Terra WorksAll In One

Filters presets by their world category, such as natural, animated or alien. Choose a preset from the filtered list to load its starting settings. The category filter helps find a starting point; your world remains editable after choosing it.

Filters the visible list by the text you enter. Type part of a name to find the item, then select it to use it. Clearing the field shows the full list allowed by the current category. Searching does not change the map.

Enter a whole number from 0 to 1000000000 and press Enter. With the same preset, seed and settings, Terra builds the same terrain again. A different seed changes the large landforms in procedural layers. Save the recipe when you find a layout you want to keep.

How to use it

Enter the seed and press Enter, then update the preview.

For example

Keep a seed you like, save the recipe and try a second copy with a new number.

A useful tip

Keep New variation on each creation off when matching the inspected preview.

Picks another seed while keeping the preset type and your other settings. In procedural layers this gives a new arrangement of large terrain forms, not just different surface bumps. Check the preview, then create the map. You can type the previous seed to return to that variation.

Controls how far seed-based variations may move away from the base layout. Zero keeps the base composition; higher values let a new seed rearrange more of it. This works together with procedural layers. Keep the preset type, but try several seeds before changing all the shape settings.

Chooses a fresh seed each time you press Create. Use it when producing several variations in succession. The created map can differ from the preview shown before the click. Leave it off when you want to build exactly the variation you have just inspected, then save its recipe.

Opens the manual layout of Landscape components and sections. Use it when the project needs a particular Unreal grid arrangement. The standard grid choices are easier for ordinary map creation. After changing the layout, check the actual map size and vertex spacing so the intended scale stays clear.

Moves the entire terrain up or down in metres without changing its shape. Use it to place a valley below the world origin or align the land with another part of the level. Manually entered material heights and water levels remain world heights, so check them after moving the base.

The number of large Landscape pieces across X. Each piece contains its own surface points and collision. Increasing this value while leaving spacing unchanged makes the map wider and heavier. For ordinary square maps, start with Map size and Grid; use this setting for a custom layout.

The number of large Landscape pieces along Y. It works like the X count, but changes the other side of the map. X and Y can differ to make a rectangular area. More pieces also mean more work for rendering, collision and world streaming.

Controls how strongly the terrain stretches upward. Increasing it makes the same hills taller and slopes steeper; it does not move the whole map upward. If slope limiting is enabled, Terra may soften the result to stay within that limit. Compare the view from player height.

Chooses how many points describe the ground. A denser grid can show smaller bends and gives terrain editing more room, but costs memory and processing time. The map keeps its size. Extra points do not invent detail missing from the original height shapes.

Sets the real width and length of a square map, from 250 metres to 64 kilometres. This changes how far the player can travel, not just the number of surface points. Check the height-scaling option before resizing a map you already like.

Places the starting corner of the map along the world X direction, in metres. This moves the map sideways without resizing it or changing its relief. The value describes a corner, not the centre. Keep this in mind when fitting several terrain areas together.

Places the starting corner of the map along the world Y direction, in metres. Together with X, it determines where the map begins in the level. It does not rotate the map or change the terrain pattern. Use matching edge positions when joining neighbouring areas.

Keeps the proportions of the landscape when you change its size in metres. With this enabled, doubling the width also scales the terrain height, smoothing distance and water level relative to the base. Disable it to keep absolute heights. Changing only grid density does not trigger this scaling.

Chooses 63 or 127 small ground squares along each side of a section. More squares give more points inside the same section, but increase the total grid and its cost. The resulting size also depends on spacing and component count; read the size summary before creating.

Splits each Landscape component into one section or four sections arranged 2×2. Sections let Unreal change distant terrain detail in smaller areas. They also affect the total point count. This is a layout setting, so check the resulting map dimensions after changing it.

Sets the horizontal distance between neighbouring ground points, in metres. With the point count unchanged, 100 intervals at 2 metres make a 200-metre map. On a slope, the inclined edge is longer because its ends have different heights. To add terrain detail while keeping the world size, choose a denser Landscape grid.

How to use it

Read spacing after choosing map dimensions and grid density.

For example

100 intervals at 2 metres make 200 metres of ground.

A useful tip

Choose more points when you want finer ground detail at the same physical size.

Groups Landscape components into physical streaming proxies. A value of 2 groups them in areas of 2×2 components. It does not change the landform or add polygons. Smaller groups allow finer loading; larger groups reduce the number of Landscape objects. The last row or column may be smaller.

Choose Group Landscape blocks to keep whole numbers of physical blocks in each loading cell. Choose Set size in metres to enter the cell width and loading radius directly. These settings remain yours when you switch terrain presets; choosing another landform does not reset the grid.

Choose how many Landscape blocks fit along one side of a loading cell. With 250 metre blocks,2 makes 500 metre cells. Turn on Landscape segments to compare blue blocks and orange cells before creation.

Enter the square loading-cell width directly in metres. Keep it large enough to contain a whole Landscape block. For smaller cells, reduce Components per segment and check the preview again.

Sets the distance around a streaming source, such as the player, within which cells are loaded. It is independent of cell width. A larger radius keeps more terrain loaded and uses more memory.

Normally the loading grid starts at the map's starting X/Y corner. Turn this off to enter separate Grid origin X/Y coordinates, including negative values. Moving this grid does not move the map. The orange preview lines follow this origin. The cell count describes occupied Landscape cells; other actors assigned to the same grid can occupy additional cells.

Sets the X coordinate of the loading grid's starting corner, in metres. Turn off Start grid at the map corner to edit it. Negative values are allowed. Use the same origin for terrain areas that should share loading-cell boundaries; this setting moves the grid, not the terrain.

