Image texture is a 2D computer image used in computer graphics to add visual characteristics to an object or area on the screen. It can be manually or procedurally generated, or sampled from a photograph. Texture mapping is used to cover the surface of a polygon. In 3D graphics, it can be wrapped around entire objects to make them look more realistic. Texture mapping algorithms prevent distortion on non-flat objects. Surface coordinates are used to apply the image to an object, providing predictable and flexible results.
An image texture is a two-dimensional (2D) computer image used in computer graphics to add visual characteristics to an object or area on the screen. Image texture may be manually or procedurally generated, or it may be sampled from an actual photograph or other source. In general, an image texture is used to cover the surface of a polygon, such as a triangle or square, through a process called texture mapping. In three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics, an image texture can be wrapped around entire objects made up of many polygons to make a 3D object look more realistic. There are many other uses for an image texture, including bump mapping, height fields, and shaping.
Transforming an ordinary computer image into a texture image involves applying it to a type of geometry within a computer application. This geometry can be as simple as a square in a graphics editing program, or it can be as complex as a 3D model made up of thousands of polygons. The process of mapping texture to the object involves defining where each of the image’s corners on the geometry will appear. For a square, this process is easy, because the image is also square, so each corner of the image corresponds to a corner of the square. This simple 2D texturing can be used to make a single polygon look like a chessboard with dozens of squares on its surface by using an image of a chessboard as the texture image.
When a texture image will be used to wrap a 3D object, several complex algorithms can be used to determine where various parts of the 2D image will actually appear on the model. The image can be projected directly onto the object, but this usually causes distortion on objects that are not flat. Spheres, for example, will cause an image to pinch up and down as the geometry compresses into individual points. Using the different texture mapping algorithms, such as spherical, cylindrical, or toroidal mapping, can prevent this from happening.
A more complex image texture mapping technique uses surface coordinates to apply the image to an object. This method basically takes the texture of the image and interpolates the position of each pixel in the image using a separate set of user-defined texture coordinates. By knowing which parts of an image will and won’t be distorted, the texture image can be adjusted to compensate, presenting the texture as it was meant to be seen. Most professional 3D graphics use this method with an image texture because it provides the most predictable and flexible results on a model from all angles. Textures such as human heads or clothing are often applied this way.
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