It is a browser-based terrain map maker. Pick a country, a state or a county anywhere on Earth and it builds both a flat hillshade map and an extruded 3D relief of the real elevation data. There is nothing to install and no account to create — decoding the elevation grid, building the mesh and rendering it all happen on your own machine, and your map is never uploaded anywhere.

Which places can I map?

Anywhere on Earth, drawn from the global geoBoundaries open dataset. You drill down from country to first-level divisions (states, provinces, cantons, regions) to second-level divisions (counties, districts, communes). Coverage is not identical at every level, so the tool tells you plainly when a country has no second-level boundaries rather than showing you an empty panel. You can also drag a box anywhere on the map and work with that rectangle instead of a named region.

How do I make a terrain map?

Three steps. Choose a place from the Region panel. Pick one of the 15 colour ramps or the 7 style presets you like. Then press Export PNG. The whole process takes about ten seconds, and every step after that is refinement — the How-To section in the app walks through the rest.

Is it free? Do I need an account?

It is completely free, with no account, no trial and no paid tier. Every feature — unlimited regions, unlimited exports, STL and video export, share links — is available to everyone. The project runs on Cloudflare infrastructure at a cost low enough that it can stay free indefinitely.

Where does the elevation data come from, and how accurate is it?

Terrain tiles come from the AWS Terrain Tiles dataset, which is built from SRTM, NED, and other national elevation programs — roughly 30 m (about 100 ft) resolution globally, and much finer in many places. Administrative boundaries come from geoBoundaries (ODbL), and place names from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0). The legend shows the true elevation range of the area you selected, and hovering anywhere on the map reads out the exact elevation at that point.

Can I adjust how the 3D looks?

Everything is live. Relief exaggeration runs from 0 to 20 percent, you can set a base thickness, and light azimuth and elevation respond as you drag them. There are three camera presets — plan view, standard and low angle — plus four lighting moods: dawn, midday, dusk and moonlight. Nothing needs a re-render, so you are tuning the model itself rather than waiting on a new image.

Can I add my own annotations?

There are seven annotation tools — point, text, line, area, text box, numbered marker and arrow. The arrow measures its own distance between the two points you set. You can also add blocks of explanatory text and simple tables around the edges of the map. Everything picks up the current colour ramp automatically, and it all travels inside the share link.

The 3D view exports PNG at 2x or 4x, and STL for 3D printing or use in Blender. The 2D view exports high-resolution PNG with the title, legend, scale bar, north arrow and data credits composited into the image itself.

Can I export a video?

Yes. The 3D view can render a 30-second orbit as an MP4. Find it in the menu next to Export PNG, and turn on Auto Turntable to capture a continuous rotation — useful for social clips and lecture material without opening an editor.

What are share links, and do they expire?

Share Link creates a short URL that restores your region, colour ramp, camera and every annotation exactly as you left them. It is a permanent snapshot with no expiry. If you made the link yourself you can keep editing and press Share again to update the contents without changing the URL.

What does the elevation profile do?

Switch on Profile and click two points on the map. You get an elevation chart for the line between them, with total distance, total ascent, highest point and lowest point called out. It is a quick way to read a route before you walk it, and a clear way to show relief in a classroom.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The layout is responsive and the panel collapses into a drawer. You can drag to rotate the model and pinch to zoom. Viewing someone else’s shared map works best in landscape; on a small screen, open the panel from the Panel button while you edit.

How is this different from QGIS or ArcGIS?

This tool is for getting to a finished picture fast. There is no installation, no project file and no learning curve — you have a presentation-ready map in about ten seconds. If you need real spatial analysis, reprojection, or batch processing of large datasets, you still want QGIS or ArcGIS. The two are complementary rather than competitors.

Can I use the exported images commercially?

Yes, for course materials, editorial illustration, social posts, slide decks and similar work. One thing to know: in some jurisdictions, including China, maps published officially are required to carry a map approval number, and publicly published or printed maps may need review by the surveying authority. If your use is regulated, check the local rule before you publish. The elevation data itself is open, and the boundary data requires attribution to geoBoundaries.

Why do rivers look more detailed on smaller maps?

Larger regions use the natural vector rivers and lakes, which load quickly and cover everything. Below a certain size the tool switches to a river network extracted from the elevation model itself — drainage lines traced directly out of the height data, so they sit exactly on the terrain and follow every fold in it.

3D Terrain Maps for Any Place on Earth — Free Browser Tool

Country

State

County

Colour ramp

Band scaling

Label size 13

Place names follow the scale: first-level views label their divisions, second-level views label those in turn, and the smallest views fill in with surrounding settlements.

