Articles about map export formats, tools and OpenStreetMap data use cases.
How to convert SHP to DXF and DWG: why a shapefile is a set of files, what breaks without the .prj, import via MAPIMPORT, QGIS and ogr2ogr, layer splitting and what happens to attributes.
How to make an STL relief of your city for 3D printing, CNC or laser: where the relief comes from, why vertical exaggeration matters and how to add a base under the open surface.
How to print a city map in large format: which file to bring to a print shop for A1 and A0, how to compute the scale, margins and bleed, and how to tile a PDF map onto A4 sheets.
Разбор сдвига на 100–150 метров при открытии чужого слоя: параметры перехода в .prj, привязка растра в .pgw/.tfw и что делать, когда координаты есть, а системы нет.
How to convert KML or KMZ into DWG and DXF without losing coordinates: unpacking KMZ, reprojecting to metres in QGIS or ogr2ogr, layers and labels. Why a direct import gives a drawing a fraction of a unit across.
How to make a free city map poster: pick the area and style, download a vector SVG or PDF, finish it in Illustrator, Inkscape or Figma, and send it to print at any size.
Vector maps explained in plain words: how vector differs from a picture using a map as the example, which vector formats exist (SVG, PDF, DXF, GeoJSON, SHP) and what each of them is for.
How to place a topographic survey onto a plan in AutoCAD so it lands in real coordinates: XREF, units, local CRS vs WGS-84, two-point alignment. And what to do when there is no survey.
What Russian local MSK coordinate systems are, where zones come from, how to find your zone by region and longitude, and why MSK does not match WGS84. Honest about cadastre and how to download data in a suitable projection.
How WGS 84, EPSG:4326 and EPSG:3857 differ in plain words: datum, degrees and web mercator. Why the map drifts and when meters matter more than degrees. Plus — a choice of 165 coordinate systems on export.
How to turn KMZ into KML (and back) online or by hand in a minute: KMZ is a ZIP with KML inside. Plus — a converter for OSM data to KML/KMZ and downloading an area straight in the right format.
All working ways to download a map from OpenStreetMap: export from osm.org, the Overpass API, Geofabrik and planet.osm, the QuickOSM plugin — honestly about each one's limits. Plus — ready export in 124 formats and a REST API.