This tool will create a 3D model in Blender given a set of GPS coordinates. I built this primarily to take a GPX route from a hike or four wheeling trip and create a full color, printable 3D model.
These are the typical steps that I follow to create a new model. All of these commands are run inside the container, with a host directory mounted at "/host" to hold the input/output files. Note this is built to work with The National Map, a US resource, so regions outside the US may not be able to automatically download imagery/elevation data.
- Create a directory for your model and put a copy of your gpx file into it:
mkdir mymodel
cp ~/Downloads/track.gpx mymodel/mymodel.gpx
- Launch the container:
docker container run --rm -it -v $(pwd):/host -w /host ghcr.io/cseelye/terrain-model
- Download and crop the image(s) and preview what the result looks like. Now is a good time to adjust to exactly the coordinates you want the model to cover using the various options to specify the area. Play around with this until you are happy and get the coordinates exactly right.
prepare_image.py --gpx-file mymodel/mymodel.gpx \
--padding 0.2 \
--track-color red \
--track-width 10 \
--draw-track \
--output-file mymodel/mymodel.png
- Download elevation data and create the mesh, using the same coordinates from the previous steps. Try the Z exaggeration if you want to make the features more prominent - sometimes this makes the model more interesting and closer to what it "felt" like in real life in areas without large elevation changes.
build_mesh.py --gpx-file mymodel/mymodel.gpx \
--padding 0.2 \
--z-exaggeration 2 \
--mesh-file mymodel/mymodel.stl
- Convert the mesh to a blender model, map the image onto it, size it to something printable, etc, and export and zip the model into a file ready to upload for printing:
create_model.py --mesh-file mymodel/mymodel.stl \
--min-thickness 0.125 \
--size 4.5 \
--map-image mymodel/mymodel.png \
--background-image mymodel/lightgrey.png \
--output-file mymodel/mymodel.blend
Alternately you can manually create a model in blender from the STL, UV map the image onto it, make whatever changes you want, and export it as a Collada file. Zip the collada file and image files into a single archive.
- Create a Shapeways account and upload for printing (when manually uploading, make sure to select "M" for meters as the dimensions when uploading). To use the script for automatic uploading, you will need to register to use the Shapeways API and get a client ID and secret. Upload the archive created from the previous step to Shapeways:
upload_model.py --client-id myClientID \
--client-secret myClientSecret \
--model-file mymodel/mymodel.zip
Each output file that is created will also have a metadata file created with it (.meta). These files contain information about the parameters used to create the file, including the full commandline, to make it easier to recreate or adjust later.
Download orthoimages from The National Map
- Select Imagery on the left side
- Use the map on the right side to search for the area you are trying to model.
- Click Search Products on the left side.
- As you hover over the entries on the left, it will highlight the map on the right to show the coverage.
- Download a many images as you need to cover the area you want to model. To get elevation data, select "Elevation Products (3DEP)" instead of Imagery.
See CONTRIBUTING.md