Have you ever wondered what a world map would look like in your terminal? Well, thanks to MapSCII, you will find out. Indeed, this fantastic command-line tool allows you to explore the entire world in ASCII, directly from your terminal.
MapSCII is what’s called a “vector tile renderer” (bless you) based on Node.js, which transforms OpenStreetMap data into Braille and ASCII characters for xterm-compatible terminals. With MapSCII, you can navigate the map simply by using your mouse to drag and zoom or by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
But MapSCII doesn’t just show you a static map. It also allows you to discover points of interest around any location. Whether you’re looking for restaurants, parks, or historical monuments, MapSCII will help you find them.
One of the most interesting features of MapSCII is its ability to customize the look of the map layers using Mapbox styles. You can adapt the appearance of the map according to your preferences, and it can connect to any public or private vector tile server. It even comes with an optimized server based on OSM2VectorTiles, allowing you to access high-quality global map data.
You can also use it offline by loading local MBTiles or VectorTiles files. This is particularly useful if you’re going hiking in an area without an Internet connection (LOL)!
It is compatible with most Linux and macOS terminals, and the best part is that it is entirely developed in JavaScript!
To install MapSCII, nothing could be simpler. If you have Node.js version 10 or higher, just run the command
npx mapsciiYou can also install it globally on your system with
npm install -g mapsciiAnd on Linux distributions that support it, you can even install MapSCII with snap:
sudo snap install mapsciiOnce installed, simply launch mapscii in your terminal and let yourself be guided.
If, like me, you are super lazy, there is a Telnet server that allows you to test it remotely. Open a terminal and start the following connection:
telnet mapscii.meUse the arrow keys to move, ‘a’ and ‘z’ to zoom, ‘c’ to switch to Braille characters mode, and ‘q’ to quit.
So, it can enable cool things like integrating a map into a TUI tool or a text adventure game where players explore an ASCII world!
