An IfcSurfaceTexture provides a 2-dimensional image-based texture map. It can either be given by referencing an external image file through an URL reference (IfcImageTexture), including the image file as a blob (long binary) into the data set (IfcBlobTexture), or by explicitly including an array of pixels (IfcPixelTexture). 

Texture are defined by 2D images that contain an array of colour values describing the texture. The texture values are interpreted differently depending on the number of components in the texture and the specifics of the image format. In general, texture may be described using one of the following forms:

• Intensity textures (one-component)
• Intensity plus alpha opacity textures (two-component)
• Full RGB textures (three-component)
• Full RGB plus alpha opacity textures (four-component)

Texture maps are defined in a 2D coordinate system (s, t) that ranges from [0.0, 1.0] in both directions. The bottom edge of the image corresponds to the S-axis of the texture map, and left edge of the image corresponds to the T-axis of the texture map. The lower-left pixel of the image corresponds to s=0, t=0, and the top-right pixel of the image corresponds to s=1, t=1. Texture maps may be viewed as two dimensional colour functions that, given an (s, t) coordinate, return a colour value colour(s, t).

• NOTE: Image formats specify an alpha opacity, not transparency (where alpha = 1 - transparency).
• This definition may not be instantiated.