# Working with Heightmaps

> Import and export heightmaps

Terrain tools that affect height, such as [Raise or Lower Terrain](/engine/6000.7/manual/creating-environments/script-terrain/terrain-height/terrain-basic-sculpting/terrain-raise-lower-terrain.md) and [Set the height of an area or tile](/engine/6000.7/manual/creating-environments/script-terrain/terrain-height/terrain-basic-sculpting/terrain-set-height.md), use a grayscale texture called a heightmap. Unity represents the height of each point on the Terrain as a value in a rectangular array. It represents this array using a grayscale [heightmap](/engine/6000.7/manual/materials-and-shaders/textures/textures-getting-started/texture-types.md#TerrainHeightmaps). Heightmaps are built into the Terrain, and the values stored in a heightmap define the height of each point or vertex on the Terrain.


**Example heightmap:**
![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.7/media/images/1.9-ExampleHeightmap.png)

## Importing and exporting heightmaps

You can import and export heightmaps into the Unity Editor. This is useful when you want to use real world height data to replicate a landmark such as Mount Everest, or work on a heightmap image in an external image editor. You can also use 3D modelling applications, such as Houdini and World Machine, to generate Terrain, then import your Terrain into Unity as a heightmap.

It’s good practice to store heightmaps as RAW files. A RAW file uses a 16-bit grayscale format that's compatible with most image and landscape editors. The Unity Editor enables you to import and export RAW heightmap files for a Terrain.

To access the import and export settings into the Editor, select the Terrain component in the Inspector, and click the **Terrain Settings** button (gear icon in the toolbar).


**Import Raw and Export Raw buttons in the Terrain Settings Inspector:**
![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.7/media/images/1.9-TerrainSettings_TextureResolutions.png)

Under **Texture Resolutions (On Terrain Data)**, there are two buttons labelled **Import Raw** and **Export Raw**.

* **Import Raw** allows Unity to read a heightmap from the RAW file format, and generate it in the Editor.


  **Import Heightmap window:**
  ![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.7/media/images/1.9-ImportRaw.png)

* **Export Raw** allows Unity to write a heightmap from the Editor to the RAW file format.


  **Export Heightmap window:**
  ![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.7/media/images/1.9-ExportRaw.png)

### Import and export options

| **Property**        | **Description**                                                                                                                                                        |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Depth**           | Determines how many bits Unity uses per pixel in the imported or exported heightmap.• Bit 16: Uses 16 bits (2 bytes)• Bit 8: Uses 8 bits (1 byte)                      |
| **Resolution**      | The texture resolution (width and height) of the imported heightmap.                                                                                                   |
| **Byte Order**      | Determines how Unity orders the bytes for each pixel in the imported or exported heightmap. This mainly applies to bit-16 depth heightmaps, and is platform-dependent. |
| **Flip Vertically** | Determines whether Unity flips the exported heightmap vertically across the x-axis.                                                                                    |
| **Terrain Size**    | The size of Terrain that Unity will apply the imported heightmap to.                                                                                                   |