Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS)
Overview
Maptaskr uses a standardized approach to coordinate reference systems to ensure consistency and compatibility across all mapping operations. This document explains how coordinate systems work within Maptaskr and what you need to know when working with spatial data.
Key Coordinate Systems
EPSG:4326 (WGS84)
- Primary system: All data input and output uses WGS84
- Format: Latitude/Longitude in decimal degrees
- Range: Latitude: -90° to +90°, Longitude: -180° to +180°
- Usage: Standard for GPS data, GeoJSON, and most web mapping applications
EPSG:3857 (Web Mercator)
- Rendering system: Used internally by MapLibre for display
- Also known as: "Google Mercator" or "Spherical Mercator"
- Usage: Optimized for web map rendering and tile display
How Maptaskr Handles Coordinates
Data Input and Storage
All spatial data in Maptaskr follows these standards:
- Tile Server Requests: Data is requested in EPSG:4326 (WGS84)
- External Server Requests:
- Without Client-Side Reprojection: Requests made in EPSG:4326
- With Client-Side Reprojection: Requests made in the server's native format, then reprojected to EPSG:4326
- Geodata Creation: All drawn features are saved in EPSG:4326, following GeoJSON specification
Rendering Process
The coordinate transformation follows this workflow:
Input Data (EPSG:4326) → MapLibre Processing (EPSG:3857) → Screen Display (x,y pixels)
- Input: Data provided in WGS84 (EPSG:4326)
- Processing: MapLibre reprojects to Web Mercator (EPSG:3857) for rendering
- Display: Final projection to screen coordinates based on map view (globe or planar)
Client-Side Reprojection
What is Client-Side Reprojection?
Client-side reprojection allows Maptaskr to work with external map servers that use different coordinate systems by:
- Requesting data in the server's native coordinate system
- Automatically converting it to WGS84 for consistent internal handling
- Providing better performance and accuracy for certain data sources
When to Enable
- Enable when working with servers that have optimized native projections
- Disable for standard WGS84 sources to reduce processing overhead
Best Practices
For Users
- Always provide data in WGS84 (EPSG:4326) when possible
- Use decimal degrees format (e.g., 40.7128, -74.0060 for New York City)
- Ensure your GPS devices and data sources output WGS84 coordinates
For Developers
- Assume all API inputs and outputs use EPSG:4326
- When integrating external data sources, verify their coordinate system
- Use the client-side reprojection feature for non-WGS84 sources
Additional Resources
Quick Reference
| Operation | Input CRS | Output CRS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Import | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:4326 | No conversion needed |
| Map Display | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:3857 | Automatic reprojection |
| Data Export | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:4326 | Consistent with input |
| API Responses | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:4326 | Always WGS84 |
Summary
Keep it simple: Provide all data in WGS84 (EPSG:4326) format, and Maptaskr will handle all necessary coordinate transformations automatically.