[Question]:Difference between flat normal texture vs Vec3 with "flat normal color"

Why does an object render differently when flat normal map texture is used (128/128/255 in photoshop) vs if solid color is used in Rocket via Vec3 (0.5/0.5/1)?

What would be the equivalent of flat normal map if I want to use solid color through Vec3 (for whatever strange reasons :slight_smile: )?

Just by trying different values, seems like setting the blue to 100 makes the object render as if a flat texture is used. Would that be ok to use or can it break something in the renderer?

Thanks

normal map unpacked from -1 to 1. so, if you use texture, in shader it will have values (0;0;1), because after unpacking, 0 will be -1, 128 will be 0, and 255 will be 1.

if you use vector3, it should be unpacked also, so you need to use for example, (vec3*2 - 1), or something similar.

Hi Tomas,

Thank you for your patience. The short answer is “That is fine also”. It may even be a lighter option than using a normal map. However, it is not our “standard reccomended workflow” so we have not thoroughly tested that method. So, if you do notice any strange rendering issues while working with your material, please let us know and we will be happy to further investigate.

Cheers!

Alexander