2.4.2 Geographic Translator (GEOTRANS)
Version 2.4.2 added Oct 2008 (release notes)
INTRODUCTION
GEOTRANS (Geographic Translator) is an application program which allows you to easily convert geographic coordinates among a wide variety of coordinate systems, map projections, and datums. GEOTRANS runs on Microsoft Windows (95, 98, NT, 2000, XP) and UNIX Motif environments.
The user interface of GEOTRANS is similar to that of a calculator. To convert a set of coordinates, simply select the coordinate system or map projection, and the datum, in which your coordinates are defined, enter the source coordinates, select the coordinate system or map projection, and the datum, to which you want the coordinates to be converted, and click on the Convert button. The resulting coordinates will be displayed. Because the GEOTRANS application stores your previous selections, you can convert additional coordinate sets from the same source by just entering the new coordinates and clicking the Convert button. You can change any of the coordinate system, map projection, or datum selections at any time. Currently, twenty-five different coordinate systems, map projections, grids, and coding schemes, and over two hundred different datums, are supported.
GEOTRANS can also be used to efficiently convert large numbers of coordinates contained in text files. The file format is very simple. A multiline file header defines the coordinate system or map projection, and datum, of the coordinates contained in the file. Following the header, each line contains a single set of coordinates, separated by commas. Using the GEOTRANS file processing interface, you can select an existing file of coordinates to be converted, define the coordinate system or map projection, and the datum, to which you want to convert the coordinates, and specify the name and location of the output file that is to be created. GEOTRANS then converts the input file and creates the output file as a single operation.
The full users manual can be found in the directory ./geotrans/docs/ after downloading and unzipping the file.
The users manual describes how to use GEOTRANS to convert coordinates both interactively and via file processing. Section 2, Getting Started, describes how to start the GEOTRANS application, perform basic interactive coordinate conversions, and exit the application. Section 3 covers interactive coordinate conversion and datum transformation in more detail. Section 4 describes how to use GEOTRANS’ file processing capabilities. Section 5 contains reference information, describing all of the windows, controls, menu items, and fields that make up the GEOTRANS user interface, as well as error conditions, and how to access the on-line help subsystem. Section 6 contains a glossary and bibliography. Appendix A contains brief descriptions of the coordinate systems and map projections, datums, and ellipsoids supported by GEOTRANS.
Downloading
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End-Users version includes executables, data files to run the executables, and online help.
Developers version includes all of the end-users version plus the source code.
For system developers that just need a MGRS capability; it include the MGRS, UTM, UPS, Transverse Mercator, and Polar Stereographic modules, source code and documentation).The following software was last updated Oct 2008
Unix Filenames UNIX Master (everything) (11.5Mb) master.tgz Developers (9.5Mb) unix_dev.tgz End-Users (7.3Mb) unix_user.tgz MGRS-only users(152Kb) mgrs.tgz Windows Filenames WIN Master (everything) (11.5Mb) master.zip Developers (9.3Mb) win_dev.zip End-Users (7.2Mb) win_user.zip MGRS-only users(163Kb) mgrs.zip NOTE: If the filename is different after downloading, be sure to rename the file for decompression purposes.
Installation
The distribution of GEOTRANS for UNIX is packaged as a compressed tar archive named geotrans.tar.Z. To install it:
- Create a directory to contain the distribution:
% mkdir /home/geotrans
You may replace /home/geotrans with whatever path you choose.
- Change your working directory to the directory you just created:
% cd /home/geotrans
- Unpack the archive. For example, if the archive is on a tape on drive /dev/rst0:
% dd if=/dev/rst0 | uncompress | tar xvf -
You may replace /dev/rst0 with the device name or file path of the archive, if necessary.
- Add the following two lines to your .cshrc file to support the use of HyperHelp:
setenv HHHOME /home/geotrans/hyperhelp
set path = ($path ${HHHOME}/bin)
The first line defines the environment variable HHHOME to point to the directory where HyperHelp is located, while the second line adds the HyperHelp /bin subdirectory to your search path so that the HyperHelp viewer may be found when it is invoked by GEOTRANS. You may replace /home/geotrans/hyperhelp with another path if you located the HyperHelp directory elsewhere.
The distribution of GEOTRANS for Windows is packaged as a ZIP archive named geotrans.zip. To install it:
- Create a directory to contain the distribution:
C:\mkdir \geotrans
- Change your working directory to the directory you just created:
C:\cd \geotrans
- Use PKUNZIP to unpack the archive. For example, if the archive is on drive A:
C:\GEOTRANS>pkunzip a:geotrans.zip
Regards,
Brian Akers (St. Louis) and Dan Mullaney (Bethesda)
GEOTRANS Project Managers - Create a directory to contain the distribution:
phone (314) 676-9124, DSN 846-9124
coordsys@nga.mil
Document last modified August 11, 2009
