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A couple of months in the past my good friend Barney stated, “Are you able to 3D print Thousand Palms Canyon?”
I knew what he meant: all of the hills and gulleys and panorama options we’re accustomed to. “No,” I stated. “That’s unattainable.” However the concept saved bugging me. Why not? So I did what any of you’d do in the midst of a sleepless night time: I went on-line. Huh! Not unattainable, however possibly a little bit bit difficult. Under are the step-by-step directions to create a 3D topographic map.
Creator’s Be aware: I’m utilizing Photoshop and 3DS Max on a PC to edit information and export them to my MakerBot Replicator 2, so this process may be totally different for you if you happen to’re utilizing different software program. I wager it will likely be comparable sufficient for this data to be helpful, although.
Replace (Could 2016): There was a bit of software program developed to help within the STL map producing instrument. The hyperlink for the free STL creator is right here: http://jthatch.com/Terrain2STL/. The unique article is under and produces a better decision STL, if that’s wanted.
1. Obtain and set up Google Earth.
2. Obtain and set up MicroDEM – a free utility out there by the U.S. Naval Academy web site. Set up entails two steps – obtain and run the installer first, then exchange the executable with the most recent model (out there as a separate obtain).
3. Obtain and set up the srtm4.1 plugin for Google Earth (Be aware: clicking on this hyperlink might routinely obtain the srtm4.1 plugin, relying in your browser).
A. Deciding on a topographic area in Google Earth
4. In Google Earth, the SRTM4.1 will seem underneath “My Locations” within the navigation on the left. Click on on the small “Elevation” sq., and a grid of containers ought to seem on the globe picture (Picture “A”);
5. Click on on one of many containers that features topography you wish to print;
B. Topographic knowledge – obtain choices
6. A window will seem (You may have to scroll down). Click on on the hyperlink as in Picture “B”;
C. Topographic knowledge – the direct obtain url
7. The auto-download in all probability gained’t work, so copy the url as urged, and paste it into your browser, as proven in Picture “C.” This obtain might take a couple of minutes;
8. Unzip the downloaded archive. The one file you want is the .asc file. Put it someplace you will discover it simply. Toss the remaining;
9. You could use MicroDEM to interpret the altitude knowledge. (Don’t strive utilizing any of the opposite “useful” instruments on the Web to open this sort of file – a few of them are nasty viruses!);
10. In MicroDEM, go to File>Open>Open DEM and find your file;
D. Utilizing MicroDEM to preview your topographic knowledge
11. Right here’s the difficult half: You in all probability do not know what you’re . No highways, no names of cities, no identifiers of any sort! So that you’ll have to reference back-and-forth with another map to slim down the realm you wish to print. When you determine which a part of the map you wish to zoom in on, use the “Subset & zoom” instrument (dotted border) from higher left to decrease proper to zoom in (Picture “D”);
12. Proper-click on the map and select “Legends/marginalia,” and ensure not one of the containers is chosen (remember to take away the gridlines);
E. Exporting topographic knowledge in greyscale
13. Proper-click once more, choose Show parameter>Elevation>Grey scale. That is the picture you’ll use in your 3D program to create a displacement map so as to print your topographical 3D mannequin (Picture “E”);
14. Choose File>Save picture, and select no matter picture format works finest in your 3D program (I take advantage of jpeg);
F. Checking the picture dimension in Photoshop
15. Stop out of MicroDEM and open Photoshop or no matter image-editing program you employ. Open the file you simply saved. Test to find out picture dimension, and jot it down. Mine occurred to be 860×650 pixels. Meaning, once I create a aircraft object in 3DS Max it will likely be, like, 8.6in x 6.5in or 860mm x 650mm or no matter models you like (Picture “F”). Shut the file;
Editor’s Be aware: If you do not have Photoshop there are many different choices for checking the scale of a picture. In Home windows Explorer single-clicking an image file will show the scale within the data panel on the backside of the window.
