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What is specular mapping?
Specular maps are used to define the shininess/highlight on a surface. Typically a specular map is a black and white image that maps out the shininess value on an object. The whiter the pixel, the more shiny the object in that specific place on the texture (or on the texel).
What are metal Maps?
A Metallic, or Metalness, map, is a black and white texture that acts as a mask that defines areas on a texture set or material that behave like a metal (white) and do not (black).
What is specular map for?
How to ” properly ” use : specular, glossy, roughness?
Blender uses mostly the Metalness Workflow, so you can forget about the Specular Maps. Maybe this will help. All other maps in the PBR workflow should give enough realism. Its indeed good to point this out: Blender uses mostly the Metalness Workflow, so you can forget about the Specular Maps. Maybe this will help.
Can you use specular maps instead of metalness maps?
There is an alternative however… In PBR textures you can sometimes chose to use a specular map instead of a metalness map. Specular maps in PBR can use full RGB color, and affect how you design your albedo (or how it is rendered out of your desired texturing package).
What is the difference between Metalness and roughness?
Metalness to the right is more reflection. To the left, none. Roughness to the right is the surface Roughness. So lets say no Roughness is smooth as glass. And all roughness to the right would be something like clay. Now play with different combinations of these values to create glass, metal, blurred reflection metal, plastic, skin, clay etc.
Why is roughness important in a texture map?
Due to the way normal maps affect how lighting interacts with your model they can make seams very obvious. Do your best to keep them hidden. Roughness (also called glossiness or microsurface scattering) is a semi self-explanatory map. They define how light is scattered across the surface of your model.