Tabletop gaming and miniature collecting often need terrain: forests, mountains, villages, alien landscapes. Printing custom dioramas beats buying pre-made expensive terrain sets.
This guide covers modeling terrain, optimizing for printing, painting and finishing, and display techniques.
Terrain Modeling Approaches
Three strategies:
-
Geometric terrain (Blender modeled)
- Precise mountains, pyramids, structures
- Design in 3D software
- Works best for alien/fantasy landscapes
- Time: Moderate (learn Blender)
-
Sculptural terrain (3D scanned)
- Sculpted in clay, scanned, printed
- Organic, realistic features
- Works best for natural landscapes
- Time: High (sculpting + scanning)
-
Parametric terrain (Procedurally generated)
- Algorithm generates terrain from settings
- Infinite variations
- Works best for large landscapes
- Tools: Blender plugins, Terrain Slicer software
For beginners: Geometric approach (easiest learning curve)
Simple Diorama: Mountain Base
Concept: Single mountain with flat base, miniature-ready.
Design in Blender (or Tinkercad):
- Create base: 200×200mm square, 30mm tall
- Create mountain: Cone 150mm diameter, 100mm tall (scaled)
- Boolean operation: Cone on top of base
- Smooth surfaces (subdivision modifier)
- Add rocks, small trees (simple geometric shapes)
- Export as STL
Print settings:
- Layer height: 0.2mm (terrain detail visible)
- Infill: 10% (hollow interiors save material)
- Supports: Yes (need them for overhangs)
- Orientation: Base flat on bed, mountain upright
- Estimated time: 6-8 hours
Real dimensions:
- Base: 200×200×30mm
- Mountain: 150mm diameter, 100mm height
- Total weight: ~400-500g filament
- Cost: ~$8-10 in material
Post-processing:
- Remove supports (tedious, 30 minutes)
- Sand rough areas (120-grit, 30 minutes)
- Wash to remove dust
- Dry completely (4+ hours)
Painting Terrain
Base coat (primer):
- Spray gray or brown primer
- Covers in 2-3 light coats
- Provides paint adhesion
Color layers:
- Base terrain: Dry brown acrylic (thick, covers primer)
- Highlights: Lighter brown/tan (dry brush on ridges)
- Shadows: Dark brown or black (thin wash in crevices)
- Details: Greens for vegetation, grays for rocks
Advanced technique: Contrast paint
- Modern acrylic that shades and colors in one pass
- Faster than traditional layering
- Citadel and Army Painter make good contrast paints
Timeline:
- Primer: 1 hour (drying time)
- Base coat: 30 minutes
- Highlights: 30 minutes
- Details: 1-2 hours
- Total: 3-4 hours over 2-3 days (drying time between layers)
Static Grass and Vegetation
Bare terrain looks unfinished. Adding grass transforms it.
Methods:
-
Static grass applicator: $30-50 device
- Stands up grass fibers electrostatically
- Results look professional
- Learning curve: Moderate
-
DIY method: Spray adhesive + grass fibers
- Spray tacky adhesive on terrain
- Sprinkle static grass fibers
- Tap off excess
- Results: Acceptable, less uniform than applicator
- Cost: $10-15
-
Flocking: Fine powder adhered with spray
- Similar to grass but finer, more uniform
- Works well for light coverage
- Cost: $5-10
Real workflow:
- Paint terrain completely (let dry)
- Seal with matte varnish (optional, protects paint)
- Spray adhesive on areas where grass should be
- Apply static grass fibers
- Tap off excess
- Dry 24 hours
- Static grass bonds permanently
Cost:
- Static grass: ~$10-15 per diorama (lasts for 5-10 projects)
- Spray adhesive: ~$3 per diorama
- Total: ~$5 material cost
Adding Details and Props
Terrain alone is bare. Add props:
Printed props:
- Trees, rocks, ruins (printable on Thingiverse)
- Print at 0.2mm layers
- Paint same way as base terrain
- Glue with CA adhesive (cyanoacrylate)
Purchased props:
- Model railroad scenery (trees, buildings, fences)
- Cheap ($1-3 per item) and pre-painted
- Drop-in ready
Natural materials:
- Real stones and pebbles
- Moss (real or craft foam)
- Driftwood
- Budget: $5-10 for collection
Gluing strategy:
- PVA glue for light items
- CA adhesive for permanent bonds
- Hot glue for quick placement (easy to remove)
Scale Considerations
Common tabletop scales:
- 28mm: Figure height ~28mm (Warhammer, Necromunda)
- 32mm: Slightly larger (popular in newer games)
- 15mm: Smaller scale (more terrain fits on base)
- 6mm: Very small (great for large landscapes)
Design accordingly:
- 28mm figures: Terrain features 100mm+ tall look right
- 15mm figures: Terrain features 40-50mm tall work
- Scale trees to figures (tree trunk ~ figure height, tree height 2-3× figure)
Real example: 200×200mm base for 28mm figures holds 6-8 miniatures comfortably. Same base for 15mm figures holds 15-20 miniatures.
