Master the Terrain of 3D Mapping - Beginner's Blender + ArcGIS Workshop

This workshop empowers you to go beyond static maps and into dynamic visual storytelling. By combining Blender and ArcGIS, you’ll learn an in-demand skillset that sets you apart, especially in fields like environmental communication, urban planning, conservation, and digital design. You'll walk away with a polished 3D map ready to showcase in your portfolio, pitch deck, or client presentation.

Interested in applying these 3D mapping skills to open-source GIS software? Join us for our Master the Terrain of 3D Mapping: QGIS this December!

This Workshop Meets Three Times on Zoom

• Thursday, September 18 (3:00 - 5:30 PM PST)
• Thursday, September 25 (3:00 - 5:30 PM PST)
• Thursday, October 3 (3:00 - 5:30 PM PST)

Lesson Plan:

Module 1: In this module, we will cover how to navigate and activate shortcuts in the notoriously complicated Blender user interface. This will be contoured to the tools most often used for geospatial rendering.

Module 2: In this module, you will learn how to install and use a free GIS plugin in Blender to access ESRI basemaps and OpenTopography elevation data.

Module 3: This module focuses on leveraging ArcGIS software to access and utilize digital elevation data from anywhere in the world.

Module 4: In this module, you will learn how to import and modify a digital elevation model using Blender Modifiers. We will then explore the texture panel in Blender to help you project aerial imagery and customize the style.

Module 5: Learn how to transform your map into a polished final product - perfect for a portfolio piece or saleable asset.

The Instructor, Elizabeth Rosenbloom

Elizabeth is an information design specialist who has worked for companies like Apple and Valley Water, across a spectrum of industries within environmental science and technology. She helps companies communicate intricate, obscure, and difficult-to-understand ideas into easily digestible media and tools.

Elizabeth's work has been celebrated in workshops, webinars, and live events where she has been a key speaker. She's created and instructed courses on Coursera, and has had her work featured in magazines like Seismic Sisters and Tikkun.

Most recently, her teachings on information design have been featured at: 2025 San Francisco Climate Week & Climatebase

Questions?

• Contact Rick Kos, BayGeo's Education Director, at rkos@baygeo.org
• For more information about BayGeo, the Bay Area's hub for the geospatial community, visit baygeo.org