Easy 3D Relief Maps: Creating Stunning CNC Topography

[@rogerstrom1186]

THANK YOU FOR TURNING THAT WRENCH AROUND. I'M HAPPY NOW. 😁

[@SteveMakesEverything]

If that’s the hardest thing I have to do, my job is easy 😁

[@drinkin-n-thinkin9913]

But Roger--the wrenches and pliers still do not point all in the same direction; and let's not get started on the square that isn't hanging square... 😉 Great video, Steve!

[@JamesMartin-qg1xk]

Awesome video, exactly what I was looking for, thank you.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Great to hear!

[@themclaughlinfive]

I'm a CNC'er in Sydney and thanks so much for this video!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

It's awesome that there are so many of us i such a small region!😀

[@JackSkafte]

This info is great and you make it look easy. I'm a fellow Bluenoser and I am just setting up my own Onefinity and want to do a topographical map of the Annapolis Valley where I live. Thanks for this video.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Nice! I have family down in Alyesford so I know the area well. You'll love the OneFinity.

[@mikemaloney6797]

Thanks for the great video. Can not wait to try it ....

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Have fun!

[@zemanwoodcrafts]

Very cool! Will definitely be doing this on my NextWave Shark HD520!!! -- James

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Nice!😁

[@jackseiler5207]

Big help!! thank you!!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

You're welcome!

[@michaelcoan8634]

When you execute the v-carve tool path, do you zero the bit at the original top of material or do you zero it to the surface that the text is projected onto?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

It doesn’t really matter how you do this. You can zero at the original surface every time you change bits, or you can re-zero at the surface where the lettering will go. You just need to define your toolpaths to start at the right height. If you have a tool setter, this is even easier.

[@yourunclesam6780]

Great project...Thank you

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Hope it helps you create your own

[@ssofiacontrerass]

Hey there! I've been trying to showcase a large depression, like a mine pit, on a 3D relief map using the programs you mentioned in your video. While they work great for displaying higher elevations like mountains, I've been struggling to effectively highlight the pit itself. Do you have any tips or alternative methods for emphasizing these depressions? Thanks!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Hmm, within high detailed topography data it would be hard to draw a mine. You could manually edit the height map image and add a small circle for the mine in black or white depending on which color represents maximum depth

[@onsapplikasies8620]

So glad those wrenches are sorted out. LOL

[@SteveMakesEverything]

😁 I serve the viewers. Truth be told, after it was called out I watched this video and the backward wrench bothered me to no end.

[@victoryblisstx]

thank you so much for this video, so many outdated tutorials on this, i do hope the web links hold up for a while.. thanks again

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Glad it helped

[@professorstevepotter]

7:15 TouchTerrain has a manual option (lower_leq) to lower the sea level by a set number of mm, as I describe here in a similar tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4HUd4OppbGAr6s. I find this useful for creating a well to pour ocean-colored epoxy resin into.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Good catch! Thanks.

[@gameonuk9169]

Once again another very intuitive video, awesome as always Steve. I've been looking at various CNC machines, still haven't committed to one as yet but it would be fantastic if you were thinking of reviewing any at some point. Great work Steve thankyou 👍

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I’d love to review a couple, but they are expensive. FWIW I love my Onefinity, but there are many others that are also great. It’s one shop tool where you don’t want to hunt for the cheapest brand.

[@gameonuk9169]

@@SteveMakesEverything thanks Steve I appreciate that, perhaps there are some for beginners that you may recommend and then move on to the more expensive. That's kind of what I did with lasering. Again thankyou Steve much appreciated 👍

[@SteveMakesEverything]

@@gameonuk9169 Well if you're looking for something basic you can pick up a small 3018 style. They will get you going but they only handle 1/8" bits and tend to be a bit underpowered, so you aren't going to shape metal with them, but they do work. I have had this one for years and it still works, though I've loaned it out on a semi-permanent basis to a friend of mine who is just starting out.: amzn.to/3vgAeLb You can usually pick these up for a couple hundred dollars $US. Good starter CNC but until you get to the mid-market ($800-1500) you are always going to feel something is missing (but you'll still have your money ) 😀

[@gameonuk9169]

@@SteveMakesEverything thankyou Steve this is very much appreciated 👍

[@BedTech]

is there a video that explains the tool paths?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I’ve been meaning to do a more detailed CNC video. Relief engraving toolpaths are a bit more complicated.

