Coordinate Readout

The Coordinate Readout tool lets you click any point on the map and instantly see its position in multiple coordinate formats. WGS84 decimal degrees, degrees/minutes/seconds (DMS), MGA2020, and NZTM2000 are all displayed simultaneously with copy-to-clipboard buttons for each format.

Activating the Tool

Open the Measurements tab in the site detail floating panel and click the Coordinate icon, or press C on your keyboard. The cursor changes to a crosshair.

Reading Coordinates

Click anywhere on the map to read the coordinates at that point. The result is immediate — a single click completes the measurement. A marker is placed at the clicked position and the results panel shows the coordinates in all supported formats.

To read coordinates at a different point, simply click again. The previous readout is replaced with the new one.

💡 Tip

For precise coordinate capture, zoom in closely to the area of interest before clicking. At higher zoom levels, the crosshair aligns more accurately with specific features like corner pegs, manhole lids, or boundary markers.

Coordinate Formats

The results panel displays the position in four formats simultaneously:

WGS84 Decimal Degrees

The standard global coordinate format used by GPS systems and most mapping applications.

• Latitude: e.g., -33.868820
• Longitude: e.g., 151.209296

DMS (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds)

The traditional geographic coordinate format, useful for map reading and referencing survey plans that use this notation.

• Latitude: e.g., 33 52' 7.752" S
• Longitude: e.g., 151 12' 33.466" E

MGA2020 (Map Grid of Australia)

The projected coordinate system used across Australia for construction and survey work. MGA2020 coordinates are displayed with the appropriate zone number.

• Zone: e.g., 56
• Easting: e.g., 334,112.456
• Northing: e.g., 6,249,874.231

NZTM2000 (New Zealand Transverse Mercator)

The standard projected coordinate system used throughout New Zealand for survey and engineering work.

• Easting: e.g., 1,757,234.567
• Northing: e.g., 5,920,456.789

ℹ️ Did you know?

MGA2020 and NZTM2000 are the coordinate systems most commonly used in construction survey plans in Australia and New Zealand respectively. Having both displayed lets you immediately compare a readout against the coordinates on your survey drawings without manual conversion.

Elevation Display

In addition to the horizontal position, the coordinate readout includes the elevation at the clicked point:

• DEM elevation — if a processed DEM covers the point, the elevation is read from the DEM with high accuracy
• Terrain elevation — if no DEM is available, the elevation comes from the CesiumJS world terrain dataset

The elevation source is indicated in the results panel so you know whether you are reading a surveyed elevation or an approximate terrain value.

Copy to Clipboard

Each coordinate format has a copy button beside it. Click the button to copy the coordinates to your clipboard in a clean text format ready for pasting into emails, survey reports, or engineering software.

The copied text includes the format label and values, for example:

MGA2020 Zone 56 E: 334112.456 N: 6249874.231

💡 Tip

Use the copy-to-clipboard feature when you need to share a location with a colleague or record it in a report. Rather than reading and retyping coordinates (with the risk of transcription errors), copy them directly from SiteView.

Practical Uses

• Recording locations — capture the coordinates of key site features such as benchmarks, boundary pegs, or utility connections
• Setting out verification — read the coordinates at placed pegs and compare against the survey plan
• Sharing positions — copy coordinates to send to colleagues, surveyors, or delivery drivers
• Report data — paste precise coordinates into inspection reports, site diaries, or engineering correspondence
• Cross-referencing plans — compare SiteView coordinates with those shown on registered survey plans or design drawings

Coordinate Accuracy

The horizontal position is determined by the CesiumJS globe and the map imagery. For general location purposes, this is accurate to within a few metres. For higher accuracy:

• Use a processed orthophoto overlay so you can precisely identify features on the ground
• Zoom in closely before clicking to improve your click accuracy
• For survey-grade coordinates, use the RTK receiver integration to capture positions with centimetre-level accuracy

⚠️ Watch out!

Coordinate readouts from clicking on the map are suitable for general location and planning purposes. They should not be used as a substitute for registered survey measurements where legal or contractual accuracy is required.

Saving the Measurement

Click Save to record the coordinate readout. Add a category, notes (such as the name of the feature at this location), and photos. Saved coordinate readouts appear in the Measurements tab with a point marker on the map.

What's Next?

• Height Measurement — measure the vertical distance between two points
• Distance & Bearing — measure distance and bearing between multiple points
• Measurement Tools Overview — return to the full list of measurement tools