CADMAPPER is good at what it does: it turns map and terrain data into a CAD file you can build on. But a CAD file is the start of the work, not the end of it. If what you actually owe your tutor on Thursday is a set of analysis diagrams, MapToNap produces them directly — and still hands you editable SVG and vector PDF if you want the geometry too.
| CADMAPPER | MapToNap | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get back | CAD site geometry — buildings, roads, terrain — to model on top of | Finished, styled analysis diagrams, ready for the board |
| Work still to do after | Import, clean, model, then redraw and style in Illustrator | Adjust colour and hierarchy, then export |
| Software needed | AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino or Illustrator | A browser |
| Analysis layers | Base geometry; analysis is up to you | Movement, land use, green and water, zoning, nodes, sun, wind and more |
| 3D massing | Yes, as an editable CAD model | Yes, as 3D city context and axonometric output |
| Vector export | DXF for CAD | SVG and vector PDF for design software; DXF from the floor-plan tool only |
| Rest of the studio set | Not covered | Concept, strategy, flow, bubble, masterplan, plan, section and portfolio boards |
Comparison based on the capabilities each tool publishes on its own site, checked September 2026. CADMAPPER is a product of its respective owner and is not affiliated with MapToNap. Features change — check both before you decide.
If the next step is extruding, cutting and designing on top of real context inside Rhino or SketchUp, you want a CAD model. That is exactly what CADMAPPER is for.
Sloping sites, sections through topography and large-area terrain are a CAD job. Take the CAD file.
If every drawing you produce comes out of AutoCAD or Rhino anyway, a base file fits your pipeline better than a finished diagram.
The analysis layers arrive already drawn and already styled, instead of as outlines you have to colour by hand.
Every diagram in the set shares the same palette and line weights, so ten drawings read as one project rather than ten evenings.
Analysis, concept, flow, plan and section all live in the same place, and Layout Board composes them into the sheet at the end.
CADMAPPER converts map and terrain data into CAD files you then build on in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino or Illustrator. MapToNap generates the finished, styled diagrams themselves — site analysis, concept, strategy, flow, massing and portfolio boards — in the browser, and exports SVG, vector PDF and PNG.
Not in every case. If you need a 3D terrain or massing model to model on top of inside Rhino or SketchUp, CADMAPPER is built for that job. If what you actually need is a set of presentation-ready analysis diagrams, MapToNap removes the modelling and redrawing step entirely.
Yes, as SVG and vector PDF: the geometry stays editable in Illustrator, Inkscape or InDesign. Site diagrams do not export DXF today (only the floor-plan tool does), so if you need a native CAD file, CADMAPPER is the better fit. For the odd drawing, Illustrator or Inkscape can export the SVG as DXF.
No. MapToNap runs in the browser, so there is no CAD licence or plugin required to produce the diagrams.
No. They are produced from real map data and rule-based, editable geometry rather than AI image generation, so the drawings stay measurable and defensible in a review.
Plenty of people do. Take the CAD model where you need to design in 3D, and use MapToNap for the analysis sheets and the final boards.