# Create terrain from AW3D Standard

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264>\
**Category:** Gismo\
**Tags:** windows, ladybug\
**Created:** [January 7, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264 "2026-01-07T02:13:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![feklee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/feklee/32/760993_2.png) [@feklee](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/feklee)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/1 "2026-01-07T02:13:47Z")

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I received sample data from AW3D at 5m resolution (5m DSM Level-1, 5m DSM Level-2, 5m DTM) and also at 2.5m resolution.

The 5m DSM Level-1 comes as two TIFF files. ImageMagick tells me:

```
$ identify *.tif
N32377E130545_N32165E130758_LT_DSM_5m_EL.tif TIFF 5101x5101 5101x5101+0+0 16-bit Grayscale Gray 49.709MiB 0.010u 0:00.004
N32377E130545_N32165E130758_LT_MSK_5m.tif TIFF 5101x5101 5101x5101+0+0 16-bit Grayscale Gray 49.709MiB 0.000u 0:00.004

```

_How do I convert these into terrain?_

I have used Gismo successfully to create terrain. It downloads terrain data via Opentopography. But I have not found an option to specify my own files. The description of at least one Gismo component mentions that terrain can be created with Ladybug. I have installed Ladybug, but again I’m lost.

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**Author:** ![Erik\_Beeren](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/erik_beeren/32/767749_2.png) [@Erik\_Beeren](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Erik_Beeren)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/2 "2026-01-08T16:16:33Z")

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Hi @feklee

You can use the import topo from Heron. You have to download it from the package manager.

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**Author:** ![djordje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/djordje/32/747634_2.png) [@djordje](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/djordje)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/3 "2026-01-08T20:44:58Z")

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Hi @feklee  
Indeed Gismo does not have component to load custom terrain files. It can generate automatically a terrain for defined location/address and radius.  
The functionality to open a terrain file is actually possible via Gismo’s [“Terrain Generator” component’s source code](https://github.com/stgeorges/gismo/blob/master/src/Gismo_Terrain%20Generator.py). But I still haven’t exposed it as a new Gismo component.

The mentioned Ladybug component which also creates terrain based on location is [Ladybug “Terrain Generator”](https://github.com/AntonelloDN/Ladybug_extension_WIP/raw/refs/heads/master/userObjects/Ladybug_Terrain%20Generator.ghuser) from here, made by @AntonelloDN.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![feklee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/feklee/32/760993_2.png) [@feklee](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/feklee)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2026, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/4 "2026-02-13T10:37:18Z")

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> [@djordje](#):
>
> The functionality to open a terrain file is actually possible via Gismo’s [“Terrain Generator” component’s source code](https://github.com/stgeorges/gismo/blob/master/src/Gismo_Terrain%20Generator.py). But I still haven’t exposed it as a new Gismo component.

Thanks for clarifying!

> [@Erik\_Beeren](#):
>
> You can use the import topo from Heron.

Thank you! Finally I found the time to play with Heron. It took me a while to figure it out:

 ![Screenshot of Grasshopper definition with Rhino viewport](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/d/2/9/d290298d6e7739a3aba170e2d2d32dc1d5d7b797.png)  
[2026-02-13+08\_dsm.3dm](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/iZ2UMOIQPd6GS5lPk9fDE8v4j9M.3dm) (76.4 KB)  
[2026-02-13+08\_dsm.gh](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/6d8dZ1cFHizVX1RVIzxt0b0kbgM.gh) (7.4 KB)  
[2026-02-13+08\_dsm.tif.zip](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/5fWn7aSxigPoD4vokKLote6qjwt.zip) (1.8 KB)

I processed the sample tile `2026-02-13+08_dsm.tif` from JAXA’s ALOS Global Digital Surface Model ([terms of use](https://earth.jaxa.jp/en/data/policy/)):

1. I registered an account by following the instruction on the [AW3D30 page](https://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/ALOS/en/dataset/aw3d30/aw3d30_e.htm).

2. I downloaded a tile covering the area from 20°N 110°E to 25°N 115°E: [N020E110\_N025E115](https://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/ALOS/aw3d30/data/release_v2404/N020E110_N025E115.zip)

3. I extracted the tile. Of the sub-tiles contained within, I picked `ALPSMLC30_N024E110_DSM.tif` for processing.

4. First it needed to be converted from degrees to UTM coordinates (meters). I used [GDAL](https://gdal.org/):

5. I checked the extents in meters:

6. I did a crop of a 1000×1000 m area in the center:

_Why cropping?_ Otherwise, Heron may ask for petabytes of RAM and crash my system. To browse tiles without cropping, a good tool is [QGIS](https://qgis.org/).

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Washburn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/brian_washburn/32/476477_2.png) [@Brian\_Washburn](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Brian_Washburn)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/5 "2026-02-13T17:27:51Z")

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Hi @feklee ,

Take a look at the attached definition.

[20260213\_AW3D Test.gh](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/sM75bEhizFNKKQOyQuEXcJHzcC.gh) (34.1 KB)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/3/b/7/3b73f9e0e2d6da3369562f11455e1fa905525c8a.png)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/9/1/2/912bb3d91a16fb1650cb87ab8b0498b3687bb32b.png)

Heron can use the EPSG:32652 coordinate system by setting it with the `HeronSRS` component. In this case, I’ve set Rhino’s EarthAnchorPoint to be the origin of EPSG:32652 so that your cropping rectangle works with the coordinates you provided, but the results will be very far from the origin, which can cause some floating point errors if you want to do more with the mesh later. I’d recommend setting the EAP to the center of your area of interest and can show you how to do this if you’d like.

The definition takes the DSMs from the folder you provided and warps them to vrt files (small reference files to the originals set to the given coordinate system) using Heron’s `GdalWarp` component, a wrapper for the GDAL Warp command line. Once you have this list of vrt files, the `ImportTopo` component can combine them into one dataset and crop it down with the given boundary. GDAL is good at handling all this data without loading them all into memory.

This methodology allows you to reference and crop all the DSM files at once with very little overhead and to use an arbitrary cropping boundary that crosses over tiles.

Given the desire to use tiled datasets here, the [GdalMerge](https://gdal.org/en/stable/programs/gdal_merge.html) or [GdalBuildVrt](https://gdal.org/en/stable/programs/gdalbuildvrt.html) capabilities of Gdal would come in handy. I can look into adding them to Heron’s components.

-Brian

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![feklee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/feklee/32/760993_2.png) [@feklee](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/feklee)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/create-terrain-from-aw3d-standard/214264/6 "2026-02-19T15:01:20Z")

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Thank you very much for the explanation, what a great tool Heron is!

> [@Brian\_Washburn](#):
>
> I’d recommend setting the EAP to the center of your area of interest and can show you how to do this if you’d like.

Find my attempt below. Please correct me, if this is not ideal.

 ![Screenshot of Grasshopper definition and Rhino viewport](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/5/a/7/5a754368c090a229a136e650459f8685f39429cd.jpeg)  
[2026-02-19+08\_dsm.gh](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/q1oYiLq8r2dhIsECPAfg7rourw0.gh) (31.0 KB)  
[2026-02-19+08\_dsm.3dm](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/bsl0i3DwZKMNEBs3oMStDmMmohe.3dm) (40.8 KB)

> [@Brian\_Washburn](#):
>
> Given the desire to use tiled datasets here, the [GdalMerge](https://gdal.org/en/stable/programs/gdal_merge.html) or [GdalBuildVrt](https://gdal.org/en/stable/programs/gdalbuildvrt.html) capabilities of Gdal would come in handy. I can look into adding them to Heron’s components.

Thank you, but this is not urgent. At the moment, I am just playing around, though I might use it for a project in the future.

Note that I had some issues with stability, or I did something wrong. For part of the day, _ImportTopo_ just didn’t want to work. It always reported an out of bounds error. _ITL_ had no issues. Perhaps there is some race condition with _SetEAP_, because later – after a restart of my system – it worked again. In all cases, I had the Rhino file set to meters.