Beyond Albedo
Textures are commonly used as a source of albedo, providing fine detail on coarse geometry. However, a texel's numbers don't have to be interpreted as a color. They can be applied to other properties, like position, normal, depth, opacity, and lighting terms. In this chapter, we explore an assortment of effects that are achieved through textures. By it's end, you'll be able to answer the following questions:
- How can textures be used to situate models in an environment and have them reflect that environment?
- In what ways can textures be used to influence lighting?
- How can intricate shapes like grass be carved out of simple rectangles but still look like real 3D objects?
- What happens if we cast a texture from a light source instead of pasting it on a model?
We will discuss only a fraction of the many creative ends to which textures have been applied. In later chapters, we'll see how textures are used to achieve advanced effects like water and shadows.