Questions tagged [normals]
Normals describe how faces and vertices are oriented and can be used to aid various calculations and effects. This tag should be used for questions regarding normals in Blender, from uses to issues.
1,406
questions
52
votes
2
answers
94k
views
Why are some faces in my mesh darker?
While rendering a mesh with smooth shading on, I get a dark region/shadow on certain faces.
The effect is more evident when smooth shading is applied to a mesh containing ngons, with the ngons turning ...
- 933
34
votes
16
answers
74k
views
How to Combine two Normal Maps?
I made a high poly model and then baked its textures onto a low poly model.
Now I want to give another normal map's details to the model. How can this be done?
- 3,528
34
votes
7
answers
206k
views
How to make all faces flip to the right/consistent direction?
What's happening is that I have tried to flip the normals, inside and out, but there are always faces which have to be flipped!
Normals recalculated
Inside View
If I flip them again, all faces get ...
- 3,817
22
votes
2
answers
45k
views
Viewing normals in Blender? [duplicate]
I'm sure there is a way to view the normals, but I can't find it anywhere. Can you please tell me where to find this option?
Thanks!
- 231
21
votes
4
answers
61k
views
How to flatten a face to avoid distortion (make an ngon planar)
I created a kind of procedural modeled ground (rocks desert like), with some decimate modifiers to have a really crazy topology.
The result is nice, except for some ngons faces that contains some ...
- 6,574
18
votes
1
answer
22k
views
Bump Maps vs Normal Maps
I have read the Blender manual regarding bump maps and normal maps. But still it is not very clear to me when you would make or use bump maps and when normal maps. Who can explain ?
user13877
16
votes
1
answer
14k
views
Liquid / glass interface IOR and normals in Cycles
When modelling / rendering a glass with liquid inside (in Cycles), which direction do the normals for the glass only surfaces, shared glass-liquid surfaces, and liquid only surfaces point? I have ...
- 3,322
15
votes
2
answers
42k
views
display face normal direction in blender 2.8
How can I know if the normals of an object are flipped or not? Because in version 2.8 both normals have the same color and I can't identify if it's a flipped normal, unlike the previous versions where ...
- 151
13
votes
3
answers
62k
views
Creating Normal maps from a Texture?
Is it possible to create a Normal Map from a Texture, not a mesh? If so, how?
As I'm working on an Eye, and have already made the textures, I was wondering if it was possible to create Normal Maps ...
user15147
13
votes
3
answers
52k
views
How to properly use face smooth shading
When I select multiple faces in edit mode and use Ctrl+F > Shade Smooth it smoothes the normals with all surrounding faces, regardless of whether they are smooth shaded or not.
Using a cylinder for ...
- 25.2k
13
votes
4
answers
16k
views
Manually Position Vertex Normals?
I have bunch of objects that I want to position next to each other in a scene. When they are next to each other, there is an apparent seam between them due to different normal directions. The normal ...
- 177
12
votes
3
answers
20k
views
How can faces be rotated around their individual normals?
In edit mode with these settings:
Face selection
Pivot point: individual origins
Transformation orientation: Normal
The faces don't rotate around the normals, is there another required setting that ...
- 38.7k
12
votes
1
answer
82k
views
How to recalculate normals?
in version of Blender 2.72, where is the option recalculate?.
Like in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZPqxADetWE&feature=player_detailpage#t=108
Here is a screenshot:
- 121
11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why do reflections on a smooth-cube look more 'definite' than a flat shaded one?
From what I know, flat shaded polygons use the face normal for lighting calculations for every pixel that makes up said face. Likewise, smoothshaded polygons do per-pixel normal calculations. However, ...
- 673
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I customize normal in this way?
I want to have my beveled object to have fake-rounded edges:
The vertex normals should be vertical with the main surfaces, so that the original surfaces are rendered plain, and the beveled edge is ...
- 321
10
votes
3
answers
9k
views
How to pick target texture image for baking?
I'm trying to bake bump maps into normal maps. I am having problems with the baking process in that it seems to arbitrarily select the image that the bake renders to. Sometimes it bakes to the ...
