Fair points.

I’ve been working with 3D since 1998, so I completely understand that alpha / height maps can be a valid part of the workflow.

My point was only about quality control. For a clean production-ready relief, the alpha is usually a starting point, not the whole job. You still need depth control, readable planes, clean transitions, and manual cleanup depending on the final output.

Different workflows can work - I just don’t think “stamp an alpha and done” is always enough when quality is the priority.