

Woodcut Maps: Handcrafted wood-inlay maps, designed by you - aaronharnly
http://woodcutmaps.com

======
duopixel
Cancun is a "designed" city and the core districts are laid out inspired in
Mayan hieroglyphs. This makes terrible urbanism but some pretty sweet woodcut
maps. <http://woodcutmaps.com/11254>

~~~
samstave
That is amazing.

Look at DC, which is the exact same thing - but with masonic symbolism rather
than mayan symbolism.

~~~
justincormack
Notice you do not link to a map. Because this is total bullshit.
[http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C._street_design_...](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C._street_design_conspiracy_theory)

~~~
samstave
Sorry, but the way they refute is is to say "the street does not extend to a
point" yet you can draw the symbol on the streets and see that the design is
perfectly implied.

[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=washington+dc&hl=en&ll...](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=washington+dc&hl=en&ll=38.903758,-77.035489&spn=0.014544,0.033023&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.639182,135.263672&hnear=Washington,+District+of+Columbia&t=m&z=16)

I also assume you're not a Mason, thus you think that everything is simply
coincidence.

Sorry - but there are very deliberate decisions, particularly with respect to
design, that are, in fact, Masonic, all over DC.

------
danshapiro
For the curious: Default is $105 for an 8"x8" map. 20"x16" is $350. It appears
that wood species choice has no impact on pricing, but I didn't want to abuse
their render queue with any more experiments. :)

Also, to the creators - it would be great to have a "pricing" page to explain
this!

~~~
_gabesmed
Good idea, will do. Right now for simplicity's sake we just have the wood
species not affect pricing even though they greatly vary in cost to us. We're
coming out with some really gorgeous burled woods soon that are a bit pricier
-- we'll probably add variable pricing based on wood species once those
choices are available.

~~~
pedrolll
Offtopic: Why do you use two accounts on HN, _gabesmed & gabesmed?

~~~
asmosoinio
No-procast: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3763855>

Edit: Longer version: It is because of his noprocast setting.

~~~
tricolon
I was impossibly confused until I realized you meant to write "noprocrast". As
in "no procrastination".

~~~
asmosoinio
Thanks for pointing that out! I don't think I have ever written the word
procrastination myself, so wasn't even aware of the spelling mistake I made.

------
aaronharnly
I'd love to hear the dev talk about the architecture of this service – there's
nice work for the site itself with queued renderers, and apparently back-end
work to generate the laser-cutting instructions.

More on the process: <http://woodcutmaps.com/process>

~~~
gabesmed
Heya, I'm the developer behind Woodcut Maps!

The site is built on python/django and hosted on AWS.

Most of the interesting work happens in python with PIL, numpy and scipy. We
download maps tiles (Google for now, working on an OSM render path), and split
them into channels for landscape, water, roads and parks. Then we apply
several steps of scipy's image morphology filters to get the masks ready for
laser cutting and to ease assembly by simplifying the design. Removing small
pieces, filling small gaps (which gives the maps the distinctive look of dense
roads being filled in, creating chunky blocks), and simplifying boundaries.

All the rendering happens on picloud.com, which has been a really robust part
of our infrastructure. It helps us scale up and down based on demand without
having to manage an autoscaling AWS backend processor setup ourselves, or
overpay for AWS instances.

I'm probably going to talk more in detail about it at WhereCamp this weekend
if anyone wants to talk in person.

~~~
baconner
This is a bit out of scope but I would _love_ to have a similarly crafted
version of john snow's classic cholera map.

~~~
_gabesmed
Oh we could totally do that. One color for roads, one for bars, one for
background. We could probably do Minard's Napoleon's March map too (minus the
labels) just for fun. <http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/posters>

------
dagw
Wow, that is really cool. If I could come with a small feature request, I'd
love to see support for open street maps as well. At least for the area around
my house OSM has much more detailed maps. Google maps for example doesn't have
the road that leads up to my apartment building, since you can't drive on it,
while OSM does.

~~~
gabesmed
We're actively working on an OSM render path. Coming soon!!

------
prawn
Started out thinking that this was more parquetry than what I imagine is
called 'woodcut'. Turns out it's probably marquetry instead. All from
Wikipedia:

"Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect."

"The use of curved and natural shapes constitutes marquetry rather than
parquetry."

"Marquetry (also spelled as marqueterie) is the art and craft of applying
pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or
pictures."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquetry>

And, so I learned something new.

~~~
gabesmed
Yup. The working title for the project was 'mapquetry'. Though technically
inaccurate, Woodcut Maps is way catchier.

------
ShabbyDoo
Would it be possible to provide a data format by which one could upload custom
inlay layers to produce a design of his choosing? I'm thinking specifically
about a silhouette photograph I shot of my son. Is there a way to validate the
manufacturability of an arbitrary layer set?

