Since I read this thread so long ago and am loathe to go back through it again, I'm not really sure what artifacts your buddy is referring to. But when you apply a 2d texture to a 3d map, artifacts are inevitable. Pixels get stretched when applied to the side of a mountain.
Here's a screen of a 3d DEM of Iwo Jima with texture applied to it. And
here's where I got the texture. Actually it was google earth but eh. Mt. Suribachi got pixelated while the rest if the island looks pretty good since it's flat. And Suribachi is nowhere near the height of the ESA stuff. Add in the size of the area covered, which I'm sure is much larger than the area covered by Iwo Jima and there's all kinds of potential artifact possibilities.
Of course this is only STMR2 which is not very detailed but it's the best us civilians can getof the area. More detail in the 3d model creates even more problem areas.
I hope this at least gives you an idea about how easy artifacts can show up when you drop a 2d image on a 3d model. At least I had an excuse to show off my Iwo model.
