by phamduyson·Modeling
Images © phamduyson. Used for product review; image policy.
Nations In 3D earns its place in the Superhive library for pairing a large set of border-accurate heightmaps with straightforward terrain and color controls inside Blender.
Nations In 3D is an add-on for Blender that generates 3D maps of more than 150 countries and territories. It ships with pre-curated heightmaps tailored to match the real-world borders of each country, and you can also import your own PNG heightmaps to build custom terrains.
Maps are styled through a dynamic color ramp with five adjustable stops, letting you define gradients across elevations from lowlands to peaks. A displacement strength slider controls the height and depth of the terrain, while a subdivision surface modifier is applied automatically for smooth surfaces. Generated maps can be organized into separate collections. All controls live in a dedicated panel in Blender's 3D Viewport N-panel, where you select a heightmap, tweak colors, and adjust terrain settings.
A recent update added the option to show or hide the ground layer. The add-on works with the Cycles and Eevee render engines and is built for Blender 4.0.0 and above. It is installed from a zip file through Blender's add-on preferences, then accessed from the N-panel.
Nations In 3D is best for artists, educators, animators, and geographers building 3D maps of countries and territories in Blender.
Nations In 3D is completely free to download and use.
Nations In 3D is designed for Blender 4.0.0 and above, with a listed compatibility range of Blender 4.0 through 4.5. It works with both the Cycles and Eevee render engines, so you can choose whichever suits your project. The add-on is built to integrate with these modern Blender versions, and all of its controls are accessed through a dedicated panel in the 3D Viewport's N-panel once installed.
Nations In 3D is installed from a zip file. In Blender, go to Edit, then Preferences, then Add-ons, use the install-from-disk option, and select the add-on zip file. After installation you access the tool from the N-panel in the 3D Viewport. From there you can select a heightmap, adjust the color stops, and modify the displacement strength to shape your terrain.
Nations In 3D lets you choose from over 150 included pre-curated heightmaps or import your own PNG heightmaps to create unique 3D terrains. Once a heightmap is selected in the panel, you can fine-tune the result using the five color stops and the displacement strength slider. Remember to select the plane you want to adjust before tweaking the color stops and displacement strength so your changes apply to the correct map.
Nations In 3D is listed as free in this catalog and is distributed under the GPL license. For current licensing details and any purchase terms, check the developer's page directly. The add-on also comes with documentation, and a demo video is available if you want to see more before installing. Its controls are laid out in the 3D Viewport N-panel for selecting heightmaps and adjusting terrain settings.
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