Sets the Y coordinate of the loading grid's starting corner, in metres. It works with Grid origin X, m and does not rotate or resize the terrain. The orange preview lines show the resulting grid.

Controls how far around a streaming source Unreal loads this grid. For 500 m cells, a value of 2 sets a 1,000 m loading radius. A larger radius keeps more terrain available and uses more memory. This is a streaming distance, not a change to the Landscape's visible detail.

Allows World Partition to load and unload spatially loaded actors. This is a world-wide setting. Disable it when the whole map should remain loaded. Terra still saves the grid and proxy layout.

Give this loading grid a clear name using letters, digits and underscores, up to 48 characters. Use the same name for terrain areas sharing loading settings, or different names when they need their own cell size and origin.

Enable this when movement should wait for required ground to finish loading. Use it with the selected loading radius and inspect the result with the player's travel speed.

Shows blue boundaries between Landscape blocks and orange boundaries between runtime loading cells. Blue lines follow the terrain's starting corner. Orange lines follow the chosen loading-grid origin, which can be separate from the terrain. Use them to check block size, cell size and grid alignment before creating terrain.

Adds another height source to the terrain mixture. Select its source and blending mode, then adjust its strength and position. The list order matters: each source changes the result left by the sources above it.

Chooses how this terrain source changes the result built by the layers above it. Replace moves the ground toward this source; Add raises or digs it, depending on the sign of strength. Multiply changes the existing relief, while Min and Max keep the lower or higher surface. Start with Replace for the main shape and add smaller details afterwards. Moving the layer changes the order of these operations.

Moves this source one position in the mixing order. Terra processes the list from top to bottom, so changing the order can change the terrain, especially with Replace, Minimum and Maximum. Rebuild the preview to compare the result.

Includes this source in the terrain calculation. Turn it off to compare the map without its contribution while keeping all its settings. Enable it again to return its effect. At least one terrain source must remain enabled.

Add a square 16-bit grayscale PNG or little-endian R16 to the selected layer. A copy is stored in the project.

Chooses a terrain family for the selected source and enables generation from the map seed. You can scale, rotate and blend its hills or valleys with the other sources. Turn off procedural generation when you want the library’s saved height shape instead.

Opens the terrain source stack. Each entry contributes a large form or added detail to the map and has its own mixing settings. Choose an entry to edit it, and use the up and down buttons to change evaluation order. This stack builds the shape of the ground; surface covering layers are edited in the material section.

Moves this source along the map’s X direction before mixing. Values are fractions of the map width: 0.1 shifts it by one tenth. Use small changes to align a valley with another source. This moves the pattern inside the map, rather than moving the Landscape actor.

Moves this source along the map’s Y direction before mixing. Values are fractions of the map depth: 0.1 shifts it by one tenth. Combine X and Y offsets to choose which part of the source shapes the map. World origin and actor position are separate settings.

Builds a new height shape from the selected terrain family and map seed. Mountains remain mountains, but their ridges and valleys can move. Turn this off to use the library’s saved height shape. Imported height maps keep their own shape, so this switch is unavailable for them.

Removes the selected height source from the recipe. The other sources stay in their current order and the terrain is recalculated from them. To compare temporarily without deleting settings, disable the source instead.

Rotates this source around the map centre, in degrees. Use it to turn a mountain chain or valley before mixing it with the other sources. Offsets move the source separately; the created Landscape actor keeps its own orientation.

Changes the size of this source inside the map. A larger value enlarges its hills and valleys; a smaller value fits a wider part of the source into the same map. It does not change the world size or grid spacing. Combine it with rotation and offsets to position the main forms.

Filters the visible list by the text you enter. Type part of a name to find the item, then select it to use it. Clearing the field shows the full list allowed by the current category. Searching does not change the map.

Selects this terrain source for editing. Its blend mode, strength, scale, rotation and offsets appear below the source list. Selecting it alone does not replace the other sources or remove their contribution to the terrain.

Sets how much this terrain source contributes to the mixture. In Replace, Min, Max and Multiply, small values keep more of the previous layers. Add can also use a negative strength to cut into the ground. Change it together with the mixing mode and check the full terrain, because later layers can hide its effect.

Moves this source one position in the mixing order. Terra processes the list from top to bottom, so changing the order can change the terrain, especially with Replace, Minimum and Maximum. Rebuild the preview to compare the result.

Opens the finer terrain controls: added noise, contrast, terraces and erosion. First settle the large shape and scale, then use these controls to refine it. Several effects can soften or amplify each other, so change a few at a time and compare the preview. More erosion work also takes longer to calculate.

Changes how strongly the low and high parts separate around the middle height. A higher value makes valleys lower and peaks higher; a lower value flattens their difference. It is useful after mixing sources, but strong contrast can create steeper slopes. Inspect the slope view and grid after a large change.

Increase this to carve branching grooves along downhill paths. Use zero to keep the source without this shaping. Compare the preview while adjusting the amount, then add water separately in the Water tab when needed.

Sets the amount of water-droplet erosion work. Droplets travel downhill, remove material from some places and deposit it elsewhere, helping form drainage grooves. Zero turns off this erosion stage. Larger values take longer and can strongly alter smaller details, so test them after the main terrain shape is settled.

Limits steep triangle slopes in the generated ground. 89 disables this guard. Separate structure meshes are unaffected.

Sets the strength of extra small-scale variation over the mixed terrain. It can break up overly smooth slopes. Start with a small value so the added detail supports the large form instead of hiding it. For a clean painted or anime world, lower values usually preserve the intended silhouette better.

Sets the size of the added terrain detail. Higher values fit more changes across the map, making each feature smaller; lower values make broader undulations. Use it together with noise strength. Very fine detail needs a sufficiently dense grid to become actual ground geometry.

