# Printing a large terrain relief in tiles with the 3D Topography Split preset

> stacked elevation contours pre-split into bed-sized tiles that assemble into one big relief

A big relief rarely fits one print bed. This preset sizes the contours to 420 x 420 mm and splits them into a 2x2 grid of ~210 mm tiles that fit common FDM beds (Ender, Prusa, Bambu) and join into one large model. The contours are sliced from a single source, so the terrain steps line up across every tile boundary.

## What you need

### 3D printing

- An FDM printer (210 mm tiles fit a 220 x 220 mm bed), PLA in stone gray or white
- An STL/3MF-capable slicer
- Glue or interlocking pins to join printed tiles

### Laser cutting

- Thin contour sheets and a backing board if you'd rather cut the split layers and stack them per tile

## Step 1 - Start from the preset



Open [the 3D Topography Split preset](/map-designer?preset=3d-topography-split). It loads on the peaks near Banff with split already enabled. Search your terrain and keep zoom ~11.5-12.5 so the contour terraces read well.

## Step 2 - Check the split and bands



- The **Tile for large format** panel is already on: 420 x 420 mm output, 2 x 2, giving four ~210 mm tiles. Adjust output size or columns/rows to match your bed - the shown tile size updates live.
- Tune the elevation bands first (delete empty high layers, bracket your terrain) - the same tuning as the Topography preset.

## Step 3 - Export the tiles



- With split on, **STL tiles (ZIP)** and **3MF tiles (ZIP)** produce one printable file per tile, each geometry-clipped to its region so the stepped relief is correct.
- Print tiles one at a time; assemble into the full relief afterward.

## 3D Printing

### 3D printing



1. Open each tile STL/3MF and print flat, no supports, at 0.12-0.16 mm for crisp contour steps.
2. Keep track of tile order using the file names (tile-r1-c1 ...).
3. Glue the printed tiles edge-to-edge; the contour steps continue across seams because every tile is sliced from one source.
4. Scale up if you want a bigger relief - increase the output size in the preset and re-split.

## Laser Cutting & Engraving

### Laser cutting



1. Prefer stacked sheets? Export the layer tiles as a ZIP and cut each tile's contour layers, then stack and glue per tile.
2. Assemble the finished tiles into the full terrain on a backing board.

## Make it yours

- Match your printer: set the output so each tile lands just under your bed size (e.g. 256 mm tiles for a Bambu).
- Go large: a 3 x 3 grid of 200 mm tiles makes a ~600 mm tabletop relief.
- Hypsometric tints via 3MF for banded color across the assembled model.
- Add a route layer tracing a favorite trail or ski run over the contours before splitting.

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Open the tool: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/3d-topography-split
Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/3d-topography-split