3D Glossary--Bump Map

Bump Map

A bump map is a method of creating the appearance of texture or relief on a surface without modifying the underlying geometry of the model. A bitmap image or a procedural map generated by the 3-D application is applied (mapped) to the surface of the object. The greyscale value of the bitmap at every pixel is interpreted at every corresponding pixel on the rendered surface of the object. Lighter pixels on the bitmap are interpreted to increase the impression of relief, and darker pixels have less effect. The bump map can be interpreted positive or negatively. Thus a white pixel on the bump map may create either maximum relief or a maximum indentation in the surface, depending on the setting assigned by the user. Where a color bitmap is used for a bump map, only the greyscale data is used by the application.

A single image is often applied both as a bump map and as a TEXTURE MAP, to create a realistic effect of both color and texture.

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Created: June 30, 1997
Revised: June 30, 1997

URL: https://webreference.com/3d/glossary/bump.html