How to display coordinates of a point in a projected coordinate system?

Question

I want to check the coordinates of a point.

On selecting this point in ArcGIS it displays a latitude and Longitude . In ArcGIS I found an option in 'Identity Tool' that the Latitude and Longitude can be changed into desired units say for eg: Decimal degrees, decimeters etc.

But when the same file is opened in QGIS and the same point is selected it shows me a Latitude and Longitude point but its unit can not be adjusted.

In QGIS, is there a method to change the display units of the point, similar to how ArcGIS does this?

Answer 1

If I understand well, you have your data in a Coordinate System (from your description, probably geographic one), and you want to see\capture coordinates in a different system.

In QGIS you can do the following:

Option 1 -Set you Project to the desired coordinate system

• Make sure you set the correct CRS for your layers using right-click over the layer name > Set Layer CRS;
• Go to Project > Project Properties > CRS;
• Turn on the fly projection, and choose the desired coordinate system, in your case NAD 83 (but I think you need to be more specific about it);

Now when you move your mouse over the map canvas you will see the coordinates in the desired system.

Option 2 - Use the Coordinate Capture plugin

• Make sure you set the correct CRS for your layers using right-click over the layer name > Set Layer CRS;
• Right-click over an empty space in a toolbar and select the Coordinate Capture tool;
• In the tool dialog, Click on the sphere icon to set the CRS that you want your coordinates to be shown (again NAD83);
• Click the mouse icon, to start tracing the mouse movements;
• Click on the canvas to stop the mouse tracing and "save" the point coordinates;

If you wish to show your geographic coordinates in Degree, Minutes and Seconds, only the first option will work, and you need to set the desired units in Project > Project properties > General > Canvas units.

Answer 2

There is a newer plugin which solves the OP's question and I personally prefer it as a plugin in QGIS.

Its called Lat Lon Tools.

It offers a broader range of capabilities when compared to to the Coordinate Capture plugin. More specifically it has a Coordinate Conversion tool, which means it will convert to DMS based on mouse interaction, regardless of your underlying Project coord system.