Coordinate system: definition (structure)
Definition
A coordinate system is defined by:
- a name (and a comment)
- a type of coordinate system
- a reference coordinate system (or parent coordinate system)
- the positioning of the coordinate system in the reference coordinate system
Name
The name to identify the coordinate system is set by the user during the creation of this one.
A comment (optional) can be added to the name.
Types of coordinate systems: 2D domain
The different types of coordinate systems and the characteristics useful for their description are gathered in the table below:
| Type of coordinate system | Required fields |
|---|---|
| Cartesian | (x,y) |
| Cylindrical | (r,θ) |
| Propagated from another coordinate system |
Transformation which defines the propagation Origin coordinate system |
Types of coordinate systems: 3D domain
The different types of coordinate systems and the characteristics useful for their description are gathered in the table below:
| Type of coordinate system | Required fields |
|---|---|
| Cartesian | (x,y,z) |
| Cylindrical | (r,θ,z) |
| Spherical | (r,θ,φ) |
| Propagated from another coordinate system |
Transformation which defines the propagation Origin coordinate system |
Reference coordinate system
A coordinate system is defined with respect to a reference coordinate system (or parent coordinate system). The different reference coordinate systems are presented in the table below:
| Coordinate system | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| defined with respect to the global coordinate system | length unit (m, mm, µm, inch, user's unit) |
angle unit (degree or radian) |
| defined with respect to a local coordinate system | name of parent coordinate system | |
Positioning: 2D domain
A coordinate system is positioned in its reference coordinate system using:
- the center coordinates of this coordinate system expressed in the reference coordinate system
- rotation angles of the axes of this coordinate system with respect to the axes of the reference coordinate system
| Origin of coordinate system | Rotation angle |
|---|---|
|
|
Positioning: 3D domain
A coordinate system is positioned in its reference coordinate system using:
- the center coordinates of this coordinate system expressed in the reference coordinate system
- rotation angles of the axes of this coordinate system with respect to the axes of the reference coordinate system
| Origin of coordinate system | Rotation angle |
|---|---|
|
|