topic Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro. in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

sgambrel_Bouldercounty — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:49:27 GMT

Hi all,

I have two shapefiles that have a different spatial reference - one is State Plane and one is NAD83. The two layers geographically align in ArcMap 10.8.1 but do not line up in Pro 2.8.8 (or in ArcGIS Online based on the Pro Map). Data is shifted roughly 6-12" throughout, so I suspect a projection or transformation issue.

Another possibility is that the coordinate system is defined incorrectly for one of the layers - however I'm not sure I buy this since they align correctly in ArcMap. Also one dataset is from FEMA (who I trust to get this right), and one is data from my own organization and in the same State Plane coordinate system that we use for nearly every layer we produce.

I have changed the projection of the map, reprojected each layer to the other's projection, and changed the map projection again and the two layers will not align in Pro... though they remain aligned in ArcMap. This map ideally "works" in Pro and needs to eventually live in ArcGIS Online - and currently the misalignment persists in ArcGIS Online as well.

What gives?? How do I fix this??

Here are some screenshots:

Layers in ArcMap 10.8.1 in their native coordinate systems - aligned.

Layers in Pro 2.8.8 in their native coordinate systems - misaligned

Layers in Pro 2.8.8, with the NAD83 layer reprojected to State Plane - misaligned.

Layers in Pro 2.8.8, with the State Plane layer reprojected to NAD83 - misaligned.

As mentioned, I've changed the projection of the map back and forth in each of these trials and cannot find a way to get the data aligned. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Sean

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

sgambrel_Bouldercounty — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 19:36:01 GMT

Anyone?

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

MicZatorsky_AEC — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 03:50:29 GMT

Sometimes to get things to line up, in addition to setting the Map's Coordinate System, you also need to tell ArcGIS what transformation to use:

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

sgambrel_Bouldercounty — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 15:00:08 GMT

Thanks for the input - I had tried that with a few of the most likely transformations (but accidentally left that out of the post). Went back this morning and tried every single transfortmation that seemed even vaguely relevant and still no luck.

I'm suspecting bad data at this point - but then WHY would it line up in Desktop???

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

ZandBakhtiari1 — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:58:32 GMT

This is happening to me now, works perfectly fine in ArcMap 10.8.2 but not in Pro 3.3.2. The big difference for me is that both layers are in the same coordinate system so there is nothing to transform. Do you have any updates? Could this be a bug?

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

sgambrel_Bouldercounty — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:28:09 GMT

The whys and hows are a little hazy after so many months, but what eventually worked for us was to use a specific geographic transformation during reprojection. I only figured this out via trail and error, trying the dozen or so transformations individually until one was correct. It's tricky because the esri basemaps set a projection on the default map and the layers are displayed with the 'on-the-fly' reprojection, so you have to be very certain about what you are looking at and in what projection. Again, I'm not entirely sure why this would have changed between Desktop & Pro, but I'm happy enough to just have it working again.

Re: Data Projection / Transformation - Different position in Desktop vs Pro.

MicZatorsky_AEC — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:20:02 GMT

In your Map > Properties > Transformation, what happens if you choose <Do not transform> ?