Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Adding depth to a mesh with a normal
map
With a bump map, we showed in the
Add depth to a mesh with a bump map
recipe,
how to add depth and detail to a mesh using a specific texture. In this recipe, we
provide another way to add even more depth and details without increasing the vertex
count of the geometry. To do this, we will use a normal map. A normal map describes
the normal vector for each pixel, which should be used to calculate how light affects
the material used in the geometry.
Getting ready
To use normal maps, we first need to get a color map and a normal map. For this re-
cipe, we've used two screenshots. The first is the color map:
