not showing bump map

[orbiter]

Because of another issue (see Thread regarding Thumb print) I deleted the preference file to allow a new one to be made with defaults. Since then I have not been able to show bump maps at all.

In the View / Show I have show normals selected.
Looking in the prefs.txt file I even have
{show_materials,true}.
{show_normal_maps,true}.

But there is no bumps for love nor money.
I seem to recall something about a shader being seen in the title bar but as its been there all the time I have been using Wings, I have never given it a thought until now. It may have no bearing on this at all.

Any ideas folks

[micheus]

The render "deformation" you will see in your objects will be produced by a NormalMap - not a HeightMap (check the other thread) - Wings3D doesn't render the bump map effect.

That option in Show menu (View->Show->Normal Maps) will enable Wings3D to render the object applying the normal map that will "deform" the object surface and to see that effect you also need to be sure you are using View->Two Lights (if selected, you will see the option One Light).

Maybe you misunderstood these kind of maps (?)

Well these days people use the terms normal maps and bump maps to mean the same thing, but that's wrong. Really if you ever hear someone say bump map when related to realtime graphics, they mean normal maps, as bump maps, actual bump maps, haven't really been used in realtime for years (no call for them most of the time), though bump maps are just as useful in pre-rendered 3D as they ever were, cause normal maps are sometimes overkill in those cases and simply not required.

A bump map is a grayscale image that only simulates height (like a height map, without the actual displacement) but can't show which direction a particular spot or normal as it were, is facing, while a normal map simulates the direction the normal is facing as well as the height, giving a more realistic effect.

Reference link

[orbiter]

Two lights are better than one and two lights are better ON

Many thanks that did the trick.

I seem to have got the wrong end of the stick as I did not fully understand the role of "normal" maps. The documentation spoke of a bump map being converted, it did not show how a normal map could be used, Maybe it assumed everyone knew!!