Topographic Map Carving Question

[jdwykrent]

I have a student who would like to make a topographic carving. I did a search and came up with very little information on the forum.

If we can find a top map of the area he would like, my plan of action is to import the picture and then trace it to create the vectors. Once we have that we can just pocket cut the different elevations... Unless you guys have a better way of doing it.

Thoughts?

[joe]

Jeff,

Do you have one of the 3D programs like ArtCam?

[adrianm]

If you have Aspire there is a gadget that will import and create maps directly.

[myxpykalix]

I did a topographic carving for Monticello and the Blue Ridge mountains a long time ago. They supplied me with the file so i'm not sure where they got it from however here is a source for free GIS data for all 50 states, that might help.
http://www.naturalgfx.com/free_topo_gis.htm

[bob_s]

You might want to take a look at the work Prof Paul Rountree did His program will creat an STL file from topo data
http://paulrowntree.weebly.com/topo.html
I have not used it but there has been some files made with it either here or on the Vectric site

[adrianm]

The Vectric Regular Grid Importer gadget - http://gadgets.vectric.com/regular_grid_importer.html - will import most map files and create components directly in Aspire if you have it.

[Joseph clements]

Like to try a Topographic Map of the moon

[chiloquinruss]

Give this a look see! Russ

http://www.the3dprintedfuture.com/shapespeare/?p=1

[chiloquinruss]

And this is also a good source! Sorry for the multiple posts, it won't let me go back and edit my last one! :mad: Russ

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11089897/3druckench/maps_to_3D.pdf

[ajf]

If you go to the Vectric Forum http://forum.vectric.com/ you will find many threads explaining a variety of ways to create a topographic map carving. It is important to know a bit about DEM files and how the topographic mapping system works to help you understand how to bring that information into the program that will create your tool-path.

[jdwykrent]

Thanks all! I learning as I go... Teaching it the next day after I learn it! It's great that I have you guys to bounce ideas off of.

[ajf]

You might be interested in this site as well: http://freegeographytools.com/
The fellow who maintains this site has some very useful articles on manipulating geographic information.

[shilala]

Like to try a Topographic Map of the moon
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/tools/map

[bcondon]

Take a look at www.nicecarvings.com

Melissa and her husband did a topo map for a law office in Nevada
of the state of Nevada (15 ' x 18') and you can see it by going to their
website

www.nicecarvings.com


and look in the upper RIGHT corner with Melissa in front of it.

Melissa is one of THE finest artists I have ever met. She and her husband do absolutely wonderful signs with their Shopbot...

Bob Condon

[ajf]

I'm not sure if your student is still interested in making a topographic map, but I thought they might might find this recent project of interest. I used 30m resolution DEM file for the Yukon territory to create this plaque.