Softens small rough changes over this radius, in real metres. The physical size of the smoothing area stays consistent when you change grid resolution. A larger radius removes broader detail as well as tiny bumps, so compare the silhouette and slope view. Use a smaller radius when preserving sharp terrain features matters.

How to use it

Start with a small physical radius and compare the outline and slope view.

For example

Use a narrower radius to keep rocky edges and a wider radius to soften broader bumps.

A useful tip

Judge the created ground from player height too.

This is the slope angle above which loose ground starts to slide during settling. Lower angles let more slopes move and spread their material farther. Higher angles preserve steeper sides. It affects thermal settling, so use a nonzero pass count to see the result.

Blends the stepped result with the original smooth ground. Near zero the original slopes dominate; higher values make shelves and risers clearer. Set the terrace count to 2 or more first. After increasing the amount, inspect steep risers in slope and wireframe views.

Divides the continuous height range into steps. Fewer steps make broad shelves; more steps create finer terraces. Set at least 2 steps to enable terracing; 0 or 1 leaves the heights continuous. Adjust the count together with terrace amount to control how clearly the steps appear.

Sets how many times loose ground is allowed to settle downhill. More passes soften sharp crests and fill nearby low spots. The talus angle controls where movement starts, and transfer rate controls its strength per pass. Too many passes can smooth away small forms, so compare with the unweathered result.

Controls how much loose material moves during each settling pass. A low value makes gradual changes; a high one reshapes unstable slopes faster. It works together with the pass count and talus angle. Start gently if you want to keep crisp rocky forms while softening only their loose edges.

Chooses the large landform beneath your source mixture, such as an island, coast, ridge or canyon. The height sources add detail to that shape. Free mixture uses the sources on their own. Adjust the landform’s strength, size and direction to turn a preset into your own layout.

Turns the main landform in degrees: for example, the direction of a coast, canyon or ridge. It changes the large shape underneath the source mixture. To rotate only one height source, use that source’s Rotation setting instead.

Sets how wide the main landform is relative to the map. Use it to make a broader peninsula, a wider canyon or a larger central island. It works inside the existing map boundary; physical map size is set separately in the scale section.

Blends the main landform with your height-source mixture. Zero keeps the mixture alone; one fully applies the chosen landform while retaining detail from the sources. Intermediate values soften the landform’s influence. With Free mixture selected, choose the shape through the sources instead.

Lowers the edges of the terrain toward the surrounding low ground. Use it to give an island a softer approach to the water instead of a high square border. Check the chosen water elevation together with the edge shape; this setting does not create a water surface.

Adds another assignment of a project material to a height band, up to eight. Choose the material and its lower, upper and transition heights. Review neighbouring bands so that the full terrain height range is covered.

Choose the project material for this elevation band. Set its lower and upper heights and transition width, then build and assign the surface to the intended Landscape.

Sets the upper edge of this covering’s height range, in world metres. Above it, the covering fades out over the transition distance. Changing it moves a material boundary without changing the terrain geometry. Review the overlap with the next covering.

Sets the lower edge of this covering’s height range, in world metres. Below it, the covering fades out over the transition distance. Keep the lower edge below the upper one and check neighbouring ranges so the ground has continuous coverage.

Create a textured four-layer Landscape material and paint weights in the level. An assigned custom material takes priority.

Choose a grey image that adds ambient shading inside cracks and recesses. Dark parts receive less ambient light; white parts keep it. It complements the scene lights and their shadows. With separate surface maps enabled, Terra puts this image into the red ORM channel. Leave it empty to add no extra cavity shading.

Adds another surface covering to this material, up to eight. Choose its texture set, tint and placement after adding it. A new layer needs its own role or height range so that it appears where you intend. Adding a layer switches off automatic layer counting, keeping your chosen layers in the material.

Select the Landscape you want to update, check the material settings and press this action. Inspect the covering in the level and use Save All to keep the level and surface assets together.

The surface colour without lighting painted into it: soil colour, grass blades or rock markings. Choose the colour texture from the same set as the normal and roughness maps. Deep shadows or bright reflections baked into this image can look wrong when the sun moves.

Tells the blend which small parts stand higher: stones, cracks, soil or snow. This helps one surface settle into the gaps of another. It does not raise the ground or add polygons. Use a matching height map; the included sets already carry this information in their packed texture.

Give this covering a name you can recognise, such as dark basalt or pale clay. The name identifies its group of settings and helps when revisiting a recipe. Renaming does not change its texture, tint or position on the ground. Those are separate settings below.

Changes the texture size only for this layer. It multiplies the common texture size: a common 4 metres with layer scale 0.5 gives a 2-metre repeat. Use it to keep grass fine while rock stays larger. Compare both surfaces where they meet.

Use this image only where the surface is actually metallic. Ordinary soil, stone, snow and ice normally use black, meaning nonmetallic. White marks metal. It does not control wetness or shine; use roughness for those. With separate maps, Terra packs it into the blue ORM channel. An empty field uses a nonmetallic surface.

Choose how the ground gets its material. The builder combines texture sets and connects the finished material for you. The external-material mode uses materials already in your project. Choose one workflow first, then adjust its settings; controls belonging to the other mode are hidden.

Makes small bumps and grooves catch light as though they had depth. It changes shading, so a pebble here does not become a solid obstacle and the outer silhouette stays the same. Use a tangent-space normal map; keep it matched to the colour image. Terra prepares a linear normal copy when needed.

Makes the small lighting bumps flatter or stronger. Zero removes the normal-map detail; one uses its usual strength. Raising it does not add real depth or collision. If the surface looks crumpled or oily under side lighting, lower this value and check the roughness map too.

