What Should a Shared Spatial Reference Include?
Agree the units, origin and axis orientation used by the receiving team. If the project requires an existing site reference or survey control, identify it explicitly. Record any transformation so a later file can be placed consistently.
Define the Reference Before Export
A geometry file may look convincing while arriving at the wrong scale or orientation. Before delivery, ask which application will receive it, which units that application expects and whether the team needs a local production origin or an established site coordinate system. The answer should be written into the brief, not left to individual import settings.
Registration brings separate captures into a common relationship. A project reference then tells other teams how to place and interpret the delivered data. These are connected decisions, but your brief should name both instead of treating “registered” as a complete coordinate specification.
Check a Small Sample First
Have the receiving team import a representative sample into its intended workflow. Confirm an agreed dimension, a recognizable feature and the up direction. Check that related files align and that any change of origin is documented. Resolve these questions before a large model or media package depends on the import.
- What units are recorded in the delivery notes?
- Where is the production origin, and which direction is up?
- Do the reference cloud and derived model remain aligned?
- Who owns approval of any coordinate transformation?
Keep Revisions Consistent
If the set changes and an updated capture is required, ask whether the new delivery preserves the agreed reference. A changed origin can affect downstream placement even when the new geometry is correct. Include a revision note describing changes, exclusions and any transformation applied.
Use the geometry handoff checklist to connect this reference information with file format and model responsibilities.
Further Reading
Leica Geosystems: user coordinate systems and control; Disguise Designer: working with venue and surface models.