Table of Contents

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What Are Mesh Maps?

Mesh maps refers to all the texture maps generated from baking a high poly model's details into the UV space of a low poly model. This includes (but is not limited to):

1. Tangent Space Normal Map
2. World Space Normal Map
3. Position Map
4. Ambient Occlusion Map
5. Curvature Map
6. Thickness Map
7. Color ID Map

Mesh Maps Explained (Briefly)

Tangent Space Normal Map

This map is usually referred to as just a "normal map". The World Space Normal Map is usually referred to by that name to differentiate which map is being talked about. The normal map is the most crucial map for faking detail and is used in nearly every modern 3D video game.

A normal map overrides a model's default polygon normals with per-pixel normals. The colors represent a specific normal vector which changes the direction light reflects off the surface of the model, giving the illusion of intricate details.