This paper explores some new potentials in the simulation of local vegetation maps. It is assumed that the model design expresses the manner in which vegetation is perceived by the investigator. Three basic model properties are considered: the definition of the 'unit vegetation', the spatial scale design and vegetation dynamics. In an example of a small scale investigation in a wetland site, it is shown that the species and the community approach can be combined. As a result, continuous maps of both vegetation types and species are obtained. Provided the distribution of the individual species is known from field data, fuzzy vegetation maps can be generated. These are, like the simulated maps, continuous and after appropriate transformation, greatly enhance comparison of real and simulated patterns. The joint effect of plot size and resolution is discussed. It is suggested that the sensitivity of the spatial design should be tested in an example where species maps of high resolution are available and a flexible classification procedure can be applied.