I’m Francisco Javier Venceslá Simón, a Geodesy and Cartography engineer trained at the University of Jaén and the creator of DEMto3D. I develop web applications related to geographic information systems and 3D — two fields that come together in this project.
My studies introduced me to different ways of measuring, representing and understanding the landscape. Programming gave me a way to build tools for working with that information and finding new uses for it.
How DEMto3D began
DEMto3D started with a question: how could elevation data become a physical terrain model ready for 3D printing?
That idea became my final degree project at the University of Jaén, focused on developing a low-cost system for 3D printing digital elevation models.
The aim was to make it easier to turn geographic information into a printed relief model. Seeing a mountain on screen and then holding its shape in your hands offers another way to explore and explain the landscape.
I also contributed as a researcher at the University of Jaén to MapTac3D, a project developed in collaboration with ONCE to make tactile map creation easier for people who are blind or have severe visual impairments.
Built on QGIS and open-source tools, MapTac3D transforms geographic information into relief maps with adapted features and braille labels. The project brings cartography and 3D printing together with a clear purpose: helping people understand the landscape through touch.
A project that keeps growing
Since its beginnings in 2014, DEMto3D has continued to evolve as an independent, open-source project. Today, I continue developing it to make terrain modelling from QGIS easier.
Questions, suggestions and bug reports from the community help guide that work. Behind the plugin is a person who develops it and answers questions from the people using it.
Get in touch
If you have a question about DEMto3D, would like to share a model made with the plugin or suggest an improvement, you can reach me at info@demto3d.com.
