Articles about map export formats, tools and OpenStreetMap data use cases.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Got a .kmz file and not sure how to open it? Google Earth, QGIS or rename it to .zip. And if the KMZ doesn't fit — download the area straight in KMZ, KML or GeoJSON, no wrangling with someone else's file.
Need a city map for CorelDRAW? Don't redraw it by hand — download a ready vector map straight in .cdr with layers and curves, ready to edit in Corel.
A map screenshot in Photoshop isn't editable — roads, water and buildings are flattened into one raster. The fix: download the map straight to PSD, where each object type sits on its own layer.
USGS EarthExplorer wants an account and SRTM stops at 60°N. Here's how to get elevation and a GeoTIFF for QGIS without signing up — from the global Copernicus GLO-30 DEM, straight to GeoTIFF or HGT.
Can't load an OSM map into QGIS? Three working ways: a ready GeoPackage in seconds, the QuickOSM plugin, and a PBF from Geofabrik — honestly, with the pros and cons of each.
Got .mif/.mid or .gml files and not sure how to open them? QGIS and GDAL read them for free. And if the format is inconvenient — download the area straight to MapInfo MIF/MID, GML or GeoPackage.
Got a .rvt file and nothing opens it? RVT is Autodesk Revit's closed format — you need Revit or the free Revit Viewer. And get the city site context for BIM in IFC, DWG or DXF — Revit links them.
Which OpenStreetMap map formats fit Garmin, OsmAnd, TomTom, Navitel and Lowrance chartplotters — honestly: what to download directly, and where a universal GPX helps.