Modular Terrain (Build in Sections)
Print terrain in modules, combine them:
Advantage: Reuse modules, create different configurations.
Example: 100×100mm square modules
- Flat base
- Mountain with path
- Forest section
- River section
- Rocky outcrop
- 4 flat bases = 400×400mm full landscape
Design approach:
- Create 100×100×30mm base
- Add terrain features
- Design male/female connections (interlocking edges)
- Print 4+ modules
- Combine on tabletop
Interlocking design in Blender:
- One module: Lip on edge (2×2mm protrusion)
- Adjacent module: Groove on edge (2×2mm recess)
- Modules slot together, prevent sliding
Logistics:
- Print 1 module at a time
- Paint and seal individually
- Assemble on game day
- Repeat with different modules for variety
Large Landscape Example (Multi-Print Project)
The scenario: Warhammer 40K campaign needs forest battlefield
Modular design:
- 8 modules, 100×100mm each, arranged in 4×2 grid
- 400×200mm total landscape
- Features: Rocky valley, forest, river, ruins
Printing plan:
- Module 1 (rocky valley): 4 hours
- Module 2 (forest with trees): 6 hours
- Module 3 (river): 3 hours
- Module 4 (ruins): 5 hours
- Repeat modules 1-4 for right side
- Total print time: 36 hours (split across 4-5 evenings)
Painting plan:
- Batch paint all modules same evening (assembly line approach)
- Base coat all 8: 1 hour
- Highlight all 8: 1 hour
- Details all 8: 2-3 hours
- Add grass to all: 1 hour
- Total painting: 5-6 hours over 2-3 days
Final assembly:
- Glue modules together (CA adhesive or interlocking)
- Add miniatures
- Play game
- Reuse modules for different campaigns
Cost:
- Filament: 3kg × $20/kg = $60
- Paint and materials: $15
- Total: $75 for reusable terrain
Software for Terrain Design
Option 1: Blender (free, steep learning curve)
- Professional terrain modeling
- Full control
- Time investment: Weeks to learn properly
- Payoff: Can create anything
Option 2: Tinkercad (free, browser-based, gentle)
- Simple geometric terrain
- Limited but intuitive
- Time investment: Hours to learn
- Payoff: Can create basic terrain quickly
Option 3: TerrainSlicer (paid, specialized)
- Parametric terrain generation
- Point-and-click interface
- Generates STL files automatically
- Cost: ~$30-50
- Payoff: Realistic terrain without learning 3D software
Option 4: Download and remix
- Find terrain on Thingiverse or Printables
- Import into Tinkercad
- Modify (change scale, add details)
- Export and print
Recommendation for beginners: Option 4 (remix existing designs) → Option 2 (Tinkercad) → Option 1 (Blender) if you want to continue.
Common Terrain Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too many supports
- Terrain has overhangs, generates 40-50% supports
- Solution: Reorient base, use tree supports
- Prevention: Test print small section first
Mistake 2: Overly detailed design
- Fine features clog, bridges fail, supports impossible
- Solution: Simplify details, increase feature size
- Prevention: Design for printability (30mm+ details minimum)
Mistake 3: Paint doesn’t stick to PLA
- PLA is smooth, paint slides off without primer
- Solution: Always prime first (non-negotiable)
- Prevention: Primer is $5, saves $20 of work
Mistake 4: Grass looks patchy
- Uneven adhesive application or sparse grass
- Solution: Spray adhesive more generously, apply multiple layers
- Prevention: Practice on test base before real project
Storage and Maintenance
After use:
- Gently brush off static grass (prevents shedding)
- Store in dry, cool place (prevent humidity damage)
- Stack modules carefully (avoid crushing)
Long-term:
- Check annually for paint chipping
- Touch up paint as needed (cheap to maintain)
- Reapply grass if it sheds excessively
Display:
- Glass case protects from dust
- Shelf with front access for visibility
- Wall-mounted modules (save space)
Cost Summary (per 400×200mm landscape)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filament (3kg) | $60 |
| Primer and paint | $10 |
| Static grass and adhesive | $5 |
| Varnish (optional) | $5 |
| Small prop/detail prints | $5 |
| Total | $85 |
Equivalent commercial terrain set: $200-400
ROI: Break-even after 2-3 projects.
The Honest Take
Terrain printing is rewarding. You create exactly what your game needs, customize it, and own it forever. The learning curve is moderate (easier than miniature painting), and results are professional.
Start simple (single mountain base), master the workflow (printing, painting, grass), then expand to modular multi-print landscapes.
Your tabletop gaming terrain just became custom-designed and cost-effective. One weekend of printing and painting creates a landscape that would cost $300+ to buy pre-made.