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A texture map (left). The corresponding normal map in tangent space (center). The normal map applied to a sphere in object space (right). Normal map reuse is made possible by encoding maps in tangent space. The tangent space is a vector space, which is tangent to the model's surface. The coordinate system varies smoothly (based on the ...
Normal map may refer to: Normal mapping in 3D computer graphics; Normal invariants in mathematical surgery theory; Normal matrix in linear algebra;
In mathematics, a normal map is a concept in geometric topology due to William Browder which is of fundamental importance in surgery theory.Given a Poincaré complex X (more geometrically a Poincaré space), a normal map on X endows the space, roughly speaking, with some of the homotopy-theoretic global structure of a closed manifold.
In normal aspect, these map the central meridian and parallels as straight lines. Other meridians are curves (or possibly straight from pole to equator), regularly spaced along parallels. Conic In normal aspect, conic (or conical) projections map meridians as straight lines, and parallels as arcs of circles. Pseudoconical
The target application, normal mapping, is an extension of bump mapping that simulates lighting on geometric surfaces by reading surface normals from a rectilinear grid analogous to a texture map - giving simple models the impression of increased complexity. This additional channel however increases the load on the graphics system's memory ...
The modified surface normal is then used for lighting calculations (using, for example, the Phong reflection model) giving the appearance of detail instead of a smooth surface. Bump mapping is much faster and consumes fewer resources for the same level of detail compared to displacement mapping because the geometry remains unchanged.
Parallax mapping with shadows. Parallax mapping (also called offset mapping or virtual displacement mapping) is an enhancement of the bump mapping or normal mapping techniques applied to textures in 3D rendering applications such as video games.
If normal mapping is used, each polygon has many face normals (the direction a given point on a polygon is facing), which can be used in tandem with an environment map to produce a more realistic reflection. In this case, the angle of reflection at a given point on a polygon will take the normal map into consideration.