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voxmapper - the Teardown biome setter

By NGNT

Generate textures and grass maps using a variety of noise algorithms!
Make stunning biomes with a simple tag input!

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Created by

NGNT
In-Game
Fractal Block World

Category: Modding or Configuration

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

1 May @ 2:55pm

17 May @ 2:09pm

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Guide Index

Overview

🌍 VoxMapper v1.4.1 - Comprehensive Guide

📥 Where to Download

🚀 Getting Started

🏔️ Mountain Generation Tab

🌿 Grass Map Tab

🖼️ Image Import Tab

📤 Exporting Maps

🧠 Pro Tips

⚠️ Technical Information

🔧 Troubleshooting

🏁 Credits

Ultimate Guide to Procedural Biome Generation

Table of Contents

How the Script Works

Core Functionality

Color Gradients

Available Biomes

Creating Your Own Custom Biome

Advanced Customization

Troubleshooting

Conclusion

Comments

🌍 VoxMapper v1.4.1 - Comprehensive Guide

VoxMapper is a powerful tool for generating high-quality heightmaps and grass maps. This guide explains all features in detail so you can create perfect terrain for your maps.

Here's a full walkthrough sorta type video on how it all works:

📥 Where to Download

You can get voxmapper with the biome_ground.lua script included with it at my GitHub page[github.com]

🚀 Getting Started

Launch VoxMapper and choose one of the three available tabs:

Mountain Generation – Build heightmaps from scratch using noise algorithms
Grass Map – Generate detailed grass placement maps
Image Import – Import existing images and convert them into usable maps

You’ll see settings on the left and a live preview window on the right.

🏔️ Mountain Generation Tab

This tab allows you to create heightmaps using various procedural noise algorithms. The preview updates after any adjustment settings.

Noise Types:

Perlin Noise – Smooth, rolling terrain
Fractal Noise – Rugged and mountainous
Turbulence – Chaotic, sharp features
Landmass – Island-style generator with water, plains, and mountains

Core Controls:

Size – Map resolution (64 to 4096)
Scale – Zoom level of the noise
Seed – Generates different terrain patterns
Octaves – Layers of noise detail (1 to 10)
Lacunarity – Frequency between octaves
Persistence – Strength of each octave

Teardown Export Settings:

Min/Max Height – Controls terrain elevation range
Height Scale – Adjust RGB scaling (1–255)
Grass Amount – Green channel value (0–255)
Special Value – Blue channel value for material modifiers (0–255)
Grass Type – Choose between uniform or noise-generated grass

Canyon System:

Intensity – Controls how deeply canyons cut into terrain
Length – Controls how far they extend
Branch Density – More or fewer splits
Count – Number of canyons per edge
Canyon Seed – Unique pattern generator

Vignette Effect:
Adds natural-looking fade toward the edges.

Strength – How strong the vignette is
Radius – How much of the map is affected
Smoothness – Blend quality

🌿 Grass Map Tab

This tab helps you create detailed grass distribution maps using a combination of noise types. Unlike the uniform grass setting in the Noise tab, these maps specify exactly where grass appears.
You do not necessarily need to generate a grass map using this tab, as the greyscale heightmap will complement the colored heightmap. This tab is is mainly for when you don't want a gradient or you want a noise grassmap instead.

🎚️ Controls Explained

Grass Density: Probability threshold for grass placement (0.0-1.0)
- Higher values = less grass coverage
- Lower values = more grass coverage
Perlin Noise Amount: Influence of coherent Perlin noise (0.0-4.0)
- Higher values create organic, flowing grass patterns
- Great for natural-looking meadows and fields
Simple Noise Amount: Influence of random noise (0.0-2.0)
- Higher values add random variation to grass placement
- Creates scattered, spotty patterns
Lightness: Brightness of non-grass areas (0.0-1.0)
- 0.0 = black (good contrast)
- 1.0 = white (subtle difference)

📤 Export Options

Export Grass Map: Save the current grass distribution as a PNG
- White pixels (255) = Grass present
- Gray pixels (variable) = No grass, brightness determined by Lightness setting

🖼️ Image Import Tab

Use this tab to import existing grayscale images and convert them for terrain use.

Tools Available:

Resize – Preserve aspect ratio and scale the image
Channel Editing – Focus on red or green channels for terrain or grass
Invert – Flip brightness values
Blur – Add Gaussian blur for smoother transitions
Grayscale – Turn color images into grayscale
Exposure – Fine-tune brightness after conversion

Export processed images as .png heightmaps or grass maps.

