What is a geoid model: The geoid is defined based on the earth's gravity field and is used as the reference surface for heights. Beneath the continents, it can be considered as a continuation of the mean sea level surface.
For more information, see the
Orthographic (geoid) vs. ellipsoidal heights article.
This article explains how to select the correct vertical coordinate reference system, geoid, or geoid height in PIX4Dmatic.
PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey support global geoids (EGM84, EGM96, and EGM2008) and local geoids, for example, GEOID12B in the US and OSGM15 in the UK.
For local geoids that are not included in the PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey database, it is possible to specify the Geoid height value to convert between ellipsoidal and orthometric heights.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Selecting the vertical coordinate reference system
Selecting the geoid
Selecting the geoid height
List of supported geoids
Importing geoids
Access
List of supported geoids for import
Useful information
Access: For more information on how to define the horizontal and vertical coordinate systems for images, GCPs, and outputs, please see the
How to use coordinate systems in PIX4Dmatic article.
Selecting the vertical coordinate reference system
After selecting the Horizontal coordinate reference system, the list of Vertical coordinate reference systems is available.
Only Vertical coordinate reference systems within the area of use of the Horizontal coordinate reference system are listed.
Example: For GCPs in:
- Horizontal coordinate reference system: NAD83 - EPSG:4269.
- Vertical coordinate reference system: Ellipsoidal height.
Selecting the geoid
Several geoid models are available in the PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey databases. The full list is available in the List of supported geoids section.
The list of available geoids depends on the selected vertical coordinate reference frame.
Important: Before selecting the
Geoid, it is necessary to select the correct
Vertical coordinate reference system. Only geoids corresponding to a certain vertical coordinate reference system are listed in the
Geoid drop-down menu.
Example: For GCPs in:
- Horizontal coordinate reference system: NAD83 - EPSG:4269.
- Vertical coordinate reference system: NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703.
- Geoid: GEOID12B.
Selecting the geoid height
When the geoid corresponding to the selected vertical reference frame is not available, it is possible to specify the Geoid height value, which represents the height between the base ellipsoid of the horizontal coordinate reference system and the desired geoid.
The Geoid height value is used to convert the image geolocation (WGS 84 ellipsoid or EGM96 geoid) into the desired project coordinate system.
Note: When relying only on the image geolocation (GCPs not used), using
Geoid height is recommended for small areas where geoid and ellipsoid can be considered parallel in a small portion of terrain. This approach will introduce inaccuracies if the project area is large if there are significant variations between the ellipsoid and geoid.
When GCPs are used, the project is fitted to the position of GCPs, and the inaccuracies introduced by a single
Geoid height value do not affect the reconstruction of the project.
Example: For GCPs in:
- Horizontal coordinate reference system: ETRS89 - EPSG:4258 (base ellipsoid GRS 1980).
- Vertical coordinate reference system: Genoa 1942 height - EPSG:5214.
- Geoid: ITALGEO05 (not available).
List of supported geoids
Important: Before selecting the
Geoid, it is necessary to select the correct
Vertical coordinate reference system. Only geoids corresponding to a certain vertical coordinate system are listed in the
Geoid drop-down menu.
Country or region
Vertical coordinate reference system
geoid
Note
Global
EGM96 height - EPSG:5773
EGM96
15' geoid
EGM2008 height - EPSG:3855
MSL height - EPSG:5714
MSL height - EPSG:5714
EGM2008
2.5' geoid
Argentina
SRVN16 height - EPSG:9255
GEOIDE-Ar16
Australia
AHD height - EPSG:5711
AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712
AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712
AUSGeoid98
AHD height - EPSG:5711
AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712
AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712
AUSGeoid09
AHD height - EPSG:5711
AUSGeoid2020
Austria
EVRF2000 Austria height - EPSG:9274
Austrian Geoid 2008
Belgium
Ostend height - EPSG:5710
hBG18
Canada
CGVD28 height - EPSG:5713
CGG2000/HTv2.0
CGVD2013(CGG2013) height - EPSG:6647
CGG2013
CGVD2013(CGG2013a) height - EPSG:9245
CGG2013a
Corsica
NGF-IGN78 height - EPSG:5721
RAC09
NGF-IGN78 height - EPSG:5721
RAC23
Czech Republic
Baltic 1957 height - EPSG:8357
