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User's Guide
Franson CoordTrans for Windows v2.0
License key
How to purchase a license and use the license key.
Coordinate Formats
Advanced! How to define your own file input and output formats.
Technical support can be found in the user forum. We will constantly monitor and answer questions in the forum. The forum also includes
frequently asked question (FAQ).
FAQ for CoordTrans
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Uninstall CoordTrans
Run Start->Program->Franson CoordTrans-
1.
>Uninstall
2. Go through the steps in the uninstall wizard.
Example how to convert coordinates between longitude/latitude and easting/northing. WGS84 to Texas North(NAD83) is used as example.
Or you can simply write WGS84 in the "Find" box to search for a datum by name.
2. Enter a coordinate to convert from WGS84 to Texas North. You can enter the coordinate in either Degrees/Minutes/Seconds (DMS), Degrees/Minutes
(DM) or Decimal Degrees by clicking the appropriate radio button under the coordinate.
You can also click on either the left-most map or the middle map.
To read a position from a GPS click "Read position from GPS". (GpsGate must be installed for this feature.)
Or you can simply write "Texas North" in the "Find" box to search for a grid by name.
4. WGS84 is now selected on the left side, and Texas North on the right. Click the right-arrow button or click F12 to convert the coordinate. To convert
from Texas North to WGS84, just click the left-arrow button or F11.
Note: If the CoordTrans makes a warning when you select a grid it is because the currently selected grid is not compatible with the newly selected grid. This
is because there is no transformation available between the datums onto which the grids are projected. To resolve this, you will have to enable datum
transformations - see Managing the Datums - on the source and/or destination datums.
Example how to convert coordinates between grids. Swedish Grid to UTM is used as and example here. The steps are identical to convert State Plane
Coordinate System (NAD83/NAD27) to UTM. Or British Grid to UTM, etc...
Or you can simply write RT90 in the "Find" box to search for a grid by name.
2. Enter a coordinate to convert from RT90 2.5gonV to UTM. Since this is a grid, you must enter Easting and Northing in the boxes.
You can also click on either the left-most map or the middle map.
To read a position from a GPS click "Read position from GPS". (GpsGate must be installed for this feature.)
4. Finally, click the right-arrow button or click F12! To convert from UTM to RT90, just click the left-arrow button or F11.
Note: If the CoordTrans makes a warning when you select a grid it is because the currently selected grid is not compatible with the newly selected grid. This
is because there is no transformation available between the datums onto which the grids are projected. To resolve this, you will have to enable datum
transformations - see Managing the Datums - on the source and/or destination datums.
Example on how to convert a position between different datums. WGS84 to OSGB36 used as example here.
Batch conversions
CoordTrans can convert coordinates in one text file and store it to a new text file. If you have your coordinates in Access, Excel or some other format, export
them to a (csv) text file first. Then run CoordTrans to make the conversion. And finally import the new generated text file back to the original program.
Start by setting up the source and destination coordinate systems. In this example, the source coordinate system is WGS84 and the destination
coordinate system is UTM so we'll start by selecting these. This is done in the main dialog, which you can see in image 1.1.
1. Select the format you want to convert from. In this case WGS84 is selected. Take a look here for more information on how to select
WGS84.
2. Select the format you want to convert to. In this case UTM 32N. Take a look here for more information on how to select UTM.
3. Click From file... to launch the batch conversion dialog.
2. Input format
If Field names in first row is checked, CoordTrans assumes the first row in the file contains the names of each column.
Set which sign separates each field in the input file. Can be set to TAB, comma, semi-colon and fixed length.
Set if the input coordinates are in decimal degree format (e.g. 45.50) or in NMEA format (e.g 4530.000). You can create your own formats here.
Test settings. A very usefull function to test if all settings are correct to read your file. When you click on Test settings, the selected columns of first three
rows of your input file should be shown. If not, you need to correct your settings accordingly.
4. Output format
If Write old + new coordinates is checked both the input coordinates and the converted coordniates will be written to the output file.
Select an output format. You can create your own formats here.
5. Convert!
Press Go! to start conversion
If you have set up a conversion that you use often or plan to use in the future, you can save the settings. To do this, set up the conversion as instructed
above, select "File->Save Settings" and select a file where the conversion should be saved. The saved conversion is independent from the application
configuration, i.e. all coordinate formats and coordinate systems are stored in the file. This means that you can load conversions even though you don't
have the coordinate formats or the coordinate systems defined in your own application.
