The traditional method of measuring the terrain by hand is time-consuming and you have to go back and remeasure the details immediately if you find a measurement error. Nowadays, we only need to use drones or other equipment to obtain 2D images and data about terrain, then use tools such as 3Dsurvey for image processing to locate the model, generate dense 3D point clouds from aerial images, so as to analyze each geographical location and design the model easily.

Substance Painter (now called Adobe Substance 3D Painter) is a new-style 3D texture/map painting software, also the latest next-gen game mapping tool, which is mainly used for 3D model and animation making. It includes material drawing tools, particle brushes, rendering materials, material brushes, etc.; integrates the ray tracing renderer in 3D window; can render the most realistic graphic effects for users; and is pretty suitable for rendering synthesis, game making, material mapping, and so on fields.

Global Mapper is a pretty professional map plotting software with comprehensive and powerful functions, as well as friendly UI for everyone to use (praised by numerous users around the world). Global Mapper by itself has all the features of a GIS, and can simplify the complex problems. In the same industry, its main rivals include Esri, GeoMedia, Manifold, and MapInfo GIS products.