--- title: "Frequently asked questions · almawqii" description: "Short, factual answers about Moroccan projections, import/export formats, SRTM accuracy, drawing privacy and the legal side of surveying in Morocco." url: https://almawqii.xyz/en/faq language: en alternates: fr: https://almawqii.xyz/fr/faq.md ar: https://almawqii.xyz/ar/faq.md --- # Frequently asked questions These are the questions we are asked most often. Every answer stays short and points to the page that goes further. ### What is the Morocco Lambert projection, and why four zones? Morocco uses a conformal conic (Lambert) projection derived from the Merchich datum. The country is split into four belts — Nord, Sud, Sud-Nord and Sud-Sud — to keep distortion small over each sheet. Using the wrong belt returns X, Y values that look plausible but are wrong, often by hundreds of metres. ### How do I get correct X, Y coordinates for a point in Morocco? Pick the zone in the projection switcher on the map first, then click the point: the readout shows WGS84 latitude/longitude and the plane X, Y in that zone. Always convert from GNSS WGS84, never from an unreferenced scan or photo. ### Merchich or WGS84: which one for administrative work? WGS84 is the GNSS and international exchange datum; Merchich remains the historical datum of cadastral documents and most existing plans. The same point has different coordinates in each system: convert with the official parameters (the tool does) and keep both values in the file. ### Do the exported files open in AutoCAD, QGIS or ArcGIS? Yes. The DXF is plain ASCII with standard group codes (POINT, LINE, LWPOLYLINE, POLYLINE, ARC, CIRCLE) and opens in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, QCAD or LibreCAD. The Shapefile ships as a ZIP with .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj in WGS84; KML/KMZ in Google Earth; GeoJSON in QGIS, ArcGIS and web libraries. ### Which formats can I import into the map? DXF, KML and KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile (a lone .shp or a full .zip) and plain “X Y Z” or CSV text. Imported coordinates are read in the active zone: check the projection switcher before loading a Lambert DXF, otherwise the geometry lands in the wrong place. ### Is SRTM elevation good enough for a preliminary design? SRTM 30 m gives an order of magnitude: fine for an indicative profile, a rough volume or a slope survey, not enough for levelling, network connections or a regulatory file. Those need GNSS RTK or optical levelling. ### Are my drawings sent to a server? Without an account, no — and nothing is kept in the browser either: all computing (projections, distances, areas, contours, exports) happens on your device and the drawing goes with the page. With an account, your projects (Carte and MawCAD drawings) are saved in your space and follow you from one device to another. The live position is never sent. The server only receives a visit statistic if you accept it, and the contact form if you send it. ### Do these coordinates have legal value? No. Coordinates computed here are working figures: they replace neither a regular survey nor any document issued by ANCFCC or a licensed surveyor. No parcel, boundary or area produced on this page is enforceable against a third party. ### Can I chain the tool with a GNSS RTK receiver? Yes, through files: export DXF or “X Y Z” CSV from your field book, import it here to check the points in the right Lambert zone, or go the other way to prepare a stake-out list. The files never leave the browser. ### How do I obtain an official survey in Morocco? Contact ANCFCC for land registration and cadastral documents, and a licensed surveying engineer (géomètre-expert) for boundary marking and stake-out. This tool helps you prepare, check and document those steps; it does not replace them. ### How do I get the X, Y coordinates of a point in a given zone? Open “X · Y” and choose a zone: the fields fill from the last point, map centre or cursor. You can manually enter X and Y in metres, then add a real point feature to the drawing. Copy the values as two spreadsheet-ready columns. ### What does the subscriber plan provide? A subscriber account receives higher project, payload and feature limits. The plan is activated manually on request. ### How do I become a subscriber? Write to us from the contact page with the address of the account: the plan is switched on by hand, for whatever period you choose, until online payment is in place. ### Can I convert GPS coordinates to Lambert without an account? Yes. The GPS, Lambert and UTM converter is open and needs no sign-up: one point, a pasted list or a table, for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and France. The free account is for saving projects and opening MawCAD. ### Which countries and coordinate systems are supported? 32 systems: the four Morocco Lambert zones (Merchich), Algeria Lambert North and South (Nord Sahara 1959), Tunisia Lambert North and South (Carthage), Lambert-93, CC42 to CC50 and the NTF Lambert I to IV for France, UTM 28 to 32 N on WGS 84 and the Qatar National Grid. Every definition is checked against the EPSG registry.