One image holds three surface properties: red is crevice darkening, green is roughness and blue is metallic response. Use a packed ORM map with that exact channel order. For ordinary soil, grass, stone and snow, metallic should be zero. Choose separate maps if your set is arranged differently.

Removes this covering from the editable recipe. The remaining coverings are blended again, so the appearance of nearby boundaries can change. Texture files in the project are kept. To change a material already assigned in the level, apply the updated recipe.

This grey image controls the sharpness of reflections. Dark values make a smoother, shinier surface; light values make reflections broader and duller. Use it to distinguish damp mud from dry stone without painting highlights into the colour image. It is required when separate surface maps are enabled and is packed into the green ORM channel.

Use this when roughness, crevice shading and metallic are supplied as separate images. Terra combines them into one ORM texture for the created material. Roughness is required. Crevice shading and metallic may be left empty: their defaults are no extra darkening and a nonmetallic surface.

Uses a surface from Terra’s own texture library for this layer. Colour, normal and surface properties are connected together automatically. Turn it off to supply your own project textures in the fields below. This changes the texture source; placement and tint remain separate controls.

Choose one of the twenty owned surfaces: soil, gravel, different rocks, snow, ice or painted coverings. Each set includes matching height detail and derived surface maps. Most bases are neutral so that tint can give the same set different colours. This choice sets the surface detail; the placement control decides where it grows across the terrain.

Multiplies this layer’s colour by the selected tint. White keeps its current colour; darker tints darken it. The neutral included textures accept many palettes, while the world palette supplies their starting colours. Normals, texture height, roughness and metalness remain independent, so recolouring does not change the shape of the highlights or the blend boundary.

Open these controls to set the world palette or select a complete project material. Use the palette swatches for the overall mood, then layer tints for individual coverings. Choose a complete project material when you want to use its appearance on the ground.

Opens the assignment of ready project materials to elevation bands. Choose the material for each band, its height limits and transition width, then apply the recipe. For texture sets from Terra’s own library, use the surface builder, where colour, normal and surface-property maps are connected together.

Choose the ready project material you want to use for the terrain. Inspect it on the selected Landscape, then apply it. Clear this selection when you want the Terra surface builder to provide the covering instead.

Create four original PBR materials in the project: soil, grass, rock and snow. Uses included textures and three-axis world projection, then assigns them to height bands.

Sets the starting colours of soil, grass cover, rock and snow. Click a colour swatch to change it; the neutral texture keeps its grain and relief under the new tint. Use this for the overall world mood, then use a layer tint for finer adjustments. Colour changes do not alter terrain heights or normal directions.

Removes the selected material assignment from the recipe. The material asset itself stays in the project. Check the remaining bands after removal and apply the recipe to update the material on an existing Landscape.

Adjusts fine colour variation and normal strength within the chosen style. 1 uses that style’s intended detail; 0 leaves a calmer average colour and the geometric surface normal. Values above 1 strengthen detail. It changes shading only: it cannot add cracks or rock silhouettes to the mesh. Check close views and distant slopes before increasing it.

Uses the same owned texture set with different amounts of fine detail. Realistic keeps the full grain and normals. Stylized softens small detail and keeps larger colour variation. Anime makes surfaces calmer with weaker fine normals. The automatic choice follows an animated world preset; other presets start realistic. You can override it and recolour the world without new texture files.

The real-world width covered by one texture repeat, in metres. At 4 metres, a stone in the image becomes much larger than at 1 metre. Layer scale multiplies this value: 4×0.5 gives 2 metres. Check at player height, especially where cliffs meet flat ground.

How to use it

Set the common texture size, then adjust each layer's multiplier.

For example

4 metres ×0.5 layer scale gives a 2 metre repeat.

A useful tip

Check the size of stones where a cliff meets flat ground.

In the builder, places material boundaries using the actual height distribution after updating the preview. In external-material bands, divides the chosen relief range into equal height bands. Turn it off to enter world heights yourself. After changing terrain height, recheck where grass, rock and snow appear.

Sets the height distance over which neighbouring coverings meet, in metres. A wider transition gives their height detail more space to mix; a narrow one produces a sharper boundary. Inspect it close to the ground as well as from above. This changes shading, without adding terrain triangles.

Choose Hex to blend neighbouring texture copies, Stochastic to vary samples while keeping detail contrast, or Texture Bombing to mix shifted copies with height detail. Compare a close surface and a distant slope, then adjust rotation and sharpness for the chosen textures.

Leave this enabled to fit the chosen surface palette to the measured ground. A short steep map can still use rock, and low relief can keep an upper covering. Turn it off when all chosen layers should take part, up to eight. Keep all five surface roles when using the Reference model.

How strongly the small texture heights affect the border between materials. At zero the border follows the broad coverage mask. Increasing it lets raised details show through and fills lower spots first. Inspect close up; a strong setting can make the edge look speckled.

Controls how much texture copies may turn to hide repetition. A low value keeps visible layers and grooves pointing roughly the same way. A high value varies their direction more strongly. Colour, normal and surface-data maps turn together; inspect rock strata before choosing a large value.

Controls the border between overlapping texture copies in the antitiling method. Lower values soften that border but can wash out small details. Higher values keep details clearer and can make patch edges easier to notice. This is separate from the width of a soil-to-rock material transition.

Sets the slope angle where exposed rock starts to replace gentler ground, in degrees. Lower values expose rock on more hillsides; higher values reserve it for steeper faces. Natural variation softens and breaks up the boundary. This controls material coverage, not the steepness of the terrain itself.

Sets the relative elevation where the upper covering begins, from zero to one across the terrain height range. A lower value brings it farther down the slopes; a higher value keeps it nearer the summits. The upper covering can be snow, ice, salt or another selected surface. Its actual colour follows the recipe palette and layer tint.

