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curl-6 on 17 March 2012
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lilbroex said:
Viper1 said:

Quite certain that's a normal map, not a parallax map.  Your point about a flat edge at the bottom of the boulder even helps suggest it is a normal map as a parallax map can show texture depth or height better at acute angles than a regular normal map can.

Here is a list of some objects and models found inside the game and their technical aspects.
http://tcrf.net/Super_Mario_Galaxy

Be sure to check the list of Early Objects and Unused Planets as well.   What you'll notice is that many things have a normal map but nothing has a parallax map.

Also to note, High Voltage Software's Quantum Engine 3 (regarding as one of the most graphically advanced 3rd party Wii game engines) does not feature parallax mapping at all. 

 


Actually the side view is the only way to tell if its parallax maping. Parallax mapping actually makes things protrude and adds visible depth. Normal mapping just makes things look a little more detailed than they actually are when you look head on. You can tell normal mapping from any angle, but you can only see parallax mapping by viewing it directly from the side.

The boulders in Galaxy stick out and you can see the depth in them. Normal and EMBM mapping don't make things convex and concave. They also have no effect on shadows.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/ktbluear/Fig25.jpg

Left normal | Right parralax

http://encelo.netsons.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/normal_parallax.jpg

 

1st normal mapping. 2nd parllax

http://cowboyprogramming.com/images/pmbh/Fig-5a.jpg

http://cowboyprogramming.com/images/pmbh/Fig-5b.jpg

 

The only thing I saw the effect on was the boulders and that link doesn't give details on them. You can see the depth in the boulders and their shadows in at most angle. Only when you look at it paraallel to the side does it become apparent that it is just a texture.

I'm pretty sure what you see as parallax mapping on the boulders is a combination of EMBM with actual polygons.

The  whole point of bump/normal/parallax mapping is to fake geometry that isn't really there, and I'm pretty sure that on the Wii's hardware it's easier to just have protruding polygons instead of parallax mapping.

 

To be honest I'm still surprised the game even has normal mapping; not because the system can't do it but because I can't recall a single instance where something was obviously a normal map and not just something doable via EMBM or Embossing. If it's not even noticeable it seems strange to bother doing it, since it's a technique that's difficult to pull off on the Wii. Doable, but difficult.