Coordinate System Location and Orientation Form

Use options on the Coordinate System Location and Orientation form to locate the origin of the coordinate system for a model. The values specified on the form are offsets from the global coordinate system, which has its origin at 0, 0, 0.

System Name display box. The name of the system being located relative to the global coordinate system is displayed here.
2-D or 3-D option. Select 2-D if the new system differs from the Global system only in the X-Y plane. Select 3-D if a more general 3-D transformation is required. The option selected determines the data required in the other areas of the form.
Origin Location - Enter the location of the origin of the new system, given in Global coordinates:
- For 2-D systems, enter only the global X and Y coordinates. The Z coordinate is taken to be zero.
- For 3-D systems, enter the global X, Y, and Z coordinates of the origin of the new system.

If all three coordinates are set to zero, the system has the same origin as the Global system.

Origin Orientation - Rotations in Degrees - Enter the angles, in degrees, that define how the axes of the new system are rotated with respect to the Global system.

For 2-D systems, specify only the rotation about the Z axis. This is the angle from the Global X axis to the new X axis, measured counter-clockwise in the X-Y plane.

For 3-D systems, specify the three rotations that are applied in the following sequence:

- First, rotate the new system about its Z axis, which is currently parallel to the Global Z axis.
- Next, rotate the new system about its resulting Y axis, which is currently parallel to the Global X-Y plane, but not necessarily parallel to the Global Y axis.
- Finally, rotate the new system about its resulting X axis.

Any coordinate system orientation can be described by means of these three angles. The order of application is important. If all three angles are set to zero, the system has the same orientation as the Global system.

Access the Coordinate System Location and Orientation form as follows:

Method 1:

Click the File menu > New Model to display the New Model form.
Choose a template to display the {Template} form. Then do one of the following:
- Check the Use Custom Grid Spacing and Locate Origin check box and click the Edit Grid button to display the Define Grid Data form. On that form click the Locate System Origin button.
- Click the Locate Origin button on the selected {Template} form.

Method 2

Click the Define menu > Coordinate Systems/Grids command to display the Coordinate/Grid Systems form.
Use one of the following:
- Click the Add New System button.
- Highlight a previously defined Regular System definition and click the Add Copy of System or Modify/Show System button to display the Define Grid Data form. On that form, click the Locate System Origin button.
- Highlight a previously defined General System and click the Add Copy of System or Modify/Show System button to display the Grid System Data form. On that form, click the Coordinate System button.