"3d Printing Topography" Topic

Greetings, I have an interest in creating a 1/6000 scale model of the Dardanelles for naval wargaming. I had been contemplating media to do the base topography, and in a conversation of sharing (boring) my wife with my miniature shipwarfare ambitions, she asked the question, "Why don't you just 3D print the topography?" She may be a genius…. leaving the more enjoyable painting and texturing to me if possible. Anybody have any experience in 3D printing topography that might be willing to share? Links, PM's, thumbed noses all accepted.

Many thanks,

W4Golf

I have done some 3d printed landscapes using USGS maps at 1:100,000 scale that worked quite well, but as one scales up the contours become distinctive.

For my project the sample prints at 1:12,000 and 1:10,000 have shown the need for adding additional contours electronically or printing and hand sanding the piece for molding and recast. Haven't decided which way to go for this project.

Hi

I saw a paper color 3-d print of a topo map at a local convention. Machine was 10,000+++

Thank you for your replies. CoryfromMissoula, if 1/100k works well, then in your estimation if I could get my hands on 1/25k military maps it would work well on 1/6k? Or would I need to try and get even more granular in the initial image?

I'm sure some sanding is required for any of these from what I've seen. Again, any guidance is greatly and humbly appreciated.

Honestly for a war game you should be fine. Much depends on your vertical exaggeration.

The other issue is going to find a map that you want to convert to a 3d file. I cheated and used someone else's data set for the task, but I am not aware of what software would be best to do it yourself.

Also, consider the printing area of the 3Dprinter (or service) you will be using.

Seems to me you would have to divide your map into lots of smaller pieces to print it. And then you have to think about how those pieces will fit together or connect.

But how complicated do you need the "shore" to be for naval gaming? Is your focus on the outline of the coast, plus any islands?

I agree, piece width is a difficulty. Looking at the local tech center they can do about 10 inch wide strips, so I'd be looking at 5 strips wide to connect together.

I wasn't planning on vertical exaggeration per se. I can use paint colors-schemes for the water depth, but overall the coastline and elevations, then I can model in additional terrain details, fortified structures (luckily I found a really nice academic's website with tons of pictures of the Dard's fortifications, complete with period armament order)

It might be easier/faster to borrow a technique from model railroading: buy some metal window screen material, bend it into the needed contours, then coat with Plaster of Paris, and paint. This will be far less cash compared to 3D printing.

If you need to make multiple copies, then go with 3D printing; if you only need one copy, then mesh screen makes more sense. Cheers!

If you're fanatical, get the Space Shuttle radar mapping data. That should be more accurate than the printer can render.