Normals Question: Gradient based normal

[w.hattingh]

To simplify things I'm going to explain it based on a rectangle that was created in svg editor, very thin box stretching from left to right.  Now what I'd like to happen is for the left side be directly on the "ground" and the right side be "lifted" off the ground depending on the Normal intensity.  If I use a standard Normal node it will just create a basic outline of the box as is expected, instead of a gradient effect where the background (128,128,255) and left side starts with the background blue and right side is max extrusion height.  Is my only option to use an RGB gradient to simulate the extrusion or is there something I'm missing?  Using an RGB gradient to simulate the extrusions doesn't really make too much sense to me but if thats my only option then so be it.

Hopefully that example was clear enough, also I'm still fairly new to substance designer so please keep that in mind during responses.

[w.hattingh]

I was browsing online for some texture examples and came across this link which will most likely explain my example a lot better than the way I tried to explain it:  http://awesometextures.blogspot.com/2012/05/justin-schut-some-grass.html  Notice how the normal for the grass show the extrusions?  That is the same effect that I would like to create but in a much simpler form.  Is that something that is even possible in substance designer?

[ezrahw]

I've been wondering the same thing recently, I noticed all the parameters can be adjusted to greater numbers than the default sliders. So if you are using the greyscale to Normal node, you can crank the Intensity to a larger value, like 50 or 100, this will make the gradient slope more apparent.

You could try the Normal Blend node to layer different Normal nodes that have different intensities, using a mask.

So with that grass example, maybe the glass blade could be propagated using a splatter node, then turned into a normal map + mask for a normal blend mode, layering it on top of a ground map.

Also been messing with the Normal Color node, it lets you define the direction and slope angle, so with some masking and blending that might work for flat angled stuff.

I'm wanting to create a cracked surface where each piece is slightly sloped in different directions, hoping to figure something out...