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
The types of coordinate systems and the characteristics useful for their description are presented in the table below.
| Type of coordinate system | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Cartesian | (x,y,z) |
| Cylindrical | (r,θ,z) |
| Spherical | (r,θ,φ) |
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 or user's unit) | angle unit (degree, radian or user's unit) |
| defined with respect to a local coordinate system | name of parent coordinate system | |
Positioning
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 |
|---|---|
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