With the BlenderGIS Addon we can easily import (satellite) maps, displacement maps and geometry like buildings. It reminds me a bit of the Blender-OSM addon I am familiar with. One of the differences is that you will select your area on the world map directly in Blender instead of a browser. One thing the BlenderGIS addon doesn’t have is textures for the buildings, but if offers some other tools the Blender-OSM addon doesn’t have.
How the BlenderGIS Addon works
Here a quickstart with some basic steps to get you started.
Add Basemap
First we load a Basemap
BlenderGIS web geodata menu
In the Top menu of the 3D viewport, you see a menu called GIS. Click on GIS > Web geodata > Basemap
You will see a menu and choose: Google and Satellite, and click OK.
It bring the camera in Top Orthographic view, and will show a world map.
To zoom in: scroll wheel. To pan: Shift+middle mouse button.
Once you are finished with zooming and panning, press B and make a selection. (Start with a very small selection, because your terrain will be huge!)