Create Heightmap from Real World Locations for free
The Free Heightmap Generator is a powerful, browser-based tool designed to extract high-resolution global elevation data effortlessly. Whether you are a 3D artist, a game developer, or a map enthusiast, this application allows you to capture real-world topography and convert it into clean, grayscale heightmaps in seconds.
The intuitive interface lets you search for any location worldwide or manually navigate the interactive map to define your exact boundaries. Using the adjustable selection frame, you have complete visual control over the specific geographic area you want to capture.
Before downloading, you can instantly visualize your selected region in a real-time 3D terrain preview. This dynamic canvas features realistic lighting and a terrain height scale slider, allowing you to fine-tune the vertical exaggeration to fit your project’s exact needs. Once you are satisfied with the preview, you can download your custom elevation data as a high-resolution grayscale PNG, which supports massive detail with outputs of up to 8192 pixels.
Beyond simple heightmap generation, the tool offers a seamless transition to our advanced mapping platform. Right after your download is complete, a prompt allows you to take your selected location and turn it directly into a fully textured, interactive 3D map in our main editor with just one click.
What is a Heightmap?
A heightmap (or heightfield) is a raster image used to store values, such as surface elevation data, for displaying in 3D computer graphics. It contains one channel, interpreted as a distance of displacement or “height” from the “floor” of a surface. It is visualized as the luma of a grayscale image, with black representing the minimum height and white representing the maximum height.
Grayscale & Elevation
A heightmap consists of grayscales between 0 (black) and 255 (white). The darker the area, the lower the terrain (like valleys or waters). The lighter the area, the higher the elevation (like mountain peaks). Our generator automatically calculates these grayscale values based on real global elevation data, saving you the challenge of calculating which grayscale relates to which height manually.
From 2D Heightmap to Real 3D Map
Generating a flat grayscale image is only the first step. With the correct heightfield data, you can build stunning, interactive 3D models.
If you don’t want to process the heightmap manually in other 3D software, we have the perfect solution: Turn your selected area into a real 3D map instantly! Just click the download heightmap button in the preview above and let our advanced 3D Map Generator handle the full 3D conversion, texturing, and lighting for you.
Open Source Elevation Data
The elevation data used in our free tool is powered by the open Mapzen Terrarium dataset, reliably hosted via the AWS Open Data Registry. This dataset seamlessly aggregates high-quality, real-world topographical data from multiple global sources, including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and ETOPO1.
How can you use it? > Because we utilize open data sources, the heightmaps you generate here are completely free to use. Whether you are working on personal artwork, educational material, or commercial 3D computer graphics and game development projects, you can download and use these real-world terrains without any restrictions.
