Map Editor User Guide - Coordinate Systems

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A coordinate system is the method used to describe locations on a map. Examples are latitude/longitude for points on the Earth's surface or the State Plane coordinate systems used in the US. Map Editor supports and can convert between hundreds of different coordinate systems which are in common use.

A map has three coordinate systems: the base system, the display system and the input system. The base coordinate system is the system in which the map's features are stored. Coordinates are displayed in the display coordinate system and you enter coordinates in the input coordinate system. Often these will all be the same, but you may find situations where it is useful to enter coordinates in a different system. As an example, your maps may use the New York State Plane coordinate system but you want to find locations which are specified in latitude/longitude.

New coordinate systems can be added as plugins, or you can derive your own.

Currently supported coordinate systems include:

• Rectangular
• Latitude/Longitude
• State Plane NAD27 datum (134 systems)
• State Plane NAD83 datum (123 systems)
• UTM all zones (60 systems)
• UK National Grid
• Miscellaneous world systems
• The screen coordinate system, measured in pixels.

In the future, individual layers will be able to have their own coordinate system.