# ibaaj/dijkstra-cartography

Using Dijkstra's algorithm ("finding the shortest paths between nodes in a graph") to draw maps :earth_africa:.

Repository: https://github.com/ibaaj/dijkstra-cartography
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dijkstra-cartography
Language: C++
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: dijkstra-cartography, dijkstra, drawing, openstreetmap, paris, cartography, algorithm
Archived: true
Last push: 2016-10-27T21:56:18+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3796, "days_push": 3597, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, archived, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1173, forks 81 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:51.812974+00:00)

## What it is
A C++ tool that generates artistic maps by running Dijkstra's shortest-path algorithm over OpenStreetMap data, rendering the most-used routes as images. It was used to create posters like 'all roads lead to my home' in Paris, the Amazon river network, European railways, and world flight paths.

## Use cases
- generate a shortest-path map poster of my city
- visualize road usage from OpenStreetMap data
- draw river or railway networks with Dijkstra's algorithm
- create a 'roads to Rome' style map from my home
- render flight route maps from graph data

## When to choose
- you want artistic shortest-path density maps from OSM data
- you need a customizable open-source alternative to Roads to Rome
- you're comfortable building C++ and working with OSM extracts

## When to avoid
- you need a maintained production routing engine like OSRM or Graphhopper
- you want a polished GUI or turnkey tool
- you need up-to-date support or a permissive license

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: graphics, data-visualization, geospatial
- domain: data-visualization, graphics
- platform: cpp, windows
- tags: dijkstra, cartography, openstreetmap, shortest-path, map-art, gis, maps, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- ibaaj/dijkstra-cartography (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:51.812974+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:28:22.738351+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ibaaj/dijkstra-cartography (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:51.812974+00:00, sha b73882d2b381)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.