# Normal maps and Path Tracing? Path Tracer ignores the normal map?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-maps-and-path-tracing-path-tracer-ignores-the-normal-map/2225195>\
**Category:** Rendering\
**Tags:** unreal-engine, question\
**Created:** [December 16, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-maps-and-path-tracing-path-tracer-ignores-the-normal-map/2225195 "2024-12-16T14:50:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vds123321](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@vds123321](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/vds123321)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-maps-and-path-tracing-path-tracer-ignores-the-normal-map/2225195/1 "2024-12-16T14:50:51Z")

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Anyone that know any workarounds? Seems to be an old issue, any news or tips? Id prefer not to use displacement

older discussion:

> [@Path Tracer ignores normal map?](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/path-tracer-ignores-normal-map/503729):
>
> Hey everyone, i noticed that the path tracer in preview 1 doesnt seem to use normal maps correctly, at least not in the same way as the deferred renderer. As you can see in the following images, the identical meshes and materials are shaded differently when using Path Tracing. The normal maps have a visible effect, but there seems to be a misinterpretation regarding tangent/object normal. This is independent of using nanite btw. Is this a known limitation, or a bug? The effect is especially v…