Scaling an imported real-world map
I have always had difficulty with map scaling and coordinates in CC. 
Recently I used GIS software to export a coastline/landmass for use in CC3. The units and coordinate system are in meters. For example: 2679562.50000, 8271523.00000 is in the ocean off the Estonian coast.
1) How do I change the coordinate system to miles? This is the most important one.
2) Is it possible to have both miles and kilometers displayed in a visible distance scale on the map?
Thank you!
Recently I used GIS software to export a coastline/landmass for use in CC3. The units and coordinate system are in meters. For example: 2679562.50000, 8271523.00000 is in the ocean off the Estonian coast.1) How do I change the coordinate system to miles? This is the most important one.
2) Is it possible to have both miles and kilometers displayed in a visible distance scale on the map?
Thank you!
Comments
To get an entity that is defined in meters into miles, all you have to do is to Scale
2)
I assume you just mean as a scale bar here?
If so, assuming the map is defined in miles, just make a scalebar at scale 1 to represent the miles.
Then, change the symbol scale to 0.62137 and place the same scale bar again, it should now show the same amount of km.
The internal representation in CC3+ is always an abstract unit called a 'map unit', which can be refined to mean whatever you need it to, but if you just redefine it to mean miles instead of meters without re-scaling anything, then suddenly distances on your map that is 2 meters would now read out as 2 miles instead, which I guess is not what you want?
Rescaling your map using the scale command shouldn't change the map visual, with the exception of effects and bitmap fills. If your map was using these, you'll also have to manually change the scale of each fill from the fill style dialog. Just divide the width and height of the used fills by 1600. You'll also need to do the same to any effects with some kind of length.
I did make a tool which you can find at the very end of this article that handles the map scaling, including scaling effects and fills automatically.
Instead of using the Scale command to scale your map, you can also do it through the map units dialog, File --> Drawing Properties --> Map Units. Here you can also manipulate the map units without doing a scale at the same time, but then you get the distance issue I mentioned above.
Load up a template, choose my own size, in CC3+.
Insert the png/bmp on a bitmap or bmp sheet and layer.
Trace it or use it as a guide. I did a few hundred such maps, converting them from 5mm hexagon sheets that had been scanned to bmp, and then did the insert.
Take your time, and you will get used to it.
This same method can be used to insert screen dumps of real world maps.
If you scale it by 1/1000, you will get the result in km as you describe (except that you round the numbers a bit in your post, CC3+ WILL be using decimals, although you can adjust that from the map units dialog
JimP: I'll give that a go. I was hoping to have this ready for this weekend, but I'll make up something that looks close then try your instructions.