Choose how the layers cover the terrain. Automatic rules place ground, patches, cliffs and upper cover by slope and height. Elevation bands use the height ranges of your layers. The reference model uses five roles, adding loose stone between cliffs and softer ground. All modes use your selected textures.

Choose the layer’s job separately from its texture. The base covers the ground, patches break it up, cliffs follow steep slopes, and the upper coating appears above the snow line with uneven edges. Height range follows this layer’s height limits. These roles work in automatic surface distribution; height-band distribution follows the ranges for every layer. For example, sandstone can cover cliffs while clay forms patches.

Create the shown structure in the current level. Bound caves also connect their entrance when enabled.

Sets the structure name and the project folder for new meshes and materials. Give important structures recognisable names before creating several copies. Use a folder inside the Unreal project, beginning with /Game/. Save both the level and its new assets after creating or rebuilding.

Opens controls for wall thickness, rock unevenness, bending, descent and entrance reach. Underground networks also show surface detail and extra connections. Change one value at a time and compare a section view. Smaller surface steps can take much longer to build.

Use these actions when working with something already in the level. You can read the selected terrain or structure, rebuild a Terra structure, move its entrance or attach a new passage to an existing exit. Check the selected object before applying an action; selection determines what will change.

Change interior cross-section: oval tube, narrow canyon, keyhole or low lava-like gallery. Entrance dimensions remain fixed for joining. This is a shape model, not a geological simulation.

Choose the rock material, the ground material used at the entrance and the width of their shared transition. Start with the supplied defaults to check placement and geometry. You can refine the appearance afterwards without changing the planned route through the cave.

Limit automatic downward tilt of the whole cave. A smaller value requires a steeper natural hillside.

Opens manual position and rotation. Turn off terrain binding to place a standalone structure by coordinates; floating islands already use manual placement. A connected cave needs the dedicated move action so its opening follows it. Check the preview before applying coordinates.

Reads settings from a Terra structure selected in the level. If the selected object is another kind of actor, it reads its position instead. This loads values into the panel without rebuilding the level object. Check the loaded type and dimensions before applying an update.

Bends the passage along its length instead of keeping it straight. Increase it to break a long direct line of sight; lower it for a clearer route. The entrance keeps the contour needed for joining. Check that the bent body stays underground at the chosen location.

Choose the detail of the generated structure surface. Smaller cells describe finer rock; larger cells keep the build lighter. Start with the broad shape, then inspect the cutaway and player-sized passage while adjusting detail.

Choose soil, gravel or another owned surface for the floor. It covers the flatter upward-facing parts and blends with the rock through irregular, height-aware edges. From landscape takes its base covering and tint; it does not use the grass-patch layer. The same rule works in grottoes, tunnels, shelters, halls and underground networks.

Clear entrance height from floor to ceiling, in metres. The outer shell adds wall thickness; ceilings inside can rise higher. For floating islands this limits the height of the box the whole mesh fits into. Scaling stays uniform to preserve the original proportions, so the actual height can be smaller.

Choose what to build: a single cave, grotto, shallow shelter, through tunnel, hall, connected underground world or floating island. Changing the type also supplies suitable starting dimensions. Inspect the preview before adding it. Caves are separate structures placed onto terrain; landscape presets do not automatically dig them.

Depth of a cave or passage, in metres. In an underground world it controls the extent along the entrance direction, not the total length of all passages. For a floating island it is the length limit of the box the whole mesh fits into. Island scaling stays uniform, so the actual length can be smaller.

Assign your material, or leave empty to use the Terra rock material. World-projected textures work best on rebuilt geometry.

Picks a new structure seed and refreshes the preview. Cave rock details change. Floating islands can select another ready mesh when Choose by seed is active, and group spacing and sizes can vary. The cave-layout seed stays the same. Use Create or Update to apply the result to the level.

Tilts the structure’s forward direction upward or downward. This turns the whole body, including its floor and ceiling. Use small changes and inspect a lengthwise cutaway. Terrain-bound placement normally calculates this tilt from the ground and its allowed descent.

Leans the structure sideways around its forward axis. This can tilt the floor across the passage, so check whether the character can still stand and walk there. Use it for deliberate placement adjustments. It is separate from turning the entrance left or right.

Changes the actual unevenness of the rock surface. Low values make broad, smoother walls; high values add stronger bulges and recesses. This can change the mesh and passage shape. It is different from material roughness, which controls reflections. Check the floor and headroom after large changes.

Cutaway keeps geometry below this height measured from the entrance floor. Lower it to inspect deeper levels. This display control does not change the saved mesh.

For caves, this seed changes rock irregularities; the room plan has a separate layout seed. For floating islands, Choose by seed selects a ready mesh from your list, and the group seed also varies spacing and size. It does not reshape the source mesh. Save the whole recipe to repeat the result.

Creates a new passage at the selected passage’s exit, matching its opening and rotation. The new actor is attached to the selected actor.

Uses the same owned texture set with different amounts of fine detail. Realistic keeps the full grain and normals. Stylized softens small detail and keeps larger colour variation. Anime makes surfaces calmer with weaker fine normals. The automatic choice follows an animated world preset; other presets start realistic. You can override it and recolour the world without new texture files. The generated covering also takes texture size, antitiling and Detail from the terrain. Wall and floor layers keep their own scale, normal strength and Height Blend. Applying a terrain material refreshes Terra-generated connected entrance coverings without rebuilding their meshes.

Choose the surface of cave walls and ceilings, or the rock body of a floating island. From landscape takes its cliff surface when you build. Choose the cave floor separately. Any of the twenty owned surfaces is available; visual style is a separate setting. Choosing a surface clears the custom material field so the generated material can be used.

Rebuilds the selected Terra structure in place. Connected entrances keep their opening, length and wall thickness. Save the level and generated assets afterwards.

