GeoRaptor: Views and On The Fly Projection

Projecting and Visualising

The visualisation of geographic data is handled differently depending on the SQL tool being used.

For example, SQL Server Management Studio makes available a limited number of projections for when it detects the source data is geographic.

GeoRaptor takes a different approach. Layers are rendered into maps organised by SRID. The organising object is called a “view” and each is associated with a single SRID.

In the video below, a table of US States contains a geometry column whose SRID is 4326. When it is added to a view with that SRID it is drawn as if it were a simple cartesian object. Longitudes are treated as X ordinates and Latitudes as Y ordinates. If one wishes to display the data in a cartesian projection the process is easy:

1. Create a new view with the desired SRID (in the examples in the view 3857 and 41003 are chosen);
2. Drag and drop the US States layer to each view in turn.

In the video you will see the projecting at work as the “shape” of the states changes depending on the projection (SRID) being used to display the data.