Ok so I have a question concerning skyboxes. Is it possible to apply a normal map to a skybox?
In NFS: Hot Pursuit 2010, a player can enjoy a nice day-night cycle. I noticed a particular detail that many people may have missed: As the sun moves through the sky, the lighting on the clouds acts as if it is not a simple flat surface like the skyboxes most of us know. The way the light plays on them changes as the “sun” moves around, like it would on any normal-mapped object, see?
So my first guess upon seeing this tidbit was “I bet some super-smart shaderlab expert knows how to pull this off”
I bet some super-smart shaderlab expert knows how to pull this off
I assure you it has nothing to do with normal maps, but tinting the clouds according to virtual lighting information. I have long time ago made a hlsl example of this(copying from the samples on the web mostly) but yet to convert to unity.
Normal mapped skybox heh? I really wouldnt even think how could normal map help with anything here. Normal maps are more or less displaying very close details or little details, unless they are displayed dirrectly on screen as some sort of refraction helper. I have looked video and i cant see anything normal mapped on skybox surface.
Yes, I think Unity should have support for more than one type of shader. If the guys at Source can implement HLSL shaders, I’m sure our friends in Holland can do the same.
Normal maps may not be designed for this, but in theory it should work. and if it works, theres no harm in doing it. My shaderlab-noobish mind thinks a good way to do this would be to not use the default skyboxing method, but to instead use the cubemap method. Create a basic shader that creates a cubemap but also asks for a normal map. May need some kinks to be worked out, but hows the theory sound?
You go for it man. After some trial and error, im sure you will find the right way which suits your needs best. And good thing is, you will learn shader programming on your way.