Week 4 - Textures and Shaders, Simply.

Texture and shaders can be used in different combinations. Some will result in a flossy surface, shiny surface, matte surface, rough surface, and soft surface. Depending on the combination, you will end up with a different surface. In class we talked about these "different" combinations and went slightly in depth about how the combinations can go, and about what types of shading models there were. We only discussed a few. We also discussed how much the software has developed since the start of 3D modelling.

Shaders:

J., (2011). Components of a 3D Model, Retrieved from http://www.3dvia.com/blog/components-of-a-3d-model/

Textures:

J., (2011). Components of a 3D Model, Retrieved from http://www.3dvia.com/blog/components-of-a-3d-model/

Without textures and shaders, models would look dull. There would not be any substance to the polygon. It would be a plain surface with plane colors. There would not be depth, there would not be texturing, and there would not be lighting and shadows. Textures and shaders are what make 3D models so lifelike and fascinatingly realistic.

As said by Slick, J. 3D Modelling Terms - Vertices, Edges, Polygons & Shaders, Retrieved from http://3d.about.com/od/3d-101-The-Basics/a/Anatomy-Of-A-3d-Model.htm, "A shader is a set of instructions applied to a 3D model that lets the computer know how it should be displayed" as well as "Textures also contribute greatly to a model's visual appearance." Summed up, this means that a shader is a kind of command, or set instructions, that the computer will understand to know how to apply and display a texture. As for a texture, a texture is the physical appearance of the model. Whether it is a rough surface, or a cracked surface, a sandy plane or a bed of water, the shader and texture go hand in hand. Without the shader, there is no texture; without a texture, the shader is useless.