Changing Projections Using ArcView 3.3

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This guide describes the steps for changing a shapefile from one projection to another using the Projection Utility Wizard extension to ArcView 3.X. You may adapt the instruction to simply define the coordinate system if the shapefile is not recognized as projected data.

Why Does a Projection Need to be Changed?

In ArcView 3.X one theme cannot be layered with another theme unless both themes are in the same projection.

Sample Files

• Municipalities within the Grand River Conservation Authority
  Projection: NAD 1983, UTM Zone 17N
• Ontario Census Subdivisions
  Projection: Geographic, GCS North American 1983

Problem

The Grand River Conservation Authority Municipal Boundaries shapefile cannot be layered over the Statistics Canada Census Subdivisions shapefile since the two shapefiles are in difference projections.

Solution

Re-project the GRCA mun_e.shp file to the same projection as the census subdivisions file.

1. Load the Projection Utility Extension
   1. Open ArcView.
   2. In the File menu click on Extensions. Place a check beside the Projection Utility Wizard and click OK.

      

2. With a view in ArcView active, activate the Projection Extension
   1. In the File menu, click on the ArcView Projection Utility...
   2. Click Next to start Step 1 of the Wizard.

      

3. Select the shapefile to be projected
   1. Use the Browse button to navigate to the file (be sure you are using a shape file; if it is a coverage, open it in ArvView and convert to a shapefile).

      Note: in this case, ArcView does not recognize the GRCA municipal boundary file as projected data.

   2. Select the file and click Next.

      

4. Enter the current coordinate parameters
   1. Select Projected.
   2. In the Name drop down box select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone 17N[26917].
   3. Click on Next.

      

5. Save the parameters
   1. Click Yes.This step saves a projection file with the original shapefile (the file extension is .prj). This file can be used the next time a projection is made so that the user does not have to go through the input paramters.

      

6. Establish the output parameters. In this step the output parameters will be set as Geographic to match the Census Subdivisions file.
   1. Select Geographic and click Next.

      

7. Assign an appropriate name to the new shapefile (Step 4 of the Projection Wizard).
   1. Click the Browse button to locate the folder where you want to place the new projected data.
   2. Click Next.
   3. Assign a name to the newly projected shapefile and click Save.

   

   

8. Review input and output projection parameters
   1. After processing, a Summary Dialog box will appear. Review the input and output projections parameters.

      

9. When done, click Finish.
10. At the Finished Processing Your Shapefiles prompt click OK.

    Both shapefiles are now in the same projection and can be layered in a view.

    

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