Model my Property › Choosing the size and scale
Choosing the size, scale and height exaggeration for a 3D land model
The same farm can make a palm-sized keepsake or a centrepiece for a wall. The print width you choose sets the scale, and the scale decides what you will be able to see. Here is how to choose, with real numbers.
Width sets the scale
Model my Property asks for the print width, from 60 mm to 300 mm, and works out the scale from the width of your land. The sum is simple: divide the real width by the print width.
| Land width | Print width | Scale | 1 mm on the model is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m (a large garden) | 150 mm | about 1:670 | 0.67 m |
| 500 m (a smallholding) | 200 mm | 1:2,500 | 2.5 m |
| 1 km (a family farm) | 200 mm | 1:5,000 | 5 m |
| 2 km (a large farm) | 250 mm | 1:8,000 | 8 m |
| 5 km (an estate or valley) | 300 mm | about 1:16,700 | 16.7 m |
Scale is the same across and up, unless you add exaggeration, so at 1:5,000 a barn 8 m tall would stand 1.6 mm high and a 2 m hedge just 0.4 mm.
What will show at each scale
A typical home 3D printer with a 0.4 mm nozzle can draw a wall about 0.4 to 0.5 mm wide and steps in height of 0.1 to 0.2 mm. That gives a rough guide to what survives the print:
- Up to about 1:2,500. Houses show their roof shapes, barns are clearly separate buildings, hedges and walls stand up as distinct ridges and single trees are visible.
- About 1:5,000. Buildings are small blocks with a hint of the roof, hedges read as fine lines, woods as raised patches. The lie of the land is the star.
- About 1:10,000 and smaller. Hills, valleys and woods carry the model. Single buildings become specks, so it helps to raise them a little or leave them out.
Model my Property raises hedges, walls and buildings to a minimum printable height, so a 2 m hedge always stands at least about 0.8 mm proud of the land. That is why, on a big farm, hedges and buildings look a little taller than true scale: without it they would vanish.
Vertical exaggeration: making gentle land readable
British farmland is gentler than it feels when you walk it. A field that rises 20 m over 400 m is a stiff climb with a full trailer, but at 1:5,000 that rise is only 4 mm across 80 mm of model, and it nearly disappears under the light.
Vertical exaggeration stretches heights while leaving widths alone. The site starts at 1.5×, and you can change it with the slider.
- 1× (true to life): for steep, hilly or mountain land, and for anyone who wants it exact.
- 1.5× to 2×: for most farms. Slopes show clearly without looking false.
- 2.5× to 3×: for flat land such as fens, levels and river meadows, where even a ditch or bank matters.
- Above 3×: it starts to look like a mountain range. Use it for small areas only, or when the point is to show drainage.
Exaggeration stretches buildings, hedges and trees along with the ground, so everything stays in proportion. The full-screen 3D view also has its own exaggeration slider, which changes only what you see on screen, so you can try a setting before changing the model.
The base
The base is the solid layer under the lowest point of the land. A thicker base is stronger and gives room for lettering on the edge or a slot for the stand, but it uses more filament and takes longer to print. For most models 3 to 5 mm is plenty. Very thin bases on large prints can warp as they cool.
When the farm is too big for the printer
Most home printers can print about 220 mm square. If you want a bigger model, split it: the site cuts it into 2 to 16 pieces with hidden bow-tie keys, so the pieces line up and lock together. A 400 mm model of a large farm can come off a small printer in four tiles, and each tile keeps the full detail.
Quick recommendations
| You want | Try |
|---|---|
| A desk keepsake of a smallholding | 120 to 150 mm wide, 1.5× exaggeration, 3 mm base |
| A gift of a family farm | 200 mm wide, 1.5× to 2×, 4 mm base, with the stand |
| A wall or shop display of a large farm | 300 to 400 mm wide, split into 4 pieces, 2× |
| A flat fen or levels farm | Any size, 2.5× to 3× |
| A house and garden | 150 mm wide, 1×, so the house keeps its true shape |
The 3D preview shows the result straight away, so try two or three settings before you print. Turning the model round and looking at it low down, as if from the yard, shows best whether the slopes read.
More guides: How it works · A 3D printed farm model · 3D print terrain from lidar · A 3D model of your house · Printing and painting a land model · UK lidar explained
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