Topographical Maps
I’m passionate about maps, mountains, and the art of turning real-world locations into tangible 3D models. So, I took two places I love—San Francisco, my home turf, and Lake Tahoe, a beloved getaway—and transformed them into laser-cut topographical maps.
Project Highlights
- Converted real map data into detailed 3D models with map2stl.
- Tweaked parameters like water level and mountain gain to emphasize terrain features.
- Sliced models into multiple SVG layers using Kiri:Moto.
- Laser-cut all the layers from 3mm plywood and 3mm blue acrylic.
- Stacked and glued the layers to create physical topographical maps.
Why These Places?
- San Francisco: My home city and its iconic hills, the bay, and crazy microclimates — I loved capturing those dramatic elevation changes in wood.
- Lake Tahoe: Crystal-clear waters, gorgeous mountain peaks, and plenty of shoreline to highlight with acrylic. It’s one of my favorite spots on Earth.
Technologies & Materials
- map2stl for 3D map conversion
- Kiri:Moto for slicing into SVG layers
- Adobe Illustrator for touch-ups & laser cutter pre-processing
- Laser cutter
- 3mm plywood
- 3mm blue acrylic
- Wood glue & superglue
Project Gallery
San Francisco Side View
Capturing the iconic hills of the city in stacked layers for a stunning 3D profile.
Lake Tahoe Side View
Showcasing the crisp shorelines and mountainous terrain of a beloved getaway spot.
Lake Tahoe Vector Layers
An example of a stacked SVG layers showcasing detailed topography.
Challenges & Next Steps
- Laser cutting tiny pieces was tricky. It was difficult to decide which smaller parts to cut and which to merge or ignore.
- Layering had to be extremely precise, so I created outlines to help position each piece accurately.
- I'm hoping to create another map of Olympic Valley—one of my favorite ski mountains.
- I'd also love to craft a model of the White Mountains in New Hampshire.