Would you like to 3D print the terrain you imported with Plex-Earth to get a real feel (sic) of the area morphology? Here are the easy steps that you need to follow, provided that you are using Civil 3D.
Step 1: Convert Plex Earth's surface to a Civil 3D Surface
You can see how to achieve this in this tutorial.
Step 2: Extract a 3D Solid
When the Civil 3D surface creation is completed, select your Terrain. That will automatically open the Tin Surface Ribbon of AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Then choose the Extract from Surface command from the ribbon and then select Extract Solids from Surface.
In the window that pop-ups, select the vertical definition At fixed elevation and set it to zero in order to create the whole volume of your terrain, and then select Create solid.
After this process, a 3D Solid Object should have been created in your drawing.
Step 3: Export an STL file
After creating a 3D Solid object from your terrain, you can export an .stl file that is suitable for 3D printing.
Go to the AutoCAD Civil 3D Icon on the top left of your screen, click and choose Export -> Other Formats.
Then select to export your drawing as an .stl file.
You can select one or more solid objects.
Note that all objects must be entirely within the positive XYZ octant of the world coordinate system (WCS). That is, their X, Y, and Z coordinates must be greater than zero.
That’s it! You have created your model and you are ready to print now!
See how Aristides made his life easier using Plex-Earth to 3D Print his architectural models.
We hope that you have found this tutorial on how to 3D Print a Terrain created with Plex-Earth, helpful. Feel free to contact us at support@plexscape.com for any questions you may still have.
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Compatibility includes:
AutoCAD Version: 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
Civil 3D® Version: 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
AutoCAD Architecture Version: 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
BricsCAD Pro: V23 , V22 , V21