Observation records / Material surfaces

Surface texture changes how an object interacts with light, contact and wear.

01. Establishing a reference

Surface texture changes how an object interacts with light, contact and wear. Lighting direction affects the appearance of texture. A useful working note records the context and the purpose of the study. Keep the details that explain what was noticed, and distinguish them from ideas that emerged later.

Lighting direction affects the appearance of texture. This point should be read together with the stated reference and the conditions of the record.

02. Describing the setup

Roughness describes small-scale surface variation. When revisiting a series of observations, begin with the original context. Record the order of the work and keep the first descriptions alongside any later interpretation.

Roughness describes small-scale surface variation. This point should be read together with the stated reference and the conditions of the record.

03. Reading the first observation

The next pass through material surfaces focuses on comparison. A coating and its substrate behave as a system. Look for the relationships between the details and retain enough context for another reader to understand the study.

A coating and its substrate behave as a system. This point should be read together with the stated reference and the conditions of the record.

04. Working with variation

Surface texture changes how an object interacts with light, contact and wear. Lighting direction affects the appearance of texture. A useful working note records the context and the purpose of the study. Keep the details that explain what was noticed, and distinguish them from ideas that emerged later.

A finish should be described with a measurement method. This point should be read together with the stated reference and the conditions of the record.

Illustrative reference series
RecordCategoryNormalized valueRole
R-001Geometry95Reference
R-002Surface69Comparison
R-003Assembly26Control
R-004Geometry55Reference
R-005Surface83Comparison
R-006Assembly53Control
Reference note

A coating and its substrate behave as a system.