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Vertex Offset and Vertex Normal Use

PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:40 am
by Duckocide
Hi

Can someone give me a quick explanation of how Vertex Normal on the Shader is used. I guess I'm trying to understand how the pixel values from a texture are used determine normal direction. I've hunted around the wiki docs and not found much. I'm trying to get my mesh to displace relative to vertex normals (so guessing I need to either have a texture, calculated or otherwise to broadly describe the mapped mesh shape)? Either way, looking for an explanation on the usage and form of these vertex inputs. Thanks!

Re: Vertex Offset and Vertex Normal Use

PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:46 am
by Duckocide
I think I must just have found the answer to this. Multiply the Vertex Normal (input node type) by my displacement value (grey scale texture) and wire in to Local Vertex Offset. No need to use Local Vertex Normal?

Seems to look ok.

Re: Vertex Offset and Vertex Normal Use

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:49 am
by Amplify_Borba
Duckocide wrote:Hi

Can someone give me a quick explanation of how Vertex Normal on the Shader is used. I guess I'm trying to understand how the pixel values from a texture are used determine normal direction. I've hunted around the wiki docs and not found much. I'm trying to get my mesh to displace relative to vertex normals (so guessing I need to either have a texture, calculated or otherwise to broadly describe the mapped mesh shape)?


Hello!

We are actually in the process of updating the ASE wiki, but Vertex Normals are not specific to our editor.

From your early description of how you'd like to displace the mesh relative to its normals, it would seem that you are looking for Vertex Displacement, which unfortunately is not currently supported.

Duckocide wrote:Either way, looking for an explanation on the usage and form of these vertex inputs. Thanks! I think I must just have found the answer to this. Multiply the Vertex Normal (input node type) by my displacement value (grey scale texture) and wire in to Local Vertex Offset.


That port is used for vertex manipulation, it's how you would usually setup that type of effect. It can be set to Relative or Absolute in the main Output node parameters.

Duckocide wrote:No need to use Local Vertex Normal?


Not if you intend to recreate the same effect present in the Tessellation sample included in the ASE package, only if you need to manipulate the Local Vertex Normals.

I recommend that you check out https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/SL-Reference.html for further information.

Thank you for getting in touch!