TEXTURE MAPPING - is a method for adding detail, surface texture , color to a

computer-generated graphic or 3D model

BUMP MAPPING - is a computer graphics technique in which a mathematical

method to the surface normal of the object being rendered is looked up in a texture
map at each pixel and applied before the illumination calculation is done

NORMAL MAP - is a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents. It is
used to add details without using more polygons. A normal map is usually an RGB
image that corresponds to the X, Y, and Z coordinates of a surface normal from a
more detailed version of the object. A common use of this technique is to greatly
enhance the appearance and details of a low polygon model by generating a normal
map from a high polygon model

• Each of the RGB colour channels represents an axis of orientation

If you imagine the corner of a box, as you look at that corner you'll notice three
cardinal 'axis' which gather or terminate at the very tip of the corner itself, typically;

• Left-right ('X' axis)

• Front-back ('Y' axis)
• Top-bottom ('Z' axis)

Red, Green and Blue channels respectively. Note the direction the 'lighting'
(shadows / highlights) appears to be coming from and how that effects what you
see.
24, 32 bit and alpha channels

Because each R, G and B channel is 8 bit - which gives a 'colour' or 'tonal' depth of
256 shades per channel - it means an RGB image has, in total, a colour depth of 24
bit; this gives us a standard image used in pretty much every game available.
However, it goes one step further; another 8 bit channel called the alpha channel
can be added to our 24 bit RGB image to give us what is then a 32 bit RGBA image.

• Red
• Green
• Blue
• Alpha

The introduction of another channel, the alpha channel, brings the image to 32 bit

This 'A' or 'alpha' channel tends to be reserved for the use as a 'mask' or 'alpha'
channel - typically containing objects that effect the appearance of the base RGB
channels by removing parts of the texture or blending them together with other
images to create additional effects in game.

PARALLAX MAPPING - (also called offset mapping or virtual displacement

mapping) is an enhancement of the bump mapping or normal mapping techniques
applied to textures in 3D rendering applications such as video games. To the end
user, this means that textures such as stone walls will have more apparent depth
and thus greater realism with less of an influence on the performance of the
simulation

What's the difference between 'parallax' and 'normal' maps?

Aside from the pixel and vertex programs used by the game engine to render
textures to screen, generally speaking, nothing. Here's why.

A normal or parallax map can be produce in one of two ways; by rendering out a
high resolution 3D model to 2D or by converting flat 2D artwork into a normal map
by using a 3rd party program or photo editing 'filter'. Both methods of production
result in a 'normalised' image, similar to the ones shown below, an image that will
'displace' on screen pixels in such a way as to create the visual illusion of surface
depth in a game.
The image on the left is a normal map from Oblivion; the one on the right, for use in
Quake 4

As you can see in the images above, there's no significant difference between a
normal map used in Oblivion (the one to the left) to one used in Quake 4 (the one to
the right); both games - Oblivion's parallax mapping and Quake 4's normal mapping
(i.e., the actual process or system of rendering, or 'mapping' images to the virtual
world) physically use the same type of "normal map" image as part of their
respective rendering process.

Oblivion uses standard normal maps as part of its parallax 'mapping' process.

DISPLACEMENT MAPPING - is an alternative computer graphics technique in

contrast to bump mapping, normal mapping, and parallax mapping, using a
(procedural-) texture- or height map to cause an effect where the actual geometric
position of points over the textured surface are displaced, often along the local
surface normal, according to the value the texture function evaluates to at each
point on the surface. It gives surfaces a great sense of depth and detail, permitting
in particular self-occlusion, self-shadowing and silhouettes; on the other hand, it is
the most costly of this class of techniques owing to the large amount of additional
geometry.