Heightmap to OBJ

Heightmap Model Maker is a Java-based tool that can take a black and white heightmap and turn it into an OBJ file ready to be used as a 3D model.

Usage Instructions:

You need a square, black and white image which you want to use as a height map. You also need to find or decide the minimum level, the maximum level and the size of the heightmap (these can be in meters or any other scale you want, as long as they are consistent). Input these values into their respective fields, select an output file path and press the "Make OBJ" button. The output file can have any extension you want, however .obj will allow you to import it into a 3D model viewer (like Blender) directly.

Troubleshooting Guide:

• The tool doesn't respond!
  • Check that all inputs are present and of correct format. The status bar at the bottom does not update when you press the "Make OBJ" button, only when the tool has finished.
• The faces connect to the wrong verticies!
  • While the Wavefront OBJ format supports more than 2¹⁶ = 65536 vertices, the faces defined in an OBJ file do not. If your heightmap is larger than 239×239 pixels, the output would require more than 65536 verticies, so use a smaller heightmap. I recommend using 224×224 or 192×192 large images, as those numbers have many divisors.
• The model isn't textured!
  • I know, the tool doesn't do that. It's possible but highly tedious to define texture coordinates for this amount of unique verticies. It's easier to map a texture on the model with a 3D editor.
• Where can I find height maps?
  • You can either make them yourself or you use a website. This is a website I have been using to create heightmaps using real map data (like the one in the example image), which can also generate textures, as well as gives you the size and height limits of the selected map section.