How to Enter Surveyor's Coordinates

[Anonymous]

I haven't created a survey plan since AC9. Back then we could enter 119 degrees, 37 minutes and 34 seconds as "119 37 34".

Now in AC11 that doesn't work. When did that change and must I now enter N, S, E, W into my angle coordinate as well?

If so, I hope there's a way around this, because we never get those with our survey plans. We just get degrees, minutes, seconds.

Is there a way to just type in degrees, minutes seconds anymore?

Edit: I guess I should also make it clear that I'd like to enter these whilst keeping them relative to project north. As much as I know, this can only be done by using surveyor's units in project preferences, instead of degrees, minutes, seconds.

Hunter.

[Anonymous]

Does this help?

[Anonymous]

In researching the topic, I saw your method before I posted.

You say to Constrain cursor to North, but is that where project north is, or is it 'on the Horizon' as graphisoft puts it (to the right on the x axis)?

I want to be able to set my project north (in the more sun dialog), then enter the cooridnates as degrees, minutes, seconds relative to that. I figured this would be a pretty simple process in AC11?

Hunter.

[Anonymous]

Hunter wrote:
In researching the topic, I saw your method before I posted.

You say to Constrain cursor to North, but is that where project north is, or is it 'on the Horizon' as graphisoft puts it (to the right on the x axis)?

I want to be able to set my project north (in the more sun dialog), then enter the cooridnates as degrees, minutes, seconds relative to that. I figured this would be a pretty simple process in AC11?

Hunter.

That would be to Project North, as it is relative to this that you want to measure your angle. Archicad measures angles anti-clockwise, we want to go clockwise, which is the reason for the MINUS after your angle input.

Hope this makes sense.

[Anonymous]

I think there's a communication gap here. Please let me explain....

I go to view/ 3d view mode/ 3d projection settings/ more sun and change my project north (lets say to 111 degrees exactly), and then I go to options/ project preferences/ working units and levels and set my angle unit to degrees, minutes, seconds. Now when I enter any coordinates (even using - at the end), it is relative to the x axis (what graphisoft calls the horizon in the reference manual). They are not relative to the project north set at 111 degrees. Using this method I can enter angles in as degrees minutes seconds, with spaces and without using N, S, E, W, but it is not related to my project north.

If I go and change my angle units to surveyor's units, then my angles will be relative to the project north at 111 degrees, but I have to enter N, S, E, W into the angle. And I don't have that info from the site plan.

So what am I supposed to do? Just enter it all relative to the x axis and then rotate the whole site after? It seems crazy that I can't enter my coordinates without N, S, E, W, and have them relative to project north!

I wonder how other people do it? Ther's got to be an easy answer from a power user?

Hunter.

[Anonymous]

Hunter

If you constrain your cursor to 111 degrees (your project North) either by guidelines or rotating your grid, then continue as described, you should get what you want.

Funny how we all speak the same language but mean different things, isn't it? Here we generally have all our angles relative to North, so don't have to worry with eastings and such. Seems logical to me.