Relief Maps?

#1 After checking the difference between Relief mapping and Parallax mapping,
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief_mapping_(computer_graphics))
i think Torque 3D does not include that shader yet.

But Parallax is certainly possible:
www.torquepowered.com/community/forums/viewthread/103531

So it should be possible to extend it on that basis.

#2 I wonder why no one has bother to implement this shader, esp when it was available for TSE/TGEA (previous versions of T3D).

#3 Tom commented on it once before, and the reason is relief mapping is much more expensive the parallax, and parallax will give you a better result. None of the major AAA engines (ie. source, unreal etc.) utilize relief mapping any more and now favor parallax, hence torques support of parallax as well.

#4 I find the parallax maps look odd in T3D, not sure why it comes out looking so weird..

#5 So Tom's reply is based upon conversations from 3 or 4 years ago..great.

Card's have leaped into higher "awesome" ranges,...so if you ask me..

this engine falls terribly short on shader-count no matter what excuses they have.

//as I noted in another thread: no planar reflect, no back buffer for refraction without hacks. ..it's a joke.
..they always have some excuse that makes it seem ok for them to not try.

#6 I agree with eb, Relief maps are very old tech, there is no reason why we can't have it in with the cards in these days.