Procedural Maps

Procedural maps add further realism to a material. Unlike bitmap images, which are produced by a fixed matrix of colored pixels, a mathematical algorithm generates a procedural map.

Consequently, the types of controls you find for a procedural map vary depending on the capabilities of the procedure. A procedural map can be generated in two or three dimensions. You can also nest texture or procedural maps within another procedural map to add depth and complexity to the material.

Procedural Map	Pattern	Description
Checker		Applies a two-color checkerboard pattern to the material. The default checker map is a pattern of black and white squares. The component checks can be either colors or maps. You can preview this map in the swatch preview.
Gradient		You can make highly customized gradients with the Gradient procedural map. Gradient uses several colors to create shades or ramps from one to another.
Marble		You can use the Marble map to specify stone and vein color. You can modify the vein spacing and vein width.
Noise		You can use Noise to attenuate the repetitiveness aspect of bitmap and tiles. The noise procedural map uses two colors, sub-procedural maps or a combination of both to create a random pattern.
Speckle		The Speckle map is useful for diffuse mapping and bump mapping to create granite-like and other patterned surfaces.
Tiles		You can apply an image and repeat the image as a pattern using Tiles. The Materials Browser provides commonly defined architectural brick patterns, which you can select and modify in the Materials Editor.
Waves		You can use the Bump map to simulate the surface of a body of water. The Waves map generates a number of spherical wave centers and randomly distributes them over a sphere. You can control the number of wave sets, the amplitude, and the speed of the waves. This map works effectively as both a diffuse and bump map at the same time, or combined with an opacity map.
Wood		Use the Wood map to create the realistic color and grain properties of wood.