Layers

The Editor · 5 min read

Layers are the data sources the Editor works with. There are three kinds — terrain, vector, and raster — each with its own editing model and relationship to project assets.

What layers are

A layer is a named data source attached to a project. It connects a project asset — a terrain height map, a vector dataset, or a raster image — to a place in the editing stack. The Layers panel on the left side of the Editor lists every layer in the project.

Selecting a layer activates it for editing. The active tool then operates on that layer's data. Layers can be renamed, reordered, shown, hidden, and deleted from the panel.

Terrain layers

A terrain layer drives the 3D mesh of the map. It is backed by a DTM asset — a height map image where pixel brightness encodes elevation. The Editor reads this image and generates a tessellated mesh that represents the landscape.

The Sculpt tool works exclusively on terrain layers. Edits are stored by the Editor and do not overwrite the original source asset.

One terrain layer is active at a time. If no terrain layer exists, you can create an empty (flat) terrain layer from the Layers panel header, or import one from a pending DTM asset.

Working resolution — the density of the terrain mesh — is set in Editor Settings. It locks once you have unsaved sculpt changes.

Vector layers

Vector layers contain geographic features: points, polylines (line strings), and polygons. They are backed by a vector dataset asset and are organised into named mapping layers (for example, Roads, Rivers, Fields) and within each mapping layer into categories (for example, Highway, Primary, Track).

Each category has a colour and optionally a texture, both defined by the active collection mapping. Categories drive how features are rendered in the viewport and how they are interpreted during export.

Vector features can be selected, moved, and edited with the Select, Lasso, Draw, and Cut tools. Features can also be drawn manually and assigned to any layer and category directly in the Editor.

Raster layers

Raster layers come in two types.

Static rasters are read-only image overlays — typically satellite imagery imported from a task. They are useful as a visual reference while editing. Their opacity can be adjusted from the toolbox while the layer is selected, but they cannot be painted into.

Editable rasters are manually created paint layers. They can be painted into with the Paint tool and support three encodings: grayscale (a single-channel intensity map, useful for weight maps and masks), RGB (a three-channel colour image), and indexed (values that map to foliage species or texture categories from the active collection). You create an editable raster layer using the New Layer button in the Layers panel header.

Bounds layer

The bounds layer is a special virtual layer that shows the geometric boundaries of the project area — the overall outer area, the playable area, and any transition zones. It is derived from the project's area selection and is not backed by a regular asset.

The bounds layer is not directly editable. Toggle its visibility with the B key or the Bounds button in the toolbox. Modifiers on vector layers can reference bounds as clip sources, which is how you constrain road or field geometry to the playable area.