heightmap rendering

★☆☆☆by Ramon Santamaria (@raysan5)

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ZigC (original)

//! raylib [models] example - heightmap rendering
//!
//! Zig-API translation of examples/models/models_heightmap_rendering.c (raylib 6.2).
//! Example licensed under an unmodified zlib/libpng license.
//! Copyright (c) 2015-2025 Ramon Santamaria (@raysan5)

const rl = @import("raylib");

pub fn main() !void {
    // Initialization
    const screen_width = 800;
    const screen_height = 450;

    rl.initWindow(screen_width, screen_height, "raylib [models] example - heightmap rendering");
    defer rl.closeWindow(); // Close window and OpenGL context

    // Define our custom camera to look into our 3d world
    var camera: rl.Camera = .{
        .position = .{ .x = 18.0, .y = 21.0, .z = 18.0 }, // Camera position
        .target = .{ .x = 0.0, .y = 0.0, .z = 0.0 }, // Camera looking at point
        .up = .{ .x = 0.0, .y = 1.0, .z = 0.0 }, // Camera up vector (rotation towards target)
        .fovy = 45.0, // Camera field-of-view Y
        .projection = .perspective, // Camera projection type
    };

    const image = try rl.loadImage("resources/heightmap.png"); // Load heightmap image (RAM)
    const texture = try rl.loadTextureFromImage(image); // Convert image to texture (VRAM)
    defer rl.unloadTexture(texture);

    const mesh = rl.genMeshHeightmap(image, .{ .x = 16, .y = 8, .z = 16 }); // Generate heightmap mesh (RAM and VRAM)
    const model = try rl.loadModelFromMesh(mesh); // Load model from generated mesh
    defer rl.unloadModel(model);

    model.materials.?[0].map(.diffuse).texture = texture; // Set map diffuse texture
    const map_position: rl.Vector3 = .{ .x = -8.0, .y = 0.0, .z = -8.0 }; // Define model position

    rl.unloadImage(image); // Unload heightmap image from RAM, already uploaded to VRAM

    rl.setTargetFPS(60); // Set our game to run at 60 frames-per-second

    // Main game loop
    while (!rl.windowShouldClose()) { // Detect window close button or ESC key
        // Update
        rl.updateCamera(&camera, .orbital);

        // Draw
        rl.beginDrawing();
        defer rl.endDrawing();

        rl.clearBackground(.ray_white);

        {
            rl.beginMode3D(camera);
            defer rl.endMode3D();

            rl.drawModel(model, map_position, 1.0, .red);

            rl.drawGrid(20, 1.0);
        }

        rl.drawTexture(texture, screen_width - texture.width - 20, 20, .white);
        rl.drawRectangleLines(screen_width - texture.width - 20, 20, texture.width, texture.height, .green);

        rl.drawFPS(10, 10);
    }
}

/*******************************************************************************************
*
*   raylib [models] example - heightmap rendering
*
*   Example complexity rating: [★☆☆☆] 1/4
*
*   Example originally created with raylib 1.8, last time updated with raylib 3.5
*
*   Example licensed under an unmodified zlib/libpng license, which is an OSI-certified,
*   BSD-like license that allows static linking with closed source software
*
*   Copyright (c) 2015-2025 Ramon Santamaria (@raysan5)
*
********************************************************************************************/

#include "raylib.h"

//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Program main entry point
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
int main(void)
{
    // Initialization
    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    const int screenWidth = 800;
    const int screenHeight = 450;

    InitWindow(screenWidth, screenHeight, "raylib [models] example - heightmap rendering");

    // Define our custom camera to look into our 3d world
    Camera camera = { 0 };
    camera.position = (Vector3){ 18.0f, 21.0f, 18.0f };     // Camera position
    camera.target = (Vector3){ 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f };          // Camera looking at point
    camera.up = (Vector3){ 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f };              // Camera up vector (rotation towards target)
    camera.fovy = 45.0f;                                    // Camera field-of-view Y
    camera.projection = CAMERA_PERSPECTIVE;                 // Camera projection type

    Image image = LoadImage("resources/heightmap.png");     // Load heightmap image (RAM)
    Texture2D texture = LoadTextureFromImage(image);        // Convert image to texture (VRAM)

    Mesh mesh = GenMeshHeightmap(image, (Vector3){ 16, 8, 16 }); // Generate heightmap mesh (RAM and VRAM)
    Model model = LoadModelFromMesh(mesh);                  // Load model from generated mesh

    model.materials[0].maps[MATERIAL_MAP_DIFFUSE].texture = texture; // Set map diffuse texture
    Vector3 mapPosition = { -8.0f, 0.0f, -8.0f };           // Define model position

    UnloadImage(image);             // Unload heightmap image from RAM, already uploaded to VRAM

    SetTargetFPS(60);               // Set our game to run at 60 frames-per-second
    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    // Main game loop
    while (!WindowShouldClose())    // Detect window close button or ESC key
    {
        // Update
        //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        UpdateCamera(&camera, CAMERA_ORBITAL);
        //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        // Draw
        //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        BeginDrawing();

            ClearBackground(RAYWHITE);

            BeginMode3D(camera);

                DrawModel(model, mapPosition, 1.0f, RED);

                DrawGrid(20, 1.0f);

            EndMode3D();

            DrawTexture(texture, screenWidth - texture.width - 20, 20, WHITE);
            DrawRectangleLines(screenWidth - texture.width - 20, 20, texture.width, texture.height, GREEN);

            DrawFPS(10, 10);

        EndDrawing();
        //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    }

    // De-Initialization
    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    UnloadTexture(texture);     // Unload texture
    UnloadModel(model);         // Unload model

    CloseWindow();              // Close window and OpenGL context
    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    return 0;
}

From raylib 6.2. The original on GitHub.