Ortelius Macintosh Map Making Software by Mapdiva, LLC

City-block style maps (sometimes referred to as “European-style”) are characterized by their use of negative space. Shapes – in the form of city blocks – define the positive space, whereas the road areas are negative space. While Ortelius excels at designing modern style road maps, with connectable tracks and built-in symbols, it also has great tools for creating city-block style maps. Here’s how…

In this example, we trace city blocks from this 1892 map of Odessa (Ukraine, formerly Russia), Wagner & Debe. Some cartographic sleuthing: the map is undated, but was possibly produced earlier than 1892, as the Protestant Hospital, completed in 1892, is not shown (source: North Dakota State University Library online).

When setting up our drawing file, the source map is placed on its own layer and a new layer is created, called “Blocks,” to hold our new drawing objects.

Any of Ortelius’ drawing tools can be used when creating city blocks. Your choice of tool will often depend on the layout and orientation of the blocks you are drawing. The Irregular Polygon tool is an extremely flexible choice when blocks are irregular in shape and orientation. Use the Irregular Polygon tool and a color-filled area symbol to draw individual city blocks, clicking on each corner of the shape. When your final point is placed on top of your first point, the polygon will close automatically. Making sure polygons are closed will assure proper display, particularly if blocks are outlined.

People are sometimes (quite pleasantly) surprised at how advanced Ortelius’ Bezier Path tool is for drawing shapes with straight lines and curves. Choose the Bezier Path tool and a color-filled area symbol. Although you are drawing a path, it will be represented as a filled object when an area fill style is applied. Single-click on corner points to trace corners; click and drag curve handles to draw curves; hold the CMND⌘ or OPTION(Alt) modifier keys while adjusting the curve handles to drag handles individually or in unison. Placing your last point on top of the first point automatically ends the path. Optionally, you can formally close the path by choosing Edit > Paths & Tracks > Close from the main menu.

Curve handles can be further adjusted as needed. If you are unfamiliar working with Bezier curves in Ortelius, try your hand with our hands-on exercises.

♥ Hands-on exercise. See Ortelius File > New From Template > Exercises & Demos > 2-Paths Exercise.

When faced with situations such as this circle with an internal median area (a classic doughnut!), try drawing the circle with the Oval tool then clipping the area out using the Combine > Difference command. Begin this technique by drawing the positive space (the road) and then subtracting it from the background to create your negative space. This technique is described in detail below.

Next, select the roads and choose Edit > Paths & Tracks > Outline from the main menu to turn the roads from lines into polygons.

Combine all the new road polygons into a single object by selecting them and choosing Combine > Union from the main menu.

With the background and foreground polygons selected, choose Combine > Difference from the main menu. The roads will be subtracted from the background polygon creating negative space. The blocks are a single object when selected.

If further editing is desired, select the blocks object and choose Combine > Break Apart from the main menu. Each block is now its own individual shape object. Optionally, even further refinement is achieved by selecting a block and converting it from a shape to a path (chose Graphic > Convert To Path from the main menu). Each individual corner node can then be moved and edited. Path objects can be converted back to shape objects at any time.

Working with all blocks as a single object is the most efficient way to re-color and symbolize the map. Once you are satisfied with the layout of the blocks, select all and choose Combine > Append to combine all blocks into a single object again.

Using the techniques described above, you can create your own fully editable European-style city block map. With Ortelius’ slick symbol swapping, the look of your map is easily updated to create unique versions of this classic map style.