From the course: Introduction to 3D

What is a material?

From the course: Introduction to 3D

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What is a material?

- A 3D model is simply a definition of an object's shape. If we want to make that surface look real, we need to add qualities such as color, texture, reflectivity, and transparency. These qualities are defined by a material. The material tells the renderer how the surface interacts with light. Let's take a look at some simple objects in real life. Now, these are all just basically spheres. Their shapes are very similar. How you can tell them apart is by their surface qualities and how they interact with light. This one has a matte finish. You mostly just see color and shadow. This one here is shiny. It reflects light. It also has specularity, which are the highlights of the lights in the room. This one here is shiny, but it's also transparent. We can see through it. This object has a very distinct texture that tells us exactly what it is. This one has a mixture of matte and shiny. In fact, the different surface qualities can even be felt. Shiny surfaces are smooth, while matte surfaces are rough. Now, in a 3D application, we need to be able to define all of these different properties. For that, we use a material. A material usually starts with a shader. The shader is simply a mathematical model that determines how the object interacts with light. We have matte shaders, often called lamberts, which can add color. For shiny surfaces, we can use other shaders, such as phong, blinn, and anisotropic. These add both color and highlights. They also have controls for the size and shape of the specular highlights. In addition to the basic shader, we can add textures. These may be photographs or illustrations and they give the surface character. Textures can also be used to add other qualities and attributes. A transparency or opacity map can allow you to see through objects. Bump or normal maps can add roughness to a surface. These are just some of the attributes that 3D materials can contain. A good material can make a simple surface look very real. When you create materials, pay attention to all the attributes of the surface you want to duplicate. Understanding what makes a surface unique is an important skill to learn.

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