Command Line
If you do batch conversions frequently, you might want to automize the conversion procedure. In CoordTrans v2.0 it is possible to do batch conversions from
the command line using an input file, an output file and a saved batch conversion settings file. To use the command line, first save a batch conversion
settings file - using the instructions above - and then execute the conversion by writing
where settings-file is the saved batch conversion settings file, input-file is the file containing the coordinates in the source coordinate system and
output-file is the resulting file. For instance, if you have saved a batch-conversion to a file called "WGS84_To_UTM32N.ctxml" and have a file
with WGS84 coordinates called "WGS84_Coordinates.txt", then the command to convert would be
Manage Grids
One of the new features in CoordTrans v2.0 is that you can manage a large database of grids and datums. This section shows how you can import, export,
remove and create new grids that you can use in your conversions.
You can find the grid manager by clicking "Manage Grids" under the Tools-menu in the main display (see figure 1). This will show you a dialog similiar to the
dialog where you select a grid for conversion, with the addition of some input fields. When you select a grid, the fields will be populated and you can edit the
grid as you wish.
Creating a grid
To create a new grid you can either create a new grid from scratch or clone an existing grid and use that as a base. To create a new grid from scratch,
simple navigate to a region of your choice and right click an appropriate datum. This will display a menu with a single option "Add Grid". If you click a new
grid will be created (see figure 2). To clone an existing grid, right click the grid and select "Clone". This will create an identical copy of the grid that you can
change without altering the original grid.
Altering a grid
To alter a grid, first select it and then edit the parameters you whish to change. Once you are satisfied with the alteration, click "Save" to save the changes.
Note that one grid can be associated with several regions! If you change the parameters of a grid, they will be applied to all regions. If you wish to make a
change specific to a region, clone the grid and change that instead.
Removing a grid
To remove a grid, simply right click it and select remove. If you click remove while a region is selected, the grid will simply be dissassociated with the
selected region. However, if you remove a grid that you have found through the search box, or if you remove a grid that is available under the "Unspecified"
category, the grid will be removed completely from the database.
If you wish your grid to be accessible in another region, just drag the grid from the grid list and drop it on the region in which it should be accessible. This will
associate the grid with a new region, i.e. if you change the grid in one region, it will change in the other as well.
Exporting/importing grids
If you create or alter grids you can save the grids into a file that can be imported into CoordTrans. Thus, it is possible to e.g. make backups of the grids you
create or send grids between computers. To export a grid, simple right click it and choose export (See figure 4). If you want several grids in one file, choose
an existing file and then choose merge. This will add the grid to the file instead of e.g. overwriting it. By doing this, you can maintain your own database of
grids that you can distribute. When you import a grid, the grid will be compared to those in the database. If the grid being imported already exists, it will be
compared to the existing. You can then choose to ignore the grid or overwrite the existing grid.
If you don't know where your grid is, you can always search for it in the find-box (see figure 5). To search for a grid, simple enter part of its name, its ESRI
number, the datum it is based on, a zone etc to search through the database. Note that when you search for a grid, you don't associate the selection with a
region. This means that if you remove a grid you have found from a search, it will be completely removed from the database.
Manage Datums
One of the new features in CoordTrans v2.0 is that you can manage a large database of grids and datums. This section shows how you can import, export,
remove and create new datums that you can use in your conversions.
You can find the datum manager by clicking "Datums" under the Tools-menu in the main display (see figure 1). This will show you a dialog similiar to the
dialog where you select a datum for conversion, with the addition of some input fields. When you select a datum, the fields will be populated and you can
edit the datum as you wish.
Datum Variants
Each datum available for selection is actually a class of datums, i.e. each selectable datum branches out into several datums. The common denominator is
the ellipsoid - it is the transformation to WGS84 that differs between the variants of the datums. Each variant encapsulates a parameter set for conversion to
WGS84, and a transformation is required for a conversion to take place. The variant that is used when converting is the one set to default in a particular
region. You can change this by clicking the Default in [region] button in the variant field of the datum manager. See figure 2.
Enabling transformations
Some datums in the database, such as RT38 (Stockholm), does not have any transformation to WGS84 associated with them. For this reason, you cannot
transform coordinates given in RT38 (Stockholm) - or any of the grids based on RT38 (Stockholm) - to another datum. To enable transformations, you need
to add or modify a datum variant and mark it enabled for transformations. To do that, check "Datum transformations enabled" (see figure 3) and fill out the
parameters. Once you have done this, you can use the datum as any other datum.
Importing/Exporting
Every datum available in the database and the datums you create can be exported so that it can be imported later or on another machine. To export a
datum, simply select it and click export. If you select an existing file you are given the option to merge the datum into the file, which means that you can
create a database containing several datums and/or grids and/or coordinate formats. See figure 4.
