Cylindrical projection A cylindrical projection can be imagined in its simplest form as a cylinder that has been wrapped around a globe at the equator. The points on the spherical grid are transferred to the cylinder which is then unfolded into a flat plane. The equator is the "normal aspect" or viewpoint for these projections. This family of projections are typically used to represent the entire world. When projected from the centre of the globe with the normal aspect, the typical grid appearance for cylindrical projections shows parallels and meridians forming straight perpendicular lines. The spacing varies depending on the type of cylindrical projection.