METHODICAL ASPECTS OF STUDYING TEXTURING AND MATERIAL CREATION FOR 3D MODELS IN THE SCHOOL COURSE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

The active involvement of 3D graphics technologies in various areas of industrial production and 3D content creation has contributed to the introduction of relevant modules in elementary and secondary school computer science curricula. However, it is also worth recognizing that teachers, in most cases, were not sufficiently prepared to explain topics related to three-dimensional modeling to students. Among the difficulties is the limited attention of methodologists to this issue and, thus, the lack of quality methodological support. If one analyzes the modules' topics directly related to three-dimensional technologies, the most difficult ones include modeling, creating materials and textures, and animation. The latter is hardly covered in the national methodological literature. Considering this, this paper aims to reveal the methodological aspects of studying texturing and creating materials for three-dimensional models in a school computer science course. The main scientific research methods included analysis, systematization, comparison, and information classification on the relevant topic. First, the author focused on identifying the impact of the software studied by students in grades 9 and 11 on this process in the central part of the article. Next, it emphasizes the importance of developing students' skills in correctly constructing a polygonal surface, as this minimizes the impact of poorly created 3D models on texturing and creating realistic materials. The importance of conducting micro-research by secondary school students to understand the behavior of light rays on the surface of modeled materials is also revealed. The article also discusses important aspects of teaching students to work with the Bender material editor and its node concept for constructing realistic materials and pre-generated textures. The author also provides recommendations on the total number of academic hours that should be allocated to studying the topic under consideration. The conclusions finalize the materials presented in the paper and outline directions for further research.