Is it really possible to earn with 3D map making services? Short answer is yes. But don’t get giddy yet, here us out first.

Do you remember walking through malls and hotels, and noticed a miniature version of a building or a landmark? Usually those are made of plywood and cardboard, light materials that can easily break and crumble when touched. No wonder management officials are always keen on keeping them behind glass domes and casing.

But does that defeat the purpose of getting a small replica of a landscape in the first place? How can people admire the complexity and beauty of a building design, if a transparent wall keeps them from interacting with it?

Fortunately, 3D technology has come up with ways to create miniatures of landscapes that are both realistic and durable. No more plywood and cardboards, the future of landscaping is now on the shoulders of 3D printing.

But for every solution, a new challenge arrives. And for 3D Topographic Printing, it is a question of accessibility. How can people have 3D printed maps of their buildings, floor plans or projects if 3D printing companies are scarce?

Can I Make a Profit with a 3D Printed Topographic Map?

Of course! As we have mentioned above, there are not enough 3D providers in the country that do this kind of service. So the market is wide open for entrepreneurs and innovators that want to profit from it.

3D Printed Topography holds a lot of advantages and benefits that will help an individual or a company in the long run. Say for example, city planners use a 3D model topographic map to simulate traffic. By manipulating the space provided by the model, a planner can create solutions that can drive favorable results.

Imagine partnering with your local government to create 3D topographic models of city roads, rails and community to help solve problems such as congestion.

Also, parks and museums are open to have 3D topographic models of landmarks and landscapes as it entices people to visit them. But it also serves another purpose. For malls and hotels, they use 3D maps to locate emergency exits and manage store spacing.

By tapping into the advantages of 3D Printed Topographic Map for a company, you can surely convince them to have you as their 3D partner.

3D Printing: An Untapped Opportunity

3D printing is an untapped business opportunity that is still in its early age in the Philippines. Meaning, a lot of people do not know of its capacity and benefit yet. So it is important to educate yourself of its pros, especially 3D topographic printing. 

In a nutshell, here are some of the benefits it can yield:

1. For Students:

If you plan to make a profit with 3D printed maps, better start with universities.

In a study conducted to test if 3D printed interactive small-scale models can improve learning for visually impaired students, they found out that it can. 3D models have a direct effect on spatial memorization and use experience due to its inherent factors such as modularity and interactivity. 

Additionally. The overall identification process of 3D objects takes less than 5 seconds compared to 2D drawing where it takes around 90 seconds. That is 96% efficiency! Meaning, students can better comprehend and identify objects if they have a 3D view of an item.

This solves the student problem of spatial visualization. With a 3D topographic map, they can view landscapes from a new perspective with elevation and depth.

Imagine the new things they can learn by providing them with a space to interact with? They can understand better the effect and cause of erosion by simulating it through a 3D printed map. Children can now have a better understanding on how terrains are made and how to measure large objects.

3D printed topographic brings a lot of positives in the education industry.

2. For Engineers:

Obviously, Engineers are the main beneficiary of 3D topography since it allows visualization for study and research.

Topographic maps are important to Engineers because it allows them to accurately represent the area they will work on. Knowing the space of construction gives them the advantage to keep employees safe, avoid damages on water or gas lines and properly place materials and equipment to avoid clutter.

On top of these are:

1. Helps make the process faster. 

If you allow a manufacturing company to handle all the printing procedure, it will take weeks! 3D printers can print scale models in just hours or days. Another good thing about this technology is that they can print similar designs with the same quality. This is helpful for construction companies that may need many versions of a topographic map for reference and further study.

2. Flexibility and changeability

All 3D printed items begin with a digital file. Hence, modifying nuances and correction are a lot easier. No need to redraw anything from scratch, you only just need to tweak a few adjustments and it is immediately ready for printing. 

3. Precise scale models

3D printing allows you to print highly-detailed scale models of areas. Some printers are also powerful enough that it can print the actual colors needed for your project. So you do not really need to spend another centavo on extra stuff like painting.

4. Easy to carry around

The most common filaments used in 3D printing are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PLA (Polylactic Acid), thermoplastic materials that are light, sturdy and durable enough to carry around everywhere. 3D printers are also portable, you can take it places to places and make 3D printed items using only a computer device.

3. For Military:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use a 3D printed map to strategically place troops and to understand the areas and terrains they are navigating.

3D topographic maps can help soldiers make shortcuts and conserve energy when traveling on foot. It also allows them to predict the enemy’s move based on the map alone. Camping is not a problem as well since they can quickly recognize flat and safe areas by having a birds-eye-view of the map.

The new printing technology cuts weeks of labor from the construction of topographic models and displays details that other technologies cannot match.

By applying the same principle that works for the U.S. Army Corps to the country’s Armed Forces, we can expect that it will help them manage and plan advancement more efficiently.

If you are looking to open a 3D printing of topographic map, the military is a potential market you can tap.  

4. For Science and Safety:

Like engineers and city planners, experts need the help of 3D maps to understand different phenomena.

3D custom topographic maps can help represent the texture and location of a terrain. It is most commonly used to survey land and bodies of water. Even more so, it can play a monumental role in maintaining records of the used and available land.

In case of an emergency like flooding and wildfire, 3D maps can be used to locate safe areas. They can also assist the local government into predicting the pathway of water and fire.

Scientists use 3D printed topographic maps to locate tunnels and safe areas for mining.

These are just a few of the areas where 3D maps are very useful. So can 3D printing topographic maps can make you tons of money? Yes! As you can see, it serves a lot of purpose to a lot of industries. Plus, it allows innovation and if a company considers enlisting your service, it can make work a lot easier and faster.

The Best Approach to 3D Printing Topographic Map

Frankly, managing a 3D printing business is not easy. You must have a professional graphic artist to help you with 3D modeling and designing. Plus, you will need powerful printers to meet SLAs. But it does not mean that it’s impossible.

The best way to approach 3D map printing is to hire a topographic mapping service provider to help you create top quality 3D projects. With a very advantageous service like 3D printing, you will need a helping hand to help you do more and meet demands.

3D2Go is one of the premier companies that have the technology and talents to create highly detailed 3D topographic maps. We have multiple 3D printers and employees working round-the-clock to provide premium outputs to customers. From making digital models of terrain to networks, we can help you do all of that.

We are a one-stop-shop of everything 3D such as 3D scanning, 3D modeling, 3D prototyping and more. By allowing us to help you, you can assure an accurate and satisfying result of a project.

Contact us now through our Facebook page or leave us a message here.