How this secret 2D trick can speed up your 3D modelling

Making your 3D models more detailed can be time-consuming, but it needn’t be. Using simple 2D images can drastically speed up the modelling process.

Different image types control not just colour, but also which parts of the model are visible or raised/recessed, and even how shiny a model is. These images can mostly be created in any 2D image-editing software and then wrapped onto the model using UV maps.

Applications like Adobe Substance Painter help apply image maps or create them for use in other 3D applications. It makes 3D modelling feel almost effortless, as if you had a superpower with simple images.

In a 3D application, a material is a combination of layers, each grouped by function such as reflection, opacity and colour (aka diffuse). A texture can be used as the input for each of these. The look of the box is determined by the image in the bottom-right corner.

The black-and-white image controls how the box's planks appear three-dimensional; darker areas push in, lighter areas stay out. This is placed into the displacement group of the wood material. Bump and normal maps offer a similar effect, which can be created in applications like Adobe Substance Painter.