I've been playing with some freehand 3D mapping, using a program someone suggested elsewhere. I haven't tried to be too accurate with distances and scales yet, relying mostly on memory and my own 2D maps to practice making models.

If anyone's interested, I'm using sketchup (http://www.sketchup.com/), and I have a few files online. I finished the practice model of my old campus' tunnels, it's at http://freak.minimanga.com/maps/maps.htm

Here's some screenshots from that one, and from my next project, a 120 mile, 23 level mine!

UAF Tunnels:

click to view

click to view

click to view

click to view

click to view

Mine system:

click to view

click to view

Man, this forum is Deeeeaad


Anyway, a couple new additions to my mine map. This is pieced together from 6 or 7 different sources and is missing a lot of areas, especially vertical connections.
http://freak.minimanga.com/temp/3d.JPG


If anyone knows how to make this 2nd map look better, I'd appreciate some advice. I'd like to make the tunnels appear underground and not hovering over the top of the terrain. It'd be great if there were a program to integrate Google Earth terrain (or even height maps) with 3D models, but I bet it's expensive and hard to use...
http://freak.minim...m/temp/maptest.jpg

Freak,
Your maps are fantastic. I tried using sketchup for a while to map out some of my stormdrains, but I found it too be to frustrating. I don't like how it has trouble joining objects accurately without slivers (could just be my incompetence though). I've been working with arc map a lot lately and just finished a map of all the larger stormdrains in the city of faribault (an hour north of the cities). We talked once along time ago about maps, I don't know if you remember, but I will be in northfield (near the twin cities) all summer so we should do some exploring or mapping if you are around. Ever considered mapping the Nicolette island tunnels and caves?
-S