[@SRSSCarpentry]

I stumbled on your video today. I want to know if touch terrain would work to get a topo a map of a lake where we have a cabin. Sorry this isn’t alerting you to a dangerous situation like crescent wrench alignment issue

[@SteveMakesEverything]

This would depend on the level of detail you can pull from the map. Most google maps are limited to a least 100m^2 of resolution and are more typically 1km^2. So unless your cabin is on Lake Ontario to probably won't see much in the way of land contouring. But if you can find a high resolution topo map source then this would work nicely.

[@MarkChristopherpens]

Another enjoyable video Steve! Where in NS are you? I'm in Enfield. Cheers! Mark

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Porters Lake

[@grantpeckford8082]

I'm in Elmsdale lol

[@grantpeckford8082]

I'm in Elmsdale! I also have a Onefinity and Vectric V-Carve Pro software. I recently purchased a Omtech 60w laser engraver too.

[@MarkChristopherpens]

@@grantpeckford8082 Hey howdy neighbour! I'm over in Budland Acres just past the Lions Drn Park. Would like to meet up some time. I'm a total newbie at this stuff!

[@MarkChristopherpens]

I have an X Tool D1 10w pro w/ rotary attachment

[@FourDRanch]

great info! I have been thinking of a topo map on my cnc and this looks easy. One issue I see, is how can I add the US state borders to the topo map /stl file? I guess I could find a vector of the state but it looks to be very hard to position the state lines accurately on the topo map.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Hmm this is a good question. The way I would try this is to grab/create a vector file of the states and then scale and lay this over the topo toolpaths so it cuts last with maybe an 1/8” end mill. You would of course have to engrave down to the lowest land level or be prepared to have several border toolpaths so you can group low elevation states and high elevations separately. This would prevent Colorado’s border being cut down to sea level to match Florida. I’m meandering a bit so hopefully that makes sense

[@shanesphotography3350]

Nice video. Which stl file did you end up using, the one from TouchTerrain or Terrain2STL?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

For the video I used Terrain2STL

[@grantdavis5264]

Thanks for a wonderful video on how to use these softwares. I just have one question. Is it possible just to do a single County as a terrain stl or would you do the complete area and cut the county out as a shape?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Interesting question. Since this would depend on the mapping software I would say you would end up with a rectangle containing you country. Then you would need to use a mesh editor to edit out the things you don’t want.

[@judd_s5643]

I thought you had them place that way to distinguish between the SAE or METRIC!

[@warrenjameson5465]

How do I get to Terrain2Stl WITHOUT having to install a PDF program?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Hmm, not sure. I use a Mac so PDF support is just built in. I thought this would be the case with recent version of Windows too though.

[@warrenjameson5465]

It's an Addon that the website is attempting to install on my computer. I have Windows 11, and it reads PDF's fine. I was able to get to it thru your link, so thank you. Works GREAT by the way...

[@TommyB196]

What stl viewer do you use on the mac ?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I think the Mac views STL files natively. I don’t ever recall installing anything to view them

[@kapa1611]

👍👍👍

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I hope it helps you build your own

[@teresa6775]

Of the important things to be learned in these videos....someone chose to focus on the direction of wrenches 🤣🤣🤣

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I check them before recording every video now 😁

[@davekolp4552]

Good info but please stop making me dizzy watching your mouse bounce.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I’ll do my best 😁

[@douglasw9385]

Then dont watch his mouse?