To import a datum you simply click import and select the file that contains the datums. The datums will be imported and sorted according to the regions they
are associated with in the file being imported. If a datum being imported already exists in the database you are given the option to overwrite the existing
datum if it differs from the one being imported.
If you wish your datum(s) to be accessible in another region, just drag the datum(s) from the datum list and drop it/them on the region in which it should be
accessible. This will associate the datum(s) with a new region, i.e. if you change the datum(s) in one region, it/they will change in the other as well.
If you don't know where your datum is, you can always search for it in the find-box (see figure 5). To search for a datum, simple enter part of its name, ESRI
number, reference meridian etc to search through the database. Note that when you search for a datum, you don't associate the selection with a region.
This means that if you remove a datum you have found from a search, it will be completely removed from the database.
Coordinate Formats
Coordinate formats allow you to define exactly how the coordinates in a file should be represented. When you perform a batch conversion, you first define
how the input coordinates are define. This is necessary since CoordTrans needs to be able to understand the coordinates in the file. Once understood,
CoordTrans can write the coordinates to a destination file using another coordinate format. Thus, you can choose to represent your coordinates in any way
you like!
CoordTrans maintains a database of coordinate formats that you can edit as you wish. By selecting Tools->Coordinate Formats in the batch converter
dialog, you reach a coordinate format manager. Here you can create, edit, remove, import and export coordinate formats.
There are two ways to create a new format - you can create a coordinate format from scratch or you can base your new coordinate format on an existing
format. To create a coordinate format from scratch, you simple click new and fill out the fields. To base your format on an existing format, you need to clone
the existing formats. To do this, simply select the existing format, right click it an select clone. Now you have an identical copy of the coordinate format which
you can alter without editing the existing format!
A Coordinate Format can be defined in two ways; either using a simple coordinate format expression or a regular expression. The simple expression will
generate a regular expression, so it is possible to start with a simple expression and refine it by altering the regular expression.
The fastest way to define a coordinate format is to use a simple expression, which is composed of the letters D, M and S. Uppercase characters represent
the integer part and lowercase characters represent the decimal part. Thus, D represents the integer part of degrees (i.e. 90 if degrees is 90.56) and d
represents the decimal part (i.e. 56 if degrees is 90.56).
Coordinate formats can be used both to interpret a coordinate read from a text file, and to format a coordinate so it can be written to the text file. However,
different rules apply to input and output coordinate formats. The distinctions are:
● The first X letters of a specific in an input coordinate format means "X or more occurances", while it means "at least X occurances" in out put
formats. This means that DD means that the integer part of degrees occupies two or more characters in the input, while it it should occupy at least to
characters in the output. If the degrees does't require two characters, i.e. if it is less than ten, it will be padded with zeros.
● Input formats can have optional part. For instance, a decimal degrees coordinate format would be D.d, i.e. a coordinate such as 12.123 would be a
valid coordinate. However, 12 is also a valid coordinate. Thus, you can make the decimal part optional by surrounding it with "(" and ")". The input
format would then be D(.d). However, this is not valid for output. Instead the output format must be D.d. If the actual coordinate doesn't allow a
decimal, the decimal part will be 0.
● If you define an input coordinate format as D.ddd, it will mean that input coordinates contains three or more decimal numbers. However, the output
coordinate format D.ddd means that the output contains no less than one and no more than three decimals.
● An input coordinate format can divide numbers into sections, which is useful for an input such as 1,000,000.00 for grids. Such a coordinate format
would be written D(,DDD)(,DDD)(.d). That can however not be used for output.
Examples
D° MM' SS.s"
This means "one or more characters for degrees", "two characters for minutes", "two characters for seconds" and "one or more characters in decimal
seconds". However, 18° 48' 40" is also a valid coordinate, so we need to make the decimal part of seconds. This done by encapsulating the decimal part
with "(" and ")". The format then becomes:
D° MM' SS(.s)"
Note! You can use CoordTrans for free in 7 days. You do not need any license key for this period.
The most common problem when installing the license key, is that the user tries to re-type the key instead of doing a cut and paste. Please
always do a cut and paste!
If you after 7 days trial want to continue using CoordTrans you need to buy a license.
1. First you need to purchase a license key. You will have the key delivered to you by email directly after the purchase. You can make the purchase here.
2. Start CoordTrans. If your trial period has expired you will have the dialog below displayed to you. If your trial period has not expired, select File->Enter
License Key from the CoordTrans menu.
3. Cut'n paste your email address and the license key you received by email after your purchase. Then press OK.
4. License key is now installed! If you have purchased a site license repeat step 2 and 3 on each user's computer that should use CoordTrans.
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