G. Making a aircraft in 3D Studio Max
16. Open your 3D program, create a aircraft with comparable dimensions (You may want to modify width for size), and provides that aircraft LOTS of segments, like, 430×325. I divided dimensions in half (Picture “G”);
H. Making a displacement map out of your grayscale elevation picture
17. In 3DS Max (or no matter you’re utilizing), choose the aircraft, go to the Modifier Record, scroll right down to “Displace,” and add your grayscale map to create the terrain you need. Alter “energy” to magnify the peak of the mountains nonetheless you like. Drawback is, a aircraft has solely two dimensions, so you’ll be able to’t print it with a 3D printer irrespective of what number of mountains it has (Picture “H”);
Editor’s Be aware: If you do not have entry to 3D Studio Max, concern not! Utilizing Roy’s directions as a common guideline we accomplished these steps with Blender (a free 3D enhancing instrument).
J. Changing your aircraft right into a 3D printable object
18. Convert the aircraft to an Editable Poly, choose solely the outermost vertices (“choose border” in 3DS Max), and drag all of them down fairly far on the Z axis until they’re away from all the things else. Then “Make Planar” on “Z,” which ought to line up all of the vertices you chose to have equal “Z” values. With that border nonetheless chosen, click on on “Cap.” That completes a 3D printable object (Picture “J”);
19. Transfer the underside “cap” up close to to the bottom level of your topography, however not too shut, otherwise you danger breaking your printed map if you pry it off your construct floor on the finish of this course of;
20. Choose your topo map object and export it as a StereoLitho (STL) file;
Ok. Topographic map imported into MakerWare
21. Open MakerWare, MatterControl, or no matter you’re utilizing to drive your printer, and add your STL object, scaling it to suit your print mattress comfortably (Picture “Ok”);
L. The ultimate product – a 3D printed topographic map
22. Print it! This can take a very long time to print. My map took nearly 4 hours, however the element is wonderful. This printed object is barely about 4.75in x 3.5in (Picture “L”).
This may occasionally appear to be a protracted, troublesome course of, but it surely’s truly fairly simple if you happen to observe each step to the letter. Imagine me: Will probably be lots simpler so that you can undergo these steps than it was for me to determine them out.
In case you discover any errors on this article, please level them out, and I’ll do my finest to repair them.
Good printing!
Roy Smith
The Smithbot
(Replace 2019)
At MatterHackers, we’re at all times searching for enjoyable and fascinating new tasks that we will incorporate 3D printing and digital fabrication into. I had remembered seeing this older MatterHackers article by Roy Smith, but it surely was made clear that this system wouldn’t permit for the options that make areas recognizable: buildings! With that, I got down to devise and doc a course of.
Technique 1: 3D Map, no Topography
I used to be capable of finding a few totally different strategies, each free and paid for that labored okay, however the most effective I might discover for my functions was utilizing a sequence of various packages to transform knowledge from Google Maps. I wished to start out off with one thing that was a recognizable panorama or held some significance for MatterHackers, so I’ll use New York Metropolis, particularly the realm across the Empire State Constructing and a few portion of Downtown Los Angeles.
- Go to opensteetmap.org and discover the situation that you simply wish to 3D print. This can make the most of the information inside Google Maps to create 3D fashions of the realm seen within the viewport.
- Click on Export to export a .osm file.
- Obtain and set up OSM2World from osm2world.org
- As soon as put in, open OSM2World and import the map.osm file you exported already. After a minute or so, it’s best to see a 3D mannequin of your metropolis.
- From OSM2World, you’ll be able to export an Obj file, which some slicers can’t work together with and can want conversion. At this level you wouldn’t wish to print it both; this mannequin will want fairly a little bit of cleanup.
- Open up Netfabb and import the Obj file. You could delete a few of the artifacts from the surroundings that couldn’t be translated correctly and make the completed mesh printable.
- Utilizing the aircraft reduce sliders, take away the options that stretch previous the a part of your metropolis that you simply wish to hold, just like the highways and jagged edges the place the map ends.
- Choose the town part that you simply wish to hold and open up the restore instrument
- Use the floor choice instrument to pick the land under all of the buildings
- Click on the “Extrude Surfaces” instrument and ensure the “3D-Extrude” tab is chosen and “Clean” and “Thickening” choices are chosen as effectively.
- Change “Shift” to 100mm (constructive or unfavourable, whichever manner extrudes it away from the buildings). Then click on apply.
- Now that the land has thickness, click on “Run Restore Script” and “Prolonged Restore.” Netfabb will try and merge all of the shells into one mannequin, relatively than one with many particular person elements.
- In case you’re fortunate, you will have one shell and all the things appears proper, nonetheless, odds are your mannequin wants a little bit extra repairing.
