{{tag>graphic skin texture normal}}
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[[:start|Start Page]] >> [[:gamedev|Game Development with the Drag[en]gine]] >> [[gamedev:skinproperties|Skin Texture Properties]] >> [[gamedev:texturepropertylist|Texture Property Database]] >> **normal.strength**
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====== Skin Texture Property: normal.strength ======
Defines the strength of the influence of the normal texture property.

|Excepted Data Source|1 component value|
|Data Range|0 to 1. above or below for special effects|
|Default Value|1|
|Affected Modules|Graphic, Physics|
|Linked Properties|[[gamedev:textureproperties:normal|normal]]|

====== Description ======

The **normal.strength** texture property is linked to the **[[gamedev:textureproperties:normal|normal]]** texture property. It defines the strength of the normal map. This property blends the normal obtained from the
normal map with the real geometry normal. This allows to use the full image resolution for normal map details where subtle normal map effects are desired without producing artifacts. This can be used for example for a window having a slight normal perturbance effect. Storing the normal map with such a subtle strength results in ugly artifacts due to the 8-bit resolution not being used. Using this texture property the normal map can be stored at full strength but the effect reduced to the desired level. Furthermore this can also be used to create dynamic normal map effects without the need for a dynamic normal map property. This texture property is also useful to share normal maps across different materials using different strength.

The value is typically a single component value with the data in the range from 0 to 1. 0 represents 0% influence of the **[[gamedev:textureproperties:normal|normal]]** texture property. 1 represents 100% influence of the **[[gamedev:textureproperties:normal|normal]]** texture property. Higher values can be used to excagerate the strength. The results can though be volatile if going to high. Negative values can be used to invert the effect of the normal map. How well this all works depends on the used normal map.

The default value for this texture property is 1.

====== Examples ======

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{{ :gamedev:textureproperties:normal_strength.png |Reflection in a window with different strength of a distorting normal map}}
<WRAP centeralign>Reflection in a window with different strength of a distorting normal map. The same normal map is used to render the glass uneven. On the right is a **normal.strength** of 1, in the middle of 0.25 and on the left of 0.02 . Using a low **normal.strength** value the full resolution of the normal map can be used without running into artifacts.</WRAP>
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