COORDINATE SYSTEM
STREAM's coordinate system software respects the reference system of every layer you load, so DEMs, orthophotos, point clouds and CAD data line up correctly. It resolves each dataset's CRS by EPSG code, works in projected systems such as UTM and opens geographic data on WGS84, and shows live coordinates under the cursor.
A coordinate reference system (CRS) defines how coordinates map to the earth. If two layers use different systems and are not handled correctly, they drift apart by metres — or land in the wrong place entirely.
Reading and respecting each layer's CRS is what keeps a DEM, an orthophoto and vectors perfectly aligned in one scene.
STREAM reads the coordinate system embedded in GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ and project data — resolved by EPSG code — so layers place correctly.
Work in projected systems such as UTM (metres/feet) for measurement, and open geographic data on a datum like WGS84 with clear handling.
See the real-world coordinates under the cursor as you move across the terrain.
Measurement and display units stay consistent across the project, with metric/imperial switching.
Transverse Mercator zones (UTM and national TM grids), Lambert Conformal Conic and Albers Equal Area are read the same way: the file declares the CRS, STREAM resolves it to an EPSG code and measures in that grid's units.
Declare whether a DEM holds ellipsoidal or orthometric heights and convert it with a geoid grid (GTX, GeoTIFF, GRI or BYN). The converted surface is written as a new GeoTIFF next to the source, which is left untouched.
Pick a new system from the CRS indicator at the bottom left — common systems are listed by name, any other is found by typing its EPSG code: visible points, lines, areas and measurements are converted by real reprojection — for example from an older datum such as ED50 to ETRS89, or from latitude and longitude to UTM. The step can be undone.
When a dataset is loaded, STREAM reads the CRS out of it and shows it for confirmation before the layer is added.
Assigning a CRS says the coordinates were always in that system; transforming moves them into a different one. Choosing the wrong action is what puts data in the wrong place.
Every dataset in a terrain scenario should share one system, so measurements between them are meaningful.
Choose metric or imperial for display and measurement; the setting stays consistent across the whole project.
Rasters go out as GeoTIFF and vectors as DXF or CSV, carrying the coordinate system with them.
Yes. STREAM reads each layer's CRS so DEMs, orthophotos, point clouds and vectors overlay correctly in the same scene.
Yes. STREAM shows a live coordinate readout as you move across the terrain, in the project's coordinate system.
Yes. STREAM works with projected systems such as UTM for measurement and opens geographic (latitude/longitude) data on a datum like WGS84 with clear handling.
Yes. Each dataset's coordinate reference system is resolved by its EPSG code, read from the file's own metadata, and shown for confirmation before the layer is added to the project.
Assigning a CRS declares that the coordinates were always in that system — the numbers do not change. Transforming converts the coordinates into a different system — the numbers do change. Choosing the wrong action is the most common way data ends up in the wrong place, which is why STREAM shows the CRS it read for confirmation before adding a layer.
Open the project in the system the data is in, then click the CRS indicator at the bottom left and pick the target: common systems are listed by name, any other is found by typing its EPSG code. Visible points, lines, areas and measurements are reprojected with GDAL/PROJ, and the step can be undone. Raster layers are not resampled — they are only moved — so load a raster already in the target system when you need to measure on it precisely. For a datum change on official work, check the result against the transformation parameters your mapping authority publishes.
Yes, as the coordinate system of your data. A UTM or national Transverse Mercator zone, a Lambert Conformal Conic grid and an Albers Equal Area system are all resolved to their EPSG code and measured in their grid units. Keep every dataset of a project in one projected CRS; if a raster was delivered in a different projection, reproject it before loading.
On the grid of the projected CRS. The difference from ground distance comes from the projection's scale factor and the height above the ellipsoid — in a UTM zone the scale factor alone runs from −0.04% on the central meridian to roughly +0.1% at the zone edge. If a contract asks for ground distances, apply the combined scale factor or work in a low-distortion local projection.
Yes. Declare the DEM's vertical reference and pick a geoid grid (GTX, GeoTIFF, GRI or BYN); STREAM writes the converted surface as a new GeoTIFF and leaves the source file untouched.
Free beta for Windows x64. Works fully offline with GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ and DXF.
Download STREAM free