# tylermorganwall/rayshader

R Package for 2D and 3D mapping and data visualization

Repository: https://github.com/tylermorganwall/rayshader
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/rayshader
Homepage: https://www.rayshader.com/
Language: R
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-26T04:03:45+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3034, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2175, forks 220 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:22.116109+00:00)

## What it is
rayshader is an open-source R package for producing 2D and 3D data visualizations, best known for generating stunning hillshaded and raytraced maps from elevation matrices. It also converts ggplot2 objects into 3D visualizations and supports interactive viewing, animations, pathtraced rendering, and STL/OBJ export for 3D printing.

## Use cases
- create 3D terrain maps from elevation data in R
- render hillshaded 2D maps with custom lighting
- turn ggplot2 charts into 3D visualizations
- animate flyover camera movements over terrain
- export 3D maps as STL files for 3D printing
- add Open Street Map or satellite imagery overlays to 3D maps
- apply depth of field effects to map renders

## When to choose
- you work in R and need publication-quality 2D or 3D terrain visualizations
- you want to visualize ggplot2 data in 3D
- you need to 3D-print a physical model of terrain
- you want raytraced, cinematic map renders with shadows and water

## When to avoid
- you need a general-purpose GIS with analysis tools rather than visualization
- you don't use R
- you need real-time web-based map rendering
- you require a permissive license for commercial use given no license is specified

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: data-visualization, graphics, simulation, geospatial
- domain: data-visualization, graphics, data-science
- platform: python, cross-platform
- tags: r-package, hillshading, raytracing, 3d-maps, ggplot2, terrain-rendering, 3d-printing, stl-export, maps, desktop

## Member repositories
- tylermorganwall/rayshader (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:22.116109+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:48:56.476340+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/tylermorganwall/rayshader (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:22.116109+00:00, sha 4b8f7a25200a)
  - homepage: https://www.rayshader.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T10:29:00.970092+00:00, sha ec0d49792c22)
  - site_page: https://www.rayshader.com/news/index.html (fetched 2026-08-29T10:29:00.979847+00:00, sha e5cf5522da2c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.