Coordinate Files
The coordinate files used at the Federal Office of Topography are based on fixed formats, meaning that the various indications and coordinates must be placed in specific columns.
For each point, only the name and coordinates are mandatory. The format or type of the file is determined in the first line, which must begin with $$.
The following formats are defined:
$$PK: Plane coordinates, altitudes on the geoid$$PE: Plane coordinates, altitudes on the ellipsoid$$EL: Ellipsoidal (geodetic) coordinates in degrees, minutes and sexagesimal seconds$$EM: Ellipsoidal (geodetic) coordinates in degrees and sexagesimal minutes$$ED: Ellipsoidal (geodetic) coordinates in decimal degrees$$EN: Ellipsoidal (geodetic) coordinates in gons$$3D: Three-dimensional geocentric coordinates
Each file type may contain comment lines, which must begin with a semicolon (';'). In addition, coordinate files are only read up to the first blank line. This allows any number of comment lines to be inserted at the end of the coordinate file. Programs creating a new coordinate file as a result do not include these comment lines, unlike the "real" comment lines preceded by a semicolon!
Reference Systems
In files of formats $$EL, $$EM, $$ED, $$EN and $$3D, the geodetic datum must be specified in the "Reference System Code" field. With the ellipsoid code for the geoid height "Ellipsoid Code", this allows programs performing transformations between different reference and projection systems to only perform transformations if the data (coordinates and geoid height) are in the same reference system. If these columns remain empty, the tests are not performed.
Format $$PK (plane coordinates, altitudes on the geoid)
txt
$$PK This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 612555.2300 224654.3300 657 568.4000 657MI -0.0531 144CH 2.8 -20.6 144 0.0 0.0 660ST 01 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 612455.3300 224651.7400 657 584.7000 657MI -0.0524 144CH 3.0 -20.6 144 0.0 0.0 660ZI 02 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 612005.4500 224856.8900 657 546.0000 657MI -0.0409 144CH 3.9 -21.2 144 0.0 0.0 660ZI 03 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-44 | (F12.4) | Coordinate Y [m] (East) | |
| 45-56 | (F12.4) | Coordinate X [m] (North) | |
| 57-60 | (A4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 61-70 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the geoid) [m] | |
| 71-74 | (A4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 75-76 | (A2) | Coordinate code | see Coordinate Code |
| 77-84 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 89-90) | |
| 85-88 | (A4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 89-90 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 91-96 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 97-102 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 103-106 | (A4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 107-112 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 113-118 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 119-122 | (A4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 123-126 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 127-129 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 130-131 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 132-135 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 136-138 | (I3) | Zone number | Only for Gauss-Krüger or Lambert projection |
| 139-160 | (A22) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$PE (plane coordinates, altitudes on the ellipsoid)
txt
$$PE This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 612555.2300 224654.3300 657 568.3469 657MI -0.0531 144CH 2.8 -20.6 144 0.0 0.0 660ST 01 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 612455.3300 224651.7400 657 584.6476 657MI -0.0524 144CH 3.0 -20.6 144 0.0 0.0 660ZI 02 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 612005.4500 224856.8900 657 545.0409 657MI -0.0409 144CH 3.9 -21.2 144 0.0 0.0 660ZI 03 @ 264 TEXT-TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-44 | (F12.4) | Coordinate Y [m] (East) | |
| 45-56 | (F12.4) | Coordinate X [m] (North) | |
| 57-60 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 61-70 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the ellipsoid) [m] | |
| 71-74 | (I4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 75-76 | (A2) | Coordinate code | see Coordinate Code |
| 77-84 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 89-90) | |
| 85-88 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 89-90 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 91-96 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 97-102 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 103-106 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 107-112 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 113-118 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 119-122 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 123-126 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 127-129 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 130-131 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 132-135 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 136-138 | (I3) | Zone number | Only for Gauss-Krüger or Lambert projection |
