3D Texturing Materials & Surface Properties Flashcards

In a PBR metallic-roughness workflow, what does a metallic value of 1.0 indicate?

Answer: The surface is a pure metal and reflects light according to Fresnel equations

A metallic value of 1.0 tells the PBR shader to treat the surface as a conductor, using the albedo as the reflective tint rather than diffuse color.

What does a roughness value of 0.0 produce on a PBR surface?

Answer: A perfectly mirror-like, sharp specular reflection

A roughness of 0.0 creates a perfectly smooth microsurface, resulting in sharp, mirror-like specular reflections.

What is the purpose of an Ambient Occlusion (AO) map in a PBR material?

Answer: To add soft shadowing in crevices and contact areas that simulates indirect light occlusion

AO maps store pre-computed soft shadows in concave areas, adding depth and grounding to a PBR material under any lighting.

What is Subsurface Scattering (SSS) used for in 3D materials?

Answer: Simulating light that penetrates and scatters beneath the surface of translucent materials like skin or wax

SSS simulates how light enters a surface, scatters internally, and exits at a different point, which is essential for realistic skin and candles.

In PBR materials, what is the F0 (Fresnel zero) value used to define?

Answer: The base specular reflectivity of a non-metallic surface at a 0-degree viewing angle

F0 defines how reflective a dielectric (non-metal) surface is when viewed straight-on, typically around 0.04 for most non-metals.

What is a 'cavity map' used for in texturing?

Answer: Darkening fine surface recesses and micro-crevices to add micro-detail depth

Cavity maps capture extremely fine concave detail like pores and scratches, used to modulate specularity and color in those areas.