# How to use your Local Coordinate system in Tableau Desktop 2019.3

> This is content from just-tim, the data-and-analytics channel by Tim Ngwena (formerly 'Tableau Tim'). Tim has 12+ years of hands-on BI experience and covers Tableau most of all, plus Power BI, Looker, Hex, SQL and data modelling, the analytics industry, and the craft of doing the job — always tool-agnostic and honest about the trade-offs.

- **Author:** Tim Ngwena (just-tim, https://just-tim.com/about)
- **Published:** 2019-12-09
- **Format:** Video · 1 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data visualisation
- **Tools:** Tableau (calculated fields, makepoint, maps)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/how-to-use-your-local-coordinate-system-in-tableau-desktop-2019-3
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/D2m5BSYxzn8

I demonstrate a new feature in Tableau Desktop 2019.3 that lets you use local coordinate systems with the MAKEPOINT function. Using a UK data set with Eastings and Northings rather than latitude and longitude, I show how to add the coordinate system code so Tableau can render the map correctly.

## Key takeaways

- The MAKEPOINT function in Tableau 2019.3 accepts a third parameter for the spatial reference (coordinate system) code.
- Without specifying the coordinate system, MAKEPOINT using Eastings and Northings will fail to render a map.
- You can find the correct coordinate system code by searching for your country or region on a spatial reference lookup site.
- Once you add the code (for example the UK system) and apply it, Tableau renders the map from local coordinates.

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/how-to-use-your-local-coordinate-system-in-tableau-desktop-2019-3

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just-tim — Data and analytics, with a point of view. · https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HYxRWmaNlJux-X7rNLZyw · https://twitter.com/TableauTim · https://www.linkedin.com/in/timngwena