Automating Multi-Directional Oblique Weighted Hillshade in QGIS with the Graphical Modeler

Hillshade remains one of the most popular cartographic techniques for visualizing terrain. However, using a single light direction often exaggerates slopes facing away from the light source while reducing detail on illuminated slopes. Multi-Directional Oblique Weighted (MDOW) hillshading minimizes these artifacts by combining multiple hillshades from different illumination azimuths into a single composite image.

This methods paper explains a reproducible workflow for generating MDOW hillshade using the QGIS Graphical Modeler. The approach integrates all parameters, the input DEM, hillshade directions, and the raster calculator expression into a single reusable model. The model can be run on any DEM without manual reconfiguration, supports batch processing of tiled datasets, and can be extended or modified by other QGIS users. The paper targets GIS practitioners who regularly work with elevation data and seek to standardize their terrain-visualization workflows.