Touch Mapper Alternatives

Since I have posted about Touch Mapper, I got many questions if there is an alternative for this product. The short answer is not really, but in this post, let me explain what could be the problem for those who are seeking an alternative.

Over the last year or so, I have used Touch Mapper a lot for my trips. I always printed out a map of the surroundings of the hotel I was staying, or the places I was visiting. And the results have ranged from outstanding to useless. I got one of the best ones when I visited Columbus, Ohio where I visited downtown. There were other places where I could not make any use of the map even when I researched the surroundings. It is absolutely not the fault of Touch Mapper, rather, the information it has available from OpenStreetMap it uses to obtain the information about an area. Sometimes there is enough info, sometimes not at all, but what’s even worse is when there is quite a bit of info, but it misses a few important landmarks. I have found that in the United States information is more readily available than in let’s say suburban areas of distant countries. So, it will always be a hit or miss.

I still find that it is worth a try, but the problem is that once I create the map, it takes 3-4 hours to 3D print it just to find out that it is not useful. I am finding that it is really not the cost of the filament, rather, the amount of time I need to spend on it to find out that it is not going to be helpful.

If you don’t have a 3D printer, you can order a map from the site for 29 Euros/USD, but you create the map, and for that price, you don’t know what you are getting. I think sometimes when the map is very important, it maybe worth the price.

But when I use my 3D printer to get a particular map, I often find that I have to experiment with the map scale, and even if the map is useful, I get it right for the second or third time. And for a 3-4 hour printing time, it is quite a bit. But if you order all three maps it can be quite pricy.

Now I’m not telling you to stay away from ordering, but be sure that this is what you need. For example, if you are completely blind, it would make sense to get sighted assistance either from your environment, or from a service like AIRA or BeMyEyes. I would not recommend using AI tools to get this information, because you really need to make sure you get what you need and for that you will need very detailed and accurate information.

If you have a 3D printer, you can speed up the process by checking the box for hiding buildings. I like the buildings on a map, but this way it will be faster to print out a few versions of the map, and once you know if it will be useful, you can print out one with the buildings. It is actually very useful if you are planning to use it for getting around in an area.

Another option is, if you have access to a graphic braille printer, you can create a braille version which you can print out at a substantially shorter amount of time, in a matter of seconds or minutes, depending on your printer. Then once you are happy with the results, you can try it on a 3D printer. I don’t have access to a graphic display, but for example if you would have a Monarch, it would be worth testing out the results before printing.

So, overall, if you are technologically savvy and you have time, I would encourage you to use the service because it has many benefits, just understand your options.

If you need a thorough and exact map, for example you would like to have a good overview of your home, workplace or school, I would recommend using a 3D design service that could give you an exact map together with the correct braille markings. I could provide that service for you, please mention that you heard about it on the Touch Mapper alternatives page and I will give you a discount.