ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Texel (graphics)

When you look at a picture on your TV, tablet, or phone, all of the little squares that make up the picture are called pixels. But when we talk about picture quality, we don't just talk about the size of the pixels, we also talk about how intricate or detailed each pixel can be. That's where texels come in!

Texels are basically like the pixels of a picture, but they're used specifically in video game graphics. They're the little squares that make up the surface of objects in a game - like the walls, floors, or characters. But unlike regular pixels, each texel can have a lot more detail to it.

For example, if a character in a game has a texture with lots of little details like wrinkles or scales, those little details are made up of lots of tiny texels. The more texels there are in a single square inch of a game's graphics, the more detail there is in the image overall.

So, when game developers are creating graphics for a game, they have to pay attention to texel density - or how many little squares they're using to make up the objects in the game. If they don't use enough, the game might look pixelated and blurry. But if they use too many and it can affect the game's performance and cause it to run slower.

In summary, texels are like the tiny building blocks that make up objects in video game graphics, and their level of detail can affect the overall quality and performance of the game.
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