planlauf/TERRAIN is an easy-to-use application for Windows 10/11 to visualize Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Unlike other GIS software, it uses techniques from the gaming industry like 'Mesh Decimation', 'Normal Mapping' and 'Level of Detail' to reduce the size of the models significantly while preserving the visual details of the original model. This approach ensures that you can take high-resolution 3D terrain models on Windows tablets into the field. Please have a look at our Tutorials and our Manual. planlauf/TERRAIN is also available as a 30 days free trial version.

The mobile app for iOS and Android displays 2D and 3D LiDAR maps that you can create with the desktop version of planlauf/TERRAIN. You can also purchase and download 2D LiDAR maps for some regions. Together with your device’s GPS, you can use the app for hiking or exploring landscapes. 

planlauf/TERRAIN offers a lot of features while still being very easy-to-use. If you're missing something, please send us an email and we'll see if we can make it happen in one of the future releases. Here are some of the main features:

• Import raster data either directly or with our user-friendly GDAL-interface
• Import point clouds and generate Digital Surface/Terrain Models
• Mesh Decimation for small memory footprint and low load on the CPU and GPU
• Support for Bluetooth GPS receivers and integrated or plug-in webcams
• Video recording of Fly-throughs and Look-arounds with FFmpeg
  
• Local Relief visualization to highlight subtle landscape features (trend removal, positive openness and sky-view factor)
  
• Line-of-Sight and Viewshed analysis
• Export of Sketchfab models and 2D map tiles (*.mbtiles)
• Export of Three.js HTML files
  
• 2D and 3D mobile app for iOS and Android

This is a Three.js HTML export of a small digital terrain model using the original planlauf/TERRAIN OpenGL shaders. You can use mouse or touch actions to rotate, pan and zoom. Click or tap on a number to display more info.