2012

Overview of Maps
The images you assign to materials are called maps. You use maps to improve
the appearance and realism of materials. Materials that contain one or more
images are called mapped materials.
Maps can simulate textures, reflections, refractions, and other effects. When
used with materials, maps add details without adding complexity to the
geometry of an object.
Use Map Channels for Added Texture Realism
Textures add the realism of details to a material.
Overview of Map Channels
Map channels assign a texture to a material's color. The colors of the map
replace the material's diffuse color when a map channel is selected. For
transparency, the texture is a multiplier.
After selecting a map channel you can use any image map, or one of the
procedural maps, such as wood and marble. For example, if you want a wall
to be made out of brick, you can choose a texture map with an image of bricks.
This is the most common kind of mapping. You can also use a procedural
map, such as tiles or wood. The procedural maps have properties you can
adjust for the effect you want; for example, the tiling size and mortar spacing
for a brick patterned material or the spacing of the grain in a wood material.
The map you add to a material can be scaled. The pattern can be tiled or
rotated.
Maps are also available for other purposes. You can use more than one map
for the same material and can create nested maps.
After you apply the map, you can adjust it to fit on the face or object by using
material mapping.
NOTE When Texture Compression is turned on, the amount of video memory
required to open a drawing that contains materials with images is decreased. By
using texture compression, the amount of video memory necessary to display the
drawing is reduced, but the time it takes to load the images the first time that
they are accessed is increased. Also, there is a reduction in the quality of the images
when they are displayed in the viewport or plotted. When you create a rendering,
there is no loss in image quality.
2222 | Chapter 45 Materials and Textures