Difference In Cesuim3DTileset from Cesium Ion Terrain and from Ellipsoid

I am facing an issue with height differences when loading terrain data from Cesium Ion and Cesium Ellipsoid in Unreal Engine.

Problem Description:
I created two Earth models:
One with Cesium Ion terrain data.
One with Cesium Ellipsoid terrain data.
Both have the same georeference and same height level, but when visualizing them together, I noticed a height difference between the two.
In the second image (attached), you can clearly see this difference, where the Cesium Ellipsoid is positioned higher than the Cesium Ion terrain.
Additional Observation:
In the first image (attached), I loaded two Earth models, but both use Cesium Ellipsoid terrain data.
Here, the height difference is not present—both models align perfectly.
Question:
Why is there a height difference when using Cesium Ion and Cesium Ellipsoid terrain, even though they share the same georeference and height settings?

Is this due to differences in how Cesium Ion and Cesium Ellipsoid handle elevation data?
How can I ensure consistency in height when using Cesium Ion terrain with other reference models?
I would appreciate any insights or solutions for this issue.

Thanks in advance!

Attachments:

Image 1: Both models using Cesium Ellipsoid (No height difference).
Image 2: One model using Cesium Ion, another using Cesium Ellipsoid (Height difference observed).

Note : Basically We want to create Mesh at Zero Mean Sea Level for Ocean Visualization and We consider that creating Cesuim3DTileset option from Ellipsoid has Static Mesh at Zero Mean Sea Level and Once We apply we can see the Cesuim3DTileset option from Ellipsoid is above Cesium Terrain.


Hi @milansoliya,

Cesium for Unreal is based on the WGS84 ellipsoid model, where the georeference’s “height” refers to the distance above the ellipsoid. The “From Ellipsoid” option generates a smooth surface representing the WGS84 ellipsoid. On the other hand, Cesium World Terrain is real-world elevation data that will vary in distance from the ellipsoid.

Currently, the plugin does not have any built-in ways of converting WGS84 height to Mean Sea Level, but there are some suggestions on the forum for implementing this, such as Kevin’s below:

Let us know if that helps! :slight_smile: