Procedural Maps

Three procedural maps (bricks, Perlin marble, and splat), with variations

A bitmap is an image produced by a fixed matrix of colored pixels like a mosaic. Procedural maps, such as Checker, on the other hand, are generated by a mathematical algorithm. Consequently, the types of controls you might find for a procedural map will vary depending on the capabilities of the procedure.

3D procedural maps are patterns generated procedurally in three dimensions. For example, Marble has a grain that goes through the assigned geometry. If you cut away part of an object with marble assigned as its texture, the grain in the cutaway portion matches the grain on the object's exterior: it is all generated by the same program.