3D terrain model — relief in STL, GLB, OBJ for printing and visualization
A 3D terrain model is a three-dimensional relief surface built from a digital elevation model and saved into one of the 3D formats. You can 3D-print it as a physical terrain model, open it in Blender for visualization, load it into Three.js for an interactive web scene, or use it as the base of a game landscape. OSM2CDR builds this mesh from the global Copernicus GLO-30 DEM and delivers it in the format you choose.
How the mesh is built
The service takes a DEM window over the selected area — a regular grid of elevations — and turns each cell into a pair of triangles. The result is a continuous triangulated surface (mesh): vertices carry real coordinates and elevation, faces connect them into relief. For large areas adaptive decimation applies — the grid is thinned to keep file size and memory reasonable, without losing the overall shape of the relief.
Subformats for the task
3D terrain ships in five containers, each for its own task:
- STL — the 3D-printing standard. Ready for import into a slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer), prints as a physical terrain model.
- GLB / glTF — the format for web and Three.js. GLB is a single compact binary file, ideal for embedding into a website or an AR/VR scene.
- OBJ — a universal format for Blender, 3ds Max, MeshLab; opens almost everywhere.
- PLY — the MeshLab and scientific-visualization format, handy for further point-cloud/mesh processing.
Vertical exaggeration
The key parameter is vertical exaggeration (z-exaggeration), a factor from 0.1 to 10. At 1 the model keeps true proportions: but on flat or hilly terrain relief at true scale is almost invisible (hundreds of metres of elevation against tens of kilometres horizontally). Raise the factor to 2–5 and the relief becomes expressive — hills become visible, the model "reads". For mountains use about 1, for plains 3–5. This is a standard device in physical models and geo-visualization.
Water and gaps
Where the DEM does not cover the surface (open ocean), the mesh is laid neatly at zero level (sea level) rather than torn or degenerate. Flat terrain yields a flat but correct mesh — not degenerate geometry. Copernicus GLO-30 covers all land, including the high Arctic, so 3D relief is available for any area on the planet.
Relation to Quantized Mesh
For streaming relief into browser 3D globes (CesiumJS) there is a specialised format, Quantized Mesh — also built on Copernicus GLO-30 and now available in the export. If you need a terrain layer for Cesium rather than a standalone model — take that one.
Where it is used
- 3D-printing of terrain models, relief maps, souvenirs.
- Architectural and urban-planning visualization (relief under development).
- Game landscapes and simulators.
- Education, geology, presentations.
Attribution
The relief data is Copernicus DEM. When publishing, credit: "produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved" — the wording is fixed by the licence.