Texture mapping

Texture mapping applies image data to a 3D model’s surface, adding visual detail without requiring equivalent geometric detail.

UV mapping: A method of assigning two-dimensional coordinates to points on a 3D surface. UV coordinates specify which image locations correspond to points on the model.
Polygon mesh: A 3D shape represented by vertices, edges, and polygonal faces. Texture mapping assigns image detail to the faces of this surface representation.
Diffuse map: A texture map storing the base color of a surface, apart from lighting effects. It is the familiar image-on-surface use of texture mapping.
Procedural texture: A texture generated by mathematical rules or algorithms rather than stored as a fixed image. It supplies surface patterns without relying on painted image data.
Texture coordinates: Coordinates that identify locations within a texture image for surface sampling. They determine where the texture is sampled across the mapped surface.
Raster image: An image represented as a grid of pixels, each storing color or other values. Ordinary texture maps store surface data as sampled image pixels.
Normal mapping: A rendering technique that uses a texture to perturb surface normals and simulate fine relief. It adds apparent geometric detail without changing the model’s silhouette.
Geometry modeling: The construction and modification of a 3D object’s shape and surface geometry. Geometry changes the actual form; texture mapping primarily changes its rendered appearance.
Texture filtering: Methods for combining texture samples when mapping image data onto rendered surfaces. Filtering reduces aliasing when texture details become smaller than screen pixels.
Fragment shader: A programmable rendering stage that computes values for fragments produced by rasterization. It commonly samples textures and combines them into the final surface appearance.

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