I'd noticed that dockable objects show up like this (and that the orientation of the object is represented in the scanner, too) but just checked an asteroid (non-dockable), which showed up @ 5:1, a hOopy casino (which is dockable & which showed up similar to the Rock Hermit), and a Behemoth - which seems about the same size as the CoachWhip luxury liners refitted as casinos - but which didn't appear with the size indication at any magnification on the scanner.
The large asteroids AsteroidStorm 3.5.oxp appear with a size indication.
Is it necessary to define something in the shipdata for size indication to appear in/be read by the scanner?
I am sure there is a treshold size (or probably mass) defined in the code somewhere. If it is mass, it would explain why a ship that's long-but-not-high-and-wide just gets a normal blip.
Anyway: rest assured that there is nothing un-normal here.
I think so; on one of the other objects I checked - just out of curiousity, really - at different magnifications had a size indicator but it was very very small, just visible protruding beyond its blip at 5:1, and I assume that all objects' blips have one (but it's just smaller than the blip).