Isometric Topography

This week I started looking at what other images I could use in my isometric image generation method.

Earlier this week, one of my coworkers asked to see if I could track down the original artwork I created for a site design from like 7-8 years ago. I couldn’t find it in my archives/network drives/backups, but I found where I found the images in the first place. I used TopoQuest to find USGS maps, then stitched the screenshots together to get a large area.

I like just the elements of these maps. While they are detailed, there is a nice deteriorated aspect to them when zoomed in. There are halftones and other appealing artifacts taken out of their context as a map.

Topographic map of Bemidji, MN
Above is then the crop I used to render out the isometric generation of Bemidji, MN.

I then took crops from the maps I found and ran them through a similar method to what I did with my botanical generations.

Bemidji, MN
Zoomed in to the Bemidji, MN render.
The Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers
Zoomed in to the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers render.
Grand Rapids, MN
Zoomed in to the Grand Rapids, MN render

Each render comprises many isometric blocks based on the pixel color from the map crop. One of the renders had 47910 blocks used to render the image!

I have all these available on my RedBubble and Society6 storefronts.