Dashboard Hot: Myopentopo

By default, the MyOpenTopo dashboard applies real-time hillshading to Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). This means your browser’s GPU is calculating light angles and shadows for every single pixel on screen at 60 frames per second. This is a notoriously intensive process.

The dashboard’s terrain shading engine has been updated. Users can now toggle a 3D oblique view that shades slopes in real-time. For route planning—especially for backcountry skiing or trail running—this immediate visual of aspect and steepness is invaluable. myopentopo dashboard hot

OpenTopography recently streamlined its access levels to handle increased demand: OpenTopography's Spring 2026 Webinar Series myopentopo dashboard hot