What’s the difference between normal maps and displacement maps in practice?

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What’s the difference between normal maps and displacement maps in practice?

Asked on Nov 17, 2025

Answer

Normal maps and displacement maps both enhance surface detail, but they differ in how they affect geometry and rendering. Normal maps simulate surface details by altering the way light interacts with a surface, without changing the actual geometry, while displacement maps physically modify the mesh by adjusting vertex positions to create real surface variations.

Example Concept: Normal maps affect the surface shading by altering normals, providing the illusion of detail without additional geometry. Displacement maps, however, modify the mesh's geometry based on grayscale values, creating actual surface changes that can cast shadows and interact with light more realistically.

Additional Comment:

Normal maps are computationally less expensive and ideal for real-time applications like games.
Displacement maps require more processing power and are better suited for high-quality renders where real geometry detail is crucial.
Choosing between them depends on the project's performance requirements and visual fidelity goals.

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