Technology
How games fake 3D detail on flat surfaces
HERE’S THE INTERESTING PART
Modeling every crack in a brick wall would completely decimate performance, so developers flat-out lie to your eyes instead. Normal mapping uses a specialized rainbow-colored texture to trick the lighting engine into casting shadows on a perfectly flat polygon. You perceive a highly detailed, rugged stone surface, but if you look closely at the edge, the entire object is actually smoother than a polished mirror.
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