Every environment artist has experienced the pain: you’ve spent hours sculpting a perfect mountain, only to realize it needs to be 50 meters to the left. Or the art director wants it “a bit smaller.” Or level design needs a path through the middle.
With traditional sculpting, these changes mean starting over. But there’s a better way.
Unreal Engine’s built-in landscape tools are powerful, but they share a fundamental limitation: every edit is permanent.
When you sculpt terrain:
This destructive workflow creates real problems:
Artists become reluctant to make changes because they know the cost. This leads to “good enough” terrain instead of great terrain.
When revisions are unavoidable, hours or days of work disappear. Team morale suffers.
Experimentation becomes expensive. Artists stick with safe choices instead of trying bold ideas.
Non-destructive editing means your changes are always reversible, adjustable, and independent. Think of it like Photoshop layers versus painting directly on an image.
With non-destructive terrain editing:
This is exactly what Landstamp Pro brings to Unreal Engine 5.
Each stamp you apply creates a new layer:
Layer 5: River erosion detail
Layer 4: Rocky outcrops
Layer 3: Secondary hills
Layer 2: Valley system
Layer 1: Main mountain range
Edit Layer 3 all you want—Layers 1, 2, 4, and 5 remain untouched.
Control how each layer combines with those below:
| Mode | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Additive | Build terrain up (mountains, hills) |
| Subtractive | Carve terrain down (valleys, rivers) |
| Maximum | Use whichever is higher |
| Minimum | Use whichever is lower |
| Replace | Completely overwrite |
A valley (Subtractive) can cut through a mountain (Additive) while both remain independently editable.
Every layer offers:
Organize complex terrains with groups:
▼ Mountain Region
├── Peak
├── Foothills
└── Erosion Detail
▼ Valley Region
├── Main Valley
├── River Bed
└── Flood Plains
Move entire groups together or adjust individually.
Destructive workflow:
Landstamp Pro workflow:
Destructive workflow:
Landstamp Pro workflow:
Destructive workflow:
Landstamp Pro workflow:
Before stamping, sketch your terrain zones:
Not:
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Yes:
North Mountain Range
Central Valley
River Canyon
Related features should be grouped. “Forest Region” containing hills, clearings, and streams can be moved as a unit.
Before major changes, duplicate your layer stack as a backup group. Hide it, but keep it available.
Complex interactions can be confusing. Add notes about why specific blend modes were chosen.
Non-destructive editing changes how you work. When mistakes cost nothing, you:
This isn’t just faster—it’s liberating.
Leave destructive terrain editing behind. Embrace a workflow where every decision is reversible.
Working on complex terrain? Share your layer setups on X @MythicLemon!