When creating a 2D texture, you can select among one of three mapping methods: create normally (create texture), create as projection, and create as stencil.
When you create a node in the Node Editor using the Tab key, as you enter the name of your desired 2D texture type, three variations of the texture appear (Projection, Stencil, Texture), allowing you to select among the three mapping methods. See Create a node in the Node Editor for more information on how to create a node using the Tab key.
You can middle-drag an image file from the Content Browser to the Node Editor, or drag an image file from Windows Explorer to the Node Editor to create a file node and automatically assign to it your image file.
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