3D Design and Modeling
Materials and Texture
Motivation
• This lecture will cover the basics of adding materials to models,
applying textures, and understanding how these elements
interact with lighting.
Introduction
Materials:
• Materials are properties applied to the surface of a 3D object that
define how it interacts with light. Materials determine whether an
object looks shiny, matte, reflective, or transparent.
• Materials control the color, roughness, reflectivity, and other visual
properties.
Textures
• Textures are 2D images or patterns that are applied to materials to
give an object more detail, such as the appearance of wood grain,
metal surfaces, or skin.
• Both materials and textures contribute to making models look
realistic or stylized, depending on the goal.
• Materials control the surface properties of an object.
• Textures add visual detail to these materials.
• Together, they define the final appearance of a 3D model
Applying Materials
• Before entering into material panel we need to switch the
viewport settings and select viewport shading material to see
effects
Or simply press Z and select material preview
Adding materials
• Then go to material property
panel after selecting an object.
Make sure the mode is Object
Mode
• Talking about the Shader Editor, a powerful tool that allows us
to create custom materials by connecting different nodes. The
primary shader used is the Principled BSDF, which is
Blender’s standard shader for creating realistic materials.
• Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Function BSDF It is a
mathematical model used in materials to describe how light
interacts with a surface, specifically how light is reflected,
refracted, absorbed, or transmitted.
Types of BSDF Shaders in Blender
• Diffuse BSDF:
• Simulates matte surfaces like paper or non-reflective objects.
• Scatters light uniformly in all directions.
• Common for non-metallic surfaces that don't have a lot of shine.
• Glossy BSDF:
• Simulates shiny surfaces like polished metals or reflective
surfaces.
• Reflects light in a more concentrated direction (depending on
roughness).
• Can be adjusted for more or less glossy effects by modifying the
roughness.
• Principled BSDF:
• A versatile, all-in-one shader that combines multiple BSDFs in
one node.
• Can simulate a wide variety of materials like metals, glass,
plastics, etc., using physically accurate parameters.
• This shader includes controls for color, metallic properties,
roughness, specularity, and more, making it a standard for
creating realistic materials.
• Glass BSDF:
• Simulates transparent or semi-transparent materials like
glass or water.
• Bends light as it passes through the object, which is known as
refraction.
• Hair BSDF:
• Used for surfaces that have a
directional pattern of
reflection, like brushed metal
or hair.
• Light is reflected differently
based on the direction of the
surface, creating an elongated
highlight.
• Transparent BSDF:
• Makes a material completely transparent, similar to glass but
without refraction.
• Often used in combination with other shaders to create
transparency effects (e.g., for glass or clear plastics).
Glimplse of P BSDF
textures
• This slide introduces texture mapping, which is the process of
applying a 2D image or pattern to the surface of a 3D model.
• Explain UV mapping, which is the method used to unwrap a 3D
model into a flat 2D surface so that textures can be applied
accurately.
• Without UV mapping, textures might appear distorted on 3D
objects.
Navigating through texture
UV walkthrough
Texture
Types
different types of textures
commonly used in
Blender and their specific
purposes:
1. Albedo (Color)
Texture: Defines the
base color or image of a
material, without any
shading or light effects.
• Normal/Bump Map: Adds surface details like bumps or
grooves by simulating small surface irregularities, without
adding extra geometry.
• Displacement Map:
Physically moves the
surface of a model
based on a texture,
changing the actual
geometry.
