What DTM is
DTM means digital terrain model. In MapToPlay, DTM data represents ground elevation for the project area. It becomes a terrain asset, then a terrain layer in the Editor.
The terrain asset is usually stored as a processed height map image. Brighter or darker pixel values encode elevation after the source data has been projected, cropped, and normalized for the selected map dimensions.
Provider terrain
In provider mode, MapToPlay chooses from supported elevation providers based on the selected location. The setup dialog ranks providers by coverage and resolution, then queues a DTM processing task for the provider you choose.
SRTM 30 m is available as a broad fallback provider. It is useful when no higher-resolution provider covers the area, but it usually produces less detailed terrain than local or regional elevation datasets.
Uploaded terrain
Upload mode lets you provide your own elevation file. A GeoTIFF is treated as georeferenced terrain and is processed to match the project area. PNG and JPG uploads are treated as already prepared height map images.
Use upload mode when you have a cleaned DEM/DTM, a manually edited height map, or a file from a source that MapToPlay does not fetch directly.
Where terrain appears later
After processing, the terrain asset appears on the project Assets tab and can be imported or used as a terrain layer in the Editor. Terrain edits, sculpting, and terrain modifiers build on top of this layer.
Exports need a usable terrain source. If no processed terrain asset exists, the project may remain Draft or Needs attention instead of being ready to export.