From Satellite Data to Production-Ready Procedural Terrain

A procedural system for reconstructing real-world terrain from geospatial data. Designed as a reusable pipeline applicable to any real-world terrain dataset.

Transforms messy real-world data into production-ready terrain.

Problem

Raw satellite textures and elevation data contain useful information, but they are rarely production-ready. Without a structured pipeline, each new location becomes a manual one-off build.

System Design Focus

This project is less about a single terrain output and more about the system behind it:

• convert raw satellite data into consistent terrain
• preserve geographic identity through processing
• expose controls for non-destructive iteration

Real-World Reference → Data → System → Result

1. Real-World Reference

Mount Kilimanjaro — real-world reference used for terrain reconstruction

2. Spatial Context

Satellite view showing the full spatial footprint and surrounding terrain context

3. Raw Data Inputs

Height map	Color (albedo) map

Raw satellite-derived data used as input (elevation + color)

_{elevation = heightfield
color = surface reference}

4. Procedural System (Houdini)

Procedural pipeline for terrain reconstruction and processing

5. Final Output

Zoom level 9

Zoom level 12

Final generated terrain inside the procedural system

System Approach

I designed the workflow as a modular procedural pipeline:

1. Ingest – import elevation + color
2. Normalize – clean and remap heightfield
3. Process – apply procedural terrain operations
4. Control – expose parameters for art direction
5. Validate – compare with real-world reference

Result

The result is a repeatable terrain-building system that reconstructs real places while staying flexible for creative direction. Key Result: Preserves geographic identity while enabling procedural control.

Next Direction

This system can be extended into:

• slope / height-based material systems
• erosion simulation and exaggeration