Editing Projection Information in an Rw2D File

RockWorks | Utilities | Grafix | 2D Utilities | Edit Projection

This program is used to assign the coordinate system and units which are stored in a RockPlot2D map or cross-section diagram, or to change the system that's currently assigned. This does not reproject the coordinates, it simply relabels them.

This is the same process as the RockPlot2D | Utilities | Projection program, but is available to RCL command scripts.

Since this information is now added automatically to 2D plots as they are created in RockWorks, this tool is typically used for imported graphics or RockPlot2D files from previous versions of RockWorks (RockWorks15 and earlier).

Why bother? Assigning coordinate units and projection to a spatial diagram such as a map or a cross-section or profile will enable you to export the diagram to Google Earth or other GIS applications.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• RockPlot2D Input: Click to the right to browse for the existing Rw2D file to be edited.
• Rockplot2D Output: Click to the right to type in the name to assign to the new Rw2D file which will be created. 
  
  
• XY Units: If your 2D plot is a map, select the coordinate system represented in the horizontal and vertical axes of the map; if the 2D plot is a section/profile, select the coordinate system represented along the horizontal axis of the section/profile.
  • Local Feet, Local Meters: You can geo-reference your local coordinate system by entering the longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal degrees that exist at the local coordinate "origin" of 0,0. If you don't know these global reference coordinates, you can leave the Local Origin set to a Longitude of 0.00000 and a Latitude of 0.00000.
  • State Plane Feet, State Plane Meters:
    • Zone: The State Plane systems are zone-specific, so you need to define the zone to which the coordinates apply. Click on the Zone button to see a reference map; choose the zone from the scrolling list to the right of the map.
  • UTM Feet, UTM Meters:
    • Datum: Click on this button to view the available projections.  The two most common projections for the U.S. are:
      • Clark 1866 (NAD-27): Used within most USGS maps. NAD-27 coordinates may be as much as 200 meters from WGS-84 (NAD-83) datum of the exact same coordinate.
      • WGS-84 (NAD-83): Used by GPS (Global Positioning System) units and more recent USGS maps.
    • Zone: Click on this button to display an interactive map where you can click on the UTM Zone for the data.
      
      
• Elevation Units: Choose whether your elevation units represent meters or feet.
  
  

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
2. Select the Grafix | 2D Utilities | Edit Projection menu option.
3. Enter the requested menu items, described above.
4. Click the Process button to proceed.

The program will add this information to the meta-data in the Rw2D file, and save it under the new output file name. You will be returned to the main RockWorks program window.

See also

• Rescaling 2D Diagrams
• Converting Rw2D Map Coordinates to change the map's coordinate system.
  
  

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