diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.cpp
index 2669df5e24..3c3c84cec1 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.cpp
@@ -485,7 +485,8 @@ Base::Vector3d DrawUtil::vertex2Vector(const TopoDS_Vertex& v)
     return Base::Vector3d(gp.X(), gp.Y(), gp.Z());
 }
 
-//TODO: make formatVector using toVector3d
+// template specialization
+//template <>  // GCC BUG 85282, wanting this to be outside class body
 std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const Base::Vector3d& v)
 {
     std::stringstream builder;
@@ -493,51 +494,7 @@ std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const Base::Vector3d& v)
     builder << " (" << v.x << ", " << v.y << ", " << v.z << ") ";
     return builder.str();
 }
-
-template <>  // GCC BUG 85282, wanting this to be outside class body
-Base::Vector3d DrawUtil::toVector3d<QPointF>(const QPointF& v)
-{
-    return Base::Vector3d(v.x(), v.y(), 0);
-}
-
-std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const gp_Dir2d& v)
-{
-    std::stringstream builder;
-    builder << std::fixed << std::setprecision(Base::UnitsApi::getDecimals());
-    builder << " (" << v.X() << ", " << v.Y() << ") ";
-    return builder.str();
-}
-std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const gp_Vec& v)
-{
-    std::stringstream builder;
-    builder << std::fixed << std::setprecision(Base::UnitsApi::getDecimals());
-    builder << " (" << v.X() << ", " << v.Y() << ", " << v.Z() << ") ";
-    return builder.str();
-}
-
-std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const gp_Pnt& v)
-{
-    std::stringstream builder;
-    builder << std::fixed << std::setprecision(Base::UnitsApi::getDecimals());
-    builder << " (" << v.X() << ", " << v.Y() << ", " << v.Z() << ") ";
-    return builder.str();
-}
-
-std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const gp_Pnt2d& v)
-{
-    std::stringstream builder;
-    builder << std::fixed << std::setprecision(Base::UnitsApi::getDecimals());
-    builder << " (" << v.X() << ", " << v.Y() << ") ";
-    return builder.str();
-}
-
-std::string DrawUtil::formatVector(const QPointF& v)
-{
-    std::stringstream builder;
-    builder << std::fixed << std::setprecision(Base::UnitsApi::getDecimals());
-    builder << " (" << v.x() << ", " << v.y() << ") ";
-    return builder.str();
-}
+//template std::string DrawUtil::formatVector<Base::Vector3d>(const Base::Vector3d &v);
 
 //! compare 2 vectors for sorting - true if v1 < v2
 //! precision::Confusion() is too strict for vertex - vertex comparisons
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.h b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.h
index d9233ff8e7..1209f0bd3a 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.h
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawUtil.h
@@ -116,13 +116,12 @@ public:
 
     static Base::Vector3d vertex2Vector(const TopoDS_Vertex& v);
 
+    template <typename T>
+    static std::string formatVector(const T& v)
+    {
+        return formatVector(toVector3d(v));
+    }
     static std::string formatVector(const Base::Vector3d& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const gp_Dir& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const gp_Dir2d& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const gp_Vec& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const gp_Pnt& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const gp_Pnt2d& v);
-    static std::string formatVector(const QPointF& v);
 
     static bool vectorLess(const Base::Vector3d& v1, const Base::Vector3d& v2);
     //!std::map require comparator to be a type not a function
@@ -176,6 +175,11 @@ public:
         return Base::Vector3d(v.X(), v.Y(), v.Z());
     }
 
+    static Base::Vector3d toVector3d(const QPointF& v)
+    {
+        return Base::Vector3d(v.x(), v.y(), 0);
+    }
+
     //! To gp_*
     // TODO: Would this be relevant to move to Base::Vector3d? Probably
     template <typename T>
@@ -280,8 +284,12 @@ public:
     static void dumpEdges(const char* text, const TopoDS_Shape& s);
 };
 
-template <>  // GCC BUG 85282, wanting this to be outside class body. This is only the declaration, the definition .cpp
-Base::Vector3d DrawUtil::toVector3d<QPointF>(const QPointF& v);
+
+// GCC BUG 85282, wanting this to be outside class body. This is only the declaration, the definition .cpp
+//template<> std::string DrawUtil::formatVector<Base::Vector3d>(const Base::Vector3d &v);
+
+// GCC BUG 85282, wanting this to be outside class body. This is only the declaration, the definition .cpp
+//template<> Base::Vector3d DrawUtil::toVector3d<QPointF>(const QPointF& v);
 
 }//end namespace TechDraw
 #endif