Chapter 17: Mapping Textures

Understanding Texture Mapping

Figure 17.1


A bookcase without and with textures. The images used to texture map the bookcase: oak wood grain and rows of books.

Texture Images

Image-File Formats

Image Types

Transparency Images

Figure 17.2


A texture image of a tree showing the colored part of the image and the transparent part of the image. A row of faces without any texturing and with the tree texture mapped to each.

Texture Nodes

Understanding How Textures are Mapped

Box Shapes

Cone Shapes

Cylinder Shapes

Sphere Shapes

Text Shapes

Point-Set Shapes

Line-Set Shapes

Face-Set Shapes

Elevation-Grid Shapes

Extrusion Shapes

The Appearance Node Syntax

The ImageTexture Node Syntax

The PixelTexture Node Syntax

The MovieTexture Node Syntax

Experimenting with Texture Mapping

Mapping Textures to Primitive Shapes

Figure 17.3


A simple texture image.

Figure 17.4a


A texture mapped box. Compare with Figures 17.4b, c, and d.

Figure 17.4b


A texture mapped cone. Compare with Figures 17.4a, c, and d.

Figure 17.4c


A texture mapped cylinder. Compare with Figures 17.4a, b, and d.

Figure 17.4d


A texture mapped sphere. Compare with Figures 17.4a, b, and c.

Mapping Textures to Parts of Primitive Shapes

Figure 17.5d


A soft drink can built by texture mapping soft-drink-can images to parts of a cylinder. Images include the top, the bottom, and the sides.

Mapping Textures to Text Shapes

Figure 17.6b


A brick texture mapped to a text shape.

Mapping Textures to Face-Set Shapes

Figure 17.7b


A flaming texture image texture mapped to a lightning bolt.

Mapping Textures to Elevation-Grid Shapes

Figure 17.8b


A terrain texture image texture mapped to a mountain-shaped elevation grid.

Mapping Textures to Extrusion Shapes

Figure 17.9b


A donut-icing texture image texture mapped to a chocolate donut.

Creating Holes Using Pixel Transparency

Figure 17.10c


A tree texture image texture mapped, with pixel transparencies, on a rectangular face to create a tree.

Using Grayscale Textures

Figure 17.11b


A green cylinder texture mapped with a grayscale striped image.

Coloring Grayscale Textures

Figure 17.12b


Six different wood types created by coloring a grayscale wood texture.

Embedding Texture Images in a VRML File

Figure 17.13


A face with color varying from yellow to red.

Using Movie Textures

Figure 17.14b


A swirling whirlpool created using a movie texture.

Summary