Use this to refresh an older shelter or hall. Inspect the updated preview, including ledges, ceiling shapes and floor clearance, then rebuild the selected structure when ready. Save a second recipe when keeping the earlier form.

Set the rock shell thickness around the clear interior, in metres. Inspect the cutaway after changing it, particularly at narrow passages and nearby rooms.

Clear entrance width in metres, measured across the passage. Wall thickness is added outside this opening; inner chambers can be wider. For floating islands this limits the width of the box the whole mesh fits into. Scaling stays uniform to preserve the original proportions, so the actual width can be smaller.

The structure’s position along world X, in metres. Enter coordinates for manual placement or floating islands. A cave bound to terrain gets its position from the placement controls instead. To move a connected entrance, use Edit selected cave so its old ground opening is handled too.

The structure’s position along world Y, in metres. Enter coordinates for manual placement or floating islands. A cave bound to terrain gets its position from the placement controls instead. To move a connected entrance, use Edit selected cave so its old ground opening is handled too.

Turns the whole structure left or right around the vertical axis. Zero faces world +X; 90 degrees faces +Y. For terrain-bound caves, switch off automatic turning to set the entrance heading yourself. The position and dimensions stay the same.

The structure’s position along world Z, in metres. Enter coordinates for manual placement or floating islands. A cave bound to terrain gets its position from the placement controls instead. To move a connected entrance, use Edit selected cave so its old ground opening is handled too.

Choose a route scheme, then review its starting chamber, storey and extra-connection counts. Use the full thirty-scheme selector for Cave or Grotto, or choose a branching, circuit or fracture pattern for an underground network. Adjust the size and seeds, then inspect Passage plan and cutaway.

Show the room layout and actual passage paths without rock or landscape hiding them. Colours distinguish upper and lower paths.

Change this seed to try another arrangement inside the same cave scheme. Keep the desired room, storey and circuit counts, and set Layout variation above zero. Use Structure seed for the rock shape and save the full recipe to keep both choices.

How much the layout seed can move rooms and vary their proportions and passage widths within the chosen scheme. Zero keeps the scheme fixed across layout seeds; one allows the largest deviations. The same seed and settings reproduce the same cave. This does not add rooms or change the requested number of circuits.

How to use it

Set a value above zero, then change Cave layout seed.

For example

Keep a ring scheme while trying different chamber positions and passage widths.

A useful tip

Use Structure seed when changing the rock shape instead.

Number of storeys used by the route scheme. Some schemes require at least two. Storeys are linked by sloping passages, so a taller or wider cave needs more length for the connection. Add enough rooms for every storey and check the cutaway at each floor.

Add bypass routes between the planned rooms. Start with the count supplied by the scheme: one circuit for a ring, two for a figure eight. Keep enough room and footprint for the connections, then inspect both Passage plan and the actual cutaway.

Picks another layout seed and refreshes the room plan and connections. In caves and grottoes, set Layout variation above zero to let the plan change. Room count, storeys, dimensions and rock seed stay as entered. Inspect the plan before creating or updating the structure.

Number of planned chambers in the cave, grotto or underground network. The chosen scheme has a minimum count, and the rooms are divided between storeys. Increase the footprint when adding many rooms so chambers and connecting passages have space. The plan shows planned rooms; nearby spaces can meet in the actual rock.

Sets the intended distance between rooms, in metres. A larger value spreads the network across more ground and can lengthen connecting passages. It does not widen those passages. Inspect the plan and make sure the surrounding terrain is large enough to cover the whole network.

Use this when an older cave recipe should try the current route schemes. Inspect its new preview and plan, then update the selected structure when the result suits the level. Save a second recipe to keep the earlier alternative.

Choose a route scheme, then review its starting chamber, storey and extra-connection counts. Use the full thirty-scheme selector for Cave or Grotto, or choose a branching, circuit or fracture pattern for an underground network. Adjust the size and seeds, then inspect Passage plan and cutaway.

Places the entrance across the selected terrain area, from 0% at its left edge to 100% at its right edge. Ground height is recalculated at the new position. Leave enough room around the point for the full chamber and its entrance. For a cave already in the level, apply the move after checking the preview.

Places the entrance along the selected terrain area, from 0% at its near edge to 100% at its far edge. The fitting process checks the ground height and whether the chamber can stay inside the hill. Combine this with the across position and heading to choose an entrance, then apply the result.

Rebuilds the selected structure with the current dimensions, moves it and reconnects its entrance. One Undo reverses the operation.

Enable this to open the Landscape and connect the cave mouth when adding the form. Choose terrain with enough coverage around the doorway and chamber. Inspect the entrance at player height, then save the level and assets.

Points the cave into the rising terrain using the local slope. Turn it off to choose the heading yourself. This controls horizontal direction; the separate maximum pitch still limits how far the cave can tilt into the hill during fitting.

Calculate height and tilt from the terrain instead of raw world coordinates. Floating islands ignore this option.

Reads the stored recipe and position from the Terra cave selected in the level. Adjust its placement in preview, then use Apply the new position to rebuild the connected entrance. That action restores the old ground opening and prepares the new one. Simply editing the preview does not move the level actor.

Lowers the entrance floor below the terrain, in metres. A small depth helps the ground meet the floor; too much can bury the opening. Terra limits it to 45% of the entrance height. Check the opening from the entrance view after changing this value.

Search the shown terrain for a dry entrance with the cave body underground. Each click tries another candidate.

Sets the horizontal direction from the entrance into the cave, in degrees. Zero follows world +X and 90 follows +Y. This field is used when automatic turning into the slope is disabled. After turning, check that the chamber remains covered by the terrain.

