Exobiology: why do people say the Heatmap reflects height and not lifeform density?

[Burstar1]

These are two pictures I took as quickly as I could and only did a straight resize to get their proportions as similar as I could.

It should be obvious here that the blue shading is not affected by height, nor is it bleed through of the light/shading from the texture underneath.
At best there is strong correlation with the terrain type (represented on the left by the varying shades of brown) but even here there are discrepancies (to me the section between 6 and 8 O'clock outside the giant crater has some mismatches as do the 2 overlapping smaller crater's interiors).

Unless a CM can pipe in with clarification or someone can cite a Dev regarding what the Heatmap is actually displaying, I think this is strong evidence that the shading on the heatmap is actually showing seed probability (which is itself distinct from, but strongly correlated with, terrain type).

 

[Ydiss]

There is some clearer matching of patterns based on the lighter-tinged pink surface and the lighter-tinged blue (mostly seen top-left). Whenever I've found flora, it's often sat on bands of differently coloured rock like that.

 

[Vekt Ey'doom]

They're conflated a lot because they often do reflect the same thing. Some Biological entities prefer high altitude (Fungoids especially) some lifeforms prefer lowlands (Bacterial Colonies).

General rule is the lighter the blue, the more dense the life though.

 

[Vardaugas]

The hues are artifacts of the background texture interacting with the plain blue of the "heatmap", which is really only a bluemap as there is no heat indicated at all.

 

[Erei]

These are two pictures I took as quickly as I could and only did a straight resize to get their proportions as similar as I could.
View attachment 242895

It should be obvious here that the blue shading is not affected by height, nor is it bleed through of the light/shading from the texture underneath.
At best there is strong correlation with the terrain type (represented on the left by the varying shades of brown) but even here there are discrepancies (to me the section between 6 and 8 O'clock outside the giant crater has some mismatches as do the 2 overlapping smaller crater's interiors).

Unless a CM can pipe in with clarification or someone can cite a Dev regarding what the Heatmap is actually displaying, I think this is strong evidence that the shading on the heatmap is actually showing seed probability (which is itself distinct from, but strongly correlated with, terrain type).

You can see where the lightly colored light comes from your own screenshot. Look at the terrain closely. The clear pink is the light blue in the heatmap. The darker shades of blue are probably related to other ground features that are difficult to see.
There are no mistmatch, they look the same.

 

[photomankc]

.

 

[Greytalon]

Looking at those screen shots, I can see where the terrain has affected the "heat" map. Looking at the issues posts regarding the DSS, there is no longer a heat map, its just "Might be here as conditions are suitable" Basically, if its blue, you might find it, if its not, it won't be there. https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/32054

 

[Bob McBobblehead]

The blue map around a scanned planet is just the altitude limits where the plant in the filter can spawn. You have to learn what type of terrain plants spawn in, like, rocky, flat, ravines, mountains etc as it not a heat map. The same plant will not have same alitude on all planets as not all planets are alike.

 

[Riverside]

The problem with the colour gradation is that there is no key to indicate whether darker or lighter is better, that's all.

It may not mean anything at all, and that the surface texture is showing rather than simply height. It seems useful in a vague way. If I'm looking for some life types I'll want flat terrain (paler blue), for others I want rough terrain or hills/gorges.

 

[DøømHåmstër]

I can clearly see the pattern in both images. Just one is shades of blue and the other is shades of grey and beigey pink.

 

[Falcon_D]

So exobiology is basically down to:
1. Go blue patch
2. Use experience and intuition to find terrain
3. Use MKI Eyeball scanner to find stuff
?

 

[Riverside]

So exobiology is basically down to:
1. Go blue patch
2. Use experience and intuition to find terrain
3. Use MKI Eyeball scanner to find stuff
?

Yep, it's usually not that hard. Some planets are more difficult than others.

 

[Winterwalker]

3. Use MKI Eyeball scanner to find stuff
?

The composition scanner on ship or SRV will pick biology up (mkII eyeball)

 

[simulacrae]

Ya and why do people keep calling it a heatmap? Its a translucent layer…. No concentrations or “heat” is shown. In alpha there was a brief actual heatmap- this is not that.

I think it is describing a biome, which is often related to elevations. But ya i would call it a biome layer .

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

Ya and why do people keep calling it a heatmap? Its a translucent layer…. No concentrations or “heat” is shown. In alpha there was a brief actual heatmap- this is not that.

I think it is describing a biome, which is often related to elevations. But ya i would call it a biome layer .

They call it a heat map because that is how it started in the Alpha before the community somehow convinced FDev that a heat map was "confusing"

I have a piece about it in this post here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/odyssey-biological-and-geological-guide.582693/

 

[Erei]

They call it a heat map because that is how it started in the Alpha before the community somehow convinced FDev that a heat map was "confusing"

I have a piece about it in this post here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/odyssey-biological-and-geological-guide.582693/

Ironically, making it even more confusing because half the planet is blue. With shades that are not actually part of the heatmap.

It's like the UI, who was supposedly confusing for new players, so they made an icon based UI, which is even more confusing, but for everyone this time. I mean, what does "3 Koi carps swimming in circle" even is ? Apparently the answer is "realistic map".

 

[simulacrae]

They call it a heat map because that is how it started in the Alpha

Ya i pointed that out. It doesnt change the fact that it is Not a heat map.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

Ya i pointed that out. It doesnt change the fact that it is Not a heat map.

But the question is... who is calling it a heat map?

 

[Falcon_D]

The composition scanner on ship or SRV will pick biology up (mkII eyeball)

The composition scanner only picks up biology if you happen to point the scanner to it. Not good with area scans unless you keep sweeping it around.

 

[Falcon_D]

Yep, it's usually not that hard. Some planets are more difficult than others.

Really?
I’ve tried looking for Bacteria but have more often than not given up.
Nowadays I don’t even bother with planets with only 1 biological signal. I go for the ones with more than 1 so that if I don’t find bacteria at least I would have found some thing else.
Also how difficult is it in the 34th century for a scanner to pick up life signs on a barren planet?