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Dried mud split into curled plates by deep, irregular cracks. Desert, wasteland and ruins terrain for tabletop games.

About this design

Dried earth split into curled plates about 5 to 9 mm across by deep, irregular cracks, with finer cracks running part way in from them, the ground of a dry riverbed or a blasted wasteland. Roll it into air-dry clay or foam for desert and wasteland boards, ruined city ground, bases for 28 and 32 mm miniatures, or into stoneware for rustic plates and planters.

Made with our free texture roller tool, not modelled by hand: we drew the pattern in code as a seamless picture, uploaded it, and set a roller 30 mm across and 80 mm long with an 8 mm bore, the pattern raised 1.5 mm and repeated twice round and twice along. The zip holds the roller and the tool's own fork handle with its two retaining pins, as two STL files, plus the pattern picture, so you can remake the roller at another size or depth.

Every roller in this set is the same size and fits the same 131 mm handle, so you print the handle once and after that only rollers: pull the two pins, swap the roller, push the pins back in.

Shown as a 3D render of the printed roller in its handle on the clay it has pressed, not a photo.

Made with Meshcast

Meshcast is a free toolkit for makers that runs in your browser: turn any 3D model into a candle, soap, concrete or silicone mold, or make your own cookie cutters, texture rollers, stamps and keychains. Nothing to install, and you can try every tool without an account.

• Texture Roller Maker: meshcast.app/texture-roller
• Guide and print facts for this design: meshcast.app/3d-models/cracked-earth-texture-roller
• 400+ ready-made molds and models: meshcast.app/3d-models
• Meshcast: https://meshcast.app/
• Instagram: @meshcast.app

How this was made

The model is parametric: it is generated by Meshcast's own code, not made by an AI. The pictures are rendered in Blender. We use AI to assist our work (ideas, writing and checking), so this design carries Thingiverse's AI label to be on the safe side.

Selling what you make?

Free for personal use under CC BY-NC. Selling what you cast or print from this design needs a Meshcast commercial licence (Pro or Founder): meshcast.app/licenses

Print settings

Time estimated for a current printer (Bambu, Prusa MK4 class), not sliced: 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.2 mm layers, 3 walls, 20% infill, PLA. The roller prints standing on its end, the handle and pins flat, no supports.

What you need

• About 69 g of PLA or PETG for the roller, the handle and its pins (about 31 g for a roller alone)
• Something to texture: air-dry or polymer clay, or EVA foam warmed with a heat gun
• A smooth work surface, and a rolling pin or two guide strips to roll the clay to an even thickness
• A little cornstarch, or a water spray for ceramic clay, if it starts to stick

Steps

1. Print the roller standing on its end and the handle and pins lying flat, all as exported, no supports.
2. Set the roller between the arms of the fork and push one pin through each arm into its bore, hex head outwards; the roller turns on the pins.
3. Roll the clay to an even thickness first: 4 to 6 mm for terrain and slabs, 2 to 3 mm for jewellery and ornaments.
4. Roll across once, in one direction, with steady, even pressure, and lift off at the end. Going back and forth doubles the pattern.
5. Pull the pins to swap to another roller from the set, and wash the roller in warm soapy water after use.