Using the Material Palette

Panel-Materials-Palette.gif (13672 bytes)

Materials can be thought of as "paint" for 3D objects. A material is made of a number of attributes including color, transparency, specularity (shininess), and a texture (bitmap).

Click Button-Panel-Material.gif (138 bytes) to show the Material Palette panel. Or select the Material Tab Button-Construction-Material.gif (1138 bytes) to show all Material sub-panels.

The Material Palette includes a material preview. As you change material attributes, the material preview is updated to show you how your material will look when applied to an object.

A material is applied to an object by using the Paint, Oriented Fill or Fill tools.

Color Selection

Panel-Materials-Palette-Color.gif (1034 bytes)

A color may be selected by clicking the color preview, clicking on the Button-Material-Color.gif (898 bytes) Select Color button or by selecting a named color from the color list.

To reset the color to the default click the Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) Reset Color button.

Texture Selection

Panel-Materials-Palette-Texture.gif (3754 bytes)

A texture can be selected by clicking on the texture preview, by clicking the Button-OpenSmall.gif (177 bytes) Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

To reset the texture to the default click the Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) Reset Texture button.

The PNG graphics file format includes translucency information. If you select a PNG texture its tranclucency information will also be extracted.

POVRay users please note that POVRay does not support JPG format images as textures.

Secondary Texture Selection

Panel-Materials-Palette-SecondaryTexture.gif (4122 bytes)

A second texture can be selected. If selected, this texture will be blended with the primary texture to create a new texture. A secondary texture can be selected by clicking on the texture preview, by clicking the Button-OpenSmall.gif (177 bytes) Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

You can also set a translucent factor for the secondary texture. A larger amount results in less of the secondary texture being visible in the blended texture.

To reset the secondary texture to the default click the Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) Reset Texture button.

POVRay users please note that POVRay does not support JPG format images as textures.

Translucency Map Selection

Panel-Materials-Palette-Translucent.gif (3973 bytes)

A translucency map can be selected. If selected, this texture is used to specify varied translucency for the material. The translucency map can be selected by clicking on the translucency map preview, by clicking the Button-OpenSmall.gif (177 bytes) Select Texture button or by selecting a texture from the Texture Library.

Translucency can range from white indicating completely opaque to black indicating transparent.

To reset the translucency map to the default click the Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) Reset Texture button.

The PNG graphics file format includes translucency information. If you select a PNG texture only the translucent part will be extracted.

POVRay users please note that POVRay does not support JPG format images as textures. Also note that POVRay's translucency information is reversed so a white pixel indicates transparent and a black pixel indicates opaque.

Other Material Attributes

Button-TextureFlipHorizontal.gif (908 bytes) flips the texture horizontally.

Button-TextureFlipVertical.gif (911 bytes) flips the texture vertically.

Button-Material-TextureCrop.gif (956 bytes) displays a window that allows you to crop the texture.

Button-Material-Raytrace.gif (135 bytes) displays a window that allows you to select additional raytracing material attributes. (Available with 3D Canvas Pro)

Button-PreviewPrimitive.gif (687 bytes) displays a window that allows you to select an alternate preview object.

Button-Material-WrapWorldOriented.gif (131 bytes) indicates that the Fill Tool Button-Toolbar-FillTool.gif (941 bytes) should orient the texture relative to the scene.

Button-Material-WrapFaceOriented.gif (903 bytes) indicates that the Fill Tool Button-Toolbar-FillTool.gif (941 bytes) should orient the texture relative to the point selected with the Fill Tool.

Button-Material-WrapCameraOriented.gif (942 bytes) indicates that the Fill Tool Button-Toolbar-FillTool.gif (941 bytes) and Material Fill Operation should orient the texture relative to the Animation Camera. This option is only available in Animation Mode and when applied to an object is only updated during animation or snapshot recording.

Button-WrapCylinder.gif (919 bytes) applies the texture to the preview object with a cylindrical wrap.

Button-WrapSphere.gif (917 bytes) applies the texture to the preview object with a spherical wrap.

Button-WrapFlat.gif (912 bytes) applies the texture to the preview object with a flat wrap. Right Click to display flat wrap options.

Button-WrapChrome.gif (924 bytes) applies the texture to the preview object with a chrome wrap. This option is only available in Animation Mode and when applied to an object is only updated during animation or snapshot recording.

Button-ResetAll.gif (138 bytes) resets the material palette defaults.

Difuse, Specular, Ambient and Translucent attributes may also be set.

Click the Texture Library's Button-RollDown.gif (95 bytes) to show the Texture Library sub-panel. Click Button-RollUp.gif (93 bytes) to hide the panel.

Click the Texture Library's Button-Popup.gif (879 bytes) to show a popup window with all available textures in the active Texture Library.