Texturing & materials · Intermediate

Mipmap

A smaller, pre-shrunk copy of a texture used for distant surfaces

What is a mipmap?

A mipmap is one of a chain of smaller, pre-shrunk copies of a texture, each half the width and height of the one before. When a surface is far from the camera, the renderer reads a smaller copy, which stops flickering and shimmering and saves memory bandwidth.

Think of it like this

It is like keeping a poster, a postcard and a stamp of the same picture, then holding up whichever size suits the distance.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How a mipmap works

  1. 01The engine makes copies of a texture at half size, quarter size and smaller, down to one pixel.
  2. 02For each pixel on screen, it estimates how much texture that pixel covers.
  3. 03It reads from the closest-matching copy, often blending two for smooth transitions.

Mipmap vs LOD

PropertyMipmapLOD
SwapsTexture sizeMesh detail
MadeAutomatically, in most enginesOften by hand or with tools
FixesShimmering and wasted texture readsToo many polygons far away

They are the same idea for different data; most game assets use both, mipmaps for textures and LODs for meshes.

Where a mipmap is used

  • Stopping distant textures from flickering in games
  • Saving memory bandwidth in real-time rendering
  • Stable floors and terrain seen at a low angle

Beginner tip

Use texture sizes that are powers of two, such as 1024 or 2048. They halve cleanly at every mip level, which avoids blur and padding problems.

Terms related to a mipmap

Mipmap FAQ

What is mipmapping?
The technique of making and using mipmaps. The engine picks a smaller copy of a texture as a surface gets farther away, so distant detail stays steady instead of sparkling.
Why are textures blurry at a distance?
The engine has switched to a smaller mip level, which is expected. If floors at a steep angle look too soft, turn on anisotropic filtering, a setting that keeps angled textures sharper.
Do mipmaps use more memory?
A little. The full chain adds about a third to a texture’s size, because each copy is a quarter of the last. In return, distant surfaces read far less data, so speed usually improves.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms