Terrain to Mesh Converter - User Guide

Overview

The Terrain to Mesh Converter is a powerful Unity tool that transforms Unity terrains into standard 3D meshes. It enables you to:


  • Export terrains for use in other applications or game engines
  • Optimize terrain rendering by converting specific areas to meshes
  • Apply standard mesh modifiers and effects to your terrain geometry
  • Combine your terrain with other mesh-based objects seamlessly

Quick Start

  1. Select Tools → TerrainToMesh from the Unity menu
  2. Select your terrain in the "Target Terrain" field
  3. Adjust the resolution if needed
  4. Click "Convert to Mesh"

Step-by-Step Instructions

Accessing the Tool

  • In the Unity Editor, go to the top menu and select Tools → TerrainToMesh
  • The Terrain to Mesh converter window will open

Basic Conversion

  • Ensure your terrain is in the scene
  • Drag your terrain into the "Target Terrain" field
  • Set a name for the generated mesh in the "Mesh Name" field
  • Click "Convert to Mesh" to generate a mesh from your terrain

Key Parameters Explained

Mesh Settings

  • Mesh Name: The name for the generated GameObject and mesh asset
  • Resolution Scale: Controls the detail level of the generated mesh
    • Higher values (closer to 0.5) produce more detailed meshes with more vertices
    • Lower values (closer to 0.1) produce simplified meshes with fewer vertices
    • Default is 0.3 for a balance of detail and performance

Output Options

  • Generate Collider: Automatically creates a MeshCollider component on the output mesh
  • Enable for meshes that need collision detection
  • Disable for purely visual meshes to improve performance
  • Save Mesh Asset: When enabled, saves the mesh as a reusable asset in your project
  • Recommended for meshes you want to reuse or prefab

Advanced Options

  • Save Path: Customize where the mesh asset is saved in your project
  • Default location: Assets/TerrainMeshes
  • The tool automatically creates directories that don't exist

Best Practices

Resolution Selection

  • High Resolution (0.4–0.5): Use for close-up views or when detail is critical
  • Medium Resolution (0.2–0.3): Good balance for most game scenes
  • Low Resolution (0.1–0.2): Use for distant terrain or performance-critical applications

The resolution scale directly affects:

  • Vertex count and mesh complexity
  • File size of the saved mesh
  • Runtime performance
  • Visual quality

Materials and Textures

  • The converted mesh uses a URP Lit material by default
  • If your terrain has a main texture, it will be applied to the mesh
  • For complex terrain materials with multiple textures:
    • Consider baking your terrain textures to a single texture before conversion
    • Or manually set up a more complex material on the resulting mesh

Working with Large Terrains

  • Converting very large terrains at high resolution may be memory-intensive
  • Consider converting at a lower resolution scale
  • Split your terrain into sections and convert each separately
  • Use LOD (Level of Detail) techniques on the resulting meshes

Technical Notes

  • The converter creates a polygon mesh that follows the terrain's heightmap
  • Vertex density is determined by the resolution scale parameter
  • The mesh uses the same transform position as the original terrain
  • Terrain to Mesh conversion is generally faster than Mesh to Terrain conversion

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

  • Problem: Resulting mesh has jagged or stepped edges
    Solution: Increase the Resolution Scale parameter for smoother results
  • Problem: Conversion is taking too long or runs out of memory
    Solution: Reduce the Resolution Scale or convert a smaller terrain
  • Problem: Mesh appears different from the original terrain
    Solution: Check that all terrain layers were properly baked; consider recreating complex materials manually
  • Problem: Can't find the saved mesh asset
    Solution: Verify the saved path in the console or check the default directory (Assets/TerrainMeshes)
  • Problem: Collider is not accurate enough
    Solution: Increase the Resolution Scale, as the collider follows the mesh geometry