"Earth not so flat" from the shop

The "Earth not so flat" from the shop is pretty cool.
But I was looking for quite the same but without the sea levels so that you could see the deepness of the oceans in contrast with the rest of the terrrain relief.
Also the multiplier he uses seems fine but I wanted a big diameter, 20 inches or so. How much would that give for the max and min relief according to the multiplier factor he uses? What do you reckon?

Regards,
Dan

Ah that is a bead by magic, you should put a link in there so we know what your talking about. https://www.shapeways.com/model/74944/earth__not_so_flat_.htm l?gid=mg

a 20" diameter sphere in sandstone would be pricey. Even if hollowed to 3mm walls (I use .12"). Somewhere around $1834.18 before shipping

Happy that you like our Earth
There are two issues reguarding what you asked:
- first the size: if the thickness is maintained to 3mm (which can be done until a certain diameter), the price will be multiplied by 4 each time you double the radius.
- second, I need the data in a correct form: the altitude in level of grey and the color map (including a representation of what is under water). Have a look here. The format for the altitude is quite strange (with negative values in the image): not sure I can use that... And still I have no other color than the blue of the ocean to represent what is under water...

Is there a way to extract googles model from Google Earth?

I am afraid that with Google there would be a problem of license anyways. The Nasa is more permissive.

I bought one of these, very nice! How much is the vertical height exaggerated? Must be at least a factor of 10 ...

Thanks!
The exageration must be more than that:
it is 1 mm for the higher mountain for a diameter 22.5 mm more or less (4.5%)
Let's google... The diameter of the Earth is 12 756km and the Everest is 8.8km (0.069%).
So it is exagerated 65 times...
I am quite sure that the website from the Nasa I mentionned gives all the raw data to achieve the model (including positive values=topography, negative value=bathymetry and you can also have shades of blue for the deepness of the oceans). The problem is more how can you extract them in a useful form...
New link: http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_detail.php?id=7862

Mt Everest, the highest spot on Earth, is less than 6miles tall. The Earth is 8,000 miles in diameter. That's a ratio of 0.00075

If these bumps are 1mm on a 22mm sphere, that ratio is 0.045, for an "exageration value" of 60+ times normal.

It's long been stated.. if the Earth was shrunk to the size of a billiard ball, even the Grand Canyon would look like a mirror-finish.

So what 3D format do you use, COLLADA?
And why do you think negative values would be a problem. I thought any 3D object like a ball could have depressions...
Maybe 44mm diameter would be fine...
And I reckon the shades of blue are not that important... as the actual depressions

Here is a related link: <a href="http://www.gebco.net/about_us/news_and_events/gebco_08_google.html" target="_blank"></a>

http://www.gebco.net/about_us/news_and_events/gebco_08_googl e.html

Anyway, I am not able to use Google Earth to see the seafloor. There are some animations to see but you cannot actually see it and explore it in a "Tomb Raider" way... if that sort of makes sense.

The problem with negative values is that I don't know how to put them in texture.
Anyways, I found 2 textures, one for positive values, one for negative values, so my problem is solved.

And here you are:


Let me know the size you would like (keep reasonable: a diameter of 2 inches would be 5 times as expensive as the current size) and the amount of "exageration" you would like.

Perhaps it would be nice to have a scale. Say 1:25,000,000 for the Earth and 1:500,000 for the details (5.1cm - that is 2 inches - of diameter and an exageration of 50).
What do you think ?

Well, great job!
But at the moment I would go for a 22mm one, just to get the taste and maybe in a few months time I would adventure to something bigger.
Also I never know which of the colour to choose from. I suppose the most recommended is "Full Colour Sandstone". Is that right? Let us know if you are going to have this new version in the shop.

Also, I would like it to have a 3mm hole axe from the center of North Pole to the center of South Pole, to better picture that imaginary axes around which Earth rotates. Is that easy to add?

Yes, sir! 22 mm with 3 mm holes and say +/-1mm for mountains and trenches. Full Color Sandstone is the only material that is multicolor, you are right.
It will be available before the end of the week.

I will order one as soon as it is available.
And maybe more later.
I have ordered the original one in the meantime.

Magic, did you make it 2mm thick? It seems now the design rules for Sandstone say 2mm thickness minimum, at least for "supported" areas. I would think a sphere would be a supported structure ...

I reckon he mentioned 3mm thick, not 2.

That's why I mentioned it. The design rules used to say 3mm, but now it is 2mm for "supported areas". Maybe this could reduce the price?