Normal maps in Torque3D

#1 Normal maps basically allow lights in your scene to give models more detail, without having to use extra mesh data. You can clearly see the normal map working in the preview window. In your case, the model itself needs to be put into good old fashion smoothing groups in your 3D modeling application before you can really see the results of the normal map.

The normal map also looks quite clean, so you might not see much without some very dramatic lighting.

Here's a nice 3Ds Max example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i62ubuDwO4w

#2 Smoothing groups are 3ds MAX specific, if I recall correctly. Both the models and normal maps were made in Blender, following this tutorial for the normal maps. http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=138194

I was under the impression from the research I've done on normal maps that a high detail model baked onto a lowpoly one would make it seem smooth, so in this case I created a highpoly duplicate by subsurfing the original mesh.

#3

Quote:I was under the impression from the research I've done on normal maps that a high detail model baked onto a lowpoly one would make it seem smooth, so in this case I created a highpoly duplicate by subsurfing the original mesh.

And you are correct, but you still need to smooth/average your vertex normals, since they define the basic surface where the normals stored in the normal map will be applied. Hard edges will always look like hard edges.

#4 Thanks, those hints were what I needed to figure out how to do it. Didn't know Blender saved the set smooth data, as it doesn't have smoothing groups per-se.