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Gorgeous Gorge Illuminated Terrain

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Why we love it


The Green River cuts through 91 miles of red sandstone cliffs to form a region in the Western US known as Flaming Gorge. We love how this terrain map captures the landscape’s stark beauty. Custom hillshade adds depth and drama while modest terrain coloring plays a strong contrast to river symbology. This map could act as a background, or stand on its own to showcase the morphology.

Why it works


Carefully rendered terrain takes centre stage. This map works because it creates a realistic landscape with multiple point sources for illumination and shadows based on local lighting. The map authors employ their own Sky Model techniques to generate custom hillshades. This advanced method is available to ArcGIS users, too.

Important steps

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Requirements

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Tips and tricks

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Patrick Kennelly, map author

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