Stops choosing a cave position by clicking the terrain preview. The structure keeps its last preview position. This button does not create the cave or apply a move in the level; use the creation or move action when the preview is ready.

Adds another mesh slot to the entrance set. Select an existing rock or bank mesh in the new slot; the generated pieces can then use it alongside the other shapes. An empty slot must be filled or removed before generation.

Uses the terrain currently described in Terra’s settings as the context for placing a structure. This lets you plan the entrance while preparing a world. For a connection in an existing level, choose its actual Landscape as the context so fitting uses the level’s real heights and transform.

Places ten or fourteen existing rock meshes around the connected entrance and assigns Terra material to every material slot. Each piece is a separate actor that you can move or rotate in the level. The source geometry is kept intact. Reconnecting recreates the arrangement, so make final manual adjustments afterwards. Choose irregular blocks or a broken stone rim, or leave the entrance without added rocks.

Frames the structure’s entrance in the preview at its real dimensions. Use this view to judge opening height, ground contact and the rock shoulders around it. This changes the preview camera; apply the structure or its move separately when the placement is ready.

Selects an existing Static Mesh from your project. The first slot supplies the broad cap above the entrance; the other slots supply the sides. Terra places the original mesh with rotation and uniform scale, then overrides all material slots with its own material. Vertices, triangles, normals, UVs and source assets remain unchanged. Choose lightweight boulders with enough volume to cover the rim. Their back and underside should also be complete, so the arch looks solid from inside the cave.

Changes each rock’s size equally along all three axes, preserving its original proportions. One is the usual size for this entrance. Larger rocks cover more of the edge and can narrow the opening, so inspect the preview and check the passage after changing the value. You can adjust individual actors in the level afterwards.

Connects the selected Terra entrance to a Landscape: it opens the ground and builds the shared transition surface. First place and select the structure, then check its terrain context. Review the doorway and collision afterwards. The operation belongs to the editor’s Undo history.

An optional ground material for the entrance transition. Leave it empty to use the material found on the Landscape. Supply your own when matching an existing custom surface. Inspect colour, texture size and lighting on both sides of the join after connecting.

Select the Landscape or one of its blocks in the level, then read the ground around the structure. Press again after sculpting so the entrance preview uses the updated terrain.

How far the matching opening volume extends in front of the entrance floor pivot. It does not enlarge the entrance width or height.

Removes the last slot from the entrance set. It changes the recipe, without deleting the asset from your project. Keep at least one valid mesh when entrance dressing is enabled; reconnect to rebuild existing pieces from the changed set.

Sets the blend width on each side of the welded entrance, in metres. Terrain and cave coverings mix on the same connected surface, including colour, normals and surface properties. A larger value spreads the transition farther; inspect it together with the entrance outcrops. It does not set the wall thickness.

Switch to the top view and click the terrain. Height is recalculated from the clicked surface.

Create 1–24 independent closed islands. Each is a separate Static Mesh actor when placed in the level.

Set the space the island should fit inside. Terra scales the whole mesh evenly, so a narrow or shallow shape can occupy less than one of the requested dimensions. Its proportions stay the same.

Choose a complete island shape, or let the seed choose one from your list.

Choose a complete island mesh in each source row. A named shape uses its matching row; Choose by seed selects from the filled list. Start with the eight included meshes or select your own lightweight sources. Set the size envelope, rock and top coverings, then inspect the preview from above, beside and below. Keep source assets available at their selected project paths when loading the recipe again.

Adds one more row to the source list, up to eight rows. Assign a complete mesh to the new row before using it. Adding a row does not create a new island actor. Choose by seed can select from every listed source; selecting a named shape uses its corresponding row.

Removes the last row from the source list. It does not delete that mesh from your project or remove already placed actors. Check the selected shape after shortening the list.

Select a placed Terra island, read its structure settings and choose the source you want to use. Choose Rebuild selected structure, inspect the shape and coverings, then save the generated assets and level. Work on one island actor at a time.

Distance from the group centre to the outer island centres. Choose enough space to prevent overlaps.

How to use it

Set the distance from the group centre to the outer island centres.

For example

Increase the radius when the selected island sizes need more separation.

A useful tip

Inspect the group from above and below before creating.

Choose the covering on the upper part of a floating island. It blends into the rock body through irregular boundaries and the surfaces’ height detail. From landscape uses its patch layer, or its base if there is no patch layer. This adds a surface material only; it does not place grass meshes, trees or other plants.

Use this action when preparing native Unreal Water in a project. It adds the water-collision setup the project needs. Save the project settings after running it, then create and inspect your water.

Enable water for this terrain, choose the system, elevation and depth, then create. Inspect its surface and shoreline in the level. Use that water system's editing tools for further adjustments.

Enter the water depth in metres. For new Archipelago, Lake Basin and Atoll terrain, set it before generation to shape submerged ground. For an existing Landscape, adjust its water and sculpt the bed separately when needed. Keep the bed within the chosen ground height range.

Sets the water surface elevation in world metres. Compare it with the terrain’s base elevation and relief: the same water height can flood one recipe and leave another dry. Terra passes this level to the selected water system after creating the ground.

Check the water provider shown here before creation. Choose the system used by your project, then set the surface elevation and depth. Use the same provider when returning to its saved linked water.

Choose Unreal Water for the built-in system, Automatic for the available connected provider, or your installed external water system. Check the provider name shown before creating, then set elevation and depth.

Select the Landscape with linked water and use this after editing the ground. Load the terrain area, run the update and inspect the shore, then save the level. Use the water provider installed for that saved link.

Select the Landscape with linked water and use this to remove its water. Use Unreal Undo to return to the previous state, or update the link later when you want to create its water again.