- 1,616
10
votes
3
answers
32k
views
What is the role of Auto-smooth?
I have noticed this: the "Auto-smooth"
I can't figure out what is its' meaning.
I understand that i can use it combing with the smooth shading.
For example:
A) FLAT
B) SMOOTH
C) SMOOTH & ...
- 2,262
10
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How to avoid terminator artifacts while still using smooth shading and the new pointiness attribute?
I'm sure we're all familiar with the Cycles normal bug (aka terminator bug) that causes bad shading on sharp edges when smooth shading is set. The normal fixes to this are to use higher levels of ...
- 6,647
10
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Baking normal map from a cycles shader with normals
I have a cycles material (diffuse shader) with a procedural normal map on it, which renders as expected in Cycles. But if I bake the normal map it outputs a flat image (0.5, 0.5, 1.0).
I've tried ...
- 101
10
votes
1
answer
874
views
How to animate an object so it follows the slope (normal) of another object?
I'd like to animate an object moving over a surface and have the object positioned so it follows the slope (normal) of the surface.
Using a shrinkwrap constraint, the object will follow the change in ...
- 5,196
10
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Is it possible to get automatic smooth edges with flat faces without adding geometry?
I'm new with Blender and this seems like a simple thing but I haven't been able to find the answer.
The only way I've been able to find to get smooth edges while retaining flat faces is to add extra ...
- 171
10
votes
3
answers
7k
views
How to bake high to low poly normals for multiple objects on one normal map?
Imagining I have multiple objects which make up a scene including high poly and low poly of each object and I want to put all of the baked information onto one map. What would be the easiest way to ...
- 119
9
votes
1
answer
30k
views
What does it mean when my Angle setting under Auto Smooth greyed out?
I am trying to understand why sometimes my Angle value is greyed out under Auto Smooth in the Data Panel of the Properties Editor. Does anyone have any idea why this happens, what it means and how to ...
- 3,797
9
votes
5
answers
7k
views
color faces with wrong normals
While hunting down some wrong-flipped faces I find it a bit tedious to differentiate the color of the wrong-sided face with the right-sided face.
It would be very handy if the wrong-sided faces would ...
- 187
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What are face normals?
I've seen the term Normal being used in many places, but I'm not quite sure what it is or what it's used for; what exactly are they?
- 12.4k
9
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Flip Normals with Geometry Nodes
I have geometry being created through geometry nodes and I am am trying to flip the normals on this duplicate geometry. However, it appears that normals are a read only attribute in the geometry nodes....
- 183
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How do I stop vertex normals getting overwritten when I enter edit mode?
I'm trying to make a script to apply vertex normals based on selected faces. So far I have written the script and it works fine, but if I exit edit mode and then re-enter edit mode, the normals get ...
- 3,879
9
votes
2
answers
206
views
What do the new popover "Normals" in 2.80 do? How to use it?
I noted a new popover in mesh edit mode:
I try to play with it, add custom split normals, auto smooth, but see nothing happens with model.
How to use it, or it just doesn't work?
- 36.1k
9
votes
4
answers
7k
views
I have a model and a normal map, can I bake Ambient Occlusion from both?
So I know how to regularly set up ambient occlusion baking in Blender, and I have applied the normal map using Blender Render. However, whenever I try to then bake AO, it does not take the normal map ...
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Extruding 4 cube faces along normals not consistent?
I'm, quite new to modelling in Blender and I was experimenting with the extrusion of faces command using the starting cube. These are the steps I followed and lead to my confusion (also see ...
8
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Is it possible to effect the spawning direction of a particle with a normal map?
I've been unsuccessful so far in finding information on, or working out how to control the angle that a particle is emitted from using a normal map.
What I'm trying to do is create a texture or UV ...
- 393
8
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Understanding the bump node
I see a lot of tutorials that explain how to use a bump node by demonstrating its use and giving a hand-waving explanation regarding what it actually does. Things like it "perturbs the normal&...
- 413
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why can I see through a box in blender game engine? [duplicate]
I have a problem where I can see through a box in blender game, see picture. This effect changes so that the near side of the "chassis" of the truck is invisible when I rotate the model
What can I do ...
