Horizon Zero Dawn style image based ecotope placement may became default for alpha. This means the old 3d density functions + physics based placement will be replaced with heightmap + image-based proc gen for “large scale” features and placement. These maps can be fed directly into the voxel/SDF systems as input as well.
This makes it easier to generate thousands of islands and put stuff on them basically with more realism.
Here’s a visualization test applied to the debug ‘mini-map’ in engine. Makes it easier to test distribution and image-based density inputs/outputs. Sometimes they even feedback – eg trees can affect shade for grass.