Understanding Bump Maps and Normal Maps in Blender

As games become more realistic, the distinction between fantasy and reality becomes increasingly blurred. With each passing year, we see increasingly incredible displays of graphics power. Bump mapping helps contribute to this. Bump maps use lighting methods, graphical processing, and other techniques to add realism to a gaming world.

So what are Bump Maps and Normal Maps in Blender?

Let’s deep dive into iRender’s blog today!

In Blender, Bump Mapping is a technique used to create the illusion of surface details and relief on 3D objects without actually modifying the geometry of the model. By applying a bump map (often a depth map) to an object, Blender can simulate the appearance of creases, details, or surface variations on the object without the need to change the original model’s structure physically. This technique helps enhance render performance and reduces the amount of work needed to create highly detailed models.

Normal Maps in Blender 4.0 (Image Source: Open3DLab)

In Blender, Normal Mapping is a technique used to simulate surface detail direction on 3D objects without altering the model’s structure. By applying a normal map (a map that encodes surface normals) to an object, Blender can create the illusion of surface details such as creases, wrinkles, or indentations. This technique enhances the realism of the model while maintaining rendering performance and flexibility in modifying the original model. Normal mapping, which is more advanced than bump mapping, is becoming more used. Normal maps commonly use the colors light blue, purple, and pink.

First, we need to add a plan then add a new material.

Scroll down and set “Bump” for Normal and “Musgrave Texture” for Height. The Musgrave Texture is a texture that produces complex noise as shown below.

In this case, we set this texture for Height, which will make the white areas of this pattern higher and the black areas lower on the plane.

Try moving the light with the Viewport Shading set to Material Preview.

The shadows move by the unevenness of the imaginary surface. If you move to the Shader Editor, you can see that nodes like the one below are generated automatically.

It is easier to understand if you add an Image Texture node to the Base Color of the Principled BSDF and specify the material’s texture. The wrinkles in the material are obvious.

The author uses the Musgrave Texture for the Bump, but you can use any image texture by converting it to an Image Texture node. 

The normal map will be created in the Shader Editor.

Based on the node mentioned in the Bump Mapping section, change the node connected to Normal in the Principled BSDF from Bump to Normal Map, then connect the Image Texture node to the Color of the Normal Map node.

Set the normal map image and the Color Space to “Non-Color” from the Image Texture node’s folder icon.

Normal Map mode

As in the Bump Mapping section, it is easier to understand if you add an Image Texture node to the Principled BSDF’s Base Color and set the original image texture.

Setting the Image Texture to Base Color

Bumps and bumps can be seen more clearly

Whether you use Bump mapping or Normal map, the results are excellent.

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Reference source: Rentalfop