Landscape Layer Map

LandscapeLayerMap object represents a Landscape Terrain layer and stores the data used for rendering in an .lmap asset:

• Height map used to generate the geometry of Landscape Terrain,
• Albedo texture representing color data,
• 20 single-channel mask textures.

You can create a new landscape layer map either from scratch, sculpting it with an extendable set of brushes available out-of-the-box, or using imported data (images or tilesets), be it an arbitrary terrain generated in terrain generator software (e.g., World Machine), or real digital elevation maps and satellite imagery data.

You can place layer maps anywhere in the scene by moving, scaling and rotating the node (rotation is available around the Z axis only). By blending different landscape layer maps you can modify the terrain even at run time.

See Also#

Create a new landscape layer map via either of the following ways:

• By creating a node:
  1. In the Create menu, select Landscape -> Landscape Layer Map and place the new Landscape Layer Map node in the scene.

     

  2. By default the map has the blank read-only landscape_layer_map_base.lmap asset set in the Landscape parameter. Click to create a new landscape layer asset.
     
• By creating an asset:
  1. In the Asset Browser click Create -> Create Landscape Layer Map and specify a name for the new lmap asset.
     
  2. Then drag the asset to the Editor viewport and place a new Landscape Layer Map in the scene.

Specify graphic data:

• Generating from files:
  1. Set the Data Filling option to From Tileset.
  2. Depending on the desired way to access to the resources, choose the value of the Data Sources parameter:
     • Assets. Use available imported textures, which is a pretty good option for small and moderate terrains.
     • External Files. Provide full paths to the resources (e.g. a network drive). A better option for large terrains with extremely dense graphic data.
  3. Specify the resources: albedo and height textures (or texture tilesets) and up to 20 mask textures. In the case of using tilesets, specify only first tiles and appropriate naming patterns.
  4. Adjust other import settings. For instance, you can redefine the Resolution of the Landscape Layer Map textures.
  5. Click Reimport to load the provided resources.
  6. Modify the layer using Brush Editor.
• Sculpting from scratch:
  1. Set the Data Filling option to Manual.
  2. Choose the Resolution of the LandscapeLayerMap textures and click Reimport to apply changes.
  3. Click Brush Edit and open Brush Editor to draw over the layer map surface and thus sculpt the layer from scratch.

Watch a quick video guide below on creating and editing a Landscape Terrain and Layer Maps:

Landscape Asset Parameters#

Size	Width and Length, in units. Click Edit Size to toggle the size editing mode.
Current Data Density	Layer map density (the size divided by the resolution), in meters/pixel
Landscape	.lmap asset to store the landscape data. By default it is the blank read-only landscape_layer_map_base.lmap asset, to edit the layer map you can create a new asset by using the Create button or specify an existing one. Brush Edit opens Brush Editor. Notice Several Landscape Layer Maps can refer to the same .lmap asset without extra memory required.
Height Scale	Scale multiplier along the Z axis.
Order	The layer rendering order used in layers blending (higher numbers on top)
Collision	Collision with the map
Intersection	Intersection with the map
Culling	Streaming is based on using previously loaded geometry to define what is going to be streamed next. This option enables uploading preliminary low-level data of all maps to CPU to be used for initializing the streaming. If disabled, only low-level data of the base map is uploaded on CPU.

Import Settings#

Import Maps#

Maps#