Finishing the SVG
File structure, scale and output settings when you download the plates as SVG, PNG or DXF and edit them in Illustrator, Inkscape or CAD.
Overview
The basic output of sitedia is SVG. Report figures usually go through a finishing step in Illustrator (highlighting buildings, arrows and notes, colours matched to the office template), and that needs a vector format.
| Format | Use |
|---|---|
| SVG per plate | Vector editing of one plate |
| PNG | Presentations, screens and documents |
| DXF | Base drawing for AutoCAD |
| GLB · 3DM · SKP | 3D model of the building massing |
PNG downloads are free. SVG, DXF, the 3D files and changing colours and visible categories are Pro features (Passes).
The AERIAL plate (Esri World Imagery) is a live map shown on screen only. It is not included in SVG, PNG, ZIP, DXF or 3D files.
How to use
- Search for a postcode or address, or click the map, choose the radius and shape, and press «Generate diagrams»
- Set each plate's colours and visible categories to your office template
- Download with «Download all SVG (ZIP)». For a CAD base, also use «Download DXF (CAD base)»
- In Illustrator, add what needs judgement: emphasis, notes, arrows
- Place the finished plates in the report
Structure of a plate SVG
Open a plate SVG in Illustrator or Inkscape and the layer names appear (the inkscape:label attribute). Each plate has two layers.
| Layer | Content |
|---|---|
| Plate layer (named after the plate, for example BUILDINGS or LAND REGISTRY PLOTS) | The drawing: the background disc and the shapes. The circular clipping mask applies to this layer |
| Site layer | The site marker only (red). It sits outside the clipping mask, so it can be enlarged or replaced without being cut at the edge |
fill value, so one band can be selected at onceCategories such as use or age are not separate layers. Shapes in the same category share one fill value, so
[Select ▸ Same ▸ Fill Color] in Illustrator selects a whole category at once.
A plate SVG has no text (title, legend or scale bar), so nothing breaks on a computer without the fonts. Add the caption and legend in the report.
The colours and the categories shown or hidden on screen are carried into the SVG as they are.
Scale
One viewBox unit in a plate SVG is one metre. On a 300 m radius plate, the circle is 600 units across. If 1 mm is taken as 1 m in Illustrator, the scale is 1:1000.
At a chosen scale, the circle diameter is radius × 2 ÷ scale:
| Plate | Scale | Circle diameter | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 m radius (600 m across) | 1:2000 | 300 mm | Fits on A3 landscape (420 × 297 mm) with margin |
| 300 m radius (600 m across) | 1:1000 | 600 mm | Does not fit on A3 |
| 800 m radius | 1:5000 | 320 mm |
Illustrator sometimes opens the SVG with the document in pixels. In [File ▸ Document Setup] change the units to
millimetres and check that the artboard matches radius × 2.
PNG
| Setting | Value or range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| «PNG resolution» | 1,000–4,000 px (default 2,000 px) | Set with the slider. The file is saved at that size whatever the screen |
A 2,000 px plate printed across the width of A3 (420 mm) is about 120 ppi, and thin plot lines fill in. For print, use the SVG or set «PNG resolution» to 4,000 px (about 240 ppi across A3).
DXF
«Download DXF (CAD base)» downloads a DXF built by the server from the geometry; it is not a conversion of the SVG. The
boundary circle is one CIRCLE entity, not an approximated polyline. One coordinate unit is 1 m. Layers:
| Layer | Content |
|---|---|
| Buildings (by use) | Building outlines, one layer per use. Unknown use on its own layer |
| Street centreline / street edge | Centrelines and an edge offset by the street width, merged at junctions |
| Green space · rivers · sea | Areas, with holes kept |
| Analysis boundary | Circle or rectangle. All shapes are clipped to it |
| Site | The picked parcels, or the centre marker |
| Sources | Text with data sources and licences. The name starts with «_» so it is first in the layer list. Turn it off rather than deleting it |
3D files
The 3D tab extrudes the buildings of the same radius from Environment Agency LiDAR heights (2016–2022) and exports GLB, 3DM (Rhino, closed solids) or SKP (SketchUp, each building a group). The files follow the colour mode on screen. See 3D export.
Editing notes
| Item | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Clipping mask | Shapes outside the circle are hidden, not cut. Releasing the mask shows streets and buildings outside the circle | Do not release the mask; edit the mask path to enlarge the circle |
| Stroke weight | Plot and street line weights are also in metres, so lines get thinner when the plate is scaled down | [Preferences ▸ General ▸ Scale Strokes & Effects] decides whether weights follow the scaling |
| File size | An 800 m radius in central London holds thousands of buildings | Generate again with the radius the report needs |
| Black | SVG black is RGB(0,0,0); converted to CMYK it becomes a rich black | For print, set black to K100 after conversion |
Data sources and attribution
| Data | Source | Attribution and licence |
|---|---|---|
| Building footprints, streets, green space, water | Overture Maps Foundation (in the UK almost entirely OpenStreetMap) | © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL |
| Building heights | Environment Agency LiDAR Composite 1 m | © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2022, OGL v3 |
| Land Registry polygons (LAND REGISTRY PLOTS, PLOT SIZE) | HM Land Registry INSPIRE Index Polygons | © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey AC0000851063 |
ODbL data may be redistributed on condition that it is offered under the same licence. This is stated in the sources layer of the DXF. If you pass the drawing to others, keep that text.