mesh_stem_base
A mesh_stem_base material is used to create stems for vegetation (for example, tree trunks and branches). Can be applied to static meshes and dynamic meshes.
States
In the States tab you can set rendering passes and available options. Enabling some of the states activates additional textures and parameters in the Textures and Parameters tabs respectively.
The states are divided into 2 groups: Passes and Options.
Rendering Passes
Passes specify during which rendering pass the material should be rendered. They are modified in the Passes field of the States tab.
Deferred
Deferred rendering pass. Specifies if the material should be rendered during the deferred pass. All lights influencing opaque objects are computed by means of deferred shading.
Auxiliary
Auxiliary rendering pass. Specifies if the material should be rendered into the auxiliary buffer.
Options
The following options are set in the Options field of the States tab.
Detail Blending
Specifies if additional detail textures with the specified UV channel will be provided for the material. Such textures allow to render unique details (such as dirt or worn spots).
- Disabled - a detailed material is not rendered.
-
Overlay first - material is rendered in the Overlay mode: detail textures are blended with the base ones according to the first UV coordinates.
The formula is: A + (B - 0.5) * k,
A + (B - 0.5) * k
where A and B are base and detail textures correspondingly;
k is an alpha blending coefficient that allows smooth interpolation between alpha values of base and detail textures.For example, if Alpha test option for material is disabled, k = base Alpha * detail Alpha.
- Overlay second - material is rendered in the Overlay mode: detail textures are blended with the base ones according to the second UV coordinates.
Animation
Enables animation for stems. The available values are:
- None - animation of stems is disabled.
- Default - animation of stems is enabled and can be controlled by the animation parameters.
- Field - animation of stems is enabled and material's animation parameters can be affected by a Field Animation.
Shadow Shafts
Specifies if volumetric shadows from world lights will be rendered from surfaces with the applied material.
Disabled Shadow shafts |
Enabled Shadow shafts |
Textures
All of the textures fields have set default textures, which can be replaced by your own ones. Availability of some textures depends on the set States values.
Base Textures
Base textures are loaded and modified in the Base field of the Textures tab.
Diffuse Texture
Diffuse texture specified the color of the surface.
Without diffuse texture |
With diffuse texture |
The texture is 4-channeled (RGBA):
- RGB values store a color of the texture
- An alpha (A) value contains either transparency values or a detail mask
Normal Texture
Normal map is texture to store information about a surface's normals deviation.
Without diffuse texture |
With diffuse texture |
The texture is 2-channeled (RG):
- RG values contain two components of a normal
- The third component's value (B) is calculated from the given components in run-time
Specular Texture
Specular map is texture to define a surface's shininess and highlight color.
The texture is 4-channeled (RGBA):
- RGB values store reflection color and intensity:
- White color indicates that the area will be reflective
- Black color indicates that there will be no reflections
- An alpha (A) value specifies the specular power (Gloss):
- White color indicates that specular highlights are very bright and intense
- Black color indicates that the specular highlights are dull
Detail Textures
Detail textures are present if Detail option on the States tab is enabled and can be loaded and modified in the Detail field of the Textures tab.
An additional set of the textures to form a material layer. The set contains all the textures from Base textures group:
Additional Textures
Ambient Occlusion Texture
Ambient map is a texture to modulate the global environment illumination (when an object is lighter at the top from sky above, darker at the bottom from the ground below etc).
The texture uses only R-channel.
Auxiliary Texture
Auxiliary texture is used for auxiliary rendering pass.
Parameters
In the Parameters tab you can set or modify base and additional parameters.
Parameters of different types are set in different ways:
- expression - vector values can be set either in the field near the parameter or in the dialog window opened when double clicking this field
- slider - the value can be set either by smoothly moving the slider of the scroll box or manually in the box near the parameter (if required, the value bigger than maximum one for the slider can be set)
- color - the color can be chosen in the dialog window, activated after double clicking the color field
All the parameters can be set to default ones - click a Set to parent button near the parameter (if the parameter is different from the default one, its field will be highlighted with green).
The parameters available for this kind of materials are listed below.
Transform Parameters
- Base - base textures coordinates transformation. A vector of the four float components, consisting of two pairs of vector elements:
- Scale texture coordinates, along X and Y axes.
For example, by the scale of 2;2