How to Turn a Topographic Map into a 3D Model

This is a technique used by architectural model builders to accurately build up the hills around a building model.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Corrugated cardboard or foam core
• Utility knife
• Cutting board
• Spray mount
• Topo map

1. Make copies of the topo map. You may want to scale up or down the topo map with the copy machine. You want the thickness of your cardboard or foam core to be equivalent to the distance between elevation lines if you want the elevation change to stay in scale. This requires a little ratio algebra. Once you get it the right size, make one copy for every elevation line on the map.

2. Spray the back of a topographical map copy with spray mount.

3. Stick the topographical map to a sheet of cardboard.

4. Cut around the outermost elevation line on the map through the cardboard.

5. Repeat with the next map copy cutting around the next highest elevation line.

6. Glue the second elevation line cut out on top of the first lining up the edge with the corresponding line on the one below.

7. Repeat cutting out one sheet of cardboard for each elevation line on the topographic map, then gluing it to the one below.

8. Smooth out the steps. What you'll have at this point will look like terraced rice paddies. If you want a smooth model you can use clay, or sheets of crumpled paper to smooth things out.