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Height Map to STL

Turn grayscale height maps and terrain images into 3D-printable STL models with live preview.

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About This Tool

Upload a PNG, JPG, or WebP height map. Brighter pixels are higher. You can adjust max height, base thickness, smoothing, and sample resolution, then download the STL for printing or further editing.

Tips

  • 1Prefer high-contrast grayscale images
  • 2Increase base thickness for better print stability
  • 3Higher resolution captures more detail but results in larger files

Examples

Original

Original

Heightmap

Heightmap

Inverted Heightmap

Inverted Heightmap

About Configuration Options

Terrain settings

Invert height

Defaultoff

When enabled, dark pixels become high and light pixels become low.

Max height

Default5mm

Range0.5mm – 20mm · step 0.5mm

Maximum height of the tallest terrain peak in mm.

Base thickness

Default1mm

Range0mm – 5mm · step 0.5mm

Thickness of the solid base below the terrain.

Smoothing

Default2

Range0 – 10

Applies smoothing to reduce noise in the terrain mesh.

Resolution

Default400px

Range100px – 400px · step 50px

Number of grid subdivisions. Higher = more detail, larger file.

Format Information

Input format

Extension:
Image
Full Name:
Image File
Type:
Image
Format:
PNG / JPG / JPEG / SVG / WebP
Tools:
Photoshop、GIMP、Krita、Paint.NET、Inkscape、Adobe Illustrator、Figma、Affinity Designer
Open With:
Image Editor、Windows Photos、Preview (Mac)、Vector Editor、Web Browser、Inkscape
Description:
Any supported image format including PNG, JPG, JPEG, SVG, and WebP. The tool automatically detects the format and applies the appropriate conversion settings.

Notes:

  • Maximum supported resolution: 4096×4096 pixels

Supported Features:

  • Supports PNG, JPG, JPEG, SVG, and WebP formats
  • Automatic format detection
  • Transparency support for PNG and WebP

Output format

Extension:
stl
Full Name:
Stereolithography
Type:
3D Mesh
Format:
STL (Binary / ASCII)
Tools:
Cura、PrusaSlicer、Chitubox、Simplify3D
Open With:
Slicer Software、MeshLab、Windows 3D Viewer、STL Viewer Online
Description:
STL is the de facto standard mesh format in 3D printing, storing only triangular surface data since 1987, without color, texture, or material. Almost all slicers (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, ChiTuBox) and printers directly support STL, ensuring its enduring popularity. Two classic pitfalls: STL lacks unit definitions, making millimeters and inches indistinguishable on disk; always verify scale in your slicer. It also has ASCII (readable but 4-6x larger) and binary (compact, default) encodings. For multi-color printing, materials, or parameters, switch to 3MF, which carries richer print information while maintaining slicer compatibility.

Notes:

  • Does not support colors, textures or materials
  • No unit definition; verify scale in your slicer
  • ASCII format is 4-6× larger than binary

Supported Features:

  • Triangle mesh only, simple and universally compatible
  • Binary and ASCII encoding options
  • Directly importable into Cura, PrusaSlicer, Chitubox, etc.

How to Use

1

Upload a height map

Drop a grayscale or color image

2

Adjust terrain settings

Set height scale, base and resolution

3

Download STL

Export a printable mesh

Frequently Asked Questions

View all FAQs

About this tool

Q

What type of image works best?

A

Grayscale elevation maps or high-contrast photos. White is high, black is low (can be inverted).

Q

Can I use real terrain data?

A

You can export a grayscale DEM or screenshot from a mapping tool and upload it. This version does not directly fetch map elevation data.

Q

How do I invert the height?

A

Check the 'Invert height' box in the parameters panel. Dark pixels become high, light pixels become low.

Q

What unit is the output STL in?

A

The default unit is millimeters (mm). You can adjust the max height and base thickness before exporting to control the overall size.

Q

How do the model's width and depth relate to the image and the height settings?

A

The footprint is 100 mm along the longest side, with the other side scaled by your image's aspect ratio. The height ranges from the base thickness to base thickness plus max height, so raising max height makes the relief steeper relative to the width.

Q

When should I increase the smoothing value?

A

Use smoothing when your image contains noise (scanned photos, JPEG artifacts or irregular elevation data) that would otherwise show up as spiky, rough surfaces. Higher values blur those high-frequency bumps into cleaner slopes. For a clean, high-quality heightmap, keep it low or at 0 to preserve detail.

General questions

Q

Is Any3D completely free?

A

Yes, Any3D's core features are free to use forever. We provide format conversion, model optimization, and online preview at no cost, with no registration required.

Q

Are my files uploaded to your servers?

A

No. Files you select are processed only in your browser on this device, so they never leave your device and are never sent to our servers. We don't store any user files; after processing, related data in browser memory is released.

Q

Do I need to install software?

A

No installation required. Any3D is entirely browser-based; just open the webpage to use all features. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and other major operating systems.

Q

Is there a file size limit?

A

The processing capacity depends on your device performance and the model's vertex count and texture complexity, rather than file size alone. We impose no file size limit, but when a model exceeds what your device can handle, the page may lag or even crash.