Normal Mapping

I took a bit of time off from working on the 3D printer to get back into the coding for the game. I designed and added a basic model format (one which requires nearly no interpretation before it can be sent to the graphics card, which cut load time in half), and implemented normal mapping:

Left-hand side: No normal mapping. Right-hand side: Normal mapped.
You will need to see the full-size image - note the detail on the lion's face and roughness of stone.

Normal mapping takes a flat face (for example, the pillar on the right) and adds small peturbations to the direction in which the surface is facing, based on a texture. These changes can add virtual roughness or smoothness to a surface without increasing the geometric complexity, which can make the surface lighting look more realistic, at a minimal performance hit.

The TODO list before something playable is ready:

• Skeletal Animation
• Audio
• Streaming System
• Game Logic
• Mechanics
• Shadows/Specular Power/MultiLights/Graphical Tweaks
• Basic AI
• A world/level to experiment with.

I'm aiming to tick on average one of these off per week, and have something completely playable by the end of the year. It's odd to think that I first played around with this code around New Year's time, and have now been working on this, on and (mostly) off, for almost a year!

Charlie