CR-2005
Denmark
DVR90 height - EPSG:5799
DVR90
DNN height - EPSG:5733
DNN
Faroe Islands
FVR09 height - EPSG:5317
FVR09
Finland
N60 height - EPSG:5717
FIN2000
N2000 height - EPSG:3900
FIN2005N00
France
NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720
RAF09
NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720
RAF18
NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720
RAF18b
NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720
RAF20
Germany
DHHN2016 height - EPSG:7837
GCG2016
Greenland
GVR2000 height - EPSG:8266
GGEOID2000
GVR2016 height - EPSG:8267
GGEOID2016
Iceland
ISH2004 height - EPSG:8089
IceGeoid2011
Japan
JGD2011 (vertical) height - EPSG:6695
GSIGEO2011
Latvia
Latvia 2000 height - EPSG:7700
LV14
Mexico
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
GGM10
Netherlands
NAP height - EPSG:5709
NLGEO2018
New Zealand
NZVD2009 height - EPSG:4440
NZGeoid2009
NZVD2016 height - EPSG:7839
NZGeoid2016
Norway
NN2000 height - EPSG:5941
HREF2018b
Norway /
Svalbard
SVD2006 height - EPSG:20000
arcgp-2006-sk
Poland
Baltic 1986 - EPSG:9650
EVRF2007-PL height - EPSG:9651
EVRF2007-PL height - EPSG:9651
PL-geoid-2011
EVRF2007-PL height - EPSG:9651
PL-geoid-2021
Portugal
Cascais height - EPSG:5780
GeodPT08
Singapore
SHD height - EPSG:6919
SGeoid09
Slovakia
Baltic 1957 height - EPSG:8357
DVRM05
Only available to Baltic 1957 height
Slovenia
SVS2010 height - EPSG:8690
SLO_VRP2016/Koper
South Africa
SA LLD height - EPSG:9279
SAGEOID2010
Spain
Alicante height - EPSG:5782
EGM08-REDNAP
Sweden
RH2000 height - EPSG:5613
SWEN17
Switzerland
LN02 height - EPSG:5728
LHN95 height - EPSG:5729
LHN95 height - EPSG:5729
CHGeo2004
Taiwan
TWVD 2001 height - EPSG:8904
TWGEOID2018h
UK
Belfast height - EPSG:5732
Douglas height - EPSG:5750
Lerwick height - EPSG:5742
Malin Head height - EPSG:5731
ODN (Offshore) height - EPSG:7707
ODN height - EPSG:5701
ODN Orkney height - EPSG:5740
St. Marys height - EPSG:5749
Stornoway height - EPSG:5746
Douglas height - EPSG:5750
Lerwick height - EPSG:5742
Malin Head height - EPSG:5731
ODN (Offshore) height - EPSG:7707
ODN height - EPSG:5701
ODN Orkney height - EPSG:5740
St. Marys height - EPSG:5749
Stornoway height - EPSG:5746
OSGM15
Including Great Britain, Ireland, and North Ireland
US
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
GEOID99
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
GEOID03
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
GEOID06
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
GEOID09
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
GGM10
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NMVD03 height - EPSG:6640
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
ASVD02 height - EPSG:6643
GUVD04 height - EPSG:6644
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NMVD03 height - EPSG:6640
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
ASVD02 height - EPSG:6643
GUVD04 height - EPSG:6644
GEOID12A
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NMVD03 height - EPSG:6640
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
ASVD02 height - EPSG:6643
GUVD04 height - EPSG:6644
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
NMVD03 height - EPSG:6640
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
ASVD02 height - EPSG:6643
GUVD04 height - EPSG:6644
GEOID12B
NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228
NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360
PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641
VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642
GEOID18
Importing geoids
Note: This feature is available for versions 1.57 or newer.
Access
Ensure the following requirements concerning coordinate reference systems are fulfilled.
- Download the respective file.
- This file can be downloaded only via the official authorities.
- Set the vertical coordinate reference system according to the table below.
Then, a new option, 
Import geoid will be visible.
List of supported geoid models for import
Country or region
Vertical coordinate reference system
geoid
Source
File name
South Korea
KVD1964 height - EPSG 5193
KNGeoid18
National Geographic Information Institute of South Korea (NGII)
KNGeoid18.dat
Lithuania
LAS07 height - EPSG:9666
LIT20G
Nacionalinė žemės tarnyba prie Aplinkos ministerijos
LIT20G.txt
Useful information
- After successfully importing it, this geoid will be used as any other geoid model.
- Importing a custom geoid file needs to be done only once.
- Any new project created afterward will have the custom geoid model already available. This also applies after installing a later version of PIX4Dmatic/PIX4Dsurvey.
- When importing the custom geoid file into PIX4Dmatic version 1.57 or newer, it will also be available in the equivalent version of PIX4Dsurvey and vice versa.