~~~
psadauskas
I'd like to have a little more control, so I could fit, say, Yosemite Valley
in the 5x16 by rotating the map a little.

~~~
_gabesmed
We can't do rotations..but a hidden pro feature is you can drag the gray frame
in the google maps interface to zoom in and out precisely.

~~~
pja
The mouse-over pointer change is a well chosen hint and the affordance is
fairly obvious. Nicely done.

------
thejteam
This is probably the most interesting company I have read about on this site.
The love using software to make something physical. I will definitely consider
a purchase in the future.

------
tptacek
This is so great. Is your backend set up to do other vector paths besides just
map tiles?

~~~
_gabesmed
Yup. The settings are tuned for maps right now, but we can take any raster
image with up to four b&w layers and send it through the same process.

~~~
samstave
Whats the max size?

What if I want a rooms floor done like this?

~~~
gabesmed
Then I would personally salute you. Still trying to convince the fiancee to do
our living room as a woodcut floor :)

~~~
samstave
I'd like to try some Escher patterns.

I have been drawing some based on some of his drawings in AutoCad - to then
color in illustrator.

I drew this the other day - and it would be great to do a pattern like this in
wood for an entryway:

<http://i.imgur.com/CMa4J.png>

------
joshu
shut up and take my money!

i want something with WAY more detail on how it works. like, i understand
laser cutters and whatnot, but this seems harder. can you write more up?

~~~
gabesmed
I'll be preparing a preso for WhereCamp this weekend; I'll definitely put it
online as well.

~~~
joshu
That would be awesome.

------
padwiki
Having done my fair share of laser marquetry, let me first tell you that I
truly appreciate the amount of work that goes into the whole process, and
really respect what you are doing. The intricacy of these types of patterns
makes for a very high level of difficulty.

That being said, it appears to my somewhat trained eye that you are using
Photoshop (or other CG) mockups on some of the product pages
(<http://woodcutmaps.com/146> for example), without saying explicitly that
that's what they are. I know how difficult straight on photography is with
these textures, but if those are indeed Photoshop generated, you run the risk
of increasing expectations beyond what is technically possible with the
process.

Excellent work either way, as I can tell from the genuine product shots. Like
I said, not easy stuff.

------
pja
1) These are fantastic. 2) Surely this is breaking the Google Maps licence for
use of their map tiles? Switch to OpenStreetMap!

------
cag_ii
I'm getting an OVER_QUERY_LIMIT error:

    
    
      GeocoderError at /create
    
      Error OVER_QUERY_LIMIT
      Query: http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?region=&sensor=false&bounds=&language=&address=
    

Also, you should want to change your Django DEBUG setting to False

~~~
_gabesmed
Haha, you caught a little live debugging. Should be fixed now.

~~~
cag_ii
Sorry about that.

Otherwise great work, these look amazing!

------
vasusen
To the creators: Great job guys! I just ordered a map as a gift. I would have
loved to carve a date or write a few words on the map though.

I found the entire process of ordering a breeze. However, I feel that the
payment process should be improved - 1\. PayPal forced me to sign into my
obsolete paypal account due to same email id. 2\. It showed me an annoying
advertisement to sign-up for their debit card program. 3\. It assumed my
address was the shipping address. 4\. I did not see an option to send this
item as a gift.

I hope you guys keep getting bigger and better.

------
chaseideas
Cool idea! Here's a product my ad network manages the promotion for that is
quite similar: <http://go.chaseclicks.net/SHHK>

There isn't as large of a variety of woods, but there is good flexibility in
pricing, size, and it's more for photographs and keepsakes than a map of an
area.

Also, not trying to detract from your post by sharing this other product, just
thought it was very similar and thought I'd share. Looks like a well thought
out system and business model! Best of luck!!

------
bambax
Very cool idea; all I can get however is "Sorry, something went wrong. We've
been notified and are on the case!" (I'm trying to get maps from France).

~~~
johanmagnusson
I seems that it does not like non-ASCII characters (got the same error when I
searched for Swedish cities). Try searching for the English name of your city
or, if such a name is not available, a neighboring city that has and then
scroll the map to the place you'd like to see.

------
tamersalama
I love the idea and service. Congratulations.

------
mayconbordin
Brasília is also a "designed" city, and the woodcut maps are awesome:
<http://bit.ly/Hi9m09>, <http://bit.ly/HcBdSB> and <http://bit.ly/GXK5Lv>.

------
dabent
Centered on Y Combinator: <http://woodcutmaps.com/13111>

Google: <http://woodcutmaps.com/13154>

------
bootload
beautiful. @gabesmed is the wood sustainable & ethically sourced?

~~~
fennecfoxen
Allow me to hijack the discussion ever-so-slightly and point out that imported
wood is now a Big Deal, and potentially very dangerous to work with, due to
recent expansions of the Lacey act. You may have heard of the case of Gibson
Guitar:

\--

"They...come in with weapons, they seized a half-million dollars worth of
property, they shut our factory down, and they have not charged us with
anything," says Gibson Guitars CEO Henry Juszkiewicz...

