topic Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system in ArcGIS Pro Questions

ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

KeithAddison1 — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 18:48:52 GMT

I was making some GeoTIFFs of a map the other day and noticed something unexpected. When I export them with no projected coordinate system and only a geographic one assigned, it produces a raster that Pro & ArcMap cannot read, they show up as unknown coordinate system and are located incorrectly. When I put them in a projected coordinate system Arc finds and locates them fine. (it doesn't seem to make a difference if I have the GeoTIFF tag box checked or not) This is for making a TIF out of a map, not just some raster dataset, so the output coordinate system is set via the Map properties/data frame/map tab, ie this thing below:

And not via any GP tools or the like.

My question is why? Shouldn't Arc at least be able to read what the output GCS is? Its like it can't read its own output? Is this a bug?

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

KeithAddison1 — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:57:39 GMT

Testing this more today, now I can't get it to output into a coordinate system Arc recognizes. No matter if its in a GCS or PCS. Why is Arc producing georeferencing that it can't read? This must be a bug. Can anyone think of another explanation?

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

RhettZufelt — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:26:08 GMT

You really didn't give much info on 'how' you are exporting the map.

My testing shows that the Export Map Button in the Output group on the Share tab does NOT honor the output coordinate system in the Environment settings.

However, in Pro, If I change the coordinate system of the Map to GCS (even though my feature class data is in State Plane), then export to TIFF (I checked the 'Write GeoTIFF tags' box), it outputs my map as a tiff image that Pro and Map can read just fine and is aware of the GCS of the Tiff file.

tested with 3.2.1 and 3.1.3

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

KeithAddison1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:55:07 GMT

I exported from the layout using the panes Share -> Export. By the environment setting I assume you mean here:

Toggling that makes no difference for me either, ArcPro still doesn't recognize the coordinate system. Is there a setting somewhere I'm missing?

I've tested it with tags & no tags for both a PCS and only a GCS assigned to the exported map, in all cases it isn't recognizing the coordinate system. Define Projection tool in Pro can't fix it in the case of the correctly located (but unrecognized by ArcPro) PCS (still says unknown coordinate system) ArcMap's Define Projection tool can fix it though, after which Pro can recognized the coordinate system. This must be a bug in 3.3.

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

RhettZufelt — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:05:18 GMT

The environment setting I refer to are for the GP Tool environment here:

But, exporting the map with the Share/Export doesn't honor this setting.

However, if you set the coordinate system for the Map:

Then export the GeoTIFF, it will then be in the coordinate system of the Map and will be detected by map/pro.

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

KeithAddison1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:20:23 GMT

Yep, that's exactly how I'm setting it in the Map Properties and getting the unknown coordinate system for the output.

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

vlatane_va_energy — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:40:56 GMT

I am experiencing the same/similar behavior in Pro 3.5. Share > Export Map > GeoTIFF does not seem to save the spatial reference information in a way that Pro recognizes later. I have yet to find any combination of settings that makes the coordinate system 'stick'.

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

KeithAddison1 — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:28:28 GMT

Wish I had some way to fix it, but I ended up changing my workflow to use georeferenced pdfs instead of tifs. I used to use the geo pdfs then they stopped working so I switched to using geo tifs for awhile. Then the geo tifs stopped working as described here but the geo pdf started working again I think when I went to 3.4. I had several pages of notes & testing but it all came to not, I never figured out what was going on or why.

Re: ArcGIS Pro 3.30 - GeoTIFFs with only a geographic coordinate system

vlatane_va_energy — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:05:20 GMT

Bizarre. I luckily have a coworker on 3.3.5 who was able to successfully export GeoTIFFs with default settings. I hope this is resolved for good in a future version.