GoSurvey·

Coordinate Input

Coordinate Input

Everything you can type when GoSurvey asks for a point, a distance, or an angle.

The coordinate frame

Axis Survey meaning
X Easting
Y Northing
Z Elevation

Coordinates you type and coordinates you read are world coordinates — the state-plane or project values, not any internal frame. The status-bar readout, dynamic input, Properties, the Viewpoints table, and every report all show world values.

Large state-plane coordinates are handled at full precision. GoSurvey sets an internal local origin automatically when a drawing first sees big numbers, and does the subtraction in double precision before storing, so an imported CSV point lands exactly on the matching DXF geometry.

Point entry

At any prompt that asks for a point:

Form Meaning Example
A click The cursor position, snapped if a snap fires —
X,Y Absolute world coordinates 1543268.25,483112.90
X Y Same, space separated 1543268.25 483112.90
@dx,dy Relative to the previous point @100,0
@dx dy Same, space separated @100 0

Relative entry is only accepted where a previous point exists to measure from — the second point of a LINE segment, the destination of a MOVE, the second extension line of a dimension. At a first point there is no anchor, so @ is refused.

Polar coordinate entry (@100<45) is not supported. To go a distance along a bearing, use the bearing lock described below.

Z and elevation

Point prompts take X and Y. The Z of new geometry comes from the current work plane, set with ELEV and shown on the status bar as UCS: World or UCS: Elev <z>. See Drafting Aids.

Angle and bearing entry

North is 0°. Angles increase clockwise.

Direction Value
North 0
East 90
South 180
West 270

This entry convention is fixed. How angles are displayed — decimal degrees, DMS, or surveyor's bearings — is a separate setting in UNITS, and changing it does not change what you type.

Accepted formats

Form Meaning
132.5 Decimal degrees
132d30m00s Degrees, minutes, seconds
132d30m Degrees and minutes; seconds default to 0
132d Degrees only
-45 Negative, i.e. counter-clockwise

Angles are used by LINE and POLYLINE bearing lock, ROTATE, ALIGN, and TEXT rotation.

Bearing lock — distance and direction

The survey way to draw. Available in LINE and POLYLINE after the first point.

Input Effect
A <bearing> Lock the direction. A 132d15m30s
A alone Enter bearing-lock mode; type the bearing on the next line. Blank Enter cancels
A <bearing> +90 Bearing plus a turn on one line. -45 works too
A again Clears the lock
2P (or AP, ANGLEPICK) Define the direction by picking two points
+90 / -45 after a 2P pick Adjust the picked direction, then lock
Enter after a 2P pick Lock the picked direction unchanged
A number, while locked Distance along the locked ray. Negative runs backwards

Example — a traverse leg

LINE
1543268.25,483112.90
A 132d15m30s
248.55

Example — turning off an existing line

LINE
(snap to the start point)
2P                     ← pick two points along the existing line
(click, click)
+90                    ← turn 90° right from that direction, and lock
150                    ← run 150 units

Distance entry

A bare number is interpreted as a distance when the command knows a direction:

Distances are in model units, whatever unit your drawing is in. GoSurvey does not convert units; the UNITS insertion-units setting is a label only.

Dynamic input

While a command expects a coordinate point, two live fields follow the crosshair showing the current world X and Y at the configured display precision.

Key Effect
Type Locks the active field to what you type
Tab Moves between the X and Y fields
Enter Commits the point
A click in the viewport Also commits the point

Prompts that expect a bearing, angle, distance, option, or command name show a single field instead of two.

Display precision and format

Set in the Drawing Units dialog — type UNITS, UN, or DDUNITS.

Drawing Units dialog

Note the Sample Output box at the bottom: it previews a coordinate and an angle in the formats you have chosen, before you accept them.

Setting Controls
Length → Precision Decimal places for coordinates, distances, and lengths across the status bar, Properties, dynamic input, and reports
Survey-point precision An independent decimal count for survey-point coordinates and labels (Settings → Drafting)
Angle → Type Decimal Degrees · Deg/Min/Sec · Surveyor's Units
Angle → Precision Decimals on the smallest unit shown
Angle → Base (0°) and Clockwise The direction base and sense used for display
Insertion scale Feet · Meters · Unitless. A relabel only — written to the .gs file and to DXF $INSUNITS; coordinates are never scaled

Length Type is fixed at Decimal — GoSurvey works in decimal units, the survey and civil norm. The other length formats are reserved.

The dialog shows a live Sample Output so you can see the effect before you accept it. Display precision and angle format are saved as user preferences (gosurvey-user.json); plot scale and insertion units are stored per drawing.

Coordinate readout

The status bar shows X … Y … Z … for the crosshair, plus the current work plane:

ID reports the coordinates of a picked point into the command log. INVERSE reports ΔE, ΔN, distance, and bearing between two picks. See Inquiry Commands.

Common problems

Problem Cause Solution
@100,50 is refused The prompt has no previous point to measure from Use absolute X,Y for the first point
@100<45 does nothing Polar entry is not supported Use A 45 to lock the bearing, then 100
The line went the wrong way Bearings are clockwise from north, not counter-clockwise from east 90 is east; 270 is west
Typed coordinates land in the wrong place Typed values are always world coordinates Check the status-bar readout; if the drawing was imported in local coordinates, use ALIGN
The readout shows too few decimals Display precision UNITS → Length → Precision

Related

Object Snaps · Drafting Aids · Drawing Tools · Inquiry Commands · Settings and Options