Bump, Opacity, Tiling and Details Maps

Babylon.js offers a variety of material options that enhance the visual richness of 3D scenes. Among these are bump maps, opacity maps, tiling, and detail maps, each contributing unique characteristics that improve realism and detail in materials.

Bump Map

Bump maps simulate surface texture by creating the illusion of depth and detail on a 3D model without altering its geometry. They achieve this effect by modifying the surface normals, allowing light to interact in a way that suggests bumps and grooves.

<>
    <hemisphericLight name='light' direction={new Vector3(-1, 1, 0)} diffuse={Color3.White()} />
    <sphere name='sphere-1' positionX={-1.5}>
        <standardMaterial name='material-1' diffuseColor={Color3.Red()}>
            <texture kind='bumpTexture' url={bump.src} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </sphere>
    <sphere name='sphere-2'>
        <standardMaterial name='material-2'>
            <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={wall.src} />
            <texture kind='bumpTexture' url={bump.src} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </sphere>
    <sphere name='sphere-3' positionX={1.5}>
        <standardMaterial name='material-3'>
            <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={`${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BABYLON_ASSETS_URL}/textures/grass.png`} />
            <texture kind='bumpTexture' url={bump.src} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </sphere>
</>

Opacity

Opacity defines the transparency levels of a material, enabling the creation of intricate visual effects such as glass or intricate foliage. By specifying which parts of a texture are transparent or opaque, artists can design complex surfaces with varying visibility.

<>
    <hemisphericLight name='light' direction={new Vector3(-1, 1, 0)} diffuse={Color3.White()} />
    <sphere name='sphere' positionZ={1.5}>
        <standardMaterial name='material-1' diffuseColor={new Color3(1, 0, 1)} />
    </sphere>
    <plane name='plane'>
        <standardMaterial name='material-2' diffuseColor={Color3.Red()}>
            <texture kind='opacityTexture' url={opacity.src} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </plane>
</>

Tiling

Tiling allows textures to repeat across a surface, creating a seamless appearance and enhancing detail without requiring higher-resolution textures. This technique is useful for achieving more dynamic and visually interesting materials on larger surfaces. Rather than x, y which are already in use for the 3D axes the letters u and v are used for the coordinates.

To tile an image you use the uScale and/or vScale properties, of the texture, to set the number of tiles in each direction. To offset your texture on your mesh, you use the uOffset and vOffset properties, of the texture, to set the offset in each direction.

<>
    <hemisphericLight name='light' direction={new Vector3(-1, 1, 0)} diffuse={Color3.White()} />
    <plane name='plane-1' positionX={-1.5}>
        <standardMaterial name='material-1'>
            <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={tiling.src} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </plane>
    <plane name='plane-2'>
        <standardMaterial name='material-2'>
            <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={tiling.src} uScale={2} vScale={4} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </plane>
    <plane name='plane-3' positionX={1.5}>
        <standardMaterial name='material-3'>
            <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={tiling.src} uOffset={0.25} vOffset={0.5} />
        </standardMaterial>
    </plane>
</>

Details Map

Details map adds finer texture information to a surface by overlaying additional texture details on top of existing materials. This technique enhances realism by providing intricate details, such as scratches or small surface variations, that might not be present in the base texture.

<>
<directionalLight name='light-1' direction={new Vector3(0, -1, 0)} />
<pointLight name='light-2' position={new Vector3(-1, 5, 3)} />
<pointLight name='light-3' position={new Vector3(3, 0, -5)} />
<sphere name='sphere' position={new Vector3(-1, 1, 0)} />
<box name='box' position={new Vector3(1.8, 1, -1.5)} />
<ground name='ground' options={{ width: 6, height: 6 }} />
<standardMaterial
    name='material'
    assignTo={['sphere', 'box', 'ground']}
    onCreate={material => {
        material.detailMap.diffuseBlendLevel = 0.1;
        material.detailMap.isEnabled = true;
        material.detailMap.bumpLevel = 1;
    }}>
    <texture kind='detailMap' uScale={10} vScale={10} url={`${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BABYLON_ASSETS_URL}/textures/detailmap.png`} />
    <texture kind='diffuseTexture' url={`${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BABYLON_ASSETS_URL}/textures/ParallaxDiffuse.png`} />
    <texture kind='bumpTexture' url={`${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BABYLON_ASSETS_URL}/textures/ParallaxNormal.png`} level={1} />
</standardMaterial>

Using kind='detailMap' property, the texture will be automatically added to detail map of the closest material.

Learn More

For additional info, please refer to Babylon.js documentation: https://doc.babylonjs.com/features/featuresDeepDive/materials/using/moreMaterials.

Introduction Parallax Mapping