You first need to choose two contrasting landscape types: the “outer landscape” surrounding the portal and the “inner landscape” that appears inside the portal from a specific position of the screenshot camera. The transition between the landscapes is covered by the actual portal (which consists of flying stairs).

In this example, the outer landscape will be a desert, and the inner one will be a lush landscape.

Create the project that suits you most. In my case, I create a project in the “Olden” style, as that provides me with rocks and dry trees for the desert - in particular that large, withered tree.

Empty the glade (except for trees, trunks and rocks you intend to keep) and create the outer landscape. In this case, we create a desert with the path brush.

Draw two-point stairs not far from one edge of the glade, and parallel to it. That’s important so you won’t have problems placing the camera such that the visible terrain stays inside the square.


Lower the higher point such that the stairs are horizontal, then rise the whole flight of stairs. Stretch it until six columns are visible. Raise it so it’s approximately twice as large as it is high.


Place one cut above every column, plus two additional cuts to the outermost segments, at about ⅔ of the segment.


Lower the two centre points to the ground, then the other intermediate points, so you obtain a nice semi-circle. The outermost segments are a bit tricky; you don’t want to get ladders. Keep it just before the transition to ladders. (Note the characteristic sound.)


Lift the whole flight of stairs above the ground. Delete the supporting columns using the hammer tool.


Adjust the elevations to create a perfect semicircle. (Or rather almost-semicircle. The ends won’t be vertical. Don’t worry about that.)


With the paint tool, change the colour of the magic stars to whatever colour you like.

Place a second flight of stairs of the same length, a bit above the first one.


Proceed like above, but upwards to create the upper arch. Delete the columns.


Adjust the overall elevation and cut point elevations to create a perfect circle with two gaps left and right.

Our portal is a bit thin - you can see through it, which won’t do to hide the transition between landscapes. We need to create a second pair. Create another stairs object, just behind the first one.


Do the same procedure all over again. This time it’s easier because we can adjust the heights the same way. Remove the columns.


Give the sparkles another colour that combines well with the first one.


Move that arc so it is at the same spot as the first one. Now the two lower arcs should form a sparkly mess of bricks.


Maybe adjust elevations so the arcs match. Avoid creating a ladder. (Here, that ladder-sound comes in handy, as the first arc might hide a ladder when it’s created.)


Create a second upper arc the same way.


Now your portal is almost done, except for two lateral gaps.

Create eight short flights of stairs, four going to the left and four to the right. (Sometimes four or six will already do the trick, if your gaps are smaller than on the image.)


Make them about a third or half as high as the gaps and as steep as possible without creating ladders.


Elevate them, cut the columns and place them to create two zig-zag-shapes to fill the gaps. The goal is to create two vertical-ish messes of bricks.


Correct the colours of the sparkles.

Go into screenshot mode and select the “winged camera”.


Place the camera in front of the portal (with the QWE ASD keys, right-button-turn, middle-button-pan and scroll wheel to zoom). The goal is that you screenshot contains only the outer landscape, in our case desert, and nothing outside the square. (If your outer landscape is grassy, that’s less important - but in this case you don’t want any surrounding landscape inside the ring.)

Edit the outer landscape, maybe plant some trees (in “Olden” mode, every other tree is withered), or create some hills. Check from time to time if nothing is inside the ring in screenshot mode.


Keep the terrain behind the portal flat. Also, don’t sculpt below the portal, it will mess it up!


If you do see some parts of the surrounding woods, you can use hills to cover them.

If necessary, go into the loading menu and switch your project to the desired mode (leaf icon). In my case, I started in “Olden” mode because of the dried trees, now I switch to “Flowery” mode so the inner landscape will be as lush as possible.


Enter screenshot mode. If you switched mode, you might need to reposition the camera. Then, position the sun so that the portal shadow appears roughly behind the portal. This makes determining the borders easier, as the shadow serves as marker on the ground.


In edit mode, you can also place the camera roughly in the same place.


Edit the inner landscape - in my case, I erase the path to obtain grass. You will need some back-and-forth between edit mode and screenshot mode to get the borders right. Placing objects as markers may also help.


The goal is to have neither landscape “spill over” the portal ring.

Plant a tree or other high object you want inside the ring.


Keep in mind that you don’t want the shadows inside spill over to the outside; it will break the illusion. Adjust the sun and the tree position. The best is to have the shadows point roughly away from the camera. Maybe a bit diagonally, to give the objects volume.


Shadows towards the camera might also work. They give the portal more volume but are a bit more difficult to contain.

Edit the inner landscape to your liking. Brooks, fences, streets, stairs, etc. add to the illusion that the landscape continues left and right. Always mind the shadows.


Editing the outer landscape is similar. In my case, I create a path behind the portal and “across” the lines inside the ring, as well as some ruins.


Now you’re thinking with portals!

Buildings are tricky but fun: You need to edit the building so that it’s “cut” at the border.


Creating two-thirds of a “symmetric” building is another trick to help the illusion.


You can also use walls to create parts of buildings or fill gaps.


If you add a door or window on the wall, place a second wall behind it to make the window opaque.

Add a little ladder to enter the portal. Make sure it doesn’t touch the portal, or the magic will disappear. This ladder will visually “anchor” the portal to the outer landscape, so it’s clearer where it is.


Also, add a very short flying ladder segment to give the illusion of a ladder on the other side.


Alternatively, create stairs across the portal. This matches more with an urban setting on either side (cf. last section for examples).

Before taking the screenshot, you may want to herd the sheep into a species-appropriate landscape. (When you pet a sheep and then click onto the ground, the sheep will take this as a suggestion where to go.) This might be the most difficult part of the whole process.


Adjust the filters, focus etc., but quickly, or the sheep will escape! Click! And you’re done.

Here some screenshots from other portals or portal hubs I created: