Surfacetexturing

Surfacetexturing, also known as surface texturing, is the process of adding surface appearance to a 3D model by applying textures and shader-based effects. In computer graphics, textures are data images or procedurally generated patterns that define color, roughness, reflectivity, and other surface properties. Texturing works in concert with lighting and shading to create perceived material detail.

Common techniques include UV mapping (unwrapping the 3D surface into 2D coordinates to lay out textures), projection mapping (projecting a texture from a camera or primitive onto a model), and procedural texturing (using algorithms to generate detail without image files). Image-based texturing uses photographs or painterly textures.

Texture maps include albedo/color, normal or bump maps, height maps, roughness, metallic, ambient occlusion, and displacement maps. In physically based rendering (PBR) workflows, maps are combined to determine how light interacts with the surface.

Workflow involves creating or importing a model, unwrapping UVs, creating or sourcing textures, painting textures or generating procedurally, applying maps in a material or shader, and adjusting tiling and density. It also includes optimizing resolution and filtering, using mipmaps, and ensuring seams are minimized while textures tile as needed. Color management and gamma encoding matter for consistent results across displays and renderers.

Applications include film, video games, architecture visualization, and product design. Texturing substantially affects realism and material believability, and it is a core aspect of modern CG production.