, we saw how to manage an Image Map texture in the Texture Editor. The power of textures is that they can be used for many different effects. In the simplest of cases, a texture provides the “paint coat” of a surface. A texture can, for example, give the appearance of denim to a sculpted pair of pants. Change the texture and they can look like leather. We are simplifying, of course, but that’s the gist of what textures can do.
There is another application of textures. They can provide numeric data for calculation of special effects. For example, if we want to create shading that simulates pores on the skin, we would know that pores are recessed areas of the surface, little dents. If we observe how we perceive dented areas of a surface, whether we are talking about skin, a wall, or a piece of metal, those dents are visible because they create a darker area in the surface. In fact, a common “rejuvenating” trick of photography is to blast a lot of bright, frontal light to an aging face. Without need for layers of makeup, the frontal light removes the lines caused by wrinkles and the subject looks immediately ten years younger.
