Planets height maps

[Vasea Azure]

Just a small observation - for the most time I did not know what it is that makes me not really liking some planets up close in Elite - now I got it - its lack of height maps!
Look at some small desert moons with no atmosphere from low orbit - smooth and silky all around. I suspect that this is because FD will make some sort of terrain height generation in the future for pl purposes? Take our Moon for example - you can see the terrain height variety from far away, in Elite its all round and smooth.
Not a rant, not a wine, just curious if it only bothering me.

 

[Tinman]

Just a small observation - for the most time I did not know what it is that makes me not really liking some planets up close in Elite - now I got it - its lack of height maps!
Look at some small desert moons with no atmosphere from low orbit - smooth and silky all around. I suspect that this is because FD will make some sort of terrain height generation in the future for pl purposes? Take our Moon for example - you can see the terrain height variety from far away, in Elite its all round and smooth.
Not a rant, not a wine, just curious if it only bothering me.

The height map texture is already being generated, but that information is only used to in turn make normal maps we are currently seeing. It's still not used as a displacement map on a dynamically subdivided terrain. Not because this is hard to do in terms of coding (even if can of course do it better or worse), but simply because we aren't suppose to go down there yet. Wouldn't surprise me if they internally could flip a switch and turn it on. The actual planet is dynamically subdivided already after all as you get closer to it.

 

[Vasea Azure]

The height map texture is already being generated, but that information is only used to in turn make normal maps we are currently seeing. It's still not used as a displacement map on a dynamically subdivided terrain. Not because this is hard to do in terms of coding (even if can of course do it better or worse), but simply because we aren't suppose to go down there yet. Wouldn't surprise me if they internally could flip a switch and turn it on. The actual planet is dynamically subdivided already after all as you get closer to it.

Thats what I think too, FD is waiting with it for PL - but still it would be nice to see some terrain bumpines down there