US Patent 7148899 Texture mapping 3D objects

A texture is applied to a 3D graphic object using a computer system by providing a graphic indication of a mapping between a 3D graphic object and a texture map and modifying the mapping based on a manipulation of the graphic indication. Alternatively, or in addition, a texture can be applied to a 3D graphic object by selectively applying one or more predetermined mapping functions between a texture space and an object space to designated portions of the 3D graphic object. The modification of mappings, and application of the mapping functions, can be based on input received from a user of the computer system, for example, by means of direct manipulation techniques applied in a graphical user interface.