Difference between revisions of "Face weighted normals"

Latest revision as of 10:36, 25 April 2026

Face weighted normals (FWN) is a technique to improve shading for 3d models. Shading can be improved by adding bevels and altering the vertex normals to be perpendicular on the larger flat polygons. This forces the shading to be blended across the smaller bevel faces, rather than across the entire model.

However, the added bevels will often create long thin triangles, which can significantly reduce rendering performance. See Counting Quads.

• SunglassesKhronos glTF asset includes a mini-tutorial on face-weighted normals
• 3ds Max has a tool named the Weighted Normals Modifier
• Blender has a tool named the Weighted Normal Modifier
• I'm an tech artist in the industry and I'd love to clear up some misconceptions about rendering and game art workflows that I frequently see in comments from SC fans
• Decal technique from Star Citizen Polycount Forum thread
• A short explanation about custom vertex normals (tutorial) Polycount Forum thread
• Face weighted normals Polycount Forum thread
• Weighted Vertex Normals
• FrostSoft: SHADING INTERPOLATION (VNT documentation/ Superspecular soft edges)
• Superspecular soft edges tutorial chapter 1 Polycount Forum thread

Bevels can be added, and vertex normals can be adjusted for clean shading.
From the readme for the SunglassesKhronos glTF sample asset, by Eric Chadwick

Bending normals on bevelled models.
From the tutorial Shading techniques Superspecular soft edges, by Paolo Oliverio

FWN Tools

• 3ds Max: wnormals by Martijn Buijs
• Blender: Normal Editor by Blend4Web
• Maya: mig Normal Tools by Mika Göös

More Information

• Normal map
• Smoothing Groups
• Vertex color
• VertexNormal