While they may look very similar, normal maps offer better accuracy and detail. A normal map uses RGB values, rather than grayscale, to position the normals in XYZ space. So what’s the difference between bump and normal?īump maps use a grayscale image to define the height of the surface. It does not actually change the surface of the model at all, but tells the lighting where to cast shadows and highlights to give the illusions of detail. They add detail to your model that you do not have to create yourself.īump and Normal maps simulate bumps and details on the surface of your model. All three of these maps do very similar things but in a different way. Opacity maps are also used to create plants, where each leaf is a single plane with an opacity map to cut out a specific leaf shape. This does sacrifice some accuracy but can be useful depending on the project. If you want to try new grill patterns, just make a new map and render it out. By simply modeling the grill as a plane, you have the ability to create an opacity map in illustrator with the exact grill pattern you want. These are a great way to save time when modeling and offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to renders.Ī good example is when designing a speaker, the grill of the speaker can have thousands of holes, that would slow solidworks down quite a bit. Opacity maps are grayscale textures that use values from black to white to determine the transparency of the material and the object it is applied to. You may see it as transparency, or even alpha (alpha has other uses as well like cutting out labels). Opacity also has a few different names from program to program. Take the time to learn good surfacing, topology, or construction habits, and then look into material creation. Good materials can make a great model better, but they can’t be used to cover up a poorly modeled asset. It is also important to note that the quality of your model is much more important than the quality of your materials. If this seems complicated now, it’s alright, as we learn the basics, these will become clearer and more familiar.
A map will refer to an image that is used to create the material as well, but more specifically referring to non-photographic images (ex: grayscale and normal maps). A texture will refer to an image that is used in the creation of the material (ex: a picture of woven fabric). There’s not a straight definition across the board, but for all intents and purposes the terms in this book will be as follows:Ī material is the final look applied to the object consisting of all maps (This is referred to as a shader as well). Is a material the same as a texture? It is and it isn’t. So with that out of the way let’s get started! First we’ll look at the basics of a material, then the softwares and tools available, and finally I’ll give some resources so you can learn more. Keyshot comes with a great material library, what’s wrong with that? Nothing! But softwares change, and you might not always have a material library at your disposal, by understanding the fundamentals of what makes a material, you will be able to make great materials no matter what.
Why should I care so much about materials? Good materials have the ability to push a great model over the top, and really help tell a story. You may have some questions before you get into this book, so I’ll answer those questions now. The main goal of this book is to consolidate a lot of the information there is about material creation, and in turn, provide you with a fundamental understanding of how materials work. The Texture Resource Guide is meant to be used as a reference for designers, or just about anyone new to the world of 3D modeling and rendering. Hey! Thank you for checking out this book (webpage)
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