| 139-160 | (A22) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$EL (ellipsoidal coordinates: degrees, minutes, seconds)
txt
$$EL This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 +007 36 15.265890 +47 10 21.838950 657 617.1602 657CH -0.0485 114CH -10.2 15.5 114 0.0 0.0 114ST 01 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 7 36 10.521760 47 10 21.761880 657 633.4622 657CH -0.0486 114CH -10.5 15.0 114 0.0 0.0 114ZI 02 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 7 35 49.178250 47 10 28.434750 657 594.7734 657CH -0.0490 114CH -10.9 14.9 660 0.0 0.0 114ZI 03 @ 264TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-37 | (I5) | Longitude: degrees | |
| 38-40 | (I3) | Longitude: minutes | |
| 41-50 | (F10.6) | Longitude: seconds | |
| 51-55 | (I5) | Latitude: degrees | |
| 56-58 | (I3) | Latitude: minutes | |
| 59-68 | (F10.6) | Latitude: seconds | |
| 69-72 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 73-82 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the ellipsoid) [m] | |
| 83-86 | (I4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 87-88 | (A2) | Reference system code | see Coordinate Code |
| 89-96 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 101-102) | |
| 97-100 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 101-102 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 103-108 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 109-114 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 115-118 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 119-124 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 125-130 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 131-134 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 135-138 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 139-141 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 142-143 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 144-147 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 148-160 | (A13) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$EM (ellipsoidal coordinates: degrees and minutes)
txt
$$EM This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 +007 36.25443149 +47 10.36398252 657 617.1602 657CH -0.0485 114CH -10.2 15.5 114 0.0 0.0 114ST 01 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 7 36.17536265 47 10.36269799 657 633.4622 657CH -0.0486 114CH -10.5 15.0 114 0.0 0.0 114ZI 02 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 7 35.81963751 47 10.47391248 657 594.7734 657CH -0.0490 114CH -10.9 14.9 660 0.0 0.0 114ZI 03 @ 264TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-37 | (I5) | Longitude: degrees | |
| 38-49 | (F12.8) | Longitude: minutes | |
| 50-54 | (I5) | Latitude: degrees | |
| 55-66 | (F12.8) | Latitude: minutes | |
| 67-70 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 71-80 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the ellipsoid) [m] | |
| 81-84 | (I4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 85-86 | (A2) | Reference system code | see Coordinate Code |
| 87-94 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 99-100) | |
| 95-98 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 99-100 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 101-106 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 107-112 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 113-116 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 117-122 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 123-128 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 129-132 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 133-136 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 137-139 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 140-141 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 142-145 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 146-158 | (A13) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$ED (ellipsoidal coordinates: decimal degrees)
txt
$$ED This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 +007.6042405250 +47.1727330400 657 617.1602 657CH -0.0485 114CH -10.2 15.5 114 0.0 0.0 114ST 01 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 7.6029227110 47.1727116300 657 633.4622 657CH -0.0486 114CH -10.5 15.0 114 0.0 0.0 114ZI 02 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 7.5969939580 47.1745652100 657 594.7734 657CH -0.0490 114CH -10.9 14.9 114 0.0 0.0 114ZI 03 @ 264TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-48 | (F16.10) | Longitude: degrees (decimal) | |
| 49-64 | (F16.10) | Latitude: degrees (decimal) | |
| 65-68 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 69-78 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the ellipsoid) [m] | |
| 79-82 | (I4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 83-84 | (A2) | Reference system code | see Coordinate Code |
| 85-92 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 97-98) | |
