A method for providing a localization system with detailed information regarding a catheter's construction, while at the same time preventing operator input errors, for use in a three-dimensional localization field, including providing a catheter having at least one feature, providing a catheter catalog for use by the localization system, wherein the catheter catalog comprises reference data relating to features of the catheter, placing the catheter into the localization field, creating a map with the localization field, locating the catheter on the map, and correlating features of the catheter within the localization field with measurements made by the localization system when the feature is at various locations.