rescape

Illustration workflow guide

Prepare editable city linework for illustration

Export a real place as layered DXF context, then simplify and style the linework in a vector or CAD workflow for an illustration, diagram or presentation.

Useful for

Illustrators, urban designers, architects, students and editorial or presentation designers

You will make

Editable, true-scale DXF linework that can be restyled, cropped and composed in a DXF-capable CAD or vector workflow.

Finished CAD context model of London showing terrain, buildings and roads
Open the London example Inspect the example region

From place data to illustration-ready linework

  1. 1

    Frame the composition before exporting

    Draw a boundary around the visual story: a river bend, street pattern, skyline district or project context. Include enough surrounding geography for orientation, but avoid exporting detail you know will be removed.

  2. 2

    Export a layered DXF

    Select DXF and only the feature groups that support the illustration. Buildings, roads and water often establish the composition; terrain, land use and vegetation can add context when the source coverage supports them.

  3. 3

    Keep source layers intact on import

    Open or import the DXF using the export units. Duplicate the source layer set before editing so you can return to the original geography when simplifying or making a more abstract graphic.

  4. 4

    Simplify and style for the final medium

    Use your CAD or vector tool to establish hierarchy through stroke weight, fills, opacity, clipping and labels. Illustrator is one possible destination after DXF import; Rescape does not currently export a native Illustrator file.

  5. 5

    Verify names, labels and current conditions

    Use current and authoritative references for labels, landmarks, boundaries and anything the illustration presents as factual. Open-data geometry is a strong starting point, not automatic editorial verification.

Open-data limits

Check the context before you design against it

  • Feature naming, classification and completeness vary by place, so label and landmark research remains an editorial task.
  • DXF is the current editable export path; import and styling steps differ between CAD and vector applications.
  • Open-data linework may need simplification, correction or selective removal to communicate clearly at a particular scale.
  • The output should not be presented as an authoritative boundary, survey or current-condition map without independent verification.

Regions that demonstrate this workflow

London

Westminster and the Thames — DXF + STL

Paris

Central Paris and the Seine — DXF + STL

Tokyo

Central Tokyo — DXF + STL

Continue with a related guide

DXF · OpenStreetMap context

OpenStreetMap to DXF

Choose a real area, export the useful context layers, then open a true-scale DXF in the CAD or vector application you already use.

DXF · CAD context

CAD site-context model

Draw a project boundary, choose useful context layers and export a layered DXF with terrain, buildings, roads and water.

Pricing Formats, limits and troubleshooting Compare Rescape and CADMapper