📤 Exporting Maps

VoxMapper allows you to export:

RGB Heightmaps – Used in Teardown's terrain system (Red = Height, Green = Grass, Blue = Special)
Grayscale Heightmaps – Optional input for grass field in Teardown
Grass Maps – Custom binary or grayscale maps for procedural grass placement

To use in Teardown, make sure you assign your files in biome_ground.lua like:

file = "my_heightmap.png", grass = "my_grassmap.png", biome = "forest"

🧠 Pro Tips

Start small and preview often
Use the preview pan & zoom to dial in areas you want to focus on
Toggle between uniform and noise-based grass for different styles
Use vignette + canyon together for realistic island or valley effects
Explore the Landmass noise type for procedural islands!

⚠️ Technical Information

For large maps (1024+), the generation process will use multi-core processing to speed up rendering.
Heightmaps follow Teardown's RGB format:
- R = Height (0-255)
- G = Grass coverage (0-255)
- B = Special value (0-255)
When panning the preview, the actual texture coordinates are preserved, allowing you to precisely position terrain features.
The application automatically handles memory efficiently, but extremely large maps (2048+) may require significant system resources.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Map is too flat or too steep
Adjust Min/Max Height and Height Scale sliders in the Mountain tab.

App is laggy with large maps
Use smaller sizes while designing (e.g., 512 or 1024), then increase for final export.

Canyons don’t appear correctly
Check that canyon intensity is > 0 and that the seed is randomized.

Custom grass isn’t showing
Make sure your grass map is properly assigned in biome_ground.lua.

🏁 Credits

Created by NGNT with architecture support from Cursor and ChatGPT.

Ultimate Guide to Procedural Biome Generation

Welcome to the ultimate guide for procedural biome generation! This guide will walk you through using the biome_ground.lua script to create beautiful, procedurally generated landscapes for your game or creative project. Whether you're looking to create lush forests, barren wastelands, alien landscapes, or anything in between, this script has you covered with 30+ pre-built biomes and the ability to create your own custom biomes.

Table of Contents

How the Script Works
Core Functionality
Color Gradients
Available Biomes
Creating Your Own Custom Biome
Advanced Customization
Troubleshooting
Conclusion

How the Script Works

The biome_ground.lua script works by taking a heightmap image and an optional grass map and transforming it into a 3D landscape with appropriate textures and colors based on the selected biome. Here's a breakdown of how it works:

Script Parameters

file - The heightmap PNG that defines the terrain shape (default: "testground.png")
grass - Optional grass texture map
scale - Height scaling factor (default: 64)
tilesize - The size of each terrain tile (default: 128)
hollow - Whether the terrain should be hollow or solid (default: 0)
biome - The biome type to use (default: "default")

Core Functionality

The script follows this process:

Loads the heightmap image
Selects the appropriate biome settings
Creates a gradient for ground coloration
Generates terrain materials (rock, dirt, grass, etc.)
Creates the 3D voxel terrain based on the heightmap

Color Gradients

Each biome has a unique color gradient defined by three main colors:

black - Base color for darker/lower areas
white - Mid-level color
endColor - Color for higher/peak areas

These colors are blended smoothly to create natural-looking terrain with depth and variety.

Available Biomes

The script includes 30+ pre-built biomes, each with unique color palettes and material properties:

Biome Name

Description

default

Standard grassy landscape with earthy tones

desert

Sandy desert with warm golden and tan colors

snowy

Snow-covered terrain with cool blue-white tones

swamp

Dark, murky terrain with deep greens

forest

Lush forest floor with rich greens

volcano

Fiery landscape with reds and dark tones

tundra

Icy blue landscape with frigid appearance

alienjungle

Exotic alien vegetation with unusual colors

crystalfields

Sparkling crystal terrain with blue and purple hues

beach

Sandy shores with light colors and sea foam accents

coralreef

Underwater reef environment with corals and sea plants

savanna

Golden grasslands with dry earth tones

canyon

Red rocky canyons with orange sandstone

mushroom

Fungal landscape with purples and pinks

cave

Dark cave environment with subtle mosses

alpine

Mountain terrain with rocky surfaces and sparse vegetation

bambooforest

Bamboo groves with light and dark greens

meadow

Flowery fields with bright colors

icelands

Glacial ice sheets with blue-white coloration

jungle

Dense jungle with dark and vibrant greens

ashlands

Gray ashen landscape with dark tones

mangrove

Muddy waters and tangled roots with earthy colors

cherry

Cherry blossom landscape with pink petals and green grass

highlands

Elevated terrain with rocky outcrops

mesa

Red clay formations with layered appearance

wasteland

Barren landscape with minimal vegetation

taiga

Northern coniferous forest with pine green colors

corruption

Magical purple corruption with dark energies

candyland

Playful landscape with pastel pinks and blues

ethereal

Heavenly environment with light blues and whites

cyberpunk

Futuristic landscape with neon blues and pinks

crimson

Blood-red landscape with fiery accents

vaporwave

Retro aesthetic with purples and teals

neon

Bright electric colors on dark background

toxic

Contaminated environment with toxic greens and yellows

glitch

Reality-breaking terrain with visual glitch effects

underdark

Deep cavern with magical purple energies

Creating Your Own Custom Biome

Want to create your own unique biome? Here's how to do it in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Define Your Gradient Function

