Attribute mapping - Concept and implementation

Abstract The concept of attribute mapping, which gives much more realistic images than ordinary texture mapping, is introduced. While the latter maps attribute values directly, attribute mapping maps indices that correspond to a bundle of various rendering attributes including colors, bumps, optics, and shading models. An index called an attribute table index is defined for a region called an attribute domain in which rendering attributes are assumed to be coherent. The general architecture of a mapping pipeline that incorporates the process of attribute mapping, and a variety of examples in which attribute mapping is applied, are then described. The core concept underlying attribute mapping is the Attribute Domain Definition Function (ADDF), which defines attribute domains and returns the associated attribute indices. The ADDF provides flexibility and ease in modifying rendering attributes.