Planet Zoo Map: 1000 x 990 m
 
Heightmap: 1024 x 1024 px
 
=> 0.98 m/px
 
 
normal height: 128 RGB
 
1 m hight difference: 1 RGB difference
 
=> 0 RGB: -128 m
 
=> 256 RGB: +128 m
 
 
Entrance: In the middle of the bottom edge of the heightmap
 
 

Guide on Colouring Heatmaps

I already made the calculations required for the custom heightmap function!
 
 
A planet Zoo Sandbox Map is roughly 1 km² big (1000 x 990 m). The Heightmap is required to be a 1024 x 1024 pixels tif file. This equals to 0.98 m/pixel. So: One pixel in the heightmap translates to 1 m on your map. But be aware, that the resolution of this feauture is limited. My tests show, that the game can only create reasonable structures from 2×2 pixels upwards.
 
 
Now to the height: The standard colour (flat with the entrance) is RGB 128 (red, blue and green all set to 128). I calculated, that 1 colour value translates to one meter in height (roughly, in my test I tested up to 128 m where I got a deviation of 0.5 meter). The darker the colour, the deeper it gets, the lighter the higher:
 
RGB-value Height deviation
 
98: -30 m
 
118: -10 m
 
128: 0 m
 
138: +10 m
 
148: +20 m
 
256: +128 m
 
 
The entrance will be placed at the bottom line of the heightmap in the middle.
 
 
I hope, that this guide was helpful to you 🙂
 
 
 

How to import Heatmaps

You need a image manipulation program like Photoshop, MS paint or (what I recommend) paint.net – [paint.net]  (freeware).
 
You can create a 1024×1024 pixel template and colour it in greyscale.
 
You have to export your file as .tif
 
and copy it into your Planet Zoo Folder Documents > Frontier Developments > Planet Zoo > UserHeightmaps
 
Then, your custom heightmap will appear in the map creation menu.
 
 
 

Generate heatmaps from your local landscape?

I am currently trying too figure out how to import local landscapes as heightmaps into the planet zoo experience. Unfortunately I can´t find a source of greyscale heightmaps and lack the skills of converting a colour-scale heightmap to greyscale, or to create own greyscale heatmaps from topologic data. I would be happy for any advice from your side!
 
 
🙂
 
 

 
 
This is all for Planet Zoo Useful Information for Heightmap Guide hope you enjoy the post. If you believe we forget or we should update the post please let us know via comment, we will try our best to fix how fast is possible! Have a great day!