2D array

A texture made of several stacked 2D image layers, selected by an index.

In graphics a 2D array texture bundles multiple same-sized images into one object; a shader picks a layer by number and then samples it like a normal 2D texture. It is handy for things like sprite sheets, terrain layers, or per-object textures, since one bind covers many images. It differs from a 3D texture because layers are discrete rather than blended along a depth axis.