A layered wood map combines geographic design with workshop decisions. The online designer prepares the digital layers; your materials, cutting setup, colors, and assembly determine the finished piece. Here is a practical sequence for a first build.
1. Choose the place and finished size
Search for a shoreline, lake, bay, harbor, island, or coastline and frame the area that matters. Set the board dimensions in millimeters or inches. Allow for your machine's usable bed size and the material you intend to use. Preview the available shoreline and depths before buying material for that location.
2. Personalize and inspect the layers
Choose road detail and place labels, add personal landmarks, and place finishing touches such as a title or compass rose. Review the color assembly view, then inspect the land and five water layers separately. Look for narrow bridges of land, tiny detached islands, and artwork that crowds cut edges.
3. Prepare the export
Apply pending geometry changes. Select SVG, DXF, or EPS if you need vector cutting paths, and set operation colors and line widths. Download the ZIP and retain the full-color preview as your assembly reference. Confirm all six layers have matching dimensions when you import them into your laser software.
4. Test, then cut and engrave
Choose laser-compatible material and follow your machine and material supplier's operating guidance. Set cutting and engraving parameters in your laser software. Test a small section first to assess detail, fit, and engraving appearance at the chosen size. The downloaded files do not set your laser's power or speed.
5. Finish and assemble
Dry-fit the layers against the preview before gluing. Choose colors that make the depth bands readable, and finish surfaces as appropriate for your materials. Keep the common board edges and registration guides aligned as you stack the layers. Material thickness creates the physical depth effect; the app exports flat layer files.
You can save a project and return to refine the design. A saved export preserves the package already generated, which is useful when making another copy of the same build.