Is there any benefit to using either one of them, I followed a tutorial on how to apply a normal map to a model and they said I should be using a mix node and change it to multiply. Working just fine, but I see there is an actual normal map vector node, what’s the difference between these two?
The mix node just mixes two images or textures together in a generic way (ultimately going into the color socket in the shader nodes). while the normalmap node converts tangent-space normalmaps into a format that Cycles can interpret to render as a proper normal map (when plugged into the normal socket in the shader nodes).
I’m sorry I meant the mixRGB node.
That was what I meant when I stated what the mix node does.
Incidentally, it’s well worth remembering that the “color” of a particular node input or output connection is based on the ‘physical’ (so to speak …) characteristics of the data-stream that the node is prepared to accept. For example, “a ‘color’ is a ‘3-tuple’ (R,G,B), or a '4-tuple (R,G,B,A).” In determining whether-or-not you shall be allowed to connect “this” to “that,” Blender always assumes that you actually know what you are doing. :spin:
… whether or not “it actually makes sense.”
And, this is by design.
Ultimately, “you are writing a computer program.” You’re describing a data-flow diagram to a digital computer. It’s entirely up to you to see to it that “what you describe” is actually appropriate for your intended purposes … whatever those purposes might be. 