- 225
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Backfaces give strange results with Fresnel Node in Cycles
I'm trying out a fairly common material setup, mixing a diffuse and a glossy shader with a fresnel node. My issue is that my material has some backfaces owing to its construction. They render ...
- 778
8
votes
3
answers
8k
views
How to 'weaken' or 'strengthen' a normal map texture?
I would like to export a normal map texture itself, what is a correct way to make it stronger or weaker?
I found that weakening effect can be accomplished by mixing texture with #8080ff color using <...
- 3,312
8
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Strange black shading. Cannot fully light mesh. (Cycles)
Here is the viewport in material view. The node setup is just a PNG texture into a diffuse shader.
And this is in rendered view. I've tried using environmental lighting as well as a directional ...
- 325
8
votes
1
answer
801
views
How would I fix this awful artifact shading?
I was making a gun model and couldnt figure out how to fix the awful shading on my models front without changing the detail of the model and Ive already tried [ Set from faces ], [ Average faces ] and ...
- 83
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a way to render to PNG as raw pixels / without converting color space to sRGB?
Sorry if this was asked before, I did find similar threads on other websites with a workaround, but it would be great if there was a way to do this without having to go through photoshop.
What I need:...
- 321
8
votes
2
answers
14k
views
Render entire scene normals
I'd like to render a normal map for an entire scene (for a large background for an isometric game). I tried exporting the "Normal" pass of my render layer, but it's not quite right. Here's what I get ...
- 251
8
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Messed up Blender models when exporting to Unity3D
I have modeled a simple pocket watch in Blender. Every time I import it into Unity3D, regardless of whether I export it from Blender as an FBX or 3ds file, it always comes out missing faces! Why is ...
- 183
7
votes
2
answers
13k
views
How to convert object space normals to tangent space?
I'm trying to experiment a workflow where I can manually paint normals to create stylized shading for a model.
Painting on the model, I want to use object-space normal, as it's easier to work with, ...
7
votes
2
answers
10k
views
How can I display normals in Blender 2.8+?
How can I see the normals, because in previous versions it was in the sidebar that pops up when you press N. Where is it in Blender 2.8+ and is there a shortcut key?
- 532
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Baked normal map from high poly bad corners
I'm trying to bake a normal map from a high polygon model to a low polygon one.
It's a very simple domino shape. When I use the normal on the blender render, I get this strange shape at the border of ...
- 219
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How can I fix the non-stitched seam that is present after applying mirror modifier?
I've followed the same tutorial I mentioned in the question I asked yesterday and my boat hull looks pretty good. The process is to make 3D B-Splines increase the resolution and then convert them to ...
- 1,120
7
votes
4
answers
767
views
Flatten shading on cylinder
This image shows two of the same curve, one beveled into a cylinder, and one extruded into a flat plane. The material is a Diffuse mixed with glossy at .1 fac.
The top cylinder gets a strong ...
- 6,647
7
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Procedural random/different colors based on normal direction
What I have.
A simple subdivided Cube with circular holes in it - every side, six of 'em. Holes have they own material, and each of the hole has different color. Holes are completely flat.
I have ...
- 17.6k
7
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Hard-edged polygons with normal maps
Background
I'm making a character for my game (with MakeHuman), and I wanted to add normal maps to the characters. I generated one low-poly character and then one high-poly using a bunch of Subsurf ...
- 315
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How do I create a two sided plane with subsurface scattering for modelling leaves and foliage?
Usually leaves and foliage are modelled as thin polygonal planes with no thickness. Because of the amount of geometry required to achieve dense realistic foliage, modelling them with any thickness ...
- 1,061
7
votes
1
answer
14k
views
Disable double sided normals
I'm currently using the latest version of Blender and I've noticed something different. Models seem to render both sides of a model when in texture mode - I recall in previous versions that only 1 ...
- 129
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to keep the vertex normals after deleting an edge/face?
When replacing sparse quads with a custom mesh, I create a "base vertex" on each quad, in order to cause a Particle Instance modifier to spawn the custom mesh at the right place (like for spawning ...
- 2,811