Key Terms material The definition of all the ways a surface responds to light, including shininess, color, bumpiness, transparency, and so forth. shader A shader refers to both the material and the lighting of a surface with respect to rendering. Hypershade Maya's material editor. texture map A 2D image applied across a surface; typically, a bitmap image, such as a photo of wood grain, that can be tiled. UV coordinates Position information embedded in a 3D object that's used to size and position a texture map on it. Objects can have multiple sets of UV coordinates. environmental textures, environment map A simulated surrounding world for a material to reflect. volumetric material A material type for simulating non-solid materials, such as steam, smoke, dust, or clouds. procedural texture A 2D or 3D texture created mathematically. bump map Applying a texture to create the illusion of perturbing a surface's smoothness. Phong A material type with sharp, tight highlights that's excellent for plastics. Lambert A flat material type without highlights that works well for chalky matte surfaces. Blinn A material type with softer highlights that works well for metals because its specular color can be customized. Anisotropic A material type whose highlights follow the object's curvature; perfect for simulating the highlights on brushed aluminum wheels. transparency The opposite of opacity; the ability to see through a material, such as glass. translucency Semi-transparent, but with a subsurface scattering of light, such as light seen through a green maple leaf or the edges of a fine jade sculpture. specular color The component of a material that reflects a light source the highlight. self-illumination The material's sensitivity to light; fully self-illuminated materials are not affected by scene lighting, nor do they emit light. |