1. Material obtained from Summer workshop in Guildford County, July, 2014 Unit 6

2.  Rendering produces a finished image.  The closer the rendering is to create a natural scene, the more complex it is, and the longer it takes to render the scene.  Rendering the scene to a file may include such things as the background, output size, compression, file type, and output path.  Rendering previews are small and quick to check your scene prior to doing a full render.

3.  Surfaces may have single colors or they may have multiple color patterns, which are commonly referred to as textures.  For example: wood has a characteristic appearance because of its varying color patterns.  Even materials like metals which seen to be one color, when closely examined, reveal varying shades and colors mixed in random patterns.

4.  The term texture in 3D computer graphics refers to image patterns rather than the “feel” of materials.  The most basic type of texture is a 2D picture (often saved as a.jpeg,.bmp, or.tga file), which is applied to an object.

5.  Opacity maps control whether a material is opaque, transparent, or translucent.  Adding textures to the object is an extremely important part of making objects look realistic.

6.  Textures may be acquired in different ways.  Most 3D programs come with libraries where you can select various materials and patterns.

7.  UV mapping is a way of trying to solve the distortion problems that occur when applying image maps (textures) to complex surfaces.  Many 3D graphic programs allow texture image scaling and placement controls.

8.  U represents the horizontal component of an image. It corresponds to the X axis dimension in 2D coordinate space.  V represents the vertical component of an image. It corresponds to the Y axis dimension in 2D coordinate space.  W represents the z axis or depth in 3D coordinate space.

9.  Tiling allows pattern to be repeated, much like tiles on a floor.

10.  Bump maps simulate the roughness of surfaces even though the surfaces are perfectly flat.  Bump maps make an object appear to have a bumpy or irregular surface. This is possible because of higher areas are light and lower areas are dark.

11.  3D programs have some type of default lighting, which can be changed to create a more realistic appearance.