Terrain Import
Import terrain, check source coordinates and elevation quality, and export the intended surface.
Terrain import converts supported source data into the ground model. Review the source’s horizontal coordinates, elevation units, coverage and physical scale before finishing. Derived grid resolution controls sampling density; it does not establish survey accuracy.
Choose the source
Open Data in the Terrain workspace and start terrain import. In File, select a supported GeoTIFF, LandXML, CSV/XYZ, DXF, GeoJSON, Shapefile, LAS/LAZ, PNG, ArcInfo, HGT or supported 3D mesh file. The importer rejects files larger than 500 MiB.
Complete the format-specific steps
The workflow shows only relevant steps from Options, CRS, Elevations, Crop, Preview, Size and Finish. Set options that describe the actual source: for example CSV columns, source up-axis, PNG elevation range or Shapefile elevation field and units. Do not assign a coordinate reference system merely because it looks plausible.
Review coordinates, elevations and crop
Choose the source coordinate system when required. Two-dimensional contour imports can require elevation assignment. Crop to the needed area when appropriate. Processing steps require their sidebar Continue action before moving forward; a preview alone does not accept a change.
Inspect quality and real scale
Review Source quality review, coverage and reported source spacing. Derived grid resolution controls the grid made by the import. In Preview, Vertical Exaggeration changes real imported elevations and quantities, not just the display; use 1.0× to retain true elevations. In Size, calibrate a known distance and check position.
Finish and inspect the ground
Complete Finish and read any replacement confirmation. Check alignment against known drawing geometry and inspect elevations. Terrain is limited by the source and import choices; a dense output grid cannot restore missing source measurements.
Export the intended surface
Use Export Terrain from the Export menu. Choose Proposed surface or Existing surface, then GeoTIFF, DXF contour lines, OBJ, PLY, glTF binary or GeoJSON as needed. Format-specific controls appear for the chosen format. Download requires an available supported source surface; exports use physical elevations rather than a display-only exaggeration.