exporting_to_bforartists.md

To use a heightmap from Heightmapper as a displacement map in Bforartists, the fork of Blender actually usable by humans:

First, note the "z:x scale factor" in the Heightmapper. Then, follow these steps.

1. Start with a new scene.

2. Create a grid:

• select the "Create" tab on the left
• click the "grid" icon

3. Enter number of divisions (this can be any number, but these steps will make one vertex per pixel in the heightmap):

• in the "Add Grid" pane on the left, click in the "X Subdivisions" field
• enter number of x pixels in heightmap minus 2
• enter tab
• enter number of y pixels in heightmap minus 2
• enter return

5. Scale to match image:

• in the "Transform" pane on the right, under "Scale:", click in the "X" field
• enter the number of x pixels / 1000
• enter tab
• enter y pixels / 1000
• enter return

6. Add displacement modifier:

• in the right pane, click the tools menu (wrench icon)
  
• click "add modifier"
• click Deform > Displace
• click Texture > "New"
  
• click "Show texture in texture tab" (far right button)
  
• click "Open"
  
• select the heightmap file

7. Scale displacement:

• Click the tools menu (wrench icon)
• Set "Midlevel" to 0
  
• Set "Strength" to be the x-scale multiplied by the "z:x scale factor"

Printing

To print, export to .obj or .stl.

When preparing a model for 3D printing I like to fade the edges out, to ensure that the edges will be the lowest part of the model. You can do this with the square gradient tool in Photoshop.

Tips

The first time you try this, it's convenient to make your heightmap 1000 pixels wide, which makes the math easier: then your mesh x-scale is just 1, and your displacement scale is the "z:x scale factor" value copied from Heightmapper.

Good luck!