| 93-96 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 97-98 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 99-104 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 105-110 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 111-114 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 115-120 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 121-126 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 127-130 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 131-134 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 135-137 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 138-139 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 140-143 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 144-160 | (A17) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$EN (ellipsoidal coordinates: gons)
txt
$$EN This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 +008.4491561390 +52.4141478200 657 568.4000 657CH -0.0485 659CH -10.2 15.5 660 -5.0 10.3 660ST 01 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 8.4476919010 52.4141240300 657 578.7040 657CH -0.0486 659CH -10.5 15.0 660 -5.1 10.4 660ZI 02 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 8.4411043980 52.4161835700 657 549.8400 657CH -0.0490 659CH -10.9 14.9 660 -4.9 10.3 660ZI 03 @ 264TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-48 | (F16.10) | Longitude: gons | |
| 49-64 | (F16.10) | Latitude: gons | |
| 65-68 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 69-78 | (F10.4) | Altitude H (on the ellipsoid) [m] | |
| 79-82 | (I4) | Origin of altitude | |
| 83-84 | (A2) | Reference system code | see Coordinate Code |
| 85-92 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 97-98) | |
| 93-96 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 97-98 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 99-104 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 105-110 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 111-114 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 115-120 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 121-126 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 127-130 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 131-134 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 135-137 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 138-139 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 140-143 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 144-160 | (A17) | Reserve, additional text |
Format $$3D (three-dimensional geocentric coordinates)
txt
$$3D This is the title line
TRI150 PY 751030 4BL087334 +4305840.61410 +574846.15700 +4655292.75750 657CH -0.0485 144CH -10.2 15.5 144 0.0 0.0 144ST 01 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI152 PY 751030 4BL087336 4305866.54940 574748.81900 4655303.09540 657CH -0.0486 144CH -10.5 15.0 144 0.0 0.0 144ZI 02 @ 264TEXT-..
TRI153 PY 751030 4BL087337 4305750.10730 574279.80140 4655414.81580 657CH -0.0490 144CH -10.9 14.9 144 0.0 0.0 144ZI 03 @ 264TEXT-..
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1| Position | Format | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (A10) | Point identification, name | |
| 11-14 | (A4) | Point identification, type | |
| 15-22 | (A8) | Point identification, survey date | YYYYMMDD |
| 23-26 | (A4) | Order, canton | |
| 27-32 | (A6) | New number: map / point number | |
| 33-47 | (F15.5) | Geocentric coordinate X [m] | |
| 48-62 | (F15.5) | Geocentric coordinate Y [m] | |
| 63-77 | (F15.5) | Geocentric coordinate Z [m] | |
| 78-81 | (I4) | Origin of coordinates | |
| 82-83 | (A2) | Reference system code | see Coordinate Code |
| 84-91 | (F8.4) | Geoid height [m] = difference between geoid and ellipsoid defined by code (Pos. 96-97) | |
| 92-95 | (I4) | Origin of geoid height | |
| 96-97 | (A2) | Ellipsoid code (reference ellipsoid for geoid height and deflection of the vertical) | see Ellipsoid Code |
| 98-103 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical ETA (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 104-109 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical XI (at altitude H) [cc] | |
| 110-113 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical | |
| 114-119 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level ETA0 [cc] | |
| 120-125 | (F6.1) | Deflection of the vertical at sea level XI0 [cc] | |
| 126-129 | (I4) | Origin of deflection of the vertical at sea level | |
| 130-133 | (A4) | Point code for RAUMTRI | Provided for RAUMTRI code |
| 134-136 | (I3) | Continuous numbering (for GPS software) | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 137-138 | (A2) | Flag for GPS | Required for "Bernese GPS Software" |
| 139-142 | (I4) | GPS session number (Day of Year) | Required to distinguish sessions (measurement file for LTOP) |
| 143-160 | (A18) | Reserve, additional text |
Coordinate Code
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| MI | Military coordinates in MN03 (Bern: 600'000 / 200'000) |
| ZI | Civil coordinates in MN03 (Bern: 0 / 0) |
| LV | Projection system for MN95 (Bern: 2'600'000 / 1'200'000) |
| DG | German Gauss-Krüger projection |
| AG | Austrian Gauss-Krüger projection |
| TM | UTM projection |
Ellipsoid Code
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| CH | Bessel CH1903 |
| 3P | Bessel CH1903+ |
| 95 | GRS80 CHTRF95 |
| EF | ETRF93 |
| 84 | WGS84 |
Source
Description of the LTOP format, available at the following address: https://geodesy.geo.admin.ch/reframe/ltop_fmt_descr_fr.html