As the currently used Surface Rendering technique, Relief Mapping, has some issues when looked at from a flat angle, and as the Technique sounds to have also very good additional stuff that can be done with it, I propose you look at the following PDF, if you haven't already, Esenthel:

http://www.drobot.org/pub/M_Drobot_Progr...apping.pdf

The same information, with some additional text (and certainly better understandable) Is also available in the Book GPU Pro 1, on Page 117 in the English version.


Basically Michael Drobot proposes a new way to accelerate the search for the correct Texel displacement by using Mipmapping. Sounds good to me, as a Newb
He also talks about using the technique to get correct self shadowing and AO for the Surface, and even Height Blending, which means that the blend point between two Textures would look more natural because the Displacement of the two textures would be taken into account when deciding the final blended diffuse color.


Anyway, maybe you have read the document, found out its to hard to implement or pure rubbish. In this case, fine... you are the expert, I'm not really
I you haven't read it though, I hope I could encourage you, Esenthel, to read it and consider implementing the technique for the Esenthel Engine. It sounds like it would be the next best online technique after relief mapping, and might improve visual quality of the EE Surface textures quite a bit.

Gian-Reto