Overflatenormaler

Overflatenormaler, also known as surface normals, are vectors that are perpendicular to a surface at a given point. They are a fundamental concept in computer graphics, geometry, and physics, used to determine how light interacts with surfaces, how objects reflect light, and how surfaces interact with other objects. In computer graphics, surface normals are used to calculate shading, lighting, and reflections, making them essential for rendering realistic images. In geometry, they are used to determine the orientation of a surface and to calculate surface area. In physics, they are used to determine how forces act on surfaces and to calculate the angle of incidence and reflection. Surface normals can be calculated using various methods, including finite difference methods, least squares fitting, and normal mapping. They are typically represented as unit vectors, meaning they have a length of one, and are often stored in a data structure called a normal map or bump map.