Bump mapping
Bump mapping can make a flat surface look rough, grooved, or pebbled by altering how light appears to strike it. This topic is part of Computer Graphics within Technology. This page currently draws on 4 supporting questions, with answers and bonus facts available below.
Bump mapping trivia questions
What does bump mapping add to a 3D surface without changing its actual silhouette?
Answer: The appearance of small surface detail
Bonus fact: Bump mapping can make a flat surface look rough, grooved, or pebbled by altering how light appears to strike it.
What information does a traditional bump map usually store?
Answer: Height-like values that perturb surface shading
Bonus fact: The renderer uses those values to modify the apparent surface normal during lighting calculations.
How does bump mapping differ from displacement mapping?
Answer: Bump mapping changes shading while displacement mapping can alter actual geometry
Bonus fact: Because bump mapping leaves geometry unchanged, the edge of an object can still reveal the underlying smooth shape.
Compared with basic bump mapping, what can normal mapping represent more directly?
Answer: Full changes in surface-normal direction
Bonus fact: Normal maps can encode directional detail in multiple axes, which gives artists greater control over lighting effects.