Accessing (and Modifying) CRS Details
Included in this tutorial:
Accessing the details of a projected coordinate system
How to create a modified copy of a projected coordinate system
Software version in examples: ArcGIS Pro 2.9.1
Tutorial Data: The tutorial includes demonstration with sample data available here.
Credits: L. Meisterlin (2022)
Accessing the specific details of a coordinate reference system in ArcGIS Pro can feel a little counterintuitive. To view the details, we must access the options to modify any of these details.
Thus, the demonstration below walks through accessing the options to Copy and Modify a coordinate reference system (CRS), although we do not make any modifications. (Instead, we simply “cancel” out of the dialogue box in the end).
TIP: While this example accesses these options through the map’s coordinate system properties, note that these options are available wherever the Coordinate System dialogue appears throughout the software. This includes in the various geoprocessing tools where a CRS must be specified as part of running the tool as well as the CRS properties of a data layer.
The example in the demonstration examines the details of the North American Albers Equal Area Conic projection based on the NAD83 datum. The steps in the demonstration are…
First, access the Map Properties dialogue box by right-clicking on the map view’s name in the Contents panel and clicking Properties. (Right-clicks are yellow in the demonstration below; left-clicks are magenta.)
Under the Coordinate Systems tab of the Map Properties, browse or search for the specific CRS. In this example, the North American Albers Equal Area Conic is found by clicking through Projected Coordinate Systems > Continental > North America > North America Albers Equal Area.
Right-clicking on a CRS’s name will summon a few options, including “Copy and Modify.” Choosing this option will summon the Modify Projected Coordinate System dialogue box.
If you simply want to view the details, you can read them within this dialogue. Then click Cancel to close the dialogue box.
If you want to change any of the parameters and specifications of the CRS, you can type within this dialogue box. You can give your modified version a specific name (at the top of the dialogue box, in the “Name” option). To save your modified version, you would then click “Save.” Note that creating a modified copy will not change the original CRS.
In the demonstration below, we also apply this CRS to our map by clicking OK as we exit the Map Properties dialogue box.
accessing and reading through the Modify Projected Coordinate System dialogue box