

Normal maps also require more processing power to render, but they can be used to create more complex and detailed surfaces that would be difficult to achieve with bump maps alone. While bump maps are relatively simple to create and can be used to add surface detail to models, normal maps provide more realistic and accurate surface detail. Normal maps can be created using software that analyzes high-resolution 3D geometry and generates the corresponding normal map. It provides more detail than a bump map by simulating small variations in the angle of the surface at each pixel. Bump maps do not actually change the geometry of the model, but rather create the illusion of surface detail by manipulating the way light is reflected and absorbed by the surface.Ī normal map, on the other hand, is a type of texture map that encodes surface normals in RGB color values. It works by adjusting the surface normals of the model in order to change the way light interacts with the surface.

However, they differ in the way they achieve this effect and the level of detail they can create.Ī bump map is a grayscale image that simulates small surface bumps and dents on a model.

In 3D rendering, bump maps and normal maps are both used to add detail and texture to 3D models.
