is bump mapping normal?

adrenalin

Newcomer
Can anyone explain the difference between bump and normal mapping to me? Is it only the usage of a bump resp. a normal map or are there bigger differences?
 
Bumpmap is a more general term. It may not store a normal, but could for instance store a heightmap instead to represent the bumps. A normal map on the other hand stores normals specifically. This is the most common form of bumpmap. Of course, a normal map may not store "bumps" but could simply encode a smooth surface, so I guess sometimes it wouldn't fit to call it a bumpmap either.
 
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