- Click on the left aspect of the field subsequent to the Z Lower Airplane slider, this can disguise something under the reduce aircraft.
- Have a look at the mannequin from the underside and examine to see if you happen to can see any blue triangles. This could imply you will have buildings that aren’t connected but, or your constructing has overhangs on it that want eradicating.
- Use the “Choose Shells” instrument to pick the largely completed mannequin, then right-click and conceal triangle. This can make it simpler to see the opposite shells that aren’t related
- Manually choose the underside surfaces of every of those shells, then extrude them down far sufficient to stay into the land.
- Do one other Prolonged Restore to merge it with the remainder of the mannequin and apply the restore if all of it appears good (I choose to not take away the previous half in case I want to return for restore.
- Use the Z aircraft reduce to chop off the underside of the land and make it fully flat and if you happen to want, use the extruded surfaces instrument once more to thicken the bottom).
That covers Technique 1. There’s lots that goes into it, however in the long run, you’ll have a reasonably detailed and actually enjoyable mannequin you could print and modify as you want.
Technique 2: 3D Map with Topography.
The info that’s gathered by Google Maps doesn’t embrace any kind of topographical knowledge. It is aware of that there are buildings, the place they’re, the place the roads are, what number of lanes, however San Francisco’s panorama (a notoriously hilly metropolis) would look precisely the identical as Houston (one of many flattest cities within the US). Conveniently, there’s a web site that may convert the information from Google Maps, NASA, and the US Geological Survey to create a way more correct cityscape with included topography.
- Go to CADmapper.com
- Zoom out and in, drag the corners of the choice field, and pan the viewport to vary your collection of map you’d prefer to obtain. The free model limits you to 1 sq. kilometer, however you’ll be able to choose between 1 and 100 sq. kilometers for $6 to $65.
- Export utilizing SketchUp 2015+, choose to incorporate 3D Buildings, and set false peak to twenty meters, examine the field for Topography, and Highway Geometry is as much as you (mesh surfaces will let you extrude the roads however to make them printable will take much more work to make them prepared for that).
- Click on “Create File” and CadMapper will start merging all the information it must create a workable 3D mannequin.
- When it’s accomplished, obtain the completed file and open it up utilizing SketchUp 2015 or newer.
- Below the “Window>Default Tray” Toolbar, ensure “Layers” is chosen so you’ll be able to see and choose the layers inside the map.
- You’ll be able to select to maintain all of the layers, which would require extra cleanup and tuning to get proper, or you’ll be able to hold the principle ones to get it printable. Buildings and Topography are the necessary ones.
- When you’ve deleted the layers you don’t need, set up the STL Import & Export Extension, and export the map as an STL.
- With the exported STL, you’ll be able to then import this into NetFabb and start modifying the mesh utilizing the Restore instrument.
- Use the floor choice instrument to pick the land under all of the buildings
- Click on the “Extrude Surfaces” instrument and ensure the “3D-Extrude” tab is chosen and “Clean” and “Thickening” choices are chosen as effectively.
- Change “Shift” to 100mm (constructive or unfavourable, whichever manner extrudes it away from the buildings). Then click on apply.
- At this level, if you happen to selected to maintain the roads, you’ll have to undergo by hand and restore every of them, give them thickness, and ensure there aren’t overlapping triangles; a easy Prolonged Restore will not be going to chop it right here.
- Now that the land has thickness, click on “Run Restore Script” and “Prolonged Restore.” Netfabb will try and merge all of the shells into one mannequin, relatively than one with many particular person elements.
- In case you’re fortunate, you will have one shell and all the things appears proper, nonetheless odds are your mannequin wants a little bit extra repairing.
- Click on the left aspect of the field subsequent to the Z Lower Airplane slider, this can disguise something under the reduce aircraft.
- Have a look at the mannequin from the underside and examine to see if you happen to can see any blue triangles. This could imply you will have buildings that aren’t connected but, or your constructing has overhangs on it that want eradicating.
- Do one other Prolonged Restore to merge it with the remainder of the mannequin and apply the restore if all of it appears good (I choose to not take away the previous half in case I want to return for restore.
- Use the Z aircraft reduce to chop off the underside of the land and make it fully flat and if you happen to want, use the extruded surfaces instrument once more to thicken the bottom).
Technique 2 is fairly simple and can provide some fascinating depths to your topographical maps and makes for nice HexTiles of a few of our favourite places!
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