The color map is used to describe the texture of the optical properties of the surface of the object,
A color map typically stores RGB values that describe the color a surface sees under a particular lighting. It does not have a real physical meaning and cannot correctly reproduce the color of a surface under changing lighting conditions.
Color Map vs Albedo Map
Color map:- Depends on specific lighting, non-physical meaning- simple, small amount of parameters- does not work correctly under lighting changes
Albedo map: - independent of lighting, has real physical meaning - usually larger number of parameters, high computational complexity - can display colors correctly under any lighting
In practice, we usually choose to use according to different tasks:
Color map: The lighting is relatively fixed, and it is used when the requirements are not high, reducing the amount of calculation. Such as real-time rendering.
Albedo map: It is used when the illumination changes dynamically and high fidelity is required. Such as offline rendering.
Combining the two: use the color map for real-time preview, and the albedo map for offline final rendering.