Texturing & materials · Beginner

Roughness map

A grayscale texture that sets how sharp or blurry reflections look

What is a roughness map?

A roughness map is a grayscale texture that controls how sharp or blurry a surface’s reflections look. Black means smooth and glossy, like polished chrome or a wet road; white means rough and matte, like chalk or concrete. It is one of the core maps in a PBR material.

Think of it like this

Think of a bathroom mirror before and after a hot shower: same surface, but the fog scatters the reflection into a soft blur.

Where it fits in a 3D project

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

Surface: Giving the shape its color and material: UVs, textures and shaders.

Base colorNormalRoughnessMetallicOcclusionMaterial
The roughness map is one of several texture maps a material combines.

How a roughness map works

  1. 01Each pixel stores a roughness value from 0 for smooth to 1 for rough.
  2. 02Smooth areas reflect light in a tight, sharp highlight.
  3. 03Rough areas scatter light widely, so the highlight spreads out and fades.

Roughness map vs glossiness map

PropertyRoughness mapGlossiness map
Black meansSmooth and shinyRough and matte
White meansRough and matteSmooth and shiny
WorkflowMetallic-roughness, the usual defaultSpecular-glossiness, older

They hold the same information, inverted; use roughness unless your engine asks for gloss, and convert by inverting the image.

Where a roughness map is used

  • Fingerprints and smudges on glass and screens
  • Worn edges that are shinier than the rest
  • Wet patches on stone or asphalt

Beginner tip

Roughness variation does more for realism than almost any other map. Even a faint noise pattern breaks up the perfect plastic look of a single flat value.

Terms related to a roughness map

Roughness map FAQ

How do I convert glossiness to roughness?
Invert the image. A glossiness map is a roughness map flipped, so white becomes black and black becomes white. Any image editor or texturing tool can do it in one step.
Roughness map vs specular map: which do I need?
A roughness map, for most modern engines. It sets how blurry reflections are. A specular map sets how strong or what color reflections are, and belongs to the older specular workflow.
Why does my model look like plastic?
Usually the roughness is one flat value everywhere. Real surfaces vary: edges wear smooth and dust settles in corners. Add a roughness map with gentle variation and the plastic look fades.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms