Question
What are the different feet units in FME Coordinate Systems?
Answer
Different Types of the Foot Unit
A "foot measurement" in FME doesn't refer to the size of the users' shoes but to the definition of the unit of measurement called the "foot". There are several kinds of foot measurement in the world. FME supports these:
| FME Unit Name | Unit Description | Unit Abbreviation | Unit Length (in metres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foot | U.S. Survey Feet | FT | 0.30480060960121920243 |
| IFoot | International Feet | IFT | 0.30480000000000000000 |
| ClarkeFoot | Clarke Feet | CF | 0.3047972651151 |
| SearsFoot | Sears Feet | SF | 0.30479947153867624624 |
| GoldCoastFoot | Gold Coast Feet | GCF | 0.30479971018150881758 |
Note that there is a definite difference between the International Foot and the US Survey Foot. Make sure the coordinate system you are using is defined with the correct working unit for your data (this goes for all units, not just feet).
For ArcGIS users: The unit called "FOOT" in ArcGIS is comparible to the IFoot (or International Foot) in FME, with a value of 0.3048m. The FME "Foot" (US Survey Foot) is known as FOOT_US in ArcGIS.