1. Import the DTM

Open the Editor after the project’s DTM task has completed. In the import prompt, import Terrain. The Editor keeps the source terrain and creates an editable working terrain; the working layer is the terrain you sculpt and modify.

SnowRunner export reads the latest working terrain directly. Plateau, Blur, Depth, Grade, and manual sculpting are already baked into that data; export does not return to the original DTM and replay a modifier list. Inspect the terrain top-down and from a low oblique angle before continuing.

Export preserves one-to-one relief when it fits SnowRunner’s usable height range. If the complete elevation span is exceptionally large, the exporter can uniformly compress relief to keep the map valid, so review steep or high-relief projects carefully in SnowRunner Editor.

2. Import imagery

Import Imagery from the same import prompt. Use it as a terrain-fitted reference for road centerlines, forest edges, shorelines, building footprints, and gameplay-zone placement.

Imagery is not exported as SnowRunner ground material and SnowRunner export does not require it. Toggle it off while checking the actual vector material overlay and game rasters so a reference image does not hide the authored result.

3. Import OSM vectors

Import the processed OSM source and select a SnowRunner vector mapping collection. Read the preview before applying it: it shows the layers, categories, geometry types, and feature counts the mapping will create.

The mapping gives imported features their editor layer/category and SnowRunner ground-material association. Roads, land use, fields, forests, and building areas contribute to the generated four-material terrain blend; trees, building models, water, and gameplay objects still need their dedicated workflows.

4. Apply Plateau before carving

In Layers, select the editable working terrain and open Modifiers -> Plateau. Apply 20 meters for the normal workflow. Plateau adds the value to every terrain sample while preserving the terrain shape; it does not flatten the map.

The lift creates working room for later Depth operations around lakes, rivers, and similar depressions. Apply it once unless you deliberately need another full-terrain lift. The change is real working terrain and is included in export.

5. Apply Blur to match DTM quality

With the same working terrain selected, open Modifiers -> Blur. Start around 30–40 for visibly blocky low-quality elevation data, 10–15 for average data, or 3–10 for high-quality data. Blur processes the complete terrain as one operation so tile edges are not softened independently.

Inspect ridges, ditches, road corridors, and shorelines afterward. Enough blur removes sampling steps; too much erases real terrain features and makes routes unnaturally soft. Undo in the current session if necessary.

6. Correct vectors before generating from them

Use the Select Tool to move, insert, or delete nodes and to move, resize, or rotate whole features. Use the Draw Tool to add a missing Point, LineString, or Polygon in the intended layer and category. Open Attributes when source tags or classification need correction.

Correct water footprints, building polygons, forest boundaries, and road centerlines before applying one-shot terrain changes or raster generation. A wrong source polygon produces a wrong Grade, Depth, mud region, distribution mask, or model placement even when every later setting is correct.

Terrain preparation check

Move on only after this baseline looks credible. Repeating raster and placement work is much more expensive than correcting the source now.

• The editable working terrain is visible and complete.
• Plateau was applied once at the intended value.
• Blur removed source stepping without erasing important relief.
• Roads follow visible routes and connect where expected.
• Water, forest, and building footprints match the reference closely enough for derived work.