What is TouchTerrain?
TouchTerrain is a free web app from Iowa State University for making 3D printable terrain models. You pick an area on a map, set how big the print should be, and it sends back a zip with the model files and a log of what it did.
It draws on several elevation datasets through Google Earth Engine, including 10 m USGS data for the US, 30 m global sets and 1 m data for parts of the US, England and France, so results can be much sharper than older tools. Options cover vertical exaggeration, base thickness, resolution matched to your nozzle size and splitting a large area into several tiles that you print and glue together. You can also load a KML polygon to print an irregular shape, and GPX tracks can be draped onto the terrain.
It is popular with teachers, geologists and hikers, and the code is open source for anyone who wants to run it locally with their own GeoTIFF files.
What you can make
- Terrain tiles
- Multi-tile large relief maps
- Terrain with GPX tracks
- Classroom landform models
How to use TouchTerrain
- Click a starting area on the map
- Adjust the selection box, print size and exaggeration
- Choose tile count and base thickness
- Export and download the zip with your model files
What you'll need to print it
Filament and parts that suit what you make with TouchTerrain.
Matte PLA
- Bambu Lab PLA Matte (affiliate link) Amazon
- Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA (formerly PolyTerra) (affiliate link) Polymaker EU: 3DJake (affiliate link)
Code gives 15% off your first order at Polymaker.
Large-format printers
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about that
TouchTerrain pros
- Higher resolution data sources than most free tools
- Splits big areas into printable tiles
- Open source and research backed
TouchTerrain cons
- Interface feels technical compared with newer apps
- Very large requests can hit server size limits
- Terrain only, no buildings or color parts
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