SpaghetMeNot has released normalMagic 1.0, a Blender add-on that delivers advanced control over mesh normals and introduces entirely new modelling workflows. The toolkit addresses one of the most persistent issues in Blender pipelines: shading artifacts caused by broken normals.
Why Normals Matter
Normals determine how light interacts with a surface. Incorrect normals can cause shading glitches, flickering seams, or muddy renders. For high-quality work — from hard-surface and organic modelling to foliage, hair, or stylized shading — adjusting normals is often essential.
Surface-Based Workflows
normalMagic introduces Surface Insert, a modifier that blends and welds meshes directly into a target surface. This process is non-destructive, keeping topology editable while allowing detail to be added seamlessly. Alongside it, Surface Project transfers positions, normals, and UVs onto surfaces, with auto-masking so artists can skip managing vertex groups manually.
Boolean Pro: Clean Cuts Without the Artifacts
The add-on replaces Blender’s Boolean modifier with Boolean Pro, which preserves artifact-free normals across Boolean operations. Features include slice mode and per-cut offsets, letting the same cutter object be reused across multiple operations. For destructive workflows, Repair Boolean Normals resolves most shading artifacts left behind.
Smoothing, Transferring, and Blending Normals
Smooth Normals and Normal Transfer provide solutions for difficult topology. Artists can flatten or smooth normals to optimize toon shading, fake subsurface scattering, or blend normals between unconnected meshes. Together, these tools improve both realistic and stylized workflows.
16 Modifiers and Unified Shading Tools
In total, 16 modifiers are included in normalMagic, each with documentation and example files. Highlights include:
- Bent Normals: direct bent normal calculation on geometry, no baking required.
- Weighted Normals: control influence by face area, face strength, or custom attributes with precise cutoff settings.
- Instance Objects: instance with all modifiers applied, avoiding manual duplication of settings.
Pro Version and Workflow Automation
The Pro version ships with an additional helper add-on, installed via drag-and-drop. It integrates into Blender’s side panel and streamlines workflows for Boolean Pro and Instance Objects by automating setup steps. More modifiers will be supported in future updates.
Installation as Asset Library
normalMagic installs as a Blender Asset Library. After extracting the zip file, users link it under Edit → Preferences → File Paths. Linking instead of appending keeps blend files light and ensures updates propagate automatically across projects. Once installed, normalMagic tools appear in the add modifier menu.
Important Note on Custom Normals
Most normalMagic modifiers create or edit custom normals. While powerful, custom normals can behave unpredictably with Blender’s native tools — particularly bevel and mirror modifiers. normalMagic includes fixes for these cases, but users should be aware of the potential impact on standard workflows.
Compatibility and Updates
normalMagic requires Blender 4.5+. All future updates are free, with older builds remaining available for download and full support for Blender LTS releases.
