Material settings (Advanced Mode)

Contains controls for setting material parameters in Advanced Mode (when Advanced is checked in the View menu of the Material Editor dialog box).

Diffuse, Specular, Transparency, and Bump settings, have additional properties that can be revealed by clicking the Show additional properties icon to the left of each item.

If Samples is turned on (View > Samples in the Material Editor dialog box) then a color swatch displays for each setting to show the effect of the individual material components.

If Descriptions is turned on (View > Descriptions in the Material Editor dialog box) then descriptions for each slider are displayed.

Efficiency

Lets you define the efficiency of the material directly, either by adjusting the slider, or by keying in a value in the associated field. Efficiency is defined as the total percentage of incoming light that is re-transmitted back into the environment. This includes diffuse and specular reflections, as well as the light transmitted through transpareny and translucency. When the efficiency is 100% or greater, it is displayed in red, warning that the material is unrealistic. Typical materials in the real world generally range in efficiency from 30% to 70%.

Lock icon (efficiency)

Clicking the icon toggles the lock on and off.

If on (locked), the efficiency of the material is locked such that modifying the diffuse, specular, transparency, or translucency components will automatically adjust the other components to maintain the efficiency value.

If off (unlocked), modifying the diffuse, specular, transparency, or translucency components changes the efficiency value, but does not automatically adjust the other components.

Color button

Defines the color used for the material when rendered.

Clicking the arrow icon opens a menu with the following options:

• Custom
— Use the custom color. You can define the custom color by clicking the color button to open the Base Color dialog box, which lets you define the color. When Custom is selected, the color button displays the selected Base Color.

• Use element color
— Uses the color of the element in the model.

Pattern button

Defines whether or not a pattern map is used by the material. Click the arrow icon to open a menu with the following options:

• On
— A pattern map, if defined, will be used in the material. Hovering the pointer over the pattern icon will display the name of the current pattern map.

Click the icon to open the Open Image file dialog box, which lets you select an image file for use as a pattern map. After selecting the image file, the Map Editor dialog box opens, which lets you edit the settings for the pattern map. This includes options for selecting an image file, a procedure, or a gradient.

• Off
— No pattern map will be used by the material.

Color scale

Specifies the percentage of pattern map that is used in the material versus color. Values range from 0 (solid color with no pattern map) to 100 (entirely pattern map) and may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Diffuse

Defines the percentage of incoming light that is reflected in all directions equally. This affects the overall brightness of the material. Values range from 0 (dark) to 100 (bright) and may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Translucency

(Visible only when additional diffuse properties are displayed) Defines the percentage of incoming light that is transmitted through the material and scattered in all directions as it exits the material. Values may range from 0 (opaque) to 100 (clear) and may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Specular button

Defines the specular highlight and transparency color.

Clicking the arrow icon opens a menu with the following options:

• Plastic
— Specular highlights and transparency color will be white.

• Metallic
— Specular highlights and transparency color will be the same color as the base material.

• Use Element
— Specular highlights and transparency color will be the same color as the element.

• Custom
— Available only if a custom color has been specified (by clicking the specular color button to open the Specular Color dialog box, which lets you define a custom color). When a custom color has been defined, the button displays the custom color.

Specular

Defines the percentage of incoming light that is reflected in the opposite direction of the incoming light. Values may range from 0 (dull) to 100 (shiny) and may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Reflect button

(Visible only when additional specular properties are displayed) Defines how the amount of reflection is calculated. Clicking the button opens a menu with the following options:

• Custom
— Lets you define a value for Reflect that is less than that of Specular (Reflect cannot exceed the value of Specular).

• Link to Specular
— Links Reflect to the setting for Specular so that modifying the Specular setting produces the same modification in the Reflect setting.

Reflect

(Visible only when additional specular properties are displayed) Enabled only when Reflect is set to Custom. Defines the amount of incoming light from other objects in the scene that is reflected. Can vary from 0 (None) to 100 (Full) but must be a value less than or equal to the value for Specular. Values may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Finish button

(Visible only when additional specular properties are displayed) Defines how the roughness of the surface material is calculated. Clicking the button opens a menu with the following options:

• Custom
— Lets you set a value for Finish. Values can range from 1 (Rough) to 100 (Smooth).

• Off
— No specular highlights are visible.

• Linked to specular
— Links Finish to the setting for Specular so that modifying the Specular setting produces the same modification in the Reflect setting.

Transparency

Defines the percentage of incoming light that is transmitted directly through the material. Values may range from 0 (Opaque) to 100 (Clear) and may be keyed in to the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Refract

(Visible only when additional transparency properties are displayed) Sets the index of refraction, which controls how much the light changes direction as it passes through a transparent material. Values range from 0.1 to 3.0. A value of 1.0 causes no change of direction.

Values may be entered in the text field, or selected from the option menu which opens when you click the arrow icon. This provides several standard values for refraction — Air, Water, Plastic, Glass, Crystal, Diamond.

Thickness

(Visible only when additional transparency properties are displayed) This setting corrects the handling of refraction effects for elements that have no thickness. It lets you specify a thickness in master units for these elements.

Bump

Enabled only when a bump map has been specified for the material. Controls the bumpiness caused by the bump map. Values range from 0 (Smooth) to 100 (Bumpy) and may be entered in the text field, or adjusted with the slider.

Bump button

Where no bump map has been defined previously, opens the Open Image File dialog box, which lets you select an image file to use as a bump map.

Clicking the arrow icon opens a menu with the following options:

• On
— Turns on the bump map (where one has been defined).

• Off
— Turns off a previously defined bump map.

• Link to Pattern
— Uses whatever is defined for the pattern map — Nothing, Image, Gradient, or Procedure.

• Unlink
— (Available only if the bump map currently is linked to the pattern map) Lets you unlink the bump map from the pattern map.

Ambient

Defines the percentage of ambient light that is reflected by the surface. Realistic values range from 0 (None) to 100 (Full) and may be entered in the text field, or adjusted using the slider.

Values greater than 100 may be keyed in to simulate glowing objects.

Casts Shadows

If on, the material can cast shadows. If off, no shadows are cast by the material.

Global Illumination

Used in conjunction with the Materials & Lighting settings for Radiosity solving, and the Particles settings for Particle Tracing.