When you map a 2D or 3D texture to an object, you connect it to an attribute of the object’s material. Textures map to geometry based on the object’s UV texture coordinates. For more information about texture mapping, see Texture mapping.
If you are working in Mac OS X, 2D textures must be used as projections when they are placed on volumetric objects.
To connect a texture to a material using the Attribute Editor
If you are selecting a 2D texture, right-click the texture and select a mapping method (Create texture (create normally), Create as projection, Create as stencil). If you do not select a mapping method, the default method (Create texture) is used.
To connect a texture to a material in the Hypershade work area
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the texture from the Create tab into the work area.