Final answer:
Texturing in virtual reality technology refers to applying virtual textures and shading to objects, enhancing their three-dimensional appearance and creating an immersive, realistic virtual environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Within the context of virtual reality technology, the term that refers to giving objects in a virtual reality environment texture and shading for a 3D appearance is often referred to as texturing. Texturing mimics the tactile feel or visual representation of surfaces such as rock, wood, stone, or fabric. When applied to 3D models in a virtual environment, it helps create the illusion of depth and realism, enhancing the user's sense of immersion in the virtual world. This illusion is vital in art, both physically and digitally, as it provides the experience of a surface's roughness or smoothness. In virtual reality and computer graphics, particularly in the production of computer-generated imagery (CGI) for movies, sophisticated software tools are used to apply textures to digital models, simulating how light interacts with surfaces and creating a believable three-dimensional space.