# Normal or Impact Normal?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299>\
**Category:** Blueprint\
**Tags:** normals, hit-result, unreal-engine, question\
**Created:** [September 20, 2024, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299 "2024-09-20T08:12:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![turbotanaka](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@turbotanaka](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/turbotanaka)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299/1 "2024-09-20T08:12:51Z")

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I don’t understand the difference between Normal and Impact Normal in Hit Result.  
I’ve tried searching but only find vague answers. (This may be due to a nuance in the translation)  
What are the differences?  
Which should you use to calculate the angle at which the bullet hit?

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**Author:** ![ClockworkOcean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/clockworkocean/32/1169999_2.png) [@ClockworkOcean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ClockworkOcean)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 8:47am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299/2 "2024-09-20T08:47:47Z")

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They look very similar, but the descriptions are different…

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/3/3/0/330493f7b2869d3994460083d9c99f782399302a.png)

They are very different if you use a sphere trace, for example ( on a curved edge ).

Anyway, for a bullet, I’d use reflection vector

[![](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/4/b/2/4b25ce9a67e662d4b2b41bb66943c7a1641089e9.jpeg "How to...Reflection Vector") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_r30twgFsA)

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**Author:** ![turbotanaka](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@turbotanaka](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/turbotanaka)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 9:12am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299/3 "2024-09-20T09:12:28Z")

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So normals only work for sphere trace?  
Does this mean that there is no need to use it for physical hits or line tracing?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ClockworkOcean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/clockworkocean/32/1169999_2.png) [@ClockworkOcean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ClockworkOcean)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299/4 "2024-09-20T09:13:53Z")

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If you want something that behaves like a bullet, then line trace is fine.

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**Author:** ![system](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/7/1/3/713c9d3f58553f0de89543d76a8a3a2779dc9fa4.png) [@system](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2024, 9:14am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/normal-or-impact-normal/2029299/5 "2024-10-20T09:14:06Z")

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