Texture Map
Also called texture, material map, surface map
A texture map is an image file applied to a 3D surface to control how it looks. Different maps control different properties: one for colour, one for roughness, one for how metallic a surface is, so a single material can vary across the piece.
The maps that do the work
A material is rarely one flat setting. It is a stack of images, each feeding a different channel, and the renderer reads them together to decide how each point on the surface responds to light.
- Colour, sometimes called base colour or albedo: the underlying hue
- Roughness: whether a spot is mirror polished or matte
- Metallic: whether the surface behaves as metal or as a non-metal
- Normal or bump: fake surface relief without extra geometry
- Opacity: which parts of the surface are see-through
Where they show up in jewelry
Most of the surface on a piece of jewelry is uniform metal, so the biggest use is variation rather than pattern. A roughness map is what lets one ring have a brushed top face and a mirror polished shank without splitting the model into separate objects.
Colour maps come in for enamel work, printed patterns, and inlays. Normal maps handle small relief such as hammered or sandblasted texture.
If you already have texture images, send them with the file. An OBJ can carry them through its MTL file, so zip the whole folder rather than sending the OBJ alone.
Questions about Texture Map
Do I need to supply texture maps for a jewelry render?
Usually not. Standard metals and stones are set up here. Supply textures only if the piece has specific artwork, enamel colours, or a finish you want matched exactly.
Can you render a brushed or matte metal finish?
Yes. Finish is controlled by the roughness of the material, so brushed, satin, and matte are all possible. Tell us which surfaces get which finish when you send the file.