3D Printing 目黒駅!

I wanted a physical snapshot of my neighborhood around Meguro Station (目黒駅). Photos capture life and emotion better, but a printed terrain model gives a different kind of intimacy with a familiar place.

The inspiration came from Tokyo's oldest train line - in pictures. Instead of another photo, I wanted a 3D object I could hold.

Pipeline

1. Collect map + terrain data Export a city block model from OpenStreetMap via CADMAPPER.

2. Clean and prepare geometry Remove unneeded layers, generate printable terrain volume, and adjust base/building geometry in SketchUp.

3. Slice and print Export STL, generate G-code, and print on a Prusa MK4S.

1) Get a City Model With Terrain

I used CADMAPPER (OpenStreetMap source) and exported a SketchUp model with topography and 3D buildings.

CADMAPPER preview for Meguro area — CADMAPPER export preview.

File Type: SketchUp 2015+ (.skp)
Area: 0.98 km²
Buildings: 2035 total, 21 with height value (1%)
Topography: Included, 4.00 m above sea level
Settings: Road centerlines, 3D buildings (no value = 50.0 m)

Limitation: only 21 out of 2035 buildings had real height data, so many structures relied on defaults.

2) Prepare and Clean the Model

In SketchUp Pro (trial), I kept only buildings/topography/core layer, used Eneroth Terrain Volume, then refined base height and geometry before export.

SketchUp model cleanup workflow — Model cleanup and terrain volume preparation in SketchUp.

3) Slice and Print

After exporting STL, I sliced the model into G-code, resized it to fit the printer bed, and printed.

STL model prepared for slicing — STL preview before slicing to printer instructions.

Result

Final 3D print of Meguro area — Final printed model around Meguro Station.

The print is imperfect (limited detail, no color, some artifacts), but the process was worth it. If I redo it, I would spend more time correcting building heights and tuning scale before slicing.

Reference

How to print maps, terrains and landscapes on a 3D printer