Recalculates the preview after you change settings. It is convenient while shaping the map; turn it off when making many changes or using expensive erosion. You can then press Preview when ready. The preview does not create the final Landscape in the level.

Shows the surface with its current material and lighting. Use it for the overall look, then compare clay and wireframe to separate colour from geometry. The lightweight preview uses fewer ground points than the final Landscape, so inspect the created level before accepting close-up detail.

Press this to stop the current calculation. Wait for it to finish stopping, then change the settings and update the preview when ready. Save a useful recipe when you want to return to that setup.

Shows a plain neutral surface so you can judge silhouettes, dents, entrances and larger rock shapes without texture colour. Surface normal maps are not a substitute for those geometric forms. Compare from player height and an overview.

Show a horizontal section of an underground world at the chosen height. Single caves use a lengthwise section. Only the preview is cut; the saved mesh stays complete.

Choose what to inspect in the preview: the material, heights, slopes or wireframe. Structures also offer a cutaway, except for floating islands. Passage plan is available for underground worlds and current cave and grotto recipes. Changing the view does not change the saved geometry.

Opening an island preset frames the whole group automatically once the preview is ready. Use Frame preview to show the whole terrain or island group again after zooming or moving the camera. It changes only the preview camera; objects in the level keep their position and size.

Colours the preview by ground elevation. Use it to read peaks, lowlands and the height distribution before assigning surfaces or water. It is a diagnostic view and does not change the material that will be created.

Calculates the current recipe and displays it in Terra’s preview. Use it after editing with automatic preview disabled. Check heights, slopes and grid before creating the Landscape. Saving the recipe keeps the settings used for this calculation.

Sets how many ground points the preview samples along its longer side: 513, 1025 or 2017. Use a lighter preview while adjusting large forms, then inspect fine slopes with more points. The created Landscape still uses the grid chosen in Map size and Grid.

Colours ground by steepness. Use it to spot abrupt height changes and decide where a rock surface should appear. Combine it with wireframe: a smooth colour change alone does not prove that triangle spacing or collision is correct.

Give the Landscape a name and choose a project folder for its generated assets. The level must be saved and use World Partition. Create the terrain when the preview is ready, then save the level and new assets in Unreal. Save a Terra recipe as well if you want to reuse or change these settings later.

Sets the water system, surface elevation and depth. Terra creates or connects the selected water provider after building the ground. These controls do not add vegetation or a sky system. Check that the water level suits the actual lowlands of your chosen map variant.

Set the map dimensions, height range and Landscape grid before creating the world. A denser grid represents smaller shapes but costs more memory. Final creation uses the full requested grid in a saved World Partition level. Check the preview and save the recipe first so you can reproduce the result.

Adjust the main silhouette, small relief and drainage channels. Expand mixing to use another height field.

Add caves, grottoes, tunnels, underground networks or floating islands. Choose a type, adjust its settings and check the preview before placing it in the level. The instructions follow the chosen type: islands use their own shape and size controls; terrain-bound forms also need an entrance position.

Opens the ground covering settings: texture library, tint, surface placement and blending. Here you choose how soil, rock, snow and other coverings meet across the terrain. These settings change the material rather than the height of the ground. Check both a close view of the boundaries and the whole map.

Choose a preset as the starting point for your world. Categories and search help find a suitable landform. Change the generation seed for another map from the same preset, then edit sources, dimensions and shaping settings. Saving the recipe keeps your chosen map settings instead of limiting you to the original example.

Switches the preview between a top-down plan and an angled 3D view. The plan helps compare coastlines, valley routes and cave layouts. Switch back to judge slopes and height. This does not rotate the terrain or change its geometry.

Shows the actual triangles of the preview mesh. Look for long narrow faces, crowded patches and abrupt changes in density. Landscape keeps regular horizontal spacing; its edges become longer on a slope. Structure meshes use their own surface topology. Check final native meshes too, because preview density is lighter.

Sets the project folder for the generated meshes, materials and supporting assets. Use an Unreal content path beginning with /Game/, such as /Game/MyWorld/Terra. This is a Content Browser folder, rather than a Windows drive path.

Calculates the final terrain at the full chosen grid and creates native Landscape assets in the current saved World Partition level. Its materials and enabled water integration are applied as part of creation. Review the preview and save the recipe first, then save the level and generated assets after creation.

Names the Landscape that will be created. Choose a name you can recognise in the level and in saved recipes. This field identifies your result; it does not change the generated heights.

Open Caves and structures before loading a saved structure recipe. Use another tab to load a Landscape recipe. Choose the saved file, check referenced textures, sources and meshes, then inspect the updated preview before creating or applying changes.

Open Caves and structures to save the current structure recipe, including its type, shape, layout, seeds, source meshes and coverings. From the other tabs, save the Landscape recipe with its map settings, sources and surfaces. Choose a clear filename, then save the Unreal level and assets separately.

Select a Terra Landscape or one of its blocks, then restore its creation settings to the panel. Review the seed, dimensions, sources and coverings before preparing a variation. Choose a new name, location or level when creating another Landscape.

Enable this when you want to continue editing the created cave in an installed MeshWorks plugin. After Terra creates or moves it, choose the desired operation in MeshWorks and inspect the result there.

Use this connection when MeshWorks is installed and enabled. Select the generated cave, open it in MeshWorks and choose the editing operation you need. Inspect and save the result through that tool's controls.

Select the Terra cave, then open MeshWorks. Use its level-selection or Content Browser selection control to bring in the mesh and choose the operation you want.

Opens the Terra help page at https://pautinka.digital/twaio/ in your web browser. The plugin also includes an English UserGuide.txt in its Documentation folder.

Changes the language of Terra’s panel and explanations. Choose English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese or Russian. Recipe values and seeds remain the same when you change languages.