Download a 3D terrain map as an STL for your printer.

From map frame to slicer

The STL covers exactly what sits inside the print frame, so set the map up the way you want the model to look from above.

1. 1

   Frame the area and flatten the camera

   Move the map until the area fills the print frame. Turning on contour lines helps you see where the ridges and valleys fall. In the View section of the Map tab, set Pitch to 0. Bearing is kept, so rotate the map first if you want a ridge to run across the model instead of up it.

2. 2

   Open the 3D model export

   Choose Export, then 3D model. Click Fit dimensions to print frame so the model has the same proportions as the frame, then type the width you want. Height follows.

3. 3

   Set base, exaggeration and detail

   Start with a 2 mm base, 1× exaggeration and Medium detail, then use the height table below to decide whether the terrain needs more lift.

4. 4

   Download the STL

   The editor builds the mesh in your browser and downloads terrain-relief-mm.stl, a watertight binary STL with side walls and a flat bottom.

5. 5

   Import it in millimetres

   Open the file in PrusaSlicer, Cura, Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer. The coordinates are millimetres, so a 150 mm model measures 150 mm on the bed.

6. 6

   Slice for smooth slopes

   Print it flat on its base. A 0.12 to 0.16 mm layer height softens the steps on gentle slopes, and 10 to 15% infill is plenty under a solid top.

Export settings

Width and height

10 to 1000 mm per side, 150 × 100 mm by default. The two stay in proportion so the model matches the print frame.

Base thickness

0.2 to 100 mm, 2 mm by default. The lowest point in the frame sits directly on top of the base.

Exaggeration

0.1 to 50 times the real relief, 1× by default.

Detail

Low, Medium or High: 64, 128 or 256 elevation samples along the longer side.

Route ridge

Raises a visible route above the terrain. Height and width from 0.1 to 20 mm, 1 mm each by default.

File

Binary STL in millimetres, built as one closed solid.

How tall will it print?

The height of the terrain depends on two things: how much the ground rises inside the frame, and how much you shrink it to fit the model. Divide the frame width by the model width to get the scale, then divide the relief by that scale.

Mountains need nothing extra. Rolling country often needs 2× or 3× before the hills read on the desk.

• Terrain height in mm = relief in metres × 1,000 ÷ scale × exaggeration. For Rainier: 3,800 × 1,000 ÷ 133,333 × 1 ≈ 28.5 mm.