Export a shapefile with projection attached

Yves De Clercq · Post by **Yves De Clercq** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:13 pm

Hi,

We would like to export a shapefile with a projection attached.

We have set up the projection to the project but the shape file has no projection.

Has someone have the same issue or tips to export a shapefile with a projection attached like the Map Info files?

Cheers

Matthew Monk · Post by **Matthew Monk** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:30 pm

It is not currently possible using the Arcview SHP option inside 12d. The projection information for a Arc Shapefile format (SHP) is stored in an optional and additional file with a .prj extension. This file is simply the projection parameters in the Well Known Text (WKT) format.

If you are working with just a couple of common projections (i.e. the same few each time), you can always create PRJ files and include those manually.

A great resource is this website- http://www.spatialreference.org/

You can view and download projection information for projections from all over the world. You can even choose to download the projection in the .PRJ format.

For example, for GDA94/MGA Zones 54, 55 and 56:

http://www.spatialreference.org/ref/epsg/28354/
http://www.spatialreference.org/ref/epsg/28355/
http://www.spatialreference.org/ref/epsg/28356/

I believe Arcview expects the .prj to be named the same as the .shp, .shx, .dbf, etc. files, but cannot confirm that.

Hopefully, V11 will allow for automatic creation of these projection files.

Owen Thornton · Post by **Owen Thornton** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:50 pm

My understanding is that as long as the projection is defined in Arc, you can easily nominate it there, and Arc will create the .prj file it needs.

jalwa anmol · Post by **jalwa anmol** » Sat Apr 30, 2016 2:44 pm

Has someone have the same issue or tips to export a shapefile with a projection attached like the Map Info files?????

Michael Rodger · Post by **Michael Rodger** » Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:53 pm

Matthew Monk wrote:It is not currently possible using the Arcview SHP option inside 12d.

Hopefully, V11 will allow for automatic creation of these projection files.

Hi

I assume the automatic creation of a .prj file never got implemented, is this correct? I've previously been using other software to convert to .shp but we now have the ArcView module and as such I was hoping to do this straight out of 12d to avoid an additional step.

For example where others are using the files - importing the .shp into Google earth requires a .prj.

Thanks
Michael