Heightmap in, terrain mesh out.

Drop a grayscale PNG from a terrain tool, a game engine or a sculpt, or a single-band GeoTIFF or ESRI ASCII grid from a survey, and Studio turns it into a terrain mesh. Set the size and height, then render it, print it or export it.

Explore Mixos

A grayscale heightmap on the left and the terrain mesh it produced on the right — Mount St. Helens: a 16-bit heightmap and the mesh it made. Real Studio output.

PNG or GeoTIFF

Grayscale images from World Machine, Gaea, Unreal or Photoshop work, and so do single-band GeoTIFF elevation models and ESRI ASCII grids (.asc) from national mapping agencies.

Real dimensions

Set the width in metres and the height range, or let a GeoTIFF's own values set it, so the mesh comes out at the scale it represents.

The same tools as everything else

The terrain is a normal Studio object: add modifiers, paint materials, light it with the sun study and render.

Out to engines and printers

Export GLB, OBJ, FBX or STL on a paid plan, or close it into a printable solid first.

Heightmap in, mesh out

Studio's File menu open on Heightmap / GeoTIFF… — File ▸ Heightmap / GeoTIFF…

PNG or GeoTIFF

Choose File ▸ Heightmap / GeoTIFF… and pick an 8- or 16-bit grayscale PNG, a single-band GeoTIFF or an ESRI ASCII grid; a GeoTIFF or a grid brings its own size. Ask mixos AI to set the width and the height range.

A lit terrain mesh generated from a grayscale heightmap of Mount St. Helens — The mesh from the heightmap, 13.5 km across, lit by a low sun.

Real geometry, at real scale

The result is a mesh, not a GPU displacement, so it exports, prints and takes modelling operations.

The same terrain before and after an erosion stage, with gullies and sediment fans carved into the slopes — Left: a noise-displaced terrain. Right: the same mesh with an erode stage, run on the GPU. Live Studio viewport, low sunset sun.

Add erosion for close-ups

Real elevation is smooth at 30 m, and noise looks invented. An erode stage carves gullies, ridges and sediment fans into any terrain mesh — non-destructively, on the GPU, so you can dial it back.

Why Mixos

Two kinds of heightmap, one import

A heightmap is an image where brightness means height. Game and VFX terrain tools export them as 8-bit or 16-bit grayscale PNGs; survey agencies publish elevation models as GeoTIFFs, where each pixel holds a height in metres. Both describe the same thing, and both need turning into geometry before most 3D tools can use them.

Studio's heightmap import reads either. A PNG's brightness is mapped between the minimum and maximum heights you set; a GeoTIFF's values are already heights, so the mesh comes out at true scale. The grid is built as real geometry, not as a material displacement that only exists on the GPU, so it exports, prints and accepts modelling operations like any other mesh.

Resolution is a choice. A 4K heightmap is sixteen million samples, more than a browser scene needs for most shots; resample down for layout and lighting, then keep a denser version for the final render or print. Sixteen-bit sources give smooth slopes; 8-bit images can show visible terracing on gentle gradients.

If you do not have a heightmap at all, start from the real world instead: the Real place import builds terrain for any area from open global elevation data.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a heightmap to a 3D model?

Import the PNG or GeoTIFF into Studio from File ▸ Import, set the width and height range, and it becomes a terrain mesh. Importing and editing are free; exporting the mesh is the paid step.

Does it support 16-bit heightmaps?

Yes. Sixteen-bit grayscale PNGs keep smooth slopes; 8-bit images work too but can show terracing on gentle gradients.

Can I open a GeoTIFF DEM?

Single-band GeoTIFF elevation models are supported, and their pixel values are used as heights in metres. Multi-band imagery GeoTIFFs are not heightmaps and are not read as one.

Can I open an ESRI ASCII grid (.asc)?

Yes. ASCII grids in geographic or projected coordinates are read with their NODATA value and cell registration, and the values are used as heights in metres.

Can I turn a heightmap into an STL for printing?

Yes. Close the terrain into a solid with a base, then export STL or 3MF on a paid plan.