Texturing & materials · Beginner
Metallic map
A black-and-white texture that marks which parts of a surface are metal
Also called Metalness map
What is a metallic map?
A metallic map, also called a metalness map, is a grayscale texture that marks which parts of a surface are metal. White means metal and black means non-metal. The renderer uses it to decide how light reflects, because metals tint their reflections with their own color and other materials do not.
Think of it like this
It is like a stencil over a painted toy car: the cut-out parts become chrome, and everything else stays painted plastic.
Where it fits in a 3D project
- Create
- Surface
- Rig
- Animate
- Render
- Export
Surface: Giving the shape its color and material: UVs, textures and shaders.
How a metallic map works
- 01Paint white where the surface is bare metal and black everywhere else.
- 02On white areas, the base color becomes the color of the reflections.
- 03On black areas, the base color stays as diffuse color and reflections stay faint and colorless.
Metallic map vs specular map
| Property | Metallic map | Specular map |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow | Metallic-roughness | Specular-glossiness |
| Stores | Metal or not, in grayscale | Reflection strength and color |
| Mistakes | Harder to make physically wrong | Easier to break realism |
| Support | Default in most engines | Older engines and some tools |
Use a metallic map for new work; a specular map makes sense only when your engine or asset library uses the specular workflow.
Where a metallic map is used
- Bare metal edges showing through chipped paint
- Mixed objects, like knives with wooden handles
- Jewelry, tools and machinery in product renders
Beginner tip
Keep metallic values close to pure black or pure white. Gray belongs only on blends such as dusty or rusted metal, and too much of it makes surfaces look muddy.
Terms related to a metallic map
- Texturing & materialsRoughness mapA grayscale texture that sets how sharp or blurry reflections look
- Texturing & materialsSpecular mapA texture that sets how strongly each spot reflects light as a highlight
- Texturing & materialsAlbedo mapA texture holding a surface’s pure color, with no lighting painted in
- Texturing & materialsPBR (physically based rendering)Materials and light that follow real-world physics
- Texturing & materialsMaterialThe settings that decide what a 3D surface is made of
- Texturing & materialsChannel packingStoring several grayscale maps in the color channels of one image
Metallic map FAQ
Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms