In Unity, what is the purpose of an emissive texture?

An emissive texture serves the purpose of simulating light emission from a surface. When applied to a material in Unity, this texture allows the surface to appear as if it is glowing or radiating light, regardless of any external light sources in the scene. The bright areas of the emissive texture will "light up," giving the illusion that the surface itself is a source of illumination. This effect is highly useful for creating objects like screens, magical artifacts, or glowing materials in the game, enhancing the visual appeal and realism of the scene.

Reflective surfaces, altering surface colors, and providing shadowing effects are all important aspects of material design in Unity but are not the specific role of an emissive texture. A reflective surface relies on other properties like specular or reflection maps, while surface color changes are handled with diffuse textures. Shadowing is achieved through different lighting techniques, so these options do not pertain to the functionality of emissive textures.