DEM Viewer

What is DEM Viewer?

DEM Viewer is an application to display 3D elevation maps on blender. This application provides a higher degree of freedom and enables users to output higher quality map images than other GIS software by utilizing the features of the graphics software.

Files

TerrainViewer_V2.21.blend — Blender file packing geometry nodes (TerrainViewer_RRIM and Scale_bar) and shader (004_RRIM.N). No add-on is required; simply open this file and import your tif.

TerrainViewer_V2.21_Sample.blend — A sample DEM (2.98MB) is packed. Download this file to try the application.

Manual

⚠DEM Viewer is only compatible with Blender 3.2 & above.

0. Prepare a proper DEM file

■ .tif format

■ meter unit (not latitude & longitude)

■ Does not include NODATA value (set nodata value to 0 using GIS software beforehand)

■ Save the extent of the map

1. Import DEM

In the right frame, select [Texture] (checker icon) -> [Open]

Set [Color Space] -> [Raw]

2. Display DEM

Move to [Modifier Properties] (spanner icon) -> Click the black form denoted [DEM] -> select the imported DEM file

Adjust the map extent: X1: western end, X2: eastern end, Y1, southern end, Y2: northern end

When the map is out of the sight, press [Home] key.

3. Display adjustment

Acknowledgments

The built-in shader in TerrainViewer_V2.2.blend refers to the coloring method of Red Relief Image Map by Chiba et al. (2008).

The sample DEM data contained in TerrainViewer_V2.2_Sample.blend is a 100 m grid DEM produced after downsampling 1 arc-sec. SRTM DEM.