Normal bump mapping is a technique that lets you simulate high resolution surface detail on low resolution polygonal models.

Normal bump mapping is similar in some respects to regular bump mapping, but it conveys more complex surface detail. Normal bump maps store not only the depth information used in regular bump mapping, but also information on the direction normal of the surface, to produce more life-like results.

The practical benefits of normal bump mapping were first seen in real-time gaming platforms. The ability, however, to create more realistic detail with fewer polygons is desirable in all areas of digital content creation. 3D artists of every specialty should therefore be familiar with two normal bump mapping techniques: the planar projection method and the cage projection method. In this section, each technique is presented in its own tutorial.

ImportantBefore you begin these tutorials, you should make sure that 3ds Max is set to use the Direct3D display driver; otherwise, you will not be able to see the bump effect in your viewports. From the main menu, choose Customize Preferences, and in the Viewports tab Display Drivers group, make sure Direct 3D is the selected driver. If you need to change the driver, you also need to restart 3ds Max. If Direct3D hardware shading is not available on your workstation, then skip these tutorials.