Presenters-0706
From CSDMS
CSDMS 2026: Modeling Landscapes in Motion
TopoRivBlender: Reproducible 3D Visualizations in Blender and Python
Abstract
High-quality 3D visualizations can effectively engage audiences and aid our understanding environmental data yet creating them often feels out of reach for many researchers. The initial effort to overcome the technical complexity of gathering multiple datasets and 3D visualization software can be a barrier to producing photorealistic 3D images. This workshop aims to help participants create 3D visualizations of environmental data using Blender, a free, open-source 3D software. Here, we will focus on visualizing digital elevation models (DEMs), but the skills learned can also apply to visualizing other environmental datasets, for example, modeling results, field measurements, experimental data. We will use a Python-based workflow called TopoRivBlender to fetch, process, and visualize topographic, hydrographic, and satellite imagery geospatial data. With just a single command and a few minutes, this workflow will programmatically download an area of interest, process and project multiple geospatial datasets, and render photorealistic 3D visualizations with Blender. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Create their own Blender images of topography, hydrography, and satellite imagery of any location on Earth
- Modify basic Blender settings for customizing the look of the 3D images
- Describe data pipelines and how TopoRivBlender uses the workflow management tool Snakemake to fetch, process, and visualize the geospatial dataPlease acknowledge the original contributors when you are using this material. If there are any copyright issues, please let us know (CSDMSweb@colorado.edu) and we will respond as soon as possible.
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