Question about survey import and drawing orientation

[Jonk]

Hello! 

 

So 99.9% of the time, I am working with a survey sent to us by a surveyor or civil engineer. These obviously come in at a location relative to the coordinates used for the survey and are never orthogonal to the typical drawing space in Vectorworks, i.e., top/down. I am always rotating my plan to work orthogonally to the house. 

 

We also use certain control points in the survey to locate our projects on GPS in the field. 

 

My question is: Is there a way to import the survey and have it be rotated orthogonal to a certain line, like a building edge, without compromising the actual information in the survey? The goal is to be able to 3D model within my plans so that I can also use typical views like front, back, left, right, etc...

 

I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but figured I'd ask. Thanks!

[Tom W.]

You can set the Angle to True North in the Document Georeferencing dialog. This rotates the globe relative to your model. You can also do it using the Geolocate Tool.

[Katarina Ollikainen]

@Jonk, Yes, if you georeference the receiving file, and you have true coordinates in your import file, then you can align them and set a rotation angle for the georeferencing map.

This means you must know your CRS (coordinate reference system, usually an EPSG code).

This is a great power that comes with georeferencing your file instead of working only with user origin coordinates.

 

[Jonk]

22 minutes ago, Katarina Ollikainen said:

@Jonk, Yes, if you georeference the receiving file, and you have true coordinates in your import file, then you can align them and set a rotation angle for the georeferencing map.

This means you must know your CRS (coordinate reference system, usually an EPSG code).

This is a great power that comes with georeferencing your file instead of working only with user origin coordinates.

 

Unfortunately, we don't always have survey files that come with geo-referenced or real-time coordinates. A lot of the time, the surveyor just uses assumed coordinates. Very rarely do we actually get surveys using EPSG codes. Which leads me to believe that I can just rotate the linework of the survey so long as I maintain one consistent point that remains the same when subsequent versions get imported. 

 

Edited Friday at 02:53 PM by Jonk
More information.

[Katarina Ollikainen]

@Jonk, I do understand that, and I know it's a common situation in the US.

Now, the file doesn't have to be georeferenced - not many DWGs are. But you do need real coordinates. 

If not, there is no way to utilise the georeferencing.

 

Now, if the only thing you're after is a rotation of the plan, without caring about the georeferencing map, but to get away from working in plan rotation, then you can use the georeferencing rotation for this. But you won't be able to import later drawings and get them to automatically align.

Let me know if this is what you want, and I'll show you how to do it.

[Jonk]

6 minutes ago, Katarina Ollikainen said:

@Jonk, I do understand that, and I know it's a common situation in the US.

Now, the file doesn't have to be georeferenced - not many DWGs are. But you do need real coordinates. 

If not, there is no way to utilise the georeferencing.

 

Now, if the only thing you're after is a rotation of the plan, without caring about the georeferencing map, but to get away from working in plan rotation, then you can use the georeferencing rotation for this. But you won't be able to import later drawings and get them to automatically align.

Let me know if this is what you want, and I'll show you how to do it.

That would be great if you could show me! I don't actually mind if it doesn't automatically align when I re-import an updated survey, so long as I can rotate the new one to the same position as the other one. 

 

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

Unfortunately, we don't always have survey files that come with geo-referenced or real-time coordinates. A lot of the time, the surveyor just uses assumed coordinates. Very rarely do we actually get surveys using EPSG codes. Which leads me to believe that I can just rotate the linework of the survey so long as I maintain one consistent point that remains the same when subsequent versions get imported. 

 

You should be able to request the surveyor to provide you with a georeferenced file and the epsg code, chances are it’s already part of their workflow.  Almost all of the files I get from surveyors these days are set up and easily imported to VWX.  Back in the day, we would ask for flattened 2D files and a separate 3d point file so  VWX could import them a little easier.  Now stuff is finally coming in relatively painfully free.

 

personally, I avoid rotating survey geometry and keep it all real world or do a rotated north.  Why?  Because surveys sometime change and/or I have to bing in information from another survey source or GIS.  If you rotated the geometry, you might create a lot of work for yourself in the future.

[Jonk]

39 minutes ago, Jeff Prince said:

You should be able to request the surveyor to provide you with a georeferenced file and the epsg code, chances are it’s already part of their workflow.  Almost all of the files I get from surveyors these days are set up and easily imported to VWX.  Back in the day, we would ask for flattened 2D files and a separate 3d point file so  VWX could import them a little easier.  Now stuff is finally coming in relatively painfully free.

