normal map not working as expected

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img661/3813/SEKgyM.gif
I have 2 questions:

  1. how can you make the low res object look exactly like the highres (as seen in gif the lowres is “flatter” than highres).
  2. How do you make nomal map work via material nodes. I mean not via:
    -Properties editor > Material tab > New Material.
    -Properties editor > Texture tab > New Texture > type: “image or movie” > Image Sampling tab: check “normal map”.
    -Node Editor > Shader Nodes > check “Use Nodes” > “Material Node” Normal output.

Please show via example blend i have posted.
cube_normal_maps_modes_01.zip (1.7 MB)

Thanks in advance.

It seems the Cube turns Smooth Shaded when using nodes (?)

I guess its another Blebug. Debug: call the un-noded bumped material in main material node and mix it.

To clarify, in the blend file i posted in the first post I have three cubes in a scene:
-in the 1st layer I have a cube that serves as the high resolution model. I just subdivided a cube a couple of times, then sculpted letters on each side (the name of the sides)
-in the 2nd layer I have a cube that serves as the lowres resolution model. It’s just a copy of the same cube in the 1st layer, except before subdividing and sculpting it. I baked the normals from the highres to lowres cube and applied the texture as normal map. maybe I baked it wrong or missed a step.
-in the 2nd layer I have a cube that serves as the lowres resolution model with earlier created normal map via material nodes. this was just an experiment and I really don’t know what I’m doing, so please help with set up the material nodes so it acts like a normal map.

For me priority no. 1 is the first question: how to make the low-res look EXACTLY like the highres. the lowres is flatter than highres, so is it a threshold (how deep or depth) that I have to take in account, the W in UVW texture or blue channel in RGB. maybe I didn’t bake it correctly?

@mziskandar: What’s a “Blebug”? I also don’t understand your second sentence.

Blender bug…
To fix that, you can use that normal mapped material (Cube_normal_without_nodes) inside (Cube_normal_with_nodes) and mix with your new material made with nodes.

@mziskandar: Oh, a Blender Bug. In the first post under the 2nd question I meant NOT via another material node what you suggest. Do you know a solution to my 1st question?

I don’t think it’s a GE-specific bug (or even a bug at all), the shading will go the same way when rendering in BI as well and is due to how the normal data works.

In other words, the material nodes in general have no built in solution to turn tangent space normal maps into high quality normal data (not like the normal map node in Cycles). There is however a way to use normal nodes to get something real close to true normal mapping, but it can be hard to figure out if you’re new to nodes.

@acedragon: could you post example with my blender file to show that way. Still, 1st question: why is low poly flatter than high poly and can it be fixed, if so, show with blend file i’ve posted.

Not with your file, but this should give a good idea on how it should look.


Now you notice the coordinate nodes aren’t there, even though you still need them. You will also need a geometry node and use the view and normal ouputs.