I didn’t know landscapes could be edited outside Unreal Engine.
Heightmaps completely changed how I look at terrain creation.
Day 12 made landscapes feel less scary.
This post is part of my daily learning journey in game development.
I’m sharing what I learn each day — the basics, the confusion, and the real progress —
from the perspective of a beginner.
What I tried / learned today
On Day 12, I learned about landscape heightmaps and the landscape sculpting tools in Unreal Engine.
I understood that a heightmap is basically a grayscale image that controls the height of the terrain.
Dark areas are lower, light areas are higher.
I learned how to:
- Import a heightmap while creating a landscape
- Export a heightmap from an existing landscape
- Modify terrain using landscape tools like Sculpt, Smooth, and Flatten
Using these tools, I could shape hills, smooth uneven areas, and control the overall terrain more precisely.
What confused me
At first, I was confused about how a simple black-and-white image could control terrain height.
I also didn’t fully understand which sculpting tool to use and when.
Using the wrong tool sometimes ruined the landscape shape.
What worked or finally clicked
Once I connected the idea of grayscale values to height, things became clear.
I also realized that sculpting is not about perfection.
Using low strength values and making small changes gave much better results.
Exporting and re-importing heightmaps helped me understand how landscapes can be edited and reused.
One lesson for beginners
- Heightmaps control terrain using grayscale
- Use sculpting tools slowly and gently
- Small changes matter more than big ones
- Practice is more important than perfect shapes
Slow progress — but I’m building a strong foundation.
If you’re also learning game development,
what was the first thing that confused you when you started?
See you in the next post 🎮🚀