Agree, but historical name changing would be painful transition. Also it will affect to the muscle memory "Shift+A - type "Mix" - Arrow Down - Enter" (if someone still don't use Node Wrangler hotkeys)

You might want to consider changing the same name in prop_blend_items[], close to line 1905 in rna_brush.c

@Eugene Du (APEC) - Agree, but historical name changing would be painful transition. Also it will affect to the muscle memory "Shift+A - type "Mix" - Arrow Down - Enter" (if someone still don't use Node Wrangler hotkeys)

Does "Mix (Normal)" help in that case?

@Harley Acheson (harley)

it's better just "Normal" if you mention about this change so that as many people as possible get to know.

Another question is how will you name this node? "Normal" is already exist.

Will have to rename "Normal" to "Normal Direction"

and then "Mix" to "Normal" (or "Normal Blending" just for Normal option, for other options leave as it is)

Shader node colors do not have an alpha component, so I don't think this is really comparable to a Normal blend mode in other apps in that case. The intent of this blend mode in shader nodes is to mix/interpolate, not to composite one image over another. There is also the Mix Shader node which is named and works the same way, and I think the matching names are helpful for that.

For compositing nodes it is similar if you enable the option to use alpha, but that option is disabled by default.

Ironically, I added a patch for changing this menu a couple of days ago, can you take a look at that in conjunction with this please.

See D10545

FYI: The node is still called MixRGB, so this doesn’t change the name of the node, only the name of the blending mode.

It makes no sense to use word "Normal" in a context (Shader Editor) where the name Normal is used also for something completely different (Normal Vector). It WILL, with 100% certainty, increase confusion, not remove it.

There are much better names:

• Lerp/Linear Interpolate/Interpolate (Used by game engines)
• Blend (Simple)

Even Mix is still much better name than Normal in this context. The reason Adobe, and similar software can afford to use world normal is that the word is not used in the same context to describe totally different thing. Photoshop/AE/Premiere do not (in general) work with 3D normals and normal maps. But here, this nonsense change just adds confusion. For example Substance Painter has Normal blending modes, but they are actually used to mix normal maps, they are not simple linear interpolation.

You are gravely underestimating the IQ of average user if you assume, that if they see a Mode called "Mix", which is the default mode, is at the very top of the list of modes, and visually behaves same as "Normal" in mainstream 2D editing software, they won't be able to figure out it's an analog to it.

Linear interpolation is more descriptive, while solving ambiguities that "normal" and "mix" cause

I prefer to mix more, because this is a mix node, simple and clear. Normal node is more like a normal(map) operation.

Leroy: The name of the node hasn't changed. The node is still called MixRGB. This changes the name of the blending mode, not the MixRGB node name itself.

I think it will only confuse people
because all other blending modes change name of the node on it's name

In D10558#266527, @William Reynish (billreynish) wrote:

Leroy: The name of the node hasn't changed. The node is still called MixRGB. This changes the name of the blending mode, not the MixRGB node name itself.

Thanks for your explanation. can't see the name in the draft image. Normally, changing the mix mode also change the node name. If it is still called a mix node in normal mode, I personally think it is acceptable. :P

I propose to make a decision and close this issue once and for all.
If the core developers are against it, then summarize the reasons for the future.

These labels describe the blending mode. Not the whole node, but only the blend mode.

For the "Mix" mode, the result will be equal to the second mixed (overlaid) color.
There is no mixing or interpolation here. It's just wrong to call "Mix".

f(a,b) = b

Even if you overlay images/colors with an alpha channel and you see some mixing,
this is not the result of the blending mode.

Also these names are kind of proper noun, including the name "blending mode" itself,
and it would be nice not to change them.

But, of course, the patch needs to be updated to cover all the places where modes are used.
For grease pencil, for example, the name "Regular" is used.