Week 2, Day 2: Alpha and Displacement Maps

Alpha maps allow a flat plane to appear to have detail that would take ages to model by hand. A dragonfly wing, for example, contains hundreds of transparent cells, making it easier to use an image. Using arrays, dragonfly wings can make some beautiful designs:

Displacement maps are another form of detailing, but where alpha maps require very little geometry, displacement maps require millions of vertices to look convincing. The effect is a bumpiness which gives surfaces a more realistic texture.