Understanding 6 digit map coordinates for dummies help?

[jblackrupert]

Is there a simple easy to understand for dummies guide
to learning how to find your position on the map
and be able to know where someone else is when they shout
out the 6 digit cooordinates?

Yes I've searched the forum and tried looking it up online
but all I could find was a manuals that were way too complex
to follow for the layman.

Edit: With pictures if possible to plz.. haha
This isn't only for me but other people I know who are making the switch over from BF2 and BF2142.
Kinda spoiled by the minimaps in Battlefield all these years and we're hoping to learn without being beaten over the head with a encyclopedia sized manual.


thanks.

[Simon C]

The first 3 digits are the ones on the top/bottom of your map. If you zoom out, you only get the first 2 digits of each 3 digit part, but zooming in gives you all 3. The second 3 digits are down the sides. Always across the bottom, then up the sides.

[django333]

You can then use the number pad to give a general position within that quadrant. For instance 034193-7 would mean you are in the NW portion of the quadrant.

[interox]

Map grid pattern
Across the top 1st then down the side.
123456
6
5
4
3
2
1-----X

GRID 0601
THEN YOU DIVIDE THAT GRID INTO 10X10 TO GET YOUR THIRD DIGIT

Bottom left corner of grid 0601 would be 061011
middle of the grid would be 065015

[Lauxman]

http://www.armystudyguide.com/conten...d-coordi.shtml

I've found it easier to determine positions on a map during Land Navigation in real life than in ArmA 2...

[OstiasMoscas]

It's not that hard actually, although as I've now been told, a bit different than in real life.

I usually work with maps that are 1:50 000 in scale.
That means that 1 cm on the map is equal to 500 m in the terrain, and each grid is 2x2 centimetres
or 1 kilometer x 1 kilometer in real life.

Just some basic info before I start:
4 digit grid = 1km x 1km square
6 digit grid = 100m x 100m square
8 digit grid = 10m x 10m square
10 digit grid = 1m x 1m square

If you for example would have to find the following grid in Arma 2; 624 236, the first thing you have to do is to find grid 62 23.
Which is easy enough, all you have to do is to look at the bottom/top of your map and find the number 62,
then you have to look at the left/right of your map and find the number 23. You should be able to find grid 62 23 pretty easily in this pic:



As you can see, it's where the lines from 62 and 23 meet. So grid 62 23 is the square covering "Kyrkja".
Finding a 4 digit grid is pretty easy, so lets try and find that 6 digit grid.

Now, 62 23 is a kilometre by kilometre grid, we need to find a 6 digit grid. This means that we have to find a point inside a 100m x 100m square.
So we have to divide grid 62 23 into smaller grids. A 1km x 1km square = 2x2 cm on the map, which means that a 100m x 100m square = 2mm
on the map (1km/10 = 100m, and 2cm/10 = 2mm). This means that we have to draw 10 vertical lines with 2 mm spacing
and 10 horizontal lines with 2mm spacing. We're basically creating a smaller map inside the 62 23 grid.

Out in the field you can either use a measuring ruler to divide the grid accurately or imagine the grid
(which of course is not as accurate, but it's faster). The final "product" would look something like this:



Here I've drawn 10 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, now all that needs to be done is to find (62)4 and (23)6,
so we count the 4th vertical line from the left, and then the 6th horizontal line counting from the top and down,
then we see where 4 and 6 cross (marked in red). That red cross is grid reference 624 236,
which is the top of the mountain Kyrkja (black "x" on the original pic).

Congrats you have now found a 6 digit grid.
Now look forward to finding 8 digit grids (10m x 10m) 10 digit grids (1m X 1m) :P

[galzohar]

I dunno about RL being easier... I've both navigated IRL in the army and navigated in Arma 2 playing missions with no GPS on expert, and the only thing that can make Arma 2 navigation harder is that you don't sit to learn the map like you do IRL before you go navigate. Other than that, it seems pretty much the same. Then again where I was navigating in the army the hills/valleys were much more high/low than in Arma 2 which made navigating easier, but that has nothing to do with navigation capabilities but rather with the actual terrain (it's generally well agreed on that it is harder to navigate in "flatter" terrains).

[BeardPI]

Map grid pattern
Across the top 1st then down the side.
123456
6
5
4
3
2
1-----X

GRID 0601
THEN YOU DIVIDE THAT GRID INTO 10X10 TO GET YOUR THIRD DIGIT

Bottom left corner of grid 0601 would be 061011
middle of the grid would be 065015

That's right except in arma the Y coordinates go from top to bottom, instead of bottom to top...

123456
2
3
4
5
6-----X

[Lauxman]

I dunno about RL being easier... I've both navigated IRL in the army and navigated in Arma 2 playing missions with no GPS on expert, and the only thing that can make Arma 2 navigation harder is that you don't sit to learn the map like you do IRL before you go navigate. Other than that, it seems pretty much the same. Then again where I was navigating in the army the hills/valleys were much more high/low than in Arma 2 which made navigating easier, but that has nothing to do with navigation capabilities but rather with the actual terrain (it's generally well agreed on that it is harder to navigate in "flatter" terrains).

I just prefer to have a map in my hands and be able to freehand make my own marks and notations. A little more interactive than ArmA2's map on the higher difficulties.

[Apocal]

I just prefer to have a map in my hands and be able to freehand make my own marks and notations. A little more interactive than ArmA2's map on the higher difficulties.

Which setting does not allow you to put marks down?


At any rate, I just use the "right down your throat" mnemonic to remember how to read the map in ArmA2. Slightly disappointed that they got the northings upside down, but hopefully ACE will fix that.