Visualise Normal

Visualise Normal

Overview

The Visualise normal shader gives an RGB representation of the 3D vector for the surface normal. The R value of the colour is the X component, G is Y, and B is Z. Surface normal values which range from -1 to +1 are remapped into the visible range 0 to 1.

Settings:

• Name: This setting allows you to apply a descriptive name to the node, which can be helpful when using multiple Visualise normal nodes in a project.
• Enable: When checked, the node is active and the settings below will affect the surface. When unchecked, the node is ignored.
• Diffuse: When checked, the surface of the object or terrain is treated as diffuse. The lights within the project will illuminate it according to their position and rotation, and if “Do shadows” is enabled in the Renderer, shadows cast by these light sources will be visible on the surface.

Diffuse checked, with red, green and blue channels.

Diffuse checked, global illumination, atmosphere, lighting and shadows enabled.

Diffuse checked, global illumination, atmosphere, lighting and shadows disabled.




• Luminous: When checked, the surface of the object of terrain is treated as fully luminous. The lights within the project have no effect upon the surface

Luminous checked, with red, green and blue channels.

Luminous checked, global illumination, atmosphere, lighting and shadows enabled.

Luminous checked, global illumination, atmosphere, lighting and shadows disabled.




• Flip X: When checked, flips the surface normal from left to right.
• Flip Y: When checked, flips the surface normal from top to bottom.
• Flip Z: When checked, flips the surface normal from front to back.

Cube with Diffuse checked, then each normal is flipped.

Terrain with Diffuse checked, then each normal is flipped.

Cube with Luminous checked, then each normal is flipped

Terrain with Luminous checked, then each normal is flipped.

A shader is a program or set of instructions used in 3D computer graphics to determine the final surface properties of an object or image. This can include arbitrarily complex descriptions of light absorption and diffusion, texture mapping, reflection and refraction, shadowing, surface displacement and post-processing effects. In Terragen 2 shaders are used to construct and modify almost every element of a scene.

A vector is a set of three scalars, normally representing X, Y and Z coordinates. It also commonly represents rotation, where the values are pitch, heading and bank.

A single object or device in the node network which generates or modifies data and may accept input data or create output data or both, depending on its function. Nodes usually have their own settings which control the data they create or how they modify data passing through them. Nodes are connected together in a network to perform work in a network-based user interface. In Terragen 2 nodes are connected together to describe a scene.