The feds raided Gibson for using an inappropriate tariff code on wood from
India, which is a violation of the anti-trafficking statute known as The Lacey
Act. At issue is not whether the wood in question was endangered, but whether
the wood was the correct level of thickness and finish before being exported
from India. "India is wanting to ensure that raw wood is not exported without
some labor content from India," says Juskiewicz."

[http://reason.com/blog/2012/02/23/the-great-gibson-guitar-
ra...](http://reason.com/blog/2012/02/23/the-great-gibson-guitar-raid-months-
late) (disclaimer: Libertarian news site is a partial source, interpret that
partiality as you will. other sources and commentary exist. many of them are
probably better, this was just convenient because I remembered it and could
google it quickly. you should look up these other sources if you're
interested!)

\--

The cynics suggest that this is all at the behest of the Pacific Northwest
domestic timber lobby, using environmental sentiment to dampen competition
from overseas. Gibson's case, by that theory, is a deliberate scare tactic
designed to create a chilling effect.

And to bring the discussion back to the matter at hand: whatever you're doing,
I _hope_ you're aware of all this, and documenting everything you have
meticulously, or you could end up screwed. Like, possibly-in-jail screwed. For
working with wood veneer. Believe it.

~~~
bootload
_"... point out that imported wood is now a Big Deal, and potentially very
dangerous to work with ..."_

Shipping timber has consequences. Tall timber, hardwood in particular is the
flora equivalent of the Rhino, Elephant and big Cats. Hunted to extinction,
chopped up, chipped & poorly used.

 _"... The woodlands & forests that had once ringed the entire Mediterranean &
provided a home for a rich population of animals had now largely gone. They
survived only places for which no soldier bothered to fight, where no forester
found it possible to haul out timber, & no farmer thought it worthwhile to
make a field. ..."_ David Attenborough, _"The First Eden: The destruction of
the forests"_ , Pt3, p173.

Learn the lessons of the past.

------
defdac
I might show my ignorance for the complexity of the process here, but here
goes: Why is laser cutting from prefabricated digital prints considered
"handcrafted"?

~~~
gabesmed
Our oboist team member, who hand-carves her own reeds, assembles and finishes
each map by hand.

~~~
corin_
Finally, an oboist who found their burden to be useful in life outside music!

Would be great to see some footage of one of your maps actually being made
some time.

~~~
pja
Hand carving your own reeds appears to be a rite of passage as an oboist (my
wife plays).

------
foz
Call me a tree-hugger, but I was hoping that recycled wood was used, and that
my greedy desire for one of these would not result in rainforests being
destroyed. It would be nice to know if this service was green, too.

"Zebrawood is considered a threatened species in its native habitat. Its fast-
growing popularity in the West has resulted in some reforestation efforts, but
these are not keeping up with the pace of harvesting."
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebrawood>

~~~
dsl
Ugh. Treehugger.

Being from a lumber producing area, the whole concept of "recycled wood"
really annoys me.

Old wood breaks down, causing no waste.

"New" wood is produced on farms. Exactly like corn and soybeans, but with much
longer crop cycles. Just like other cash crops, if you remove the demand for
new wood, Weyerhaeuser will cut down all the trees and plant something else
that makes money or sell off the land for urban development.

All of the major concerns with commercial lumber production have been
mitigated with smarter land management practices and technology. All of the
"old growth" forest that environmentalists like to jump on is actually pretty
impractical for large scale commercial operations to deal with, and protected
by existing laws anyway.

Some species (like Zebrawood as you mention) are threatened by initial
commercial exploitation, and sadly the biggest offenders are indigenous
farmers. Once a wood becomes commercially viable the big players move in with
established reforestation and resource management policies that actually help
to stabilize the situation (because they can't make money long term off an
extinct species).

------
debacle
This is an amazing tool, but unfortunately incredibly uninteresting because I
live in the suburbs!

------
ariwilson
You should add a +1 button on your site, I had to copy/paste the link manually
:).

------
joel_SF
Beautiful work! What kind of finish is used to seal and protect the final
piece?

~~~
gabesmed
It's called Emmet's "The Good Stuff" - a gel urethane that gives a nice warm
glow to the wood, is easy to apply, quick-drying, and not unpleasant or
dangerous to breathe. (we work out of our cottage, so no professional
ventilation systems for us!) <http://www.mapleblock.com/detail/butcher-block-
finishes-39/>

------
Poiesis
Are there copyright issues with using Google's maps?

~~~
fennecfoxen
And on that note, allow me to encourage you to consider the copyright issues
and the possibility of using OpenStreetMap instead.

Edit: looks like another comment has since been posted which talked about
'working on an OSM render path', there you go

------
mellifluousmind
I wanted to make a purchase, but your web site is turning into a perfect
infinite loop to PayPal. It just keeps trying to forward me to PayPal, abort,
retry..abort..retry

Fix your code and you get the money?

