Texture Mapping
As discussed in the introduction to the Java 3D section, texture mapping is an important technique for efficiently generating realism in a virtual environment. Texture maps can be used to create realistic looking floors, walls, and ceilings and are further useful as a way to reduce complex geometry, especially along the edges of an environment.
As an example of this last use of texture mapping, consider a model of an open space in the center of a city such as Central Park in New York City. Building geometry to represent the buildings in the far distance would take a lot of time to develop and would slow down rendering significantly. It wouldn't detract much from (and could even serve to increase) the realism of the scene to map ...
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