drawtonomy vs Vector Map Builder
TIER IV Vector Map Builder
Section titled “TIER IV Vector Map Builder”Vector Map Builder by TIER IV is a browser-based Lanelet2 editor built for Autoware.
What Vector Map Builder covers (per the official page and Autoware documentation):
- Lanelet2 format authoring with
.osmoutput. - Authoring of common Lanelet2 elements such as lanelets, crosswalks, stop lines, and traffic lights.
- Output structured around Autoware’s requirements.
- Browser-based interface; runs through a TIER IV account.
For Autoware-targeted Lanelet2 work today, Vector Map Builder is commonly the first option suggested for new users.
Other Lanelet2 editors to know
Section titled “Other Lanelet2 editors to know”- JOSM with the Autoware Lanelet2 plugin — desktop OSM editor extended for Lanelet2.
- Autocore MapToolbox — Unity plugin for Lanelet2.
Where drawtonomy might fit alongside Vector Map Builder
Section titled “Where drawtonomy might fit alongside Vector Map Builder”drawtonomy and Vector Map Builder are both browser-based Lanelet2 tools, but they sit at very different positions. Vector Map Builder is a real Lanelet2 authoring tool. drawtonomy is a 2D whiteboard with narrow Lanelet2 support.
Per drawtonomy’s exporter documentation:
- Imports a Lanelet2
.osmfile and renders lanelets as editable shapes. - Lets you reshape boundaries and do basic geometric tweaks.
- Re-exports while preserving regulatory elements through a sidecar.
- Does not support creating or editing regulatory elements in the UI.
- No point cloud reference layer.
A few small things drawtonomy can add alongside Vector Map Builder:
- A 2D top-down figure of a small piece of a Lanelet2 map for a paper or slide deck.
.drawtonomy.svgas a re-editable figure source for documentation.- OpenSCENARIO 1.3 + OpenDRIVE 1.8 export for an esmini-playable companion to a Vector Map Builder-authored map.
For any actual Autoware HD-map authoring — anything that needs regulatory elements, anything that ships into a planning / perception stack — Vector Map Builder is the right tool. drawtonomy is for figures and light geometric inspection only.
In the same Lanelet2 / Autoware community
Section titled “In the same Lanelet2 / Autoware community”Vector Map Builder is purpose-built for the Autoware HD-map workflow, and TIER IV has put significant effort into making it serve that community. drawtonomy reads and writes the same Lanelet2 OSM format, so a map authored in Vector Map Builder can be opened in drawtonomy for a quick figure or geometric look, and a map lightly edited in drawtonomy stays compatible with Vector Map Builder’s input (regulatory elements survive through the sidecar mechanism). Together with JOSM, MapToolbox, and the rest of the Autoware Foundation ecosystem, both tools contribute to the same open HD-map community from different angles.