Highs and Lows Improvements

[Cesare]

I have just read the latest news about the "new highs & lows" on today's newly released DevLog #9 information page. In a matter of fact, I have read all the DevLog #9 in full. The Universe Sandbox team is doing such a great job in developing Universe Sandbox and have also made great progress too. I love it!


There is a slight problem with the new highs and lows development plans. That is that the new highs and lows have limits in the amount of elevation levels. Current news status shows that elevation levels for the heightmaps have a maximum limit of 83 meters. That limit barrier must be broken so that elevation levels can be many kilometers in height. Please fix and improve the height maps for elevation so that users can make mountains many kilometers high rather than 83 meters high. The same thing for deepening oceans. Users must be able to make oceans as deep as they want. That is to make oceans have ultra deep basins as users want to make them. If you want to have a 100 kilometer high mountain or a 100 kilometer deep ocean, then that must be made possible for all Universe Sandbox users when planet grids are released.


Please note that the heightmaps for Earth must be fixed and made perfect before releasing the planet grids update. I just want the planet grids update to be 100% perfect, so please developers, do not rush developing this feature. Just remember that I want planet grids and overall graphics and other features relating to planet grids to all be perfect. That includes heightmaps.


Mount Everest is the Earth tallest mountain on land. This mountain has a total height of 8,848 meters, around 8.84 kilometers high.


The Challenger Deep has a total depth of 11,035 meters deep. That is just a little more than 11 kilometers deep. In other words, that is 11 kilometers and 35 meters deep. This is the true deepest point on Earth, which is deeper than the Mariana Trench. The Challenger Deep is deeper by over 2 kilometers deep.


Please can you fix all the problems with Earth's heightmaps. That includes heightmaps for both land and ocean elevation. Mars has also different elevation levels. All the planets and moons in our Solar System have different elevation levels. Please fix all the elevation levels for all Solar System planets and moons to make sure they reflect the real ones we see in space.


Earth's coastlines are also jagged and unrealistic. Many areas on the Earth has places that are flooded, like Florida and other noticeable flooded areas. There are also part of the seas near coastlines that are dry land, like the sea that is located between Australia and New Guinea, and other noticeable areas on Earth. Please fix all the Earth's coastlines so that they look exactly like the real coastlines of Earth we see from space.


For all custom made objects and random spawns, coastlines and heightmaps must also be fixed and work properly when using the laser tool to add or remove water or land. That goes for Earth, Mars and other Solar System planets when customizing them by using the laser tool. Please make Universe Sandbox 100% perfect.


Thank you.

[SMN_665]

I didn't know about the 83 meters limit, but I'm sure that will be solved soon, hopefully...

[Cesare]

Well, I am aware of the 83 meters limit because I have read about the heightmap in DevLog #9. Just read DevLog #9 to understand and learn more about planet grids.

[Jar]

83 meters is not the maximum height. This only describes the difference between each step, so for example, one step is 0 meters or sea level, then going up it's 83 and then 166 meters above sea level, or going the other way it's 83 then 166 meters below sea level.

[Cesare]

Thanks for better explaining Jar. What is the maximum height and deepest depth that you can go when changing the elevation levels for heightmaps?

[SMN_665]

Thanks for better explaining Jar. What is the maximum height and deepest depth that you can go when changing the elevation levels for heightmaps?

I also want to know this too

[Jar]

I'm not certain, and I believe it varies depending on the object, but I think it'll be somewhere in the ballpark of thousands of meters.

[Cesare]

Thank you so much Jar for replying back to me.

I hope so too. I hope that elevation levels would have as many differences in as many kilometers as possible for elevation maps. That includes both mountains and deep ocean depth trenches.

I strongly believe that there are still many improvements to be done to increase the mountainous and ocean depth limits to much more extreme highs and lows for enevation levels. However, the new highs and lows update for planet grids are a good start to this new and upcoming feature, so its just the beginning of it. Later on, I hope that it will be improved by removing the 83 meter limit. The range barrier between highs and lows must be removed so that users have unlimited creativity when making planets with extreme differences in elevation levels.