All projects

Product · Transit map design

MapEX Studio

A local-first planning workspace for turning GTFS rail networks into editable, compiler-backed schematic maps.

A system-scale MapEX rendering of Chicago's CTA rail network.
TypeLocal-first planner
StatusPrivate active development
DomainGTFS rail map generation

Overview

MapEX Studio is a private Electron and React planner built around the existing Python MapEX compiler. The compiler turns GTFS inputs into schematic rail maps; the Studio makes that process visible and editable without introducing a second generation pipeline.

The workspace keeps one authoritative MapSpec and one displayed MapEX SVG, so the planner and the rendered artifact remain aligned.

Core workflow

  • Use the Build surface to run the existing GTFS-to-rail-map compiler and inspect its progress.
  • Use the Map surface to work with the generated system map through its authoritative MapSpec.
  • Make undoable edits while preserving a single displayed SVG as the visual source of truth.
  • Render edits with mapex render-spec instead of rerunning GTFS generation.

Current verification

Current checks cover the typed application build and tests, generation from a real WMATA GTFS feed, and rendering from MapSpec. These checks support the integrated workflow, but they are not evidence of uniform behavior across every transit system; feed-specific validation remains ongoing.

Next project TheFlyerApp