Materials system


In computer graphics, materials are an enhancement of texture mapping that allows for objects in 3D modeling packages and video games to simulate different types of materials in real life. They are typically used to enhance the realism of polygon meshes and other forms of 3D model data.
They associate additional properties such as: advanced rendering parameters ; physics behavioral properties ; or sound triggers alongside texture information for surfaces. For example, if a texture makes an object look like wood, it will sound like wood, break like wood, and even float like wood. If it was made of metal, it will sound like metal, dent like metal, and sink like metal. This allows more flexibility when making objects in games.
Such materials are also of value for procedural generation, where a high level description of a model may be augmented with layers of processing to produce a more detailed result. Material properties may also be tied to animation channels to exhibit time dependent behavior.
A materials system allows a digital artist or game designer to think about objects in a different way. Instead of the object just being a model with a texture applied to it, the object, or part of the object, is made up of a material.
Examples of major materials found in a video game might be: wood, concrete, metal, glass, dirt, water, and cloth.

Definition

Materials may be stored as part of a 3D model format or in separate material definition files.