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Original Post Date: November 2010
I was recently asked how to reproject images to avoid having to maintain multiple copies of the same image to satisfy different coordinate systems. Here goes.
Note that the following content is based on MicroStation V8i SS2, but is also applicable to the previous release.
Let's suppose that you have a suite of old design files that were drawn correctly in the UTM projection. Perhaps these files came from MicroStation V7 which didn't allow you to attach a coordinate system element, but then again, since all the files fit together there wasn't really a need to have a coordinate system. After all, everything lined up just right. And, you may also have corresponding images that are in the, now obsolete, HMR format that are also in a UTM projection. When attached, the images line up just fine to the vector graphics and no real thought is given to the coordinate system.
In the graphic below, the map is leaning towards the left since it's up against the right side of the zone edge and lies near 53 degrees latitude in the northern hemisphere.
In another situation, you may have the same vector file, but have assigned and reprojected the graphics to the Latitude/Longitude NAD83 geographic coordinate system as shown below.