Create a new function that returns a table with the three main colors for your biome:

function getMyCustomBiomeGradient() return { black = {0.3, 0.4, 0.2}, -- Base color (RGB values from 0.0 to 1.0) white = {0.5, 0.6, 0.3}, -- Mid-level color endColor = {0.7, 0.8, 0.4} -- Peak color } end

Step 2: Create Your Biome Initialization Function

Create a function that sets up the materials for your biome:

function initMyCustomBiome() CreateMaterial("rock", 0.4, 0.5, 0.3) -- Base rock material CreateMaterial("dirt", 0.3, 0.4, 0.2, 1, 0, 0.1) -- Soil material CreateMaterial("unphysical", 0.5, 0.6, 0.3, 1, 0, 0.2) -- Surface material 1 CreateMaterial("unphysical", 0.6, 0.7, 0.4, 1, 0, 0.2) -- Surface material 2 CreateMaterial("unphysical", 0.7, 0.8, 0.5, 1, 0, 0.2) -- Surface material 3 CreateMaterial("masonry", 0.5, 0.5, 0.4, 1, 0, 0.4) -- Structured material -- Create the grass gradient createGrassGradient() end

Step 3: Register Your Biome

Add your biome to both lookup tables near the end of the script:

local gradientPresets = { -- existing biomes... mycustombiome = getMyCustomBiomeGradient, -- other biomes... } -- And in the init() function: local biomeInitializers = { -- existing biomes... mycustombiome = initMyCustomBiome, -- other biomes... }

That's it! Now you can use your custom biome by setting the biome parameter to "mycustombiome".

Advanced Customization

Understanding the CreateMaterial Function

The CreateMaterial function is key to defining how your biome looks. It takes these parameters:

CreateMaterial(type, r, g, b, [a], [emissive], [metallic], [roughness], [subsurface])

type - Material type ("rock", "dirt", "unphysical", "masonry", etc.)
r, g, b - RGB color values (0.0 to 1.0)
a - Alpha/transparency (optional)
emissive - Whether the material glows (optional)
metallic - Metallic appearance value (optional)
roughness - Surface roughness (optional)
subsurface - Subsurface scattering (optional)

Material Types and Their Uses

rock - Used for hard, solid surfaces like stone
dirt - Used for soil, sand, and soft ground
unphysical - Used for grass, plants, and decorative elements
masonry - Used for structured elements like paths or walls

Creating Special Effects

You can create special effects by manipulating material properties:

Glowing terrain: Set the emissive parameter to 1
Metallic surfaces: Use higher metallic values (0.7-1.0)
Smooth surfaces: Use lower roughness values (0.0-0.3)
Rough surfaces: Use higher roughness values (0.7-1.0)

Example of a glowing material:

CreateMaterial("unphysical", 0.0, 1.0, 0.5, 1, 1, 0, 0.2) -- Glowing green material

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue

Solution

No terrain appears

Make sure your heightmap image exists and is properly formatted.

Terrain is too flat or too tall

Adjust the "scale" parameter to control the height. Larger values make taller terrain.

Custom biome not working

Ensure you've added your biome to both the gradientPresets table and the biomeInitializers table.

Colors look wrong

Make sure your RGB values are between 0.0 and 1.0, not 0-255.

Performance issues

Try reducing the "tilesize" parameter or using a smaller heightmap image.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now have the knowledge to use, customize, and create your own biomes with the biome_ground.lua script. The possibilities are countless, from realistic natural environments to fantastical alien worlds.
Don't forget to:

Experiment with different color combinations
Try varying the material properties for unique effects
Share your custom biomes with the community
Check back for updates and new biome presets

Looking for Inspiration?

Study the existing biomes in the script for ideas. For example, the "ethereal" biome creates a heavenly atmosphere with light blues and whites, while the "cyberpunk" biome uses neon colors on a dark background for a futuristic feel.
Happy creating!

If you found this guide helpful, please leave a rating and share it with others who might benefit. If you have questions or need help, feel free to leave a comment below!

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