Terrain models using QGIS and DEMto3D

[Peter]

I've been messing around with terrain models for years, and just recently discovered the DEMto3D plugin for QGIS.

QGIS is a free and open source GIS (mapping) package that's fairly widely used for research and academics. It runs on all major platforms, and while the interface takes some getting used to (as is often the case with open source) it's not that hard to learn the basics needed for importing terrain data.

DEMto3D is a free plugin for QGIS which exports high resolution terrain data as an STL.

QGIS and DEMto3D lets you build full resolution terrain models using any source data, and is only a notch or two harder to use than TouchTerrain. And since it runs locally, there's no limits on file size other than what your computer can handle.

One of the projects I want to explore is building very large high resolution terrain models with multiple tiles. It's looking promising to use QGIS to build the base tiles, and post-process them using Fusion360's mesh tools to make them interlock.

    -Peter

[Peter]

I meant to include this link: https://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/3D_printing_of_digital_elevation_models_with_QGIS

And here's the link to download QGIS: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html

Once you have QGIS installed, the DEMto3D plugin can be installed from the "Plugins" menu.