Create Terrain from a Heightmap (Unity Tutorial)

In this Unity game development tutorial we're going to look at how we can create realistic looking terrain from real world height data, using greyscale images known as heightmaps.

We'll start by explaining how heightmaps work before using a free resource to generate a heightmap from real world terrain data.

We'll then install the Terrain Tools package and use it to generate the terrain.

Finally, we'll use the Terrain Tools to split the large terrain into many connected tiles to improve performance.

The website to create heightmaps from real world data can be found here:

The project files are available to our patrons here:

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Introduction - 0:00
Generating a heightmap - 0:16
Installing the Terrain Tools package - 1:19
Creating Terrain from a heightmap - 1:59
Splitting the terrain - 2:51
Summary - 3:53

#KetraGames #LearnUnity #UnityTutorials #UnityTips

[daydreams]

You are a godsent. Thanks for this content!

The one thing I might adjust to this tutorial is that if you're using a high resolution map, the setting is no longer located in the "heightmap" subdivision within the create new terrain tab, instead it is the bottom-most option in the General subdivision, for those who cant find it :v

[calderov]

You are a great instructor. I love how clear and to the point your videos are. Kudos!

[benking]

Thanks you so much!!! I've been searching for a video like this all day and I FINALLY found your channel. Immediately subbed and i'm currently binge watching your tutorials.

[qwertz]

Thanks for tut! I saw some of your tutorials and I want to say thanks! Please, keep going, we lost Brackeys and your tutorials are good as his. :D

[Jayw]

Thanks, I've been trying to get this to work for a while now. I found your video and it really helped.

[joshclement]

This is a great wee tutorial! Instant sub, look forward to going through more!

[webtron]

Outstanding. Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[iaevan]

you literally saved me! you are awesome!

[prototype]

If the area is 18x18 and you split by 16x16 the square area should be 1.125 and not 1?

[yadav-r]

Thank you for sharing this madam. Good day.

[MikeKing]

Great tutorial! 👍 I need to find somewhere height-maps of ocean ground map

[greggtierney]

Oh this is brilliant, I'm guessing if you were to do say the entire UK map you'd have to split it up into even more parts to keep performance high?

[random_precision_software]

Hi just a quick question. Have a mountainous terrain and want to add another next to it. Is there a way of doing this simply (I want the second terrain to follow the height of the mountains in the first terrain)

[ricardojaviergarnicapena]

Nice video. I've seen that sometimes terrain appears as "stairs", which is the reason? Thank you, excellent video

[Nicole-xlkw]

when I download the heightmap its all white with faint lines instead of black and white like yours. then when I bring it into unity and press create nothing shows up :( I dont know what is happening

[Lastgo]

someone know why is this can happen:
1) unity cant show raw image preview in Assets window (shows standart windows icon for images)
2) when i add heightmap to terrain its looks stretched on height a lot

[genjivibes]

i get error saying that resolution is not to the power of 2 also mine apears as a file not a greyscale height map just a raw file so i click import raw file edit - nvm importing as png instead of raw worked better

[pixsaoul]

is it possible to generate a terrain with a different heightmap at runtime ?

[Andredy]

how can I access this functions via script? for example i want to generate the Heightmap and then attach it to a terrain in the game

[tiagoandrade]

nice stuff! I wonder why the lines on my heightmap are curvy but then when I do this process you described I get sort of a low poly view (squared edges and so on). I tried adjusting the terrain resolution but it does not really help. a bit frustrating though as it is currently not representing 100% my heightmap resolution. Any ideas?