# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Texture Settings

|previous=Metal Versus Plastic
|subcat=Basics
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!Material texture
settings In
the Properties
![](Blender269PropertiesIcon.png "Blender269PropertiesIcon.png") window,
you will find the Texture
![](Blender255TextureContextButton.png "Blender255TextureContextButton.png")
context, which looks like at right.

At the top you will see a row of three icons
![](Blender268TextureCategoryIcons.png "Blender268TextureCategoryIcons.png"),
which indicate texture settings to view and change:

-   ![](Blender268TextureIconWorld.png "Blender268TextureIconWorld.png")
    World Texture --- a texture to use for the sky backdrop
-   ![](Blender268TextureIconMaterial.png "Blender268TextureIconMaterial.png")
    Material Texture --- a texture associated with the
    currently-selected material
-   ![](Blender268TextureIconBrush.png "Blender268TextureIconBrush.png")
    Brush Texture --- a texture used for some other purpose.

There are two main types of textures in Blender:

-   Image/Movie textures
-   Procedural textures (all other types in the Type menu).

An image/movie texture allows a two-dimensional image (which might be
static or moving) to be wrapped around the surface of a
three-dimensional object in some way. Alternatively, a procedural
texture directly maps a predefined three-dimensional mathematical
function to the surface coordinates of the object.

The "Coordinates:" popup menu defines how positions on the object
surface are mapped to positions within the texture coordinate space. All
of these options specify automatic mapping algorithms, except one: the
"UV" option. This one lets you work within the UV/Image Editor, where
you *unwrap* the surface of the mesh onto a flat rectangle showing the
texture image (this really only works with Image/Movie textures), and
then move sections of the mesh around to make them show corresponding
parts of the texture.

The "Projection:" popup menu further controls how the two-dimensional
surface of the object is mapped to a two-dimensional Image/Movie
texture. It seems to have no effect for procedural textures.

The "Offset:" and "Size:" X, Y and Z values allow simple adjustments of
the position and scaling of the texture. Note that the size values work
the opposite way to what you might expect: larger values here make the
texture *smaller* along the corresponding dimension.

The image at right shows the common settings panels for all material
texture types. Additional panels will appear depending on the chosen
texture type; the settings shown are for the "None" texture, which is
the same as having no texture at all.

## Material Textures

A material may have more than one texture associated with it. At the top
of the material texture settings (see above), is a list of the *texture
slots* associated with the material. Slots may be empty (unused), and
slots containing a texture may be enabled or disabled, by checking or
unchecking the box at the right of the list item. Disabling a texture
slot stops it having an effect on the material, which is the same as
deleting the texture from the slot altogether, except it is easier to
revert. This can be useful when trying to debug the effect of a
combination of textures on the material.

## World Textures

![](Blender268TextureContextWorld.png "Blender268TextureContextWorld.png")
You previously saw how to set up colours for the sky in the World
Settings; you can also add a sky texture
as well.

World texture settings look similar to texture settings: again there are
a number of slots, and there are mapping and influence options. But the
mapping coordinates types are different (and there is no UV option), and
the influence types are more limited.

If you're wondering why your texture definition here is making no
difference to your sky, either make sure the "Blend" checkbox is checked
in your World
![](Blender255WorldContextButton.png "Blender255WorldContextButton.png")
settings, or check the "Horizon" Influence box here if you don't want a
sky gradation.

