3D Printing the World

Slartibartfast created some of his favorite coastlines while working on the Norwegian fjords. In fact he won an award for his work on Norway. Now you can own a piece of Slartibartfast's best planetary designs - thanks to Terrafab.

Terrafab allows you to select any area of Norway, preview the area as a 3D terrain map and then print out your selected area as a 3D model.Whether you believe the fjords were created by Slartibartfast, your favorite God or by glacial retreat the Norwegian coast certainly has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Using Terrafab you can now create your own 3D model of a little piece of Norway.

Once you have used the interactive map to select your chosen area and previewed the area in 3D you can click through to actually order your model, which will be printed in full color sandstone. The cost of the model will depend on its size and complexity. Larger models can be very expensive but smaller models start from as little as $10.

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own 3D scale model of the Grand Canyon or the Matterhorn? Thanks to the Terrainator you now can. The Terrainator is a very similar to Terrafab. The main difference is that the Terrainator isn't limited to the terrain of Norway. In fact Terrainator even lets you print out 3D models of Lunar and Martian landscapes.

The Terrainator uses Google Maps to help you select your favorite area of terrain. It then creates an accurate scale model and uploads it to Shapeways, ready for 3D printing. The cost of the model depends on the volume of material required to make the model. Flatter models are therefore cheaper than mountainous areas, although they are much less fun. It is also possible to purchase the created STL files from Terrainator if you want to print out a terrain model for yourself.