heightmap
Sign in to savethumb|right|200px|A heightmap created with Terragen thumb|right|200px|The same heightmap converted to a Polygon mesh|3D mesh and rendered with [[Anim8or]]
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Creation
- Use
- Rendering software
- Generating software
- Trivia
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|right|200px|A heightmap created with Terragen thumb|right|200px|The same heightmap converted to a Polygon mesh|3D mesh and rendered with [[Anim8or]]
In computer graphics, a heightmap or heightfield is a raster image used mainly as Discrete Global Grid in secondary elevation modeling. Each pixel stores values, such as surface elevation data, for display in 3D computer graphics. A heightmap can be used in bump mapping to calculate where this 3D data would create shadow in a material, in displacement mapping to displace the actual geometric position of points over the textured surface, or for terrain where the heightmap is converted into a 3D mesh.