Terragen Import-Export Reference

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Introduction[edit]

This reference describes Terragen's import and export capabilities. This introduction gives a quick overview of what can be imported and exported from Terragen. For more information please refer to the Import and Export sections below.

Terragen can import and export FBX files. Currently Terragen can import and export cameras, lights and markers, including animation. It can also export terrain geometry via the Micro Exporter. Please see the FBX Reference for more information about FBX import/export.

Terragen can import and export several object formats. It can import and export Wavefront OBJ and Lightwave LWO2 formats. You can also export objects to the native TGO object format, as well as open them of course.

You can export terrain geometry using a Micro Exporter node. A Micro exporter can be connected to a Render node and it then exports all rendered terrain geometry. You can export terrain geometry to FBX, OBJ, LWO2 and TGO formats.

Clouds can be exported to OpenVDB files.

Animation data can be imported from .chan/.mov and FBX files. You can also export camera data to .chan and FBX formats.

Terragen supports importing and exporting heightfields in a number of heightfield/DEM formats, including many image formats. It can load georeferencing data from GeoTIFFs.

Terragen can read and write many image formats at various bit depths.

You can't export an entire Terragen scene and have it open intact in another application. For example it would not be possible to export Terragen shaders etc. and have them work in other applications. Generally speaking the idea is that you can export enough from Terragen that you can set up scenes and animation in another application and then import relevant parts, such as camera motion, back into Terragen. You can then use Terragen to render the landscape/environment, for example, and composite elements rendered in other applications with output from Terragen. Terragen has already been used in this fashion in a number of complex and high profile projects and integrated into studio pipelines.

Import[edit]

Cameras, Lights and Markers[edit]

FBX Reference
This describes Terragen's import/export capabilities for FBX files.

Importing Animation Data from .chan/.mov Files
This describes how Terragen can import animation data from .chan and .mov files.

Images/Textures[edit]

This page lists the image formats Terragen can open.

Objects[edit]

Wavefront OBJ Import

Terragen TGO Format

Heightfields[edit]

Terragen .TER Format via Heightfield Load.

Many DEM formats via Geog Heightfield Load.

Most of the Supported Image Formats can be also read as heightfields by Heightfield Load.

Export[edit]

Cameras, Lights and Markers[edit]

FBX Reference
This describes Terragen's import/export capabilities for FBX files.

Terrain Geometry[edit]

Export FBX, OBJ, LWO and TGO via Micro Exporter.

Heightfields[edit]

Export Terragen .TER Format.

Export EXR image.

Cloud Volume Data[edit]

Beginning with Terragen 4.3, cloud layers can be exported to OpenVDB files using the Linux render node. See the VDB Export page for details.

Objects[edit]

Export Terragen TGO Format

A single object or device in the node network which generates or modifies data and may accept input data or create output data or both, depending on its function. Nodes usually have their own settings which control the data they create or how they modify data passing through them. Nodes are connected together in a network to perform work in a network-based user interface. In Terragen 2 nodes are connected together to describe a scene.

A heightmap or heightfield is an array of height values, usually in a grid which describe the height at specific points in a defined area. Heightfields are used to represent real-world and virtual terrain in a specific, easily converted format. Most heightfields can be represented as simple image data in grayscale, with black being minimum height and white being maximum height.

DEM stands for Digital Elevation Model (or Map). A DEM is similar to a heightfield. DEMs are normally generated from real world measurements of a planet's surface, for example Earth or Mars.