In the first case:

Surveyors have two principal methods of specifying angles: the quadrant (quarter circle) system and the whole circle system. Both these systems assume that the default position for North (zero degrees) is vertically upward from any point on the page and that for whole circle bearings angles increases in a clockwise direction.

Surveyors also work with a coordinate system within which the relative position of points is described by latitude (movement north or UP +/-) followed by departure (movement east or RIGHT +/-).

In the second case:

DraftSight uses the default convention that zero degrees is horizontally to the right from any point on the page and that angles increase in an anticlockwise direction.

It also uses a coordinate system in which the relative position of points is described by movement on the x axis (RIGHT) followed by movement on the y axis (UP).

DraftSight has in its angular UNITS settings provision for a “Surveyors Unit System”.

Whether or not this is selected, and without any other change being made, angles entered in the quadrant “N(or S) angle E(orW)” format correctly result in lines drawn relative to a top-of-page-positioning of the North point with clockwise angular rotation.

However, even when “Surveyors Unit System” is selected angles (bearings) entered in the corresponding full circle mode (e.g. S* 30d E => 150d) result in a line based on the DraftSight defaults with zero to the right and acw rotation rather than the whole circle bearing (surveyor) system with zero up and cw rotation.

If the UNITS setting is changed so that zero is up and angles increase clockwise then “Surveyors Unit System” has North to the right and east and west rotation appears reversed or swapped.

How then does one properly set up draftsight to be fully compatible with survey drafting?

[User of DS (Free) V1R3.1 x64 on Windows 7/64 Home Premium.]
6 Apr 2013, 16:48 (NZ standard time)

* Edit 23Jul2013 1637:  "N" changed to "S" to correct the statement.