2D and 3D graphics look better than ever with new features like texture mapping of polygons and other graphics objects and fast 3D rendering for transparent objects. Mathematica 8 also adds new curve primitives, enhanced arrows, and more.

• Textures for 2D and 3D polygons and filled graphics objects with full hardware acceleration. »
• Use any Mathematica expression as texture, including dynamic objects and webcam videos. »
• Built-in gallery of example texture data. »
• Texture mapping support for many visualization functions. »
• New 2D graphics primitives for joined curves and filled curves. »
• Import and export curves as their native forms without discretizing. »
• Import fonts in PDF files as outline curves and filled curves. »
• Curved arrows specified by Bézier and B-spline curves in 2D or 3D. »
• Apply multiple geometric transformations to a single object for efficiency. »
• Fast 3D rendering for graphics with transparency. »

Textures on Visualization Functions »	Textures on Parametric Surfaces »	Built-in Texture Example Data »
Creating Realistic 3D Scenes Using Textures »	Dynamic Textures on Graphics Primitives »	Real-Time Webcam Video as Texture »
Volumetric Rendering Using 3D Textures »	Extracting Outline Curves from a Glyph »	Curved Arrows with Dynamic Arrowhead Positions »
Various Text Effects Using Filled Curves »	Custom Arrowheads on Curved Arrows »	Multiple Geometric Transformations on an Object »

RELATED FUNCTIONS

Texture  VertexTextureCoordinates  TextureCoordinateFunction  TextureCoordinateScaling  JoinedCurve  FilledCurve  Arrow  Arrowheads  Line  BezierCurve  BSplineCurve  GeometricTransformation  Opacity  ExampleData  Import  Export