# Best way to see normal map effect everywhere

**URL:** <https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** lights\
**Created:** [October 21, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993 "2020-10-21T13:58:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bossie](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.threejs.org/bossie/32/14371_2.png) [@Bossie](https://discourse.threejs.org/u/Bossie)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993/1 "2020-10-21T13:58:16Z")

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Hey all,

What is the best way to always see a normal map effect?  
Currently I have a scene with an ambient light, and a directional light as the sun.  
The material which is lightened by the sun shows the normal map effect, but anything in the shadow looks flat.

The material is MeshPhongMaterial with a color and a normalMap applied to it.  
What is the best way to solve this? Add a couple of directional lights around the object?

 ![Selection_296](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/threejs/original/2X/6/6533cdcade16575143b198a68999715a0d596d15.png)

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**Author:** ![mjurczyk](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.threejs.org/mjurczyk/32/10995_2.png) [@mjurczyk](https://discourse.threejs.org/u/mjurczyk)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993/2 "2020-10-21T14:08:52Z")

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> [@Bossie](#):
>
> Add a couple of directional lights around the object?

Yes. What you are looking at is probably more of a presentational challenge, doesn’t really involve programming materials or normal maps (ofc you could just put the normal maps mixed with diffuse color everywhere, but that may look really poor.)

Read a bit about `3-light studio setup` :

![c182c5aef7bc4c4cfd25d0a8c746044b](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/threejs/original/2X/0/0c875a69fb9307da740a66f05124a778520c8047.gif)

It lets you showcase focused object in their best light - highlighting different areas on different sides (for inspiration, most of art showcases on [Blenderartists](https://blenderartists.org/) show 3-light setup in one way or another.)

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**Author:** ![Bossie](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.threejs.org/bossie/32/14371_2.png) [@Bossie](https://discourse.threejs.org/u/Bossie)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993/3 "2020-10-21T14:21:40Z")

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Cheers, I will look into that, thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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**Author:** ![Mugen87](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.threejs.org/mugen87/32/5645_2.png) [@Mugen87](https://discourse.threejs.org/u/Mugen87)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://discourse.threejs.org/t/best-way-to-see-normal-map-effect-everywhere/19993/4 "2020-10-21T14:48:32Z")

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FYI: Notice that point lights in Blender are able to have a size which is not possible in `three.js` and most other realtime 3D engines. In this context, point lights are so called punctual lights and thus infinitely small.

In general, a “small” light source creates by definition sharp shadows. When a light source becomes “bigger”, it creates smoother and softer shadows. Photographers can influence this process with soft boxes and DCC tools like Blender are able to replicate such effects with `size` settings. In `three.js` the only way to achieve such an effect is with `RectAreaLight` although this type of light is way more expensive than a simple point light. And thus not used in most 3D applications.

Hence, it can be quite frustrating to replicate a lighting setup from Blender in `three.js`. You should be aware of the above restrictions and not have false expectations^^.