GCP File Format
info
Creating a GCP file by hand can be error prone. It's recommended to use the GCP Interface. See also How To use Ground Control Points.
A GCP file is a simple text file.
- The first line should contain the coordinate reference system (CRS) used for the geographical coordinates, for example
EPSG:32616. See Coordinate Reference Systems. - Subsequent lines are the
X,Y,Zworld coordinates, image pixels locations (px,py), imagefilenameand an optionallabel, separated by tabs or spaces.
[CRS]
[x] [y] [z] [px] [py] [filename] [label (optional)]
[x] [y] [z] [px] [py] [filename] [label (optional)]
...
note
- The filename is case-sensitive. IMG_0001.jpg is not the same as IMG_0001.JPG.
- The filename cannot contain spaces.
Example
EPSG:32611
235269.88 3811198.11 5.732 3608.75 2292.52 IMG_0037.jpg GCP-1
235269.88 3811198.11 5.732 586.32 1028.21 IMG_0121.jpg GCP-1
Coordinate Reference Systems
Any of the formats below are valid identifiers for a CRS:
| Format | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EPSG code | EPSG:32616, EPSG:6527+6360, EPSG:6527+6360(GEOID18) | Standard recommended identifier ✅ |
| PROJ definition | +proj=utm +zone=16 +ellps=WGS84 +datum=WGS84 +units=m +no_defs | Useful if an EPSG code is not available |
| WGS84 UTM zone | WGS84 UTM 16N | WGS84 UTM zone with N/S designation |
EPSG Code Formats
| Format | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
EPSG:code | EPSG:32616 | |
EPSG:code+vertical | EPSG:6527+6360 | NAD83(2011) / New Jersey (ftUS) (6527) + NAVD88 height (ftUS) (6360). Geoid automatically selected. |
EPSG:code+vertical(geoid) | EPSG:6527+6360(GEOID18) | Explicitly defines the geoid model to use. |
Geoids
| Region | Vertical CRS | Geoid |
|---|---|---|
| World | EGM96 height - EPSG:5773 | EGM96 |
| World | EGM2008 height - EPSG:3855 MSL height - EPSG:5714 | EGM2008 |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 | GEOID99 |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 | GEOID03 |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 | GEOID06 |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 | GEOID09 |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 | GGM10 |
| United States | 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 | GEOID12A |
| United States | 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 | GEOID12B |
| United States | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 NAVD88 height (ft) - EPSG:8228 NAVD88 height (ftUS) - EPSG:6360 PRVD02 height - EPSG:6641 VIVD09 height - EPSG:6642 | GEOID18 |
| Canada | CGVD28 height - EPSG:5713 | CGG2000/HTv2.0 |
| Canada | CGVD2013(CGG2013) height - EPSG:6647 | CGG2013 |
| Canada | CGVD2013(CGG2013a) height - EPSG:9245 | CGG2013a |
| Mexico | NAVD88 height - EPSG:5703 | GGM10 |
| Austria | EVRF2000 Austria height - EPSG:9274 | Austrian Geoid 2008 |
| Austria | GHA height - EPSG:5778 | Austrian Geoid 2008 |
| Belgium | Ostend height - EPSG:5710 | hBG18 |
| Corsica | NGF-IGN78 height - EPSG:5721 | RAC09 |
| Corsica | NGF-IGN78 height - EPSG:5721 | RAC23 |
| Czech Republic | Baltic 1957 height - EPSG:8357 | CR-2005 |
| Denmark | DVR90 height - EPSG:5799 | DVR90 |
| Denmark | DNN height - EPSG:5733 | DNN |
| Faroe Islands | FVR09 height - EPSG:5317 | FVR09 |
| Finland | N60 height - EPSG:5717 | FIN2000 |
| Finland | N2000 height - EPSG:3900 | FIN2005N00 |
| France | NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720 | RAF09 |
| France | NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720 | RAF18 |
| France | NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720 | RAF18b |
| France | NGF-IGN69 height - EPSG:5720 | RAF20 |
| Germany | DHHN2016 height - EPSG:7837 | GCG2016 |
| Greece | Piraeus height - EPSG:5716 | GR_HEPOS2011 |
| Greenland | GVR2000 height - EPSG:8266 | GGEOID2000 |
| Greenland | GVR2016 height - EPSG:8267 | GGEOID2016 |
| Hungary | EOMA 1980 height - EPSG:5787 | Geoid2014 |
| Iceland | ISH2004 height - EPSG:8089 | IceGeoid2011 |
| Latvia | Latvia 2000 height - EPSG:7700 | LV14 |
| Netherlands | NAP height - EPSG:5709 | NLGEO2018 |
| 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 | PL-geoid-2011 |
| Poland | EVRF2007-PL height - EPSG:9651 | PL-geoid-2021 |
| Portugal | Cascais height - EPSG:5780 | GeodPT08 |
| Slovakia | Baltic 1957 height - EPSG:8357 | DVRM05 |
| Slovenia | SVS2010 height - EPSG:8690 | SLO_VRP2016/Koper |
| Spain | Alicante height - EPSG:5782 | EGM08-REDNAP |
| Sweden | RH2000 height - EPSG:5613 | SWEN17 |
| Switzerland | LN02 height - EPSG:5728 LHN95 height - EPSG:5729 | CHGeo2004 |
| UK | Various including ODN - EPSG:5701 | OSGM15 |
| Argentina | SRVN16 height - EPSG:9255 | GEOIDE-Ar16 |
| Australia | AHD height - EPSG:5711 AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712 | AUSGeoid98 |
| Australia | AHD height - EPSG:5711 AHD (Tasmania) height - EPSG:5712 | AUSGeoid09 |
| Australia | AHD height - EPSG:5711 | AUSGeoid2020 |
| Japan | JGD2011 (vertical) height - EPSG:6695 | JPGEO2024 |
| New Zealand | NZVD2009 height - EPSG:4440 | NZGeoid2009 |
| New Zealand | NZVD2016 height - EPSG:7839 | NZGeoid2016 |
| New Zealand | Various legacy local datums (Auckland, Bluff, Gisborne, etc.) | NZGeoid2016 |
| Singapore | SHD height - EPSG:6919 | SGeoid09 |
| South Africa | SA LLD height - EPSG:9279 | SAGEOID2010 |
| Taiwan | TWVD 2001 height - EPSG:8904 | TWGEOID2018h |
If you encounter issues selecting a specific geoid, get in touch.