gpx2stl

What is gpx2stl?

gpx2stl turns a GPS track into a printable piece of landscape with your route marked on it. You drop in a GPX file from Strava, Garmin, Komoot or a similar app, or try the built-in example route from Moab. You can trim the start and finish, then choose the print area on a topographic map: fit to the route, square, 3:2, hexagon or a custom box you drag and resize.

Under the model settings you set the size (180 mm on the longest side by default), vertical exaggeration, the margin of terrain around the route and three detail levels. The trail can be a raised ridge, a carved groove or a separate inlay that prints in another color and drops into a slot, with a test-fit piece to check the clearance. Start and finish markers come in several shapes and face the direction of travel, and an optional label can be filled in from the GPX with distance, climb and date, raised or engraved.

The result downloads as an STL, a ZIP of the terrain and inlay pieces, or a 3MF for multicolor printers when you use a label or an inlay. Everything runs in the browser and the GPX file stays on your computer. Elevation comes from AWS Terrain Tiles, about 30 m resolution in the US, so small features are smoothed out. It is free and needs no account; the code is public on GitHub but has no license file.

What you can make

• Terrain reliefs of a hike, run or ride
• Route maps with a raised or carved trail
• Two-color terrain with an inlaid route

How to use gpx2stl

1. Drop in a GPX file and trim the start and finish
2. Choose the shape and area of the print on the map
3. Set size, exaggeration, trail style, markers and label
4. Generate the model and download the STL or 3MF