Topographic & Bathymetric Map Maker

Create laser-ready city, topographic, and bathymetric contour maps with OpenStreetMap geometry, NOAA BlueTopo coverage, and separated production layers.

Capabilities & Feature Set

  • Converts open-source geographic data into layered, laser-ready vector paths.
  • Generates clean SVG, DXF, tiled packs, and pre-compiled LightBurn (.lbrn2) project files.
  • Topographic, bathymetric, or combined contours with automatic or fixed intervals.
  • NOAA BlueTopo bathymetry where covered, plus a global relief fallback.
  • Separate minor and index-contour laser passes with source metadata.
  • Decorative Stack mode exports geometric shoreline-inset boards for layered wood charts.
  • Parametric framing options with circular, square, and custom frame designs.

What Operators Say

“I love this software!”
Patrick Hussey — Laser engraver · went from never touching the software to firing real burns in his first week
“This is the easiest I have seen.”
Chris Clark — Laser engraver · Vanguard pack customer · builds custom 1911 grips
“Reticle Red is becoming one of my favorite software to use. It has a lot of tools that many others do not, and approaches things differently to create more consistent results. A++”
Daniel Webster — Laser engraver · long-time power user
“Reticle Red definitely takes the guess work out of your design work with tutorials to walk through the process. I highly recommend it.”
Justin Brown — Laser engraver

Open Topographic & Bathymetric Map Maker — Free to Start See Real Results →

Related Tools & Guides

Map Maker Tutorial →Field Manual: Map Maker →Laser-Engraved Map Design Guide →LightBurn Workflow →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the map and relief data come from?

Map geometry comes from OpenStreetMap. Topography uses the Mapzen global terrain mosaic; bathymetry prefers NOAA BlueTopo survey tiles where covered and falls back to the global NOAA ETOPO1-based relief baseline.

What files does Map Maker export?

Layered SVG, DXF, LightBurn .lbrn2, registered bed tiles, PNG previews, and decorative shoreline-board packs, with map and relief passes separated for independent power and speed.

Are the bathymetric contours navigation data?

No. They are source-aware engraving artwork. Map Maker shows source, datum, resolution, coverage, and available uncertainty, but the output is not for navigation.

What is Decorative Stack mode?

It exports nested geometric shoreline-inset boards for a dimensional wood chart. Those boards create visual depth; they do not represent surveyed water depths.

Does Map Maker cost credits?

Map previews are free. The first export for a generated map costs 2 credits; every additional format and re-export for that map is included.

How is Map Maker different from other free map generators?

Map Maker generates real topographic and bathymetric contours from NOAA BlueTopo survey data and a global relief baseline, not just street and building outlines. It separates minor and index-contour laser passes, supports Decorative Stack shoreline boards for layered wood charts, and exports at up to 4K resolution with parametric circular, square, and custom framing. Free generic city-map tools elsewhere in the field have not publicly evidenced contour, bathymetric, or NOAA-sourced data on their own product pages as of this comparison.

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