Coordinate Settings & Defaults

Coordinate settings control how coordinates are displayed throughout SiteView. Set your preferred format once and it applies across all measurement tools, the calculator, CSV import, and export. You can also override the default on a per-site basis for projects that use a different coordinate system.

Default Coordinate Format

Choose your preferred coordinate display format from the following options:

Format	Example	Best For
WGS84 Decimal	-27.467891, 153.023453	General mapping, GIS work, international projects
DMS	27 28 04.41 S, 153 01 24.43 E	Traditional surveying notation, verbal communication
MGA2020	502341.234 E, 6962153.456 N (Zone 56)	Australian construction and surveying
NZTM2000	1756432.123 E, 5428901.456 N	New Zealand construction and surveying

Your selection determines the format shown in:

Coordinate readouts when clicking on the map
Measurement result panels
The Measurements tab in the floating panel
The Measurement Register
Default input format in the Calculator

💡 Tip

If you primarily work on Australian construction sites, set MGA2020 as your default. If you work across both Australia and New Zealand, consider using WGS84 Decimal as the default and overriding per site.

Default MGA Zone

When MGA2020 is selected as your default format, you can also set a default zone. This saves you from having to select the zone each time you use MGA2020 coordinates.

Choose from zones 49 through 56. The zone should match the zone used by your project's survey control and engineering design files.

ℹ️ Did you know?

The default zone is used as a starting point. If you work on a site in a different zone, SiteView's auto-detection will recognise the correct zone from the map location and adjust accordingly. See Auto-Detection for details.

Where Preferences Apply

Your coordinate preferences apply across these areas of SiteView:

Measurement Tools

When you take a measurement on the CesiumJS map, the result panel displays coordinates in your default format. All ten measurement tools respect this setting.

Calculator

The Calculator uses your default format for the initial input fields. You can still enter coordinates in any format — the calculator converts between all formats regardless of your default.

CSV Import

During CSV Import, the auto-detected coordinate system is compared against your default. If they match, the import proceeds smoothly. If they differ, a notification explains the difference.

Export

When exporting to CSV or DXF, the coordinate system defaults to your preference. You can change it for individual exports without affecting your saved default.

Coordinate Converter

The Coordinate Converter highlights your default format but shows all formats simultaneously.

Per-Site Override

You can override the default coordinate format for individual sites. This is useful when:

A specific project uses a different MGA zone from your default
You have sites in both Australia and New Zealand
A particular site uses coordinates in a non-default format

Setting a Per-Site Override

Open the site's detail page
Navigate to the site settings (via the edit modal or settings icon)
Under Coordinate Preferences, select the format and zone for this site
Save the changes

When you are viewing that site, the per-site override takes precedence over your global default. When you return to the Measurement Register or another site, your global default applies.

ℹ️ Did you know?

Per-site overrides are optional. If you do not set an override, the site uses your global default. Most users who work within a single zone will not need per-site overrides.

Saving Preferences

Coordinate preferences are saved to your SiteView user profile and persist across sessions and devices. Changes take effect immediately — there is no need to refresh the page.

To change your preferences:

Open Settings from the SiteView sidebar (see SiteView Settings)
Navigate to the Coordinates section
Select your preferred default format
If using MGA2020, select your default zone
Click Save

Switching Formats Temporarily

Even with a default set, you can temporarily switch the coordinate display in most tools without changing your saved preference. Look for the coordinate format selector in measurement result panels and the calculator — this changes the display for the current session only.

What's Next?

MGA2020 (Australia) — understand the Australian grid system and its zones
NZTM2000 (New Zealand) — understand the New Zealand grid system
Auto-Detection — how SiteView detects coordinate systems from values
SiteView Settings — the full settings page including coordinate preferences