Water: larger views use the natural river and lake network. Zoomed in, it switches to drainage traced straight out of the elevation data, so it follows the terrain exactly.

Pick a tool, then click the map to place it. Keep clicking to drop several, or press Esc or the tool again to stop. Lines and areas are drawn by clicking each vertex in turn, with the running distance shown; finish with Done, a double-click, or Enter. Drag a point marker to move it, or drag a vertex to reshape a line or area. Del removes the selection and Ctrl+Z undoes. Up to 50 at a time.

Best placed in the empty margin around the terrain. Each block is drawn on white with an outline picked up from the colour ramp, and travels inside the share link. Up to 20 at a time.

Light bearing 315°

Light height 45°

Relief 8%

Base thickness 0%

Water level Off

Background

Light and colour changes re-render the map, which takes a few seconds since the tiles are already cached. Relief and base thickness apply instantly.

Mood

Auto turntable

Drag to orbit, right-click or Shift-drag to pan, scroll to zoom, hover to read elevation. Shortcuts: R reset · E export · T turntable · Space fly in.

Switch this on, then click two points on the map to chart the elevation between them.

Title

Subtitle

Legend Credits

Region—

Bounding box—

Output size—

Render time—

Elevation range—

Terrain tiles—

Mesh vertices—

What this is

A terrain map maker that runs entirely in your browser. Pick a country, a state or a county anywhere on Earth and it produces both a flat hillshade map and an extruded 3D relief of the real elevation data. Nothing to install, no account, and no subscription — the elevation grid is decoded, meshed and rendered on your own machine, and your finished map is never uploaded anywhere.

Where it works

Anywhere on Earth, from the global geoBoundaries open dataset: 233 countries, and below them the first- and second-level divisions each country publishes — states, provinces, cantons, districts, counties. Where those levels are not published the tool says so instead of showing an empty panel. You can also drag a box anywhere and work with that rectangle. The legend always reflects the true elevation range of the area you selected, and hovering anywhere on the map reads out that exact point.

What you can do with it

Fifteen colour ramps and seven style presets, banded either to the selected area or to absolute elevation. Layer on contours, place names, administrative boundaries, summits and water. Annotate with seven tools — point, label, line, area, text box, numbered marker and a self-measuring arrow — and add notes and tables around the edge of the map. Measure a profile between any two points for distance, total ascent, and the high and low points along the way. Export a PNG at 2× or 4×, an STL for 3D printing, or a 30-second orbit as MP4. A share link keeps your region, palette, camera and every annotation, permanently.

Cost

Nothing. Every region, every overlay, every export format and share links are free, with no account and no paid tier. The project runs on Cloudflare at a cost low enough to keep it that way.

The elevation data is open. Boundaries are © geoBoundaries (ODbL) and place names are © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — please keep the credit line on anything you publish. Note that some jurisdictions, including China, require officially published maps to carry a map approval number, and maps released to the public may have to be reviewed by the surveying authority. If your use is regulated, check the local rule first.

Frequently asked questions

Where the data comes from, how the tool behaves, and what you can do with it.

Getting started

What is this tool?: A terrain map maker that runs entirely in your browser. Pick a country, a state or a county anywhere on Earth and it builds both a flat hillshade map and an extruded 3D relief of the real elevation data. Nothing to install and no account to create — decoding the elevation grid, building the mesh and rendering it all happen on your own machine, and your map is never uploaded anywhere.
How do I make a terrain map?: Three steps. Choose a place from the Region panel, pick one of the 15 colour ramps or 7 style presets, then press Export PNG. That takes about ten seconds. Everything after that is refinement — the How-to section covers the rest.
Is it free? Do I need an account?: Completely free, with no account, no trial and no paid tier. Every feature is available to everyone: unlimited regions, unlimited exports, STL and video export, and share links. The project runs on Cloudflare at a cost low enough to keep it that way.

Data and accuracy

Where does the elevation data come from, and how accurate is it?: Terrain tiles come from the AWS Terrain Tiles dataset, built from SRTM, NED and other national elevation programs — roughly 30 m (about 100 ft) resolution globally, and considerably finer in many places. Boundaries come from geoBoundaries (ODbL) and place names from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0). The legend shows the true elevation range of the area you selected, and hovering anywhere on the map reads out that exact point.
Which places can I map?: Anywhere on Earth, from the global geoBoundaries open dataset — 233 countries, and below them the first- and second-level divisions each country publishes. Coverage is not identical at every level, so the tool tells you plainly when a country has no second-level boundaries rather than showing an empty panel. You can also drag a box anywhere on the map and work with that rectangle instead of a named region.
Why do rivers look more detailed on smaller maps?: Larger views use the natural vector rivers and lakes, which load quickly and cover everything. Below a certain size the tool switches to a river network extracted from the elevation model itself — drainage lines traced directly out of the height data, so they sit exactly on the terrain and follow every fold in it.

