Documentation | Help File | UI | 2D Mode | Menu | File | Open

Clicking on the File/Open menu item provides the means for opening a map project file or an individual vector or raster (image or grid) layer file. Before opening the new file, the program requires closure of any currently open project or layers.

Upon opening an individual layer, the program automatically reads the layer coordinate system to correctly display the layer and uses the layer coordinate system as the Map area coordinate system. The program automatically recognizes thousands of predefined coordinate systems and reads coordinate system information for all supported vector and raster layer formats.

Upon opening a project file, all layers contained in the project are opened in a single step, including the visual settings for each layer, layer organization, legend and minimap window presentation etc., and all layers are displayed together in the map area coordinate system. If the coordinate system of some layers is different than the map area coordinate system, the display of these layers is automatically reprojected on-the-fly to the map area coordinate system.

If no layer coordinate system is recognized (because the coordinate system information is missing, corrupted, or the layer does not reflect a coordinate system), the program announces this  and presents the Rectify Layer warning message box with the option to Rectification and/or georeference the layer to a coordinate system.

To open a map project or a layer file

1. Click on the File/Open menu item - this invokes the Open dialog box.
2. Within the Open dialog box, go to the drive on which the file is stored.
3. Enter the directory which contains the file.
4. Double-click on the file.

• The icon on the Standard toolbar.

• Both File/Open and Add can be used to open a vector or raster layer file when there is no currently open map project or layer. Use Add feature to open and add a layer to the current map project.
• To open a project file or an individual vector or raster layer file that is stored on a remote server, use the Open from server feature.
• To open a map layer stored in a database on the local computer or via network, use the Layer/Add SQL Layer feature.

• The Ctrl+O key combination.

• By default the Open dialog box is set to Common files. This presents a list of the files matching commonly used file types (formats), but not all the file types supported by the Editor. The file list display can be customized by changing the filter for the Files of type list in the Open dialog box.

• The program looks for layer coordinate system information i) embedded natively in the layer and ii) contained in an external file associated to the layer. For vector layers, the program checks for the presence of an external PRJ or TRN file file. (PRJ and TRN files have the same file name as the map layer file, but with the *.prj or *.trn extension.) For image layers, the program also checks for an associated TAB registration or World File with coordinate system information. (A World File has endings such as *.pgw for a PNG image, *.bpw for a BMP image, *.jgw or *.jfw for a JPG image…) If coordinate system information is found in multiple places, priority is given to external files over internally embedded information and PRJ files are  given priority over other external file types.

• If File/Open function is used when some layers are currently open, the Editor will prompt for saving any changes made to the open layers and/or project before closing them.
• The File/Open feature opens TatukGIS map projects (TTKGP and TTKPROJECT files) and most ESRI ArcView v.3 (APR files) or MapInfo Professional projects (WOR files), as well as projects exported from ESRI ArcGIS/ArcMap v.9 & 10 using the free Arc2TatukGIS plug-in.