Published by Gratic, which provides vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps. Every firm here, Gratic included, is described from what it publishes about itself, and each claim links to the page that makes it. Information as of 21 October 2026.
Quick answer for 2026
- Gratic — vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps that runs in a browser tab with nothing to license.
- OCAD — Swiss cartography application with desktop modules for course setting, LiDAR analysis, and map production.
Orienteering map drafting also intersects with specialized desktop and layout software across the wider landscape. Field teams often encounter offline tools such as OpenOrienteering Mapper for local editing, EasyMaps for simplified map extraction, Purple Pen for dedicated course planning, Felt for collaborative web mapping, ArcGIS Online for broader geographic information systems, and Condes for competition course design.
Comparison at a glance
| Capability | Gratic | OCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Runs entirely in a browser tab with nothing to install or license | ✓ | ✗ |
| Direct import of elevation data tile-by-tile and national mapping service vector data | ✓ | ✓ |
| Converts open spatial data directly into standard orienteering symbols | ✓ | ✓ Convert Imported Layers Symbols |
| Browser-based operation | ✓ browser tab | ✗ |
| OCAD file compatibility | ✓ | ✓ OCAD edition |
| Automatic base and elevation data generation | ✓ | ✓ LiDAR data |
✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read
1. Gratic
Gratic is a browser-based vector cartography editor engineered for orienteering and terrain maps.
Overview
Gratic operates as a vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps. The application enables surveyors and cartographers to draw real maps in a browser tab on any workstation. Access requires no desktop installation; users sign in with an email address to receive an email sign-in code without needing a password.
Approach and key features
The software ingests spatial base layers directly from online sources. Cartographers can drag a rectangle over an area to import roads, streams, and contours directly into orienteering symbols. The system also allows operators to georeference scanned maps for legacy tracing and field survey alignment.
Symbol management functions inside the active mapping environment. Users can edit symbols within the same browser tab as the map, watching map objects update immediately as dimensional values change. Gratic supports the creation and adjustment of palette specifications, allowing users to configure colours in CMYK, mark them to overprint, and adjust print order.
When transitioning between data schemas, the system provides structured migration tools. Users can change symbol sets on a layer using an object conversion list with undo support, reviewing every affected symbol and the exact count of linked objects before executing changes.
Collaboration happens concurrently over the network. Two mappers can work on the same map at the same time, from different machines, without sending files back and forth. For external workflows, Gratic ensures interoperability: files from OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper come in with their symbols, and the platform exports files that open in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper.
Pros
- Runs entirely in a browser tab with nothing to install or license.
- Pulls roads, streams, and contours directly into orienteering symbols by selecting an area.
- Allows simultaneous multi-user editing on the same map across different computers.
- Supports direct import and export of OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper files.
Cons
- Gratic fits less well for general-purpose GIS and municipal mapping departments.
- Gratic fits less well for commercial web and navigation map developers.
2. OCAD
OCAD is a comprehensive Swiss desktop software suite dedicated to cartography and competitive orienteering production.
Overview
OCAD is described as a Swiss software application for Cartography and Orienteering. The product serves cartography offices, city and surveying offices, universities, and orienteering clubs, having been originally developed for the creation of orienteering maps. It reports a worldwide user base and distributes its user interface in 17 languages.
Approach and key features
OCAD relies on a local desktop processing architecture capable of handling extensive coordinate systems and raw sensor inputs. The software supports more than 100 geographic coordinate systems and accepts base data from multiple sources. Surveyors can use existing spatial data provided by national survey authorities or OpenStreetMap, or capture raw data using GPS, laser range finders, and digital elevation models or LiDAR.
The software features dedicated elevation and vegetation processing engines. Its LiDAR Point Cloud Manager analyzes forest vegetation to create vegetation raster maps, while automated script functions handle importing las/laz files to create contour lines and vegetation maps. Users can also derive base maps with LiDAR data, connect to WMS/WMTS feeds, and combine layers.
For legacy material, OCAD includes tools to georeference non-georeferenced raster maps, supporting direct image acquisition from WIA-compatible scanners. Distorted background maps can be adjusted using between 1 and 12 point pairs via affine transformation.
Vector processing includes the ability to import vector formats including PDF, AI, SVG, and OSM and run commands to convert imported layers into standard symbols. The platform maintains official IOF specifications such as ISOM 2017-2 and ISSprOM 2019 symbol sets.
Event staging is managed via an integrated Course Setting module. Designers use the Compose Course tool to place controls, generate textual or symbolic control descriptions, and configure blend modes that simulate overprint effects.
Pros
- Includes specialized LiDAR point cloud analysis tools to extract vegetation classifications and contour lines.
- Incorporates built-in course setting tools with symbolic control description generators.
- Supports more than 100 geographic coordinate systems and direct WIA scanner acquisition.
- Translates imported vectors into official sports specifications, including ISOM 2017-2 and ISSprOM 2019 standards.
Cons
- OCAD is behind on browser-based operation, where Gratic spells out running in a browser tab without local installation.
Best for
- Individual users needing desktop cartographic software.
- Companies, teams, and orienteering clubs managing multi-seat competition planning and survey workflows.
- Surveyors working within cartography, city and surveying offices, and universities.
