Materials & Textures
Materials
Materials are added to the surface of 3D objects to create realistic renderings of the model. Materials provide visual detail to the model which produces an aesthetic which is not conveyed through the wireframe geometry of the model.
Adding material properties to the surfaces of 3D objects provides an stylized appearance only, intended to convey a visual approximation of the product.
When applying materials to the surfaces of 3D objects, the following elements are used either independently or in unison to create different results.
It should be noted that each material type has properties which are unique to the material category and type, therefore, different properties are used to create different results.
COLOR
The base color or diffuse color of the material, which defines the primary color that the material displays.
Specularity
The level of shininess or glossiness of the material. This controls how much light is reflected off the surface in a mirror-like manner.
Reflectivity
This is the extent to which the material reflects its surroundings. High reflectivity is used for materials like glass, water, and polished metals.
Transparency
This determines how much light passes through the material. Transparent materials are used for glass, water, and other see-through objects.
Roughness
This is the micro-surface detail that scatters light over the surfaces. High roughness results in a matte finish, while low roughness produces a glossy finish.
Emission
This is the capacity of a material to emit light, used for objects that need to glow or act as light sources.
Textures
The texture of a material is produced using a bitmap image of a pattern which is then mapped onto the 3D model to provide a patterned and detailed surface of the material. Common textures include the following properties :
Diffuse Map
This defines the base color of the material and provides the primary color information for the model.
Specular Map
Controls the reflectivity and shininess of different parts of the material. It can vary across the surface to create more realistic effects.
Normal Map
This creates a visual simulation of small surface details such as bumps and dents without increasing the model’s polygon count. It affects how light interacts with the surface to create the illusion of depth.
Bump Map
This image format is similar to a normal map, creating the illusion of surface detail by altering the surface normals over the surface contours.
Displacement Map
Adjusts the geometry of the surface to create realistic physical detail. It can add significant realism but is more computationally demanding.
Opacity Map
Controls the transparency of different parts of the material. Useful for creating complex shapes like leaves or grates where geometry would be too complex.
Reflection Map
Simulates reflective surfaces by mapping an environment image onto the object, creating the illusion of reflections.
Emissive Map
Defines areas of the material that should appear to emit light, creating glowing effects.
UV Mapping
UV Mapping is the process by which a 2D image in the form of a jpg or bmp file is projected onto the surface of a 3D model using the UV coordinates U and V.
The U coordinate runs horizontally along the surface.
The V coordinate runs vertically along the surface.
A 2D image which corresponds to the UV coordinates is then projected onto the surface contours of the model.
See Also