# Coordinate Systems

*Coordinate systems allow you to define local reference frames for geometric transformations of entities.*


## Overview

By default, Flow360 uses a global Cartesian coordinate system. However, for complex geometries or specific analysis requirements, you may need to define custom coordinate systems. These local coordinate systems enable:

- Translation
- Rotation
- Scaling


## Creating Coordinate Systems

To create a coordinate system:

1. Navigate to the **Coordinate systems** section in the Entities browser
2. Click the **"+"** button to add a new coordinate system
3. Define the parameters for the coordinate system
4. Confirm to add the coordinate system to your project

### Coordinate System Parameters

| *Parameter* | *Description* |
|-------------|---------------|
| **Name** | A descriptive name for the coordinate system |
| **Parent** | The parent coordinate system (e.g., Global) that this system is defined relative to |
| **Translation** | The origin offset (X, Y, Z) of the local coordinate system relative to the parent |
| **Rotation axis** | The axis (X, Y, Z components) about which the coordinate system is rotated |
| **Rotation angle** | The angle of rotation about the rotation axis (in degrees) |
| **Scale** | Scale factors (X, Y, Z) for the coordinate system axes |
| **Reference point for rotation and scale** | The point (X, Y, Z) used as the center for rotation and scaling operations |