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3DCityLoader

Turns a box you draw on a map into a printable city model with buildings and terrain

3DCityLoader is a freemium browser tool for printing your street or hometown as a city model. Free with no account up to 0.5 km² on the worldwide OpenStreetMap map and 0.1 km² in the official-data regions. Larger areas (up to 5 or 10 km² depending on the region) show a price in euros with a free preview first, and anything bigger is quoted on request. The v2 app used for newer regions needs registration. Exports STL and OBJ. Last checked 26 September 2026.

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At a glance

Price: Free with no account up to 0.5 km² on the worldwide OpenStreetMap map and 0.1 km² in the official-data regions. Larger areas (up to 5 or 10 km² depending on the region) show a price in euros with a free preview first, and anything bigger is quoted on request. The v2 app used for newer regions needs registration.
Runs on: Browser
Exports: STL, OBJ
Multicolor: No, single color
Account: Not needed
Open source: No
Skill level: Easy: a few settings to tune
Best for: Printing your street or hometown as a city model
Selling prints: Depends on each model's license Downloads carry the open-data license of their source, named on each region page: ODbL for the worldwide OpenStreetMap map, and CC BY 4.0, Datenlizenz Deutschland or swisstopo OGD in official regions. Check that license's attribution terms before selling prints.
How we checked: Opened the generator Worldwide map loads without an account: default 0.24 km² box priced FREE, STL, OBJ and DXF tabs, Add Terrain with a separate-file option
Last checked: 26 September 2026

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Sources: 3DCityLoader 3D printing guide, 3DCityLoader FAQ (pricing and formats), 3DCityLoader legal notice (model licences) (checked 26 September 2026)

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What is 3DCityLoader?

3DCityLoader is a web service from Germany that cuts an area out of public 3D city data and converts it into a file you can download. You search for an address, drag the corners of a box over the map and pick a format. For printing you choose STL and tick Add terrain, so the buildings stand on a solid base, and the terrain can also go into a file of its own. The download arrives as a ZIP.

The worldwide map uses OpenStreetMap buildings. For Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Aachen, New York City, Switzerland and several German states it uses the official 3D models those regions publish, which the makers say hold far more detail. Newer regions such as the Netherlands, France, Norway and Tyrol open in a second version of the app that asks you to register before exporting. Besides STL, the classic tool offers OBJ and DXF.

Small areas are free: up to 0.5 km² on the worldwide map and 0.1 km² in the official-data regions. Bigger areas show a price in euros and a free preview before you pay. The makers suggest staying under about 0.5 km² for a print so the buildings do not get too small. It suits anyone who wants their street, campus or hometown as a desk model and is happy to scale the file in a slicer.

What you can make

City blocks with 3D buildings
Buildings on a terrain base
Terrain as a separate STL
Neighborhood and campus models

How to use 3DCityLoader

Open the worldwide map or a region from the Cities menu and search for an address
Drag the blue corner points to frame your area, ideally under 0.5 km²
Choose STL and tick Add terrain, plus 'in separate file' if you want the base on its own
Click Generate file (or Free preview for a paid area) and check the preview
Download the ZIP, then scale the STL in your slicer and print

What you'll need to print it

Filament and parts that suit what you make with 3DCityLoader.

White PLA

Matte PLA

Multicolor PLA

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3DCityLoader pros

Uses the official 3D building data in several German regions, Switzerland and New York City, which holds much more detail than plain OpenStreetMap blocks
The free area on the worldwide map is big enough for a street or campus, and the classic tool needs no account
Add terrain gives the model a solid base, and the terrain can go into its own STL if you want to print it in a second color

3DCityLoader cons

The Netherlands, France, Norway, Tyrol and three German states now open in the v2 app, which asks you to register before exporting
There are no print-size or base-thickness settings, so you scale the model and trim the base in your slicer
The free limit in the official-data regions is only 0.1 km², and bigger areas cost money