Can't get normals to properly work.

Graphics
1

Hi there, I’m very new to shading and I was trying to create some terrain. I calculate all the positions and then I get the normals, but then when I render them, it all appears like a flat and shiny surface.

Edit: Gif doesn’t show sometimes, if it doesn’t, click on it.

Debug.gif802×512 1.31 MB

Here is my drawing code:

protected void DrawPrimitivesUserDefined(VertexPositionColorNormal[] vertices)
{

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.CurrentTechnique = Utils.PrimitivesEffect.Techniques["BasicEffect_VertexLighting_VertexColor"];

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.World = SmartGardenCamera.worldMatrix;
    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.View = SmartGardenCamera.viewMatrix;
    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.Projection = SmartGardenCamera.projectionMatrix;

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.EnableDefaultLighting();

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.LightingEnabled = true; // turn on the lighting subsystem

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.VertexColorEnabled = true;
    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.DiffuseColor = new Vector3(1, 0, 0);

    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.AmbientLightColor = new Vector3(0, .25f, .75f);
    Utils.PrimitivesEffect.EmissiveColor = new Vector3(0, 0, 1);

    RasterizerState rasterizerState = new RasterizerState();
    rasterizerState.CullMode = CullMode.CullClockwiseFace;
    rasterizerState.FillMode = FillMode.Solid;
    GraphicsDevice.RasterizerState = rasterizerState;



    foreach (EffectPass pass in Utils.PrimitivesEffect.CurrentTechnique.Passes)
    {
       pass.Apply();
       GraphicsDevice.DrawUserPrimitives(PrimitiveType.TriangleStrip,vertices, 0, (Consts.TerrainWidth * 2) - 2);
    }

    GraphicsDevice.RasterizerState = SolidState; //SolidState is set to FillMode.Solid; Resetting the rasterizer state.
}

And more importantly, here I calculate my normals:

    for (int i = 0; i < Terrain.Count; i++)
        {
            for (int j = 0; j < Terrain[i].Count - 2; j += 3)
            {
                Vector3 p1 = Terrain[i][j].Position;
                Vector3 p2 = Terrain[i][j + 1].Position;
                Vector3 p3 = Terrain[i][j + 2].Position;

                Vector3 v1 = p2 - p1;
                Vector3 v2 = p3 - p1;
                Vector3 normal = Vector3.Cross(v1, v2);

                normal = new Vector3(1, 1, 1);

                normal.Normalize();

                VertexPositionColorNormal vpcn1 = Terrain[i][j];
                VertexPositionColorNormal vpcn2 = Terrain[i][j + 1];
                VertexPositionColorNormal vpcn3 = Terrain[i][j + 2];

                vpcn1.Normal = normal;
                vpcn2.Normal = normal;
                vpcn3.Normal = normal;

                Terrain[i][j] = vpcn1;
                Terrain[i][j + 1] = vpcn2;
                Terrain[i][j + 2] = vpcn3;
            }
        }
        //Terrain is a List<List<VertexPositionColorNormal>>. 
        //Each List<VertexPositionColorNormal> is a strip of terrain

Mainly taken from here.

Any guidance is very much appreciated.
I apologize for my shallow understanding of shaders and normals. :frowning:

2 
            Vector3 normal = Vector3.Cross(v1, v2);

            normal = new Vector3(1, 1, 1);// <<< ???
1 Like
3

Wow, I thought it was something else… I feel really stupid right now. Once I remove the normal = new Vector2(1, 1, 1);, it all works just fine as expected. Can anyone show me a way to delete the thread…