Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on a Map - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

You may have a file that already contains X and Y coordinates, but not the point objects themselves that you want to display in MapInfo Pro. While the geographic information exists in the table, MapInfo Pro needs to create points to represent these coordinates before displaying them in a Map window. The Create Points command under the SPATIAL tab allows you to create points for each record in your database that has X-Y coordinate information.

For example, you have a table showing transmitter tower locations that was created by recording coordinates using a global positioning system. You want to display the locations on a map in MapInfo Pro. The table already has X and Y coordinate information but MapInfo Pro cannot display this information until you create points for that coordinate data that MapInfo Pro can read.

Creating Points

To create points:

1. Open the table for which you want to create points.
2. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, click Create Pointsto open the Create Points dialog box.
3. Choose the appropriate table from the drop-down list.
4. Select the columns in which the X and Y coordinates display from the Get X and Y coordinate information lists.
   Note: If you select the same table for the X and Y coordinates, a warning message displays, prompting you to make a change. Click OK and change the selections in these drop-downs. By default the Get X Coordinates from column searches for columns in the table with a name similar to Longitude\Long\Lon\Easting\East\XCoord\X. The Get Y Coordinates from column searches for columns in the table with a name similar to Latitude\Lat\Northing\North\YCoord\Y.
5. The Multiply X and Y coordinates by options allow the user to place a multiplier on the coordinate columns if necessary. To specify a projection other than longitude/latitude or the default Table Projection preference, choose projection. In some cases you will need to specify a negative multiplier depending on the locations quadrant. For locations in North America the X coordinate is negative. In Africa and Australia, the Y coordinate is negative. For locations in and around South America both coordinates are negative.
6. Select the appropriate check boxes:
   • Display non-numeric data - Select this check box if the data you want to create points for is in text fields in the original table. MapInfo Pro can attempt to convert the text values to numbers. If the values are not numbers, MapInfo Pro cannot create an object for that record. This check box is automatically selected and disabled when the table you have selected does not contain two numeric fields.
   • Overwrite existing points - Select this check box to replace the existing objects in the current map with points based on the data contained in this table.
7. Click OK. MapInfo Pro updates the table to create point objects.
8. To display the table, either:
   • On the MAP tab, in the Content group, click Map to open the table in a new Map window.
   • On the MAP tab, in the Content group, click Add Layer to add the table to an existing map.