In computer graphics, a heightmap is a grayscale digital image used to store three-dimensional data. It 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.

In a heightmap, the intensity of a pixel's color represents the height displacement of the mesh's corresponding coordinate. Lossless image formats such as BMP or TGA are used to store heightmaps, but the complexities associated with loading and saving compressed images have led many programmers to use raw uncompressed image formats.

Programs that use heightmaps

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Heightmaps are widely used in terrain rendering software and modern video games.

Rendering software

• Terragen - terrain renderer

Generating software

• terraineer - a small tool generating and teaching heightmap generation

Computer Games

Many 3D video games use heightmaps to store and generate terrain polygon meshes. Benefits of such a system include ease of implementation as well as modding. Players can easily generate their own heightmaps for use within the game using widely available software. Heightmaps are usually complemented by texture maps that are then applied to the terrain in-game for extra detail and realism.

• TA Spring - Open source 3D RTS engine
• Strike Force Centauri
• Far Cry level editor - level editor that imports heightmaps
• Neverwinter Nights 2 - The Electron toolset can be used to create heightmaps, while the Electron engine is used to traverse them

Computer graphics