Getting Started with Maya > Polygon Texturing > Lesson 3: Normal mapping >

Viewing a normal map

Now that Maya has generated the normal map, you need to change the render mode to High Quality Rendering mode to see it.

To view the normal mapped texture

Select the high resolution toad model and hide it by pressing + H.
In the panel menu, select Renderer > High Quality Rendering.
Now you can see the low resolution model with the detail of the high resolution model applied as a texture.
Tumble the view around the toad.
The light on the surface reacts appropriately to all the details on the texture, without any loss in performance.

NoteIn addition to the High Quality viewport, you can also view normal maps in Viewport 2.0. Select Renderer > Viewport 2.0 to switch to Viewport 2.0. For more information, see Visualize interactively in Viewport 2.0 in the Maya user guide.