This software can also be used to engrave the name of the location/landform into the 3D print or reduce/expand the height of the base. The plugin then exports and creates a STL file, which can be opened and viewed in software such as 3D Builder. This plugin will allow you to select the print extent of your 3D model, the print spacing, the dimensions/scale, the vertical exaggeration, and the model base thickness. Open the DEM in QGIS and install the 'DEMto3D' plugin.

DTMs are preferable when printing topographic landforms, and DSMs are preferable when printing urban environments. 3D prints can be made using a digital terrain model (DTM), which depicts just the bare Earth surface, or a digital surface model (DSM), which depicts vegetation, buildings, and other structures at Earth's surface. You can find topography data via OpenTopography's portal to download high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs). This YouTube video tutorial explains how to create a 3D printable model from a DEM downloaded from OpenTopography: You can find a number of pre-made STL files for 3D printing on our OpenLandform Catalog. We use the DEMto3D plugin in QGIS to generate the STL file, which can then be viewed and modified using the 3D Builder software. In the tutorial, we describe step-by-step how to create the standard triangle language (STL) file that is commonly used in 3D printing. Each software package in the tutorial is freely available for download. Have you ever wanted to make a 3D print of your favorite mountain peak, city-scape, or tourist destination? OpenTopography's video tutorial demonstrates how to prepare a digital elevation model (DEM) for 3D printing.

Stl 3d print files