Nelia
22nd Oct 2011, 05:39 PM
In all the posts related to The Sims 2 that mention the term 'Normal map' are they referring to bump maps, or to actual 'normal maps'?
I'm asking because I have found some threads in this forum that refer to them as the same thing and some other that hint they could be different things.
For example there is a tutorial titled "How to add bump map (normals) to a genetic nude skins" which suggests both things are the same, and there is comment at the end of a tutorial of how to make clothing with 3d max it says that if one cannot see bump maps one had to make normal maps sharper.
After reading a lot about 3d objects I know now they are two different things. A bump map is made in greys and can only give a little hint of a 3d look while a normal map is made in reds, blues and greens and is very powerful in giving a 3d effect to objects. I have seen tutorials on 3d objects that made boxes look like buildings with very real looking windows or pieces of cheese with deep holes just with a normal map. A bump map can not do that, so chances are TS2 does not use normal maps but I still want to make sure.
I'm asking because I have found some threads in this forum that refer to them as the same thing and some other that hint they could be different things.
For example there is a tutorial titled "How to add bump map (normals) to a genetic nude skins" which suggests both things are the same, and there is comment at the end of a tutorial of how to make clothing with 3d max it says that if one cannot see bump maps one had to make normal maps sharper.
After reading a lot about 3d objects I know now they are two different things. A bump map is made in greys and can only give a little hint of a 3d look while a normal map is made in reds, blues and greens and is very powerful in giving a 3d effect to objects. I have seen tutorials on 3d objects that made boxes look like buildings with very real looking windows or pieces of cheese with deep holes just with a normal map. A bump map can not do that, so chances are TS2 does not use normal maps but I still want to make sure.