When creating your own terrain, consider what type of landscape works best for the island you want to build. In Landscape Mode, you can determine the size of the terrain, or even create multiple pieces of terrain using smaller sections.
Select the Blank island template from the Project Browser screen.

Once the project opens, delete the existing grid plane by clicking a grid then pressing the Delete key. Repeat for any remaining grid planes.

Create a Landscape Streaming Proxy
Once you've removed the grid plane, it is replaced by a Landscape Streaming Proxy. This proxy can be edited with the Landscape Mode tools to build a custom landscape, unlike the grid plane, that will only let you place objects on it.
To create a new terrain using Landscape Mode, click the Select Mode dropdown menu and select Landscape Mode. The Manage tools automatically open with New selected in the Landscape Mode panel.

The properties inside the New tool determine the basic characteristics of the new terrain:
-
Material
-
Location, rotation, and scale
-
Sections, components, and resolution
The section and component properties affect the overall resolution of the terrain. If you are not sure about these settings, change the Overall Resolution property directly.
To create a new terrain from the New tool panel, click Create New at the top. Use the following dimensions for your landscape area, and click the Create button when you're finished.
Option | Value | Explanation |
World Partition Grid Size | 9 | This controls the number of components (functionality added to the Landscape Actor) per landscape streaming proxies per axis. |
Section Size | 63 x 63 | This creates a terrain that is larger than the original grid plane in the viewport. |
Sections Per Component | 1 x 1 | This reduces the size of the landscape sections and creates more sections simultaneously. |
Number of Components | 8 x 8 | The number of components in the X and Y axis directions (1-32 for each axis). |
Overall Resolution | 505 x 505 | The Total Components are automatically calculated for your terrain based upon the component information you entered above. |
Click to enlarge image.
This creates a flat terrain, and the Landscape Mode tools automatically switch to the Sculpt tools after you click Create. These are the tools you’ll use to sculpt mountains, hills, and valleys.
If you want to set up a terrain with the largest possible size, click Fill World > Create at the bottom of the New tool panel. The size limit to Fill World is the equivalent of 2K x 2K.
Continue making your custom terrain by learning how to use the Sculpt tools.