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I'm trying to import a DXF into GIS (I have QGIS, Arcmap 9.2, GVsig ) The file has been given a coordinate system & appears to be the right size, just in the wrong place. In Draftsight (or any other software that can read DXF) how can I set a correct coordinate system? I've been looking at the Draftsight resources but can't work it out as I have limited CAD knowledge.

I can't really affine this in QGIS as I have no base mapping, but I am sure I know the existing CS is out by 400,000m on x & 100,000 on y (OSGB Tile code SU) so if I could do this in Draftsight & re-save it it would come out correct.

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Maybe a hamfisted way to do it, but I managed it through: Select All > Move. I selected the from point with esnap then entered the destination point from the cmd line, adding a leading 4 & 1 to the coordinates. Now in the right place.

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Reading the DraftSight Documentation, the tool uses a Cartesian coordinate system (CCS) which consiss of three coordinate axes. As you have already posted an answer on a possible method, you can find more information about setting up a coordinate system in the following links from the documentation:

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  • Thanks Joseph - I had looked at these and they didn't convey much to me: when I tried to define a CCS it asked about the origin & x plane & lost me there - I couldn't specify a new origin as I had no backdrop to get one from & not at all sure about the x plane... Then it struck me that actually the coordinate system was OK & the data in the wrong place. I'm gradually trying to get to grips with CAD but it's a different way of thinking to GIS & that's what I was brought up on. I'll revisit the documentation when I've got this deadline over. Cheers. Commented Nov 4, 2014 at 20:39
  • I'm glad you found a solution, there's nothing like having an Einstein moment where you find an answer yourself and not from the dozens of sources you had to trawl through!
    – Joseph
    Commented Nov 5, 2014 at 10:11

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