Terrain Import
Import real-world elevation data to create a survey-accurate site terrain mesh. Supported formats: GeoTIFF, XYZ point cloud, and USGS auto-fetch by GPS coordinates.
Terrain Import creates a terrain mesh from real-world elevation data. This is the recommended workflow when survey data, public elevation data, or OS map data is available for the site.
Supported import formats:
- GeoTIFF — a georeferenced raster elevation file, commonly produced by surveying software and available from national mapping agencies
- XYZ point cloud — a CSV-format file with X (easting), Y (northing), and Z (elevation) columns, produced by total station surveys, GPS surveys, or drone processing
- USGS auto-fetch — enter GPS coordinates to automatically download elevation data from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (US sites only)
Open Terrain Import from Terrain > + Add Terrain > Import Terrain Data.
Open the Terrain Import dialog
Click the Terrain icon in the top bar. Click + Add Terrain in the Terrain panel. In the dialog that opens, select Import Terrain Data.
The Terrain Import dialog opens with three tabs for the supported import formats: GeoTIFF, XYZ / CSV, and USGS Auto-Fetch.
Import a GeoTIFF file
Select the GeoTIFF tab in the import dialog.
1. Click Choose File and select a .tif or .tiff file from your computer 2. The file is parsed — a preview thumbnail shows the elevation data as a grayscale heightmap 3. Set the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) if the file uses a projected coordinate system (e.g. OSGB36 / British National Grid, UTM Zone 30N). The CRS field defaults to WGS84 (latitude/longitude). Check the file metadata or the survey report for the CRS. 4. Set the Elevation Unit — meters (default) or feet 5. Click Import to create the terrain entity
The terrain mesh is fitted to the project bounds automatically. Elevation values outside the project bounds are cropped.
Import an XYZ point cloud (CSV)
Select the XYZ / CSV tab in the import dialog.
The CSV file must have at least three columns: X, Y, and Z. The columns can be named anything but must be in X, Y, Z order, or mapped manually using the column mapping controls.
1. Click Choose File and select a .csv or .txt file 2. A preview shows the first five rows. Confirm the column mapping — drag column labels to the correct X, Y, Z slots if the auto-detection is incorrect 3. Set the Coordinate Reference System and Elevation Unit as for GeoTIFF import 4. Set the Delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, or space) if the auto-detection is incorrect 5. Click Import to triangulate the point cloud into a terrain mesh
The terrain is created from a triangulated irregular network (TIN) derived from the input points, then resampled to a regular grid at 1 m resolution (or finer, up to the density of the input points).
Auto-fetch USGS elevation data
Select the USGS Auto-Fetch tab in the import dialog. This option fetches elevation data from the USGS National Elevation Dataset and is available for sites in the United States.
1. Enter the GPS coordinates of the site center — latitude and longitude in decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7128, -74.0060) 2. Set the Site radius — the area around the center point to fetch data for (10 m to 500 m) 3. Click Fetch Data — the system downloads the elevation grid for the specified area 4. A preview shows the fetched elevation data as a heightmap 5. Click Import to create the terrain entity
USGS data resolution is approximately 1/3 arc-second (approximately 10 m). For higher-resolution terrain, use a GeoTIFF or XYZ import from a local survey source.
Resolution and performance
Imported terrain is processed at a maximum grid resolution of 1 m per grid cell for performance. Higher-resolution input files (e.g. a 0.1 m survey) are downsampled to 1 m.
For most garden design projects, 1 m resolution captures all meaningful level changes. Sub-meter survey precision is significant for construction-level earthwork calculations but is not required for design visualization.
Larger site extents (over 100 m × 100 m) may take a few seconds to process after import. The terrain entity is shown with a progress indicator while the mesh is being built.
Calibrate scale and position on the canvas
On the Size step, two calibration points let you align the imported terrain to your 2D canvas drawing. Click the first point on the 3D preview, then set its real-world coordinate; repeat for the second point. The wizard calculates scale and position from the two-point pair. If your file is correctly georeferenced this step is optional — the terrain will land in the right place automatically.
Finish and insert the terrain
Click Finish Import to insert the terrain into the drawing. If the project already contains a terrain surface, a confirmation dialog asks you to confirm Replace Terrain — this overwrites the existing surface and cannot be undone. After insertion, switch to the 3D editor to see all placed objects draping over the new surface.
For LiDAR point clouds, always filter to Ground (class 2) points before importing. Leaving vegetation and building returns included raises the surface in those areas and produces an inaccurate terrain model.
Reprojection uses a flat-earth approximation suited to local-scale sites. Results are accurate for any garden or landscape project — the approximation only becomes significant for sites exceeding roughly 50 km across.
Choosing Replace Terrain when an existing terrain is present permanently discards all prior elevation data and cannot be undone. If you want to keep the current surface, cancel the import and save or export it first.
Frequently Asked Questions
The terrain appeared at the wrong scale or in the wrong location — how do I fix it?
This almost always means the coordinate reference system was not detected correctly. Re-open the wizard, go back to the Coordinates step, and enter the EPSG code for your national grid. Your survey report or the data provider's metadata file will list the correct code. Common examples: 27700 (British National Grid), 25832 (UTM zone 32N), 3006 (Swedish SWEREF99 TM).
I have a Shapefile — do I drop just the .shp file?
Drop all the sidecar files at the same time: the .shp geometry file, the .dbf attribute table, the .shx index, and — most importantly — the .prj projection file. Without the .prj file the wizard cannot determine the coordinate reference system and the terrain will likely land in the wrong position.
Can I import Ordnance Survey or national mapping authority data?
Yes. OS Terrain 50 and OS Terrain 5 export as GeoTIFF or ArcInfo ASCII grid (.asc) and import directly through the wizard. Select EPSG 27700 (British National Grid) on the Coordinates step. Most national mapping agencies publish their data in a documented EPSG code — check the download metadata.
What resolution should I choose?
Medium (512) is a good default for most residential and commercial garden sites up to about 5,000 m². Choose High (1024) for large estates or sites with significant grade changes. Low (256) is useful for large rural parcels or when you just need a quick reference surface. Custom lets you enter any grid dimension if you need a specific density.
What happens to objects already placed on the canvas?
Their 2D plan positions do not move. In the 3D view, all objects settle onto the imported surface at their canvas location. If objects appear to float above or sink into the ground, check that the imported elevation range matches the expected real-world site levels — a mismatch in elevation units (feet vs. meters) is the most common cause.