Why PBR Textures are used?

PBR (Physically Based Rendering) textures are a type of digital texture mapping used in 3D graphics and game development. They are designed to provide a more accurate representation of real-world materials and surfaces, as opposed to traditional textures which often used hand-drawn images to simulate the appearance of materials.

In PBR, the material’s appearance is defined by several parameters that describe its physical characteristics, such as its roughness, metallicness, and diffuse colour. These parameters are then used to calculate how light interacts with the surface, taking into account factors such as reflection, refraction, and diffuse scattering. The result is a more believable representation of the material, one that more closely resembles the way it would look in the real world.

One of the key benefits of using PBR textures is that they can be used across a range of platforms and engines, including mobile devices and high-end gaming systems. This allows developers to create consistent, high-quality graphics that look great on all platforms, regardless of their hardware limitations.

Another benefit of PBR textures is that they can be reused and repurposed more easily than traditional textures. This is because the underlying material parameters can be adjusted to create different variations of the same material, allowing developers to create a wide range of surfaces and materials with just a few texture maps.

In addition to their use in 3D graphics and gaming, PBR textures are also finding use in other industries, such as product visualization and virtual reality. For example, they can be used to create highly realistic product renderings, allowing designers and engineers to see exactly how their products will look before they are manufactured. This can save time and money, as well as reduce the risk of errors and rework.

In virtual reality, PBR textures can be used to create highly immersive environments that look and feel real. They can also be used to create realistic materials and surfaces that respond to user interaction, such as objects that appear to reflect light or shadows when they are moved.

To create PBR textures, developers typically use a combination of tools and techniques, including 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and hand painting. 3D scanning is used to capture the geometry and shape of real-world objects, while photogrammetry is used to create high-resolution textures from photographs. Hand-painting is used to add details and fine-tune the texture maps, ensuring that they look and behave as desired.

There are several popular tools and platforms available for creating PBR textures. These tools provide a range of features and functions, including the ability to create and edit texture maps, as well as simulation and previewing capabilities. But creating PBR Textures might sometimes take a lot of time especially when you need a photorealistic result. But no need to worry about it, there are a lot of libraries available online which provide PBR Textures for almost all requirements.

In conclusion, PBR textures are an important tool in the development of 3D graphics and gaming, providing developers with the ability to create believable, high-quality materials and surfaces. They offer a range of benefits, including consistency across platforms, ease of reuse and repurposing, and the ability to create realistic renderings and virtual environments. Whether you are working in gaming, product visualization, or virtual reality, PBR textures are a powerful tool that can help you bring your projects to life.