I think this is the right place to post this question.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out about producing normal maps in Maya 6?

I've been looking through the documentation but haven't seen anything yet. And I've done a web search but didn't really find what I was looking for. Maybe I just don't know what I'm looking for ...

Am I right in assuming that normal maps are essentially supercharged bump maps generated from a high rez model using color instead of shades of grey? The results I've seen when they're used on low poly cages are stunning. How do they differ from displacement maps as far as rendering times go?

Thanks for listening


Dave