Normal Maps are generally used to simulate complex geometry that would be too expensive, in terms of computer processing, to be actually represented by the 3D polygons during the game's runtime. To oversimplify: Normal Maps fake complex geometry on low-definition 3D meshes. These maps can be generated either by projecting high-definition 3D meshes onto low-poly ones (a technique usually referred to as baking), or, as will be the case for this recipe, from another Texture map:
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