In NeXtMidas, "coordinate system" takes on a specific meaning in connection with Type 5000 data. The coordinate system is the way 3D geometry data is expressed in a particular frame of reference. NeXtMidas recognizes four possibilities:
Cartesian (x,y,z) | Give the familiar rectilinear components. |
Spherical (r,t,p) | Give radius, azimuth (theta), and elevation (psi) angles. |
Cylindrical (r,t,h) | Give radius, azimuth (theta), and height. |
Geodetic (alt,lat,lon) | Give altitude, latitude, and longitude. |
The engineering unit associated with a numeric value is obviously important to correct interpretation of geometry data. NeXtMidas assumes angles are stored as degrees and allows distance-related values to be either feet or meters.