Detailsmaps

Detailsmaps, or detail maps, are additional texture layers used in 3D materials to simulate fine surface detail such as pores, grain, scratches, or wear. They are designed to add micro-scale variation without requiring high-resolution base textures, enabling greater perceived detail at close viewing distances while keeping memory usage reasonable.

Detail maps can affect color, normals, and physical properties like roughness or metallicity. A detail albedo map adds color variation at a small scale; a detail normal map perturbs the base normal to simulate micro geometry; a detail roughness or metalness map adjusts small-scale surface roughness or metal values. In practice, the data from these maps is blended with the base textures in the material shader, typically using a higher tiling frequency and a dedicated scale parameter to control the influence of the detail layer.

Usage and workflow commonly involve creating or painting micro textures at a small scale and then tiling them across the model. This approach is especially effective for surfaces that benefit from repeated micro-variations, such as wood, fabric, stone, or weathered metal. Care is taken to ensure seamless repetition, consistent lighting response, and appropriate masking so detail remains plausible under varying angles and distances. Performance considerations include the additional texture fetches and memory cost, so detail maps are usually employed judiciously and balanced with base textures.

See also: normal map, albedo map, roughness map, texture tiling, PBR workflows.