Map of Ruby in HPGL format
A map built from OpenStreetMap data, ready to download
Customize the map
Open this place's area in the constructor and adjust everything to your needs
Open in constructor →Map passport
What this map contains by default
This is how the map is built as-is — every setting can be changed in the constructor.
.hpgl
About HPGL
Map of Ruby in HPGL — an export of real OpenStreetMap data for the selected area.
HPGL is a text-based vector plotter control language created by Hewlett-Packard and publicly documented in 1984. It is not an image but a stream of ASCII commands (IN, SP, PU, PD, PA) the device executes as pen or blade movements. Over forty years HPGL migrated from pen plotters to vinyl cutters, laser engravers, and CNC. Our exporter generates HPGL directly: each map layer gets its own pen (1-8), polygons are closed, points are drawn as small crosses. HPGL has no labels — the output is clean outlines of roads, buildings, and water bodies.
Which layers are in the file
This file for the selected area contains:
- Roads
- Buildings
- Greenery
- Points of interest
Coordinate systems
WGS 84 (EPSG:4326), selectable in the wizard
Units
Meters (projected in the chosen coordinate system)
| Category | GIS |
| File extension | .hpgl |
| Tier | Open Beta |
How to use HPGL for Ruby
- Sending it directly — to a plotter with a serial or network port the file goes as a byte stream: on Windows that is copy /b map.hpgl COM1, on Linux cat map.hpgl > /dev/ttyUSB0.
- LightBurn — import the .hpgl for a laser engraver or cutter: the pen layers turn into separate sets with their own speed and power.
- Chiplotle (Python) — a library for HP pen plotters: it lets you look at a preview, adjust the scale and push the file to the device.
Programs that open HPGL
FAQ: HPGL for Ruby
Is this a ready file for a plotter or cutter?
Yes. The exporter emits an HPGL command stream (IN/SP/PU/PD/PA) you can send to a pen/cutting plotter or open in LightBurn for a laser.
Why are there no street names on the map?
Classic HPGL has no text command on older devices, so only vector outlines are exported. POI points are drawn as tiny crosses for visibility.
How are colors assigned?
Color in HPGL is pen selection (the SP command). Each map layer gets its own pen number 1-8; the physical color depends on which pen or blade sits in that plotter slot.
At what scale will the drawing come out?
Coordinates are written in plotter units — forty units per millimeter — and the geometry is fitted to the page size. The exact scale on paper depends on the device settings, so before a large run it is worth drawing a test sheet and measuring it with a ruler.
Will the file work for a laser or a CNC machine?
For engraving — yes: the outlines import into LightBurn and similar programs. For cutting all the way through, bear in mind that the file has no tool thickness compensation and no pass order — those are set later in the machine's software.
