Ren's explanation of this kind of confused me so I did some googling and I hope this explanation will help:
Imagine each point on the object has a tiny arrow/normal vector pointing perpendicular to the surface
The bump map tells the software to slightly twist these normal vectors at different points based on the image's brightness. Brighter areas tilt the normals outwards, creating the illusion of bumps. Darker areas tilt them inwards, simulating dents.
By playing with these normal directions, bump mapping creates the appearance of bumps and details on the surface, even though the actual geometry remains flat.
Ren's explanation of this kind of confused me so I did some googling and I hope this explanation will help:
Imagine each point on the object has a tiny arrow/normal vector pointing perpendicular to the surface
The bump map tells the software to slightly twist these normal vectors at different points based on the image's brightness. Brighter areas tilt the normals outwards, creating the illusion of bumps. Darker areas tilt them inwards, simulating dents.
By playing with these normal directions, bump mapping creates the appearance of bumps and details on the surface, even though the actual geometry remains flat.