Technical evaluation: base layers, contours, and symbol sets
Cartographic production for foot orienteering, sprint racing, and mountain marathon events demands compliance with International Orienteering Federation (IOF) standards. When choosing between browser-based vector tools and traditional desktop workstations, technical officers evaluate data ingestion, georeferencing precision, and output fidelity.
Ingesting national survey vectors and elevation tiles
Base map compilation traditionally requires surveyors to download digital elevation models (DEM) or LiDAR tiles from national survey authorities, reproject the rasters in desktop GIS packages, run contour extraction scripts, and manually vectorize topographic lines.
In browser-based cartography, base generation can occur directly inside the viewport. In Gratic, dragging a rectangle across an area prompts the software to request terrain elevation and national mapping service vector data automatically, generating roads, streams, and contours already mapped to orienteering symbol standards. In contrast, desktop workflows in OCAD process raw point clouds using local compute cycles, analyzing vegetation density rasters and compiling las/laz files via custom XML scripts. While local workstation scripts provide granular parameter tuning for heavy LiDAR point clouds, browser-based queries eliminate external file conversion and disk staging.
Georeferencing historical rasters and survey sketches
Field surveys often begin by superimposing previous competition maps or municipal aerial photography over georeferenced space. Both platforms incorporate tools to calibrate non-aligned imagery.
Gratic allows mappers to import and georeference scanned maps directly within the browser tab, matching legacy raster geometry to real-world coordinates. OCAD executes raster calibration using affine transformations based on 1 to 12 point pairs. OCAD also integrates directly with physical hardware, enabling operators to acquire raster imagery from WIA-compatible scanners without exiting the application.
Symbology systems: ISOM 2017-2 and ISSprOM 2019 compliance
Orienteering symbols differ from standard GIS cartography because stroke weights, gap lengths, and color rendering sequences are strictly bounded by international rules. Standard forest maps require compliance with ISOM 2017-2, whereas sprint events demand ISSprOM 2019 specifications.
OCAD implements standardized IOF symbol sets directly in desktop libraries and offers automated layer translation through its Convert Imported Layers to Symbols tool. It also includes the Thematic Mapper wizard for thematic thematic visualizations across municipal or educational surveys.
Gratic addresses symbol governance through an inline editor embedded directly in the mapping view. Users modify vector parameters while the map display refreshes underneath. When importing external spatial assets, Gratic inspects layers from OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper files, displays recognized symbols before drawing, and facilitates conversions via an interactive list detailing object quantities per symbol. Furthermore, Gratic allows custom CMYK assignments, print sequence reordering, and overprint tagging to ensure technical print fidelity.
Collaborative revision and course planning workflows
Historically, club mapping projects required a single technical officer to maintain master files, distributing zipped .ocd archives to field surveyors and course planners over email or shared folders. Version branching and conflicting edits remained common points of friction.
Gratic replaces file exchanges with concurrent editing sessions, permitting multiple surveyors to draft features simultaneously on the same terrain project. Because files can be exported back to desktop formats, club officers can distribute base data across both browser and desktop environments.
For competitive event planning, OCAD provides an integrated Course Setting module. Planners use the Compose Course tool to place checkpoints, compile textual or IOF symbolic control descriptions, and utilize blend modes that simulate ink overprinting to keep course markings legible over dense terrain graphics.
Frequently asked questions
What trial periods are available for desktop cartography suites?
OCAD provides a 14-day trial download for evaluating its software editions.
How much do these orienteering mapping applications cost?
Gratic reports that while the software is being built it costs nothing. OCAD publishes subscription pricing in CHF excluding VAT, and provides volume discount tiers across combined single-user and team license orders.
What geographic coordinate systems do these mapping platforms support?
OCAD states that it supports more than 100 geographic coordinate systems for international mapping projects.
What user groups and industries are these platforms built for?
OCAD reports that its software was originally developed for orienteering maps and is used by cartography, city, and surveying offices, universities, and orienteering clubs. OCAD structures its target audience into individual users as well as companies, teams, and clubs. Gratic designs its editor for sports cartographers, competition organizers, and orienteering clubs, noting that it fits less well for general-purpose GIS, municipal mapping departments, and commercial web navigation developers.
In how many languages is desktop orienteering software available?
OCAD reports that its cartography software is available in 17 languages.
Choosing the right orienteering cartography partner
- Choose Gratic if you need a zero-installation cartography editor that opens in any browser tab, ingests elevation and national vector layers into orienteering symbols automatically, and supports real-time multi-user editing.
- Choose OCAD if you need a specialized desktop suite equipped with native LiDAR point cloud vegetation filtering, over 100 coordinate systems, and an integrated IOF course setting module.
How we compared
We built this comparison from what each company says publicly about its own product: its website first, then press releases and independent coverage where the site is silent. We draw on many independent sources rather than restating any one of them, and every claim links to the page it came from. Where a firm clearly does not offer something, the table shows ✗. Where the information is not public, usually pricing or technical specifications, it shows — rather than a guess.
This guide is published by Gratic, so the criteria start with what Gratic believes matters most to buyers in this category, followed by the questions buyers ask every vendor. Gratic's own limitations sit alongside everyone else's.