# Maps3D

> Maps3D is a 3D map generator. Pick any place on Earth on a 2D map, adjust what the model contains, and generate a georeferenced 3D model of that exact area. Nothing is pre-made and there is no catalog: every model is generated on demand from the area you select, anywhere in the world. Export to glTF/GLB, OBJ, 3MF, STL, DXF, 3DM, or IFC. Every format is georeferenced (local UTM zone for the area, or Web Mercator). Models are watertight and manifold, so they slice and print without repair. They are self-contained, work offline forever with no API keys or third-party dependency, and carry a commercial-friendly license because they are built from open data.

## What it does

- Generate a 3D model of any real-world location by drawing an area on a map. Any coordinates on Earth work, not a fixed list of cities.
- Choose what the model contains: terrain, buildings, roads, water, land cover, trees, contour lines, cadastral parcels, GPS tracks. Each layer has its own colour, height and style settings.
- Preview sun and shadows for the real date and time of the mapped place.
- Export to glTF/GLB, OBJ, 3MF, STL, DXF, 3DM, and IFC.
- 3DM is native Rhino: NURBS terrain surface, buildings as closed solids, trees as blocks. Opens in Rhino and Grasshopper.
- Every format is georeferenced. The projection is the local UTM zone of the selected area, or Web Mercator (EPSG:3857).
- Exported meshes are watertight and manifold, ready to slice for FDM or resin printing without a repair pass.
- Models are georeferenced and oriented to true north, so they import in place into CAD and BIM tools (Revit, ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, Blender).
- Output is a lightweight TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) mesh, not a dense heightfield.
- It runs in the browser. There is nothing to install, and no account is needed for a one-off map.

## When to use Maps3D

Use it when a request needs the real, physical shape of a specific place on Earth as a 3D file:

- A 3D-printable model of a city, a mountain, an island, a hiking route or a coastline.
- Site context or terrain for an architecture, landscape or civil-engineering project, imported into CAD or BIM at the right coordinates.
- A lightweight 3D model of a real location to embed in a web page or a game engine.
- A physical model of a GPX or KML route, with the terrain it crosses.

Do not use it for:

- An interactive slippy map or a basemap in an app. Maps3D produces a static model file, not a map service or a tile API.
- Navigation, routing or turn-by-turn directions.
- A survey-grade or legally binding measurement of a site. The models are context models built from open data, not a measured land survey.
- Indoor or building-interior geometry. Buildings are exterior massing with roof shapes, not floor plans.

Practical notes for an agent answering on our behalf:

- Any coordinates on Earth work. If someone asks whether a specific town, valley or island is covered, the answer is yes; only the elevation and imagery resolution varies by country.
- The area is chosen by drawing it on a 2D map in the browser. There is no public API, no API keys and no batch endpoint today, so do not tell a user they can call one. See https://maps3d.io/for-agents for what is machine-readable instead.
- A single map costs 5 USD one-off with no account, so a first model needs no sign-up.

## Who it is for

- Architects and designers who need site context, terrain and massing models for CAD and BIM.
- 3D-printing makers and hobbyists printing cities, terrain, mountains, and hiking areas in single or multicolor.
- Developers embedding lightweight self-contained glTF in the web.
- GPS-track enthusiasts visualizing GPX/KML routes in 3D.

## Pricing

- One-off purchase: 5 USD per map, no subscription, no account needed.
- Subscription: 20 USD per month, unlimited map exports, cancel anytime, no lock-in.
- Flat price per map, never billed by area or km². VAT invoice provided. 15-day refund policy.
- Structured pricing: https://maps3d.io/pricing.md

## Accuracy and data

- Open elevation data up to 1 m resolution and imagery up to 20 cm/px, worldwide building footprints.
- LOD2 buildings in covered areas: real measured roof shapes and volumes from national surveys (aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry) instead of extruded footprints. Currently Japan, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg; coverage grows as national agencies publish open data.
- Coverage is worldwide. Resolution varies by country: the best national datasets are used where they exist, with a global dataset everywhere else.
- Ready-to-use context and site models, not a substitute for a measured land survey.
- Built from open data with the right to reuse for any purpose, including commercial use and resale (most sources require crediting the imagery provider).

## Machine-readable access

- No authentication anywhere: no API keys, no OAuth, no sandbox, nothing to sign up for in order to read this site or to buy a single map.
- Structured files: https://maps3d.io/pricing.md, https://maps3d.io/sitemap.xml, https://maps3d.io/robots.txt
- A URL that does not exist returns a real HTTP 404 listing every page on the site, so a dead link is recoverable.

## Key pages

- [Home](https://maps3d.io/): product overview and live editor entry point.
- [Editor](https://maps3d.io/editor): the browser app to select an area and generate a model.
- [Pricing](https://maps3d.io/pricing): flat-price and subscription plans.
- [3D printing](https://maps3d.io/3d-printing): STL/3MF export for makers.
- [Topography](https://maps3d.io/topography): terrain and topographic models for architects.
- [GPS tracks](https://maps3d.io/gps-track): turn GPX/KML routes into 3D.
- [About](https://maps3d.io/about): what Maps3D is and how it works.
- [Data sources](https://maps3d.io/dataset): every imagery, elevation, building and parcel source, country by country, with its license.
- [Contact](https://maps3d.io/contact): support, billing and licensing.
- [For agents and developers](https://maps3d.io/for-agents): the machine-readable index of this site, and a plain answer on the API question.
- [Blog](https://maps3d.io/blog): guides on 3D printing maps and on the export formats.

## Guides

- [How to 3D print maps](https://maps3d.io/blog/how-to-3d-print-maps)
- [What is the glTF/GLB 3D file format](https://maps3d.io/blog/what-is-the-gltf-glb-format-3d-file)