> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wesyc.gitbook.io/voronoimapmaker/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wesyc.gitbook.io/voronoimapmaker/how-to/make-a-landscape.md).

# Creating a Landscape

Voronoi Map Maker does not create a Landscape in your own level. The following tutorial will guide you on how to make one at your level.

## 1. Creating a New Landscape

If you haven't made a Landscape before, Epic's [Creating Landscapes](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/creating-landscapes-in-unreal-engine) explains Landscape mode and the New Landscape panel. The steps below give the settings Voronoi Map Maker needs.

1. Open your level and switch to **Landscape** mode. On the **Manage** tab, choose **New**.
2. Set the size from the table for your map, and leave **Scale** at 100, 100, 100.
3. Set **Material** to the plugin's `MI_VMM_Landscape` (under **Engine** > **Plugins** > **VoronoiMapMaker** > **Landscape**), or to your own material: see step 2.
4. Click **Create**.

The following are recommended Landscape sizes:

| Map           | Section Size  | Sections Per Component | Number of Components | Overall Resolution |
| ------------- | ------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------ |
| 2 km (2017 m) | 63 x 63 Quads | 2 x 2                  | 16 x 16              | 2017 x 2017        |
| 4 km (4033 m) | 63 x 63 Quads | 2 x 2                  | 32 x 32              | 4033 x 4033        |

![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-56edf4427898b2178856c4767984ebb15b18c043%2Fmake-a-landscape-new-landscape-v1_0.png?alt=media)

In a [World Partition](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/world-partition-in-unreal-engine) level the editor keeps only the regions you load in memory, and the bake asks to load the regions it needs before it writes. Without World Partition, the editor holds all of the Landscape's components at once.

The Landscape should stay at Z = 0 and its Z scale at 100. If your map's heights don't fit the Landscape, the bake moves the Landscape so they fit. It raises the Z scale only when the heights need more room.

To bake into this level, open your Voronoi Map, click **Bake**, then **Bake to Landscape**.

## 2. Setting Up the Landscape Material

The bake paints five layers, called **Steppe**, **Grassland**, **Forest**, **Road** and **Beach**. You can rename **Road** in **Paint Layers** in Bake mode, and the others under **Climate** in **Map Settings**. If you use your own material, its layer names have to match.

The plugin's material draws its base colour through a runtime virtual texture, and the demo levels use it with `RVT_VMM_Landscape_BaseColor_Volume`. If your level uses the plugin's material, add a **Runtime Virtual Texture Volume**, set its **Virtual Texture** to `RVT_VMM_Landscape_BaseColor`, click **Set Bounds** to match the Landscape, and on the Landscape add that texture under **Draw in Virtual Textures**.

### Using the Climate Chart

The **Climate** chart in **Map Settings** determines how ground textures are painted onto your map:

* **Vertical axis:** Elevation (height above sea level in metres).
* **Horizontal axis:** Moisture (ranging from dry on the left to wet on the right).

![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-915162e6689a731faf002879a363fc09803af174%2Fmake-a-landscape-climate-chart-v1_0.png?alt=media)

To edit the chart:

* **Change a layer or colour:** Click a zone on the chart to update its assigned paint layer or map colour.
* **Resize a zone:** Click and drag a boundary line to adjust where a climate zone begins or ends.
* **Add or delete a zone:** Right-click the chart to add a new zone or remove an existing one.

Two things to know:

* **Vegetation reset:** Adjusting, adding, or deleting a moisture line will clear out any vegetation you painted by hand.
* **Stamp priority:** If a stamp has its own **Paint layer** set, it will override this chart.

## 3. Adding the Sea

Voronoi Map Maker puts sea level at Z = 0. This plugin uses `BP_VMM_Ocean` to represent the sea:

1. Drag `BP_VMM_Ocean` (under **Engine** > **Plugins** > **VoronoiMapMaker** > **Water**) into the level.
2. Set its location to 0, 0, 0.

## 4. Adding Vegetation

The trees and grass come from a PCG graph that reads the landscape layers:

1. Place a **PCG Volume** and size it to cover the Landscape.
2. On its PCG component, set **Graph** to your own PCG, or use the plugin's `PCG_VMM_Vegetation` (under **Engine** > **Plugins** > **VoronoiMapMaker** > **Vegetation**).

If **Regenerate the level's PCG** is set to true in Bake mode, every bake will regenerate it.

## Troubleshooting

* **The Landscape looks wrong after bake.** The Landscape might have unloaded World Partition regions if the level has World Partition enabled. The bake can write only to loaded components.
* **A layer is never painted.** Your material has no layer with that name. The **Output Log** shows a warning listing every name the bake skipped.
* **The ground is black.** The Landscape has no layer info. Please refer to [Unreal Engine's Official Guide](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/landscape-paint-mode-in-unreal-engine).

## Next

* [Making a Map from a Preset](/voronoimapmaker/tutorials/map-from-a-preset.md)