 

personally, I avoid rotating survey geometry and keep it all real world or do a rotated north.  Why?  Because surveys sometime change and/or I have to bing in information from another survey source or GIS.  If you rotated the geometry, you might create a lot of work for yourself in the future.

Thanks @Jeff Prince. I actually asked one of the surveyors we use a lot and this was his response

 

"Nearly all of our projects are on an assumed coordinate system.

Typically in the N5,000 E5,000 range or maybe N10,000 E10,000 but never near state plane coordinates if assumed.

If and when we are on a real coordinate system what you are using for ESPG/datum settings is correct. NAD83(2011)/NH.

If we share any point files with you that are not on an assumed coordinate system we'll be sure to let you know the Hz & Vet. datum information. "

 

I also work on strictly residential projects which in the grand scheme of things are usually "small" so for whatever reason, unless I ask them to, they don't automatically use state plane coordinates. 

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

 

I also work on strictly residential projects which in the grand scheme of things are usually "small" so for whatever reason, unless I ask them to, they don't automatically use state plane coordinates. 

I have noticed residential surveyors and old timers do the assumed coordinate system out of habit. Sometimes we see it with commercial surveyors as well, but less commonly these days due to GIS and city requirements.

 

Your life gets much easier by writing a survey spec/requirements that calls out what is to be collected and how it shall be output, in addition to the statutory requirements.  I get trees, landscape headers, irrigation boxes, etc… basically anything I will need as it is so much more cost effective than locating myself.  Getting it output in a georeferenced format makes it so much cleaner and keeps your process the same from job to job.  The trick is finding surveyors who are willing and capable of going beyond a simple topo or Alta on smaller projects.  Once you get a surveyor you like, stay in their good graces, they are important collaborators who can save you time and money.

[Jonk]

25 minutes ago, Jeff Prince said:

I have noticed residential surveyors and old timers do the assumed coordinate system out of habit. Sometimes we see it with commercial surveyors as well, but less commonly these days due to GIS and city requirements.

 

Your life gets much easier by writing a survey spec/requirements that calls out what is to be collected and how it shall be output, in addition to the statutory requirements.  I get trees, landscape headers, irrigation boxes, etc… basically anything I will need as it is so much more cost effective than locating myself.  Getting it output in a georeferenced format makes it so much cleaner and keeps your process the same from job to job.  The trick is finding surveyors who are willing and capable of going beyond a simple topo or Alta on smaller projects.  Once you get a surveyor you like, stay in their good graces, they are important collaborators who can save you time and money.

Oh I agree with you. Some of the bigger firms will do it no problem but we mainly work with a couple of small companies who, even when I send out a Survey Request Letter, don't get half of the stuff we need. Clients don't always want to pay for an extensive survey even if it's in their best interest. 

[Jeff Prince]

26 minutes ago, Jonk said:

Clients don't always want to pay for an extensive survey even if it's in their best interest. 

 

 I get it.  They just don’t realize they will end up “paying for it” somehow.  Increased design fees, lower fidelity design, and/or construction inefficiencies/errors.

[Jonk]

30 minutes ago, Jeff Prince said:

 

 I get it.  They just don’t realize they will end up “paying for it” somehow.  Increased design fees, lower fidelity design, and/or construction inefficiencies/errors.

For sure. A lot cheaper for the surveyor to get it all while they are out there than for me to go back out with a zip level and tape measure. 🤷‍♂️

[Benson Shaw]

Possible Shuttle file workaround?

Add a couple relevant points or survey points to the survey file. Create a design layer view port of the survey in a new file.  Move/Rotate that DLVP as desired, and draw the architecture etc in the new file.  If needed, DLVP the new file to survey file, and align, via the survey points, to the orig orientation. 

sorry, old school. 
 

-B

 

[Jonk]

On 2/28/2026 at 5:39 PM, Benson Shaw said:

Possible Shuttle file workaround?

Add a couple relevant points or survey points to the survey file. Create a design layer view port of the survey in a new file.  Move/Rotate that DLVP as desired, and draw the architecture etc in the new file.  If needed, DLVP the new file to survey file, and align, via the survey points, to the orig orientation. 

sorry, old school. 
 

-B

 

This is exactly what I plan on doing!