How to make printable 3d models from complex datasets of water and sewage systems

Scott Kildall has several projects involving complex data sets processing and transforming them into 3d printable objects for information visualization.
He made and interesting tutorial on how to make 3d printable data crystals and now he published two tutorials on how to make 3d printable models that are three dimensional maps made from geospatial data of complex sewer and water city systems.
How to guides are treasure if you are into 3d visualization of complex data sets and map making.

Here are links to Instructables tutorials with detailed workflow ans software used. The entire process is not too complex and can be done even if you are novice:

San Francisco sewers:

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printing-the-San-Francisco-Sewers/?ALLSTEPS

San Francisco water system:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Works-3D-prints-of-the-San-Francisco-Water-S/?ALLSTEPS


BTW: do remember that the map is NOT the territory ;-)