| Texture Mapping |
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| May 2011 | |
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Texture mapping is a graphic design process in which a two-dimensional surface, called a "texture map", is "wrapped around" a three-dimensional object. Thus, the 3-D object acquires a surface texture similar to that of the 2-D surface. Texture mapping is the electronic equivalent of applying wallpaper, paint,or veneer to a real object. The simplest texture mappings involve processes such as that shown below. Three identical squares, each covered randomly with dots, are directly mapped onto the three visible facets of a 3-D cube. This distorts the sizes and shapes of the dots on the top and right-hand facets. In this mapping, the texture map covers the cube with no apparent discontinuities because of the way the dots are arranged on the squares.   Return to Advanced Features page |