Hi here is a video tutorial this is mostly to do with halo terrain tutortials   

terrain terrain 2 contined terrain3 continued terrain 4

terrain 5 terrain 6 terrain 7

Is that the same as the .ASE format max imports?  I think it's similar if not the same...

Okay, I just did a sample box model export to ASE and it's pretty verbose, containing:

• Scene parameters
• The object and its properties and transforms
• A list of all vertices (each assigned a unique number)
• An exhaustive list of each polygon referencing associated vertex numbers

So it would be feasible to make simple code to take the xyz data and generate an ASE to import... if you know how many point samples for width and height of your data... 

The following is for a CUBE...

I'm asking the question for my Dad, He's working on a big project for the Poole Martime Trust (Poole is on the south coast of England). As I understand it there are thousand of points and it has to be relatively acurate.

once again thanks