NASA Trek Moon, Mars, Mercury, Vesta, Ceres web “Generate 3D print file” tool

In order to help students easily (as easy as TinkerCAD) make their own terrain models of favorite regions of the Moon & other solar system bodies supported by JPL's "point, click, drag" online NASA Trek tool, I have provided key screenshots as well as described the basic steps of the process in the lesson included below the specific printing suggestions & details.

By using "Vase mode", excellent prints may be made in a matter of several hours on common modest printers.

For fun, I have included several interesting examples of Moon .STL terrain models I generated using this method as well as an image I took of the Moon highlighting a few shadows.

Click here to go to the NASA Moon Trek & choose 3D globe projection or VR (Google carboard supported :-) for a great view of the Hesiodus Crater area that was used for several of the included example .STL files

A low angle point light source can cast sharp long shadows on the models similar to those seen when observing the Moon though a decent telescope...see especially the "Plato-Mons Pico-Mons Piton" model.

In the MS Windows platform, with the included "3D Builder" app you may easily adjust your exported .STL/.OBJ to repair the mesh, view the wireframe, simplify triangles, extrude to add depth, increase the vertical exaggeration by scaling only the height/z axis, etc. Two examples adjusted to x6 height exaggeration provided as .3MF files (which may be printed via Cura slicer just like .STL)

Related projects that may be of interest:

• Lunar Crater Chain Mendeleev: NASA Moon Trek Chang'e 2 DEM 20m https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:487976

• to celebrate the 2021 February 18 arrival at Mars of Perseverance Rover & Helicopter, please see this related Mars project & model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4747950