Three working routes from OpenStreetMap to AutoCAD: a ready DWG from the map builder, import through AutoCAD Map 3D and Civil 3D, QGIS and ogr2ogr. Plus KML and KMZ to DWG, a comparison table and FAQ.
How to get an OpenStreetMap map into Adobe Illustrator as real vectors: which format to download, how to open it, and what to do with layers, strokes, fonts and print prep.
How to turn real-world terrain anywhere into an STL and print it: vertical exaggeration, millimetre scale, a watertight base, and splitting a large area into printable tiles.
You have a finished DWG and need a map underneath: how to tell which coordinates the drawing uses, where to get a base map, how to align on two points, and how to handle units and layers so the base does not get in the way.
How to build a GPX route and load it into a navigator, a watch or a phone: track vs route vs waypoints, the GPX folder on a Garmin device, importing into Suunto and Coros, OsmAnd and Locus.
How to convert GeoJSON into DXF and DWG: why degree coordinates produce a drawing a fraction of a unit across, reprojection to metres in one ogr2ogr command, longitude-latitude order, polygons with holes.
How to bring OpenStreetMap buildings and terrain into SketchUp via COLLADA, OBJ or glTF: import, units and scale, geolocating the model, building heights and taming a heavy scene.
OSM maps for Navitel: why OpenStreetMap data cannot be dropped into the app directly, where map files go (the NavitelContent/Maps folder) and how to import points and routes via GPX.
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 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 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.
Opened an .osm or .pbf in QGIS but the multipolygons layer is missing? Here are the causes and the fastest fix — build the area you need in our map builder and get a file with buildings, water and greenery already in place.