Texture mapping involves applying pixels from a texture onto a 3D surface, originally termed diffuse mapping. It has evolved to include various complex techniques such as bump mapping and reflection mapping to add detail and color information to 3D models. The technique was first introduced in 1974 by Edwin Catmull.

2. Texture mapping originally referred to a method (now more accurately called
diffuse mapping) that simply wrapped and mapped pixels from a texture to a 3D
surface.

3. In recent decades the advent of multi-pass rendering and complex
mapping such as height mapping, bump mapping, normal
mapping, displacement mapping, reflection mapping, specular
mapping, mipmaps, occlusion mapping

4. Texture mapping[1][2][3] is a method for defining high frequency detail, surface
texture, or color information on a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its
application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Edwin Catmull in 1974.

5. http://www.hitechanimation.com