NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) V2.0

NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) V2.0

NCAT A one-stop solution for coordinate conversion and transformation Revamps and modernizes Geodetic Toolkit Toolkit modernization is an integral part of NSRS modernization

NCAT Multiple ways of access: Single point conversion/transformation Multi-point conversion/transformation NCAT download (for conversions only) NCAT grids download (for conversions and transformations) NCAT API Grids download ( for custom software)

NCAT API vs Download API Download Platform independent Platform independent Internet access required No internet access required Updates are automatic Updates are manual Command line access Command line access Access is through API calls Access is through shared library calls Backward compatibility guaranteed Backward compatibility may not be guaranteed

NCAT Internal products that consume NCAT services: VDatum – uses NCAT as a shared library OPUS – uses NCAT API .more in development

NCAT Conversion Supports geodetic to projected coordinate (SPC,UTM,USNG,XYZ) conversion and vice versa Supports conversion between two SPC zones or two UTM zones for all access modes Allows override to auto picked zones Auto pick of SPC zone option is not available from the download package

NCAT Transformation Uses Nadcon 5.0 (since v1.0) for geometric and Vertcon 3.0 (since v2.0) for geopotential transformation Transformation only available for supported regions Visit Nadcon 5.0, Vertcon 3.0, or NCAT API pages to learn more Transformation error estimates are cumulative for geometric transformation

NCAT Conversion and Transformation Conversion and transformation can be combined into a single step Example: SPC SD S-4002 NAD83(1986) SPC SD N-4001 NAD83(2011)

NCAT API Delivered in JSON format Easy to consume and parse V2.0 adds metadata for keys used in JSON https://geodesy.noaa.gov/api/ncat/meta Rate limits apply

NCAT Web Interface Significant changes to UI between v1.0 and v2.0 Dynamic user interface, responsive design Supports multiple export formats V2.0 simplifies upload formats V2.0 reformats results table for improved readability

NCAT Architecture NCAT Web Interface Grids API Conv/Trans Engine

NCAT Roadmap 2/2018 – NCAT V1.0 went live 9/2019 – Vertcon 3.0 integrated into NCAT 2020-21 – Deflection models 2020-21 – Geoid models

NCAT Roadmap 2021-22 – Helmert Transformations 2023-25 – IFVM epoch (2020) in Nadcon and Vertcon; 5-year update cycle,**TRF,NAPGD Transformations 2024-26 – Dynamic Heights

Odds and Ends Use the marker position on map for input validation Heights are always returned in meters V2.0 does not support conversion between heights Ellipsoid height is required for combined factor and xyz conversions Legacy versions of IE have known issues; Chrome provides better user experience Uploads require lowercase file extensions

NCAT Tutorial Available under the “About.” tab Part 1- NCAT Conversions Part 2- NCAT Transformations