Howto use ArmA 3 Terrain Builder to import huge monster satellite texture / mask in smaller sized tile images.

Problem: You have 40960 x 40960 resolution satellite images and those are extremely tough to edit and import into terrain builder.
Solution: slice up the huge images to 4 smaller 20480 x 20480 pieces and import them one by one.

BTW If you want to test this, you can import same satellite image more than once, when you do it second time it shows up in layer manager → raster as “<filename> -1” name, second same image import appears as “<filename> -2” etc. Also you don't have to use large 20480 x 20480 image, you can take even 1024 res image and import that, you stretch it over the wanted area in terrain builder layer settings.

Take your terrain size and divide by two, this resulting number is what you use to type into terrain properties to align the satellite image tiles (do not confuse to “satellite tile size” heh).

In our example we use 81920 sized terrain (81.9km) with 40960 x 40960 satellite resolution, but you can use this method to smaller satellite image sizes too (or larger I guess? heh). We assume your satellite tiles are 20480 x 20480 resolution and there are 4 of them to be joined as one 40960 resolution final satellite texture / mask image.

Basically your (terrain size / 2) value will be added to the easting / northing coordinates. Easting by default is 200000 so you add 40960 to it which comes to 240960 value. Northing is bit easier as its just zero, you simply add your tile size as-is there where necessary.

Satellite Mask

1. file → import → satellite mask, choose your bottom left corner tile
2. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 0 and 40960 as size
3. file → import → satellite mask, choose your bottom right corner tile
4. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size
5. file → import → satellite mask, choose your top left corner tile
6. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 40960 and 40960 as size
7. file → import → satellite mask, choose your top right corner tile
8. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size

Satellite Texture

1. file → import → satellite image, choose your bottom left corner tile
2. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 0 and 40960 as size
3. file → import → satellite image, choose your bottom right corner tile
4. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size
5. file → import → satellite image, choose your top left corner tile
6. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 40960 and 40960 as size
7. file → import → satellite image, choose your top right corner tile
8. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 40960 and 40960 as size

To make this simple, here are couple of other example values.

Remember, terrain size divided by 2 is your satellite tile value (satellite texture sliced to four tiles).

Example 1
Terrain size: 102400
Terrain properties size: 51200 (terrain size / 2)

Example 2
Terrain size: 57344
Terrain properties size: 28672 (terrain size / 2)

Example 3
Terrain size: 20480
Terrain properties size: 10240 (terrain size / 2)

Satellite tiles for terrain builder import, how to import them with proper values.

Formula is mapsize - tile size == northing slots. subtract tile size from previous slot to get down one row.

35840 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 8960 (4m/px)
row1 northing: 107520, easting tile 2: 235840, 3: 271680, 4: 307520,
row2 northing: 71680
row3 northing: 35840
row4 northing: 0

40960 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 10240 (2m/px)
row1 northing: 61440, easting tile 2: 220480 3: 240960 4: 261440
row2 northing: 40960
row3 northing: 20480
row4 northing: 0

40960 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 10240 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 30720, easting tile 2: 210240 3: 220480 4: 230720
row2 northing: 20480
row3 northing: 10240
row4 northing: 0

51200 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 25600 (2m/px)
row1 northing: 76800, easting tile 2: 225600 3: 251200 4: 276800
row2 northing: 51200
row3 northing: 25600
row4 northing: 0

71680 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 17920 (2m/px)
row1 northing: 107520, easting tile 2: 235840 3: 271680 4: 307520
row2 northing: 71680
row3 northing: 35840
row4 northing: 0

81920 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 20480 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 61440, easting tile 2: 220480 3: 240960 4: 261440
row2 northing: 40960
row3 northing: 20480
row4 northing: 0

81920 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 10240 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 71680, easting tile 2: 210240 3: 220480 4: 230720 5: 240960 6: 251200 7: 261440 8: 271680
row2 northing: 61440
row3 northing: 51200
row4 northing: 40960
row5 northing: 30720
row6 northing: 20480
row7 northing: 10240
row8 northing: 0

102400 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 25600 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 76800, easting tile 2: 225600 3: 251200 4: 276800
row2 northing: 51200
row3 northing: 25600
row4 northing: 0

143360 res satellite 5 x 5 TILE size: 28672 (2m/px)
row1 northing: 114688, easting tile 2: 228672, 3: 257344, 4: 286016, 5: 314688
row2 northing: 86016
row3 northing: 57344
row4 northing: 28672
row5 northing: 0

143360 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 17920 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 125440, easting tile 2: 217920 3: 235840 4: 253760 5: 271680 6: 289600 7: 307520 8: 325440
row2 northing: 107520
row3 northing: 89600
row4 northing: 71680
row5 northing: 53760
row6 northing: 35840
row7 northing: 17920
row8 northing: 0

204800 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 25600 (1m/px)
row1 northing: 179200, easting tile 2: 225600, 3: 251200, 4: 276800, 5: 302400, 6: 328000, 7: 353600, 8: 379200
row2 northing: 153600
row3 northing: 128000
row4 northing: 102400
row5 northing: 76800
row6 northing: 51200
row7 northing: 25600
row8 northing: 0

See also Large Satellite Tiles.