QGIS » QGIS Application

Even if the layer's SRS is not prone to bug #1079, as described in #1079 comment:2, QGIS fails to recognize the layer's SRS at each first, but only at first load. Example:

The attached layer is in EPSG:32633, which is in proj4 lingo:

+proj=utm +zone=33 +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +units=m +no_defs

the layer's ogrinfo output confirms:

$ ogrinfo -al -so sample_utm33n
INFO: Open of @sample_utm33n'
      using driver @ESRI Shapefile' successful.

Layer name: area
Geometry: Polygon
Feature Count: 1
Extent: (564573.435057, 5660045.542715) - (633165.320045, 5739296.325524)
Layer SRS WKT:
PROJCS["WGS_1984_UTM_Zone_33N",
    GEOGCS["GCS_WGS_1984",
        DATUM["WGS_1984",
            SPHEROID[[WGS_1984]],
        PRIMEM[[Greenwich]],
        UNIT[[Degree]],
    PROJECTION[[Transverse_Mercator]],
    PARAMETER[[latitude_of_origin]],
    PARAMETER[[central_meridian]],
    PARAMETER[[scale_factor]],
    PARAMETER[[false_easting]],
    PARAMETER[[false_northing]],
    UNIT[[Meter]]
cat: Real (11.0

Quit any QGIS instances you running. Load the shapefile into QGIS. Depending on your setting in Settings > Options > Projection, QGIS will assign your default SRS or it will prompt you to pick on from the list - which means that QGIS fails to recognize the layer's SRS. Interstingly, at each subsequent loading of the same layer this problem does not take place anymore!

I suspect this is a QGIS issue. If it's down to GDAL or anything else please forward the ticket where it belongs.