From what I've read it sounds like one of the benefits of displacement mapping is that it can be used as a sort of LOD. You can fill your scene with low complexity models and geometry and increase the complexity of these items as you draw near them by displacing them.

One thing I wonder since you are limited until the DX9 functionality is added is if it might be possible to use the terrain deformation being discussed here

http://www.conitecserver.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=335660&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1

to create 'fake displacement' mapping using the normal map until the real stuff is available?

Anyway sounds interesting.

Wow!
It would really look exquisite, if the left edge of the column were jagged, like real brick, instead of a straight line.

- -

Ello,

Taken in context of your sentence, I can translate "baff" into 3 possible English words: Dumbfounded, Stupified, Flabberghasted.

Seeing that screenie, all 3 hit me at the same time

-Neut.

Hi Burt,

Actually, neither bump mapping or this shader stuff displaces the mesh at all. It is a lighting trick and nothing more. So both would have be smooth when viewed on edge. What you need is true displacement mapping and a very dense mesh. The displacement map would reposition vertices based on intensity of light/dark in the texture or displacement map. The more dense the mesh, the more detail.

Hmm, this made me start thinking. What if there was a shader that could use the normal map and the triangle normal to detect where the edges were ( think toon shaders that outilne the object), and use that to calculate an alpha. That way the edges wouldnt appear straight since some would have full transparency, and would allow objects behind to show through on the edges.

Any thoughts?

Notice I said "true" displacement mapping. What 3D Studio MAX does is true displacement mapping. As you can see in your version of MAX, you first create a mesh with a lot of detail. Then you apply your displacement map. The result is the mesh is deformed according to the map.

The examples we see here are not showing a mesh being displaced. It is really (if I understand this correctly) a fancy form of "bump mapping" (meaning: the mesh is not altered by the map).