How to use the terrain painter
Last verified 2026-10-14
GuidesThe official Basics guide documents terrain painting. A species' biome labels and terrain requirements are different fields.
Source-based instructions checked on 14 October 2026, not a hands-on play report. Menu names follow Frontier's English guides; custom bindings and platform layouts may differ.
Paint terrain
Open Terrain from the tools panel, or F3 on the default PC keyboard layout. Choose Paint, then Grass, Soil, Sand, Rock, Snow or Waterlogged.
Adjust Intensity, Size and Sharpness, then apply the brush. Check the animal's Environment requirements after changes. Frontier names four core terrain types, with more specific requirements such as Long Grass or Wetland Sediment for some animals.
Snow, wet ground and sculpting
Snow and Waterlogged are surface brushes. Snow only remains when cold enough; Coolers can maintain it and Heaters can melt it. Painted snow does not itself satisfy temperature welfare.
Use Sculpt for slopes and depressions and Stamps for larger formations. The Basics guide explicitly permits sculpting underwater; a blanket claim that water locks terrain edits is unsupported.
Can every biome texture be used?
The official material checked here does not establish a complete biome-by-biome texture inventory or an all-biomes toggle. No twelve-slot matrix or claim that other biome textures are impossible is supplied. Confirm the available variants on your map and match the species' terrain ranges.
Questions people ask
Where is the terrain painter?
Open Terrain, then Paint. F3 opens Terrain on the default PC layout.
Is the terrain mix universal?
No. Read the species' Zoopedia terrain ranges and current Environment requirements.