Features and export

Can I adjust how the 3D looks?: Everything is live. Relief exaggeration runs from 0 to 20 percent, you can set a base thickness, and light bearing and height respond as you drag them. There are three camera presets — plan, standard and low angle — plus four lighting moods: dawn, noon, dusk and night. Nothing needs a re-render, so you are tuning the model itself rather than waiting on a new image.
Can I add my own annotations?: There are seven tools — point, label, line, area, text box, numbered marker and arrow, and the arrow measures its own distance between the two points you set. You can also add blocks of explanatory text and simple tables around the edges of the map. Everything picks up the current colour ramp automatically, and it all travels inside the share link.
What can I export?: The 3D view exports PNG at 2× or 4×, and STL for 3D printing or use in Blender. The 2D view exports high-resolution PNG with the title, legend, scale bar, north arrow and data credits composited into the image itself.
Can I export a video?: Yes. The 3D view can render a 30-second orbit as an MP4. Find it in the menu next to Export PNG, and turn on Auto Turntable to capture a continuous rotation — useful for social clips and lecture material without opening an editor.
What are share links, and do they expire?: Share Link creates a short URL that restores your region, colour ramp, camera and every annotation exactly as you left them. It is a permanent snapshot with no expiry. If you made the link yourself you can keep editing and press Share again to update the contents without changing the URL.
What does the elevation profile do?: Switch on Measure profile and click two points on the map. You get an elevation chart for the line between them, with total distance, total ascent, highest point and lowest point called out — a quick way to read a route before you walk it, and a clear way to show relief in a classroom.

Other

Does it work on a phone?: Yes. The layout is responsive and the panel collapses into a drawer. You can drag to rotate the model and pinch to zoom. Viewing a shared map works best in landscape; on a small screen, open the panel from the Panel button while you edit.
How is this different from QGIS or ArcGIS?: This tool is for getting to a finished picture fast. There is no installation, no project file and no learning curve — you have a presentation-ready map in about ten seconds. If you need real spatial analysis, reprojection, or batch processing of large datasets, you still want QGIS or ArcGIS. The two are complementary rather than competitors.
Can I use the exported images commercially?: Yes, for course materials, editorial illustration, social posts, slide decks and similar work. Two things to keep in mind: the boundary data is ODbL and the place names are CC BY 4.0, so keep the credit line on anything you publish; and in some jurisdictions, including China, officially published maps are required to carry a map approval number. If your use is regulated, check the local rule before you publish.

How to make a terrain map in six steps

Everything a finished map needs, in the order you would actually do it.

Choose a place. The Region panel drills down in three levels: country, then first-level division, then second-level. Below the first level the map automatically picks up a DEM-derived river network and settlement labels. New visitors land on Visp in Valais, Switzerland — a district holding Zermatt and the Matterhorn.
Pick a look. Seven one-click style presets — Classic, Ink, Celadon, Adventure, Ecology, Minimal and Ice — set the tone, and the Colour dropdown offers 15 ramps. The band can be scaled to the selected area or held to absolute elevation. Fine-tune anything after applying a preset.
Shape the relief. In 3D, Relief exaggeration controls how mountainous the terrain looks (around 8 percent is a good start) and Base thickness defaults to zero for a floating-slab look. Light bearing and height apply live. Camera & motion holds the three camera presets and the Auto Turntable.
Layer in detail. Overlays toggles place names, boundaries, summits and water. Annotations provides the seven tools, with arrows that measure their own length, and Free content adds text blocks and tables around the map. All of it inherits the current palette.
Export and share. Export PNG gives you 2× or 4×, Export STL produces a 3D-printable model, and Share link produces a short URL that opens in an immersive view — share it again later to update the contents in place. Copy image puts the finished map straight on your clipboard.
Go further. Measure profile: click two points for an elevation chart. Hover anywhere to read its elevation. Shortcuts: R resets the camera, T is the turntable, Space flies in, Esc cancels a drawing. The size control switches between standard 2× and print-grade 4×.

Good to know

Annotations and free content pick up the current colour ramp automatically. A share link never expires, and if you made it yourself you can update its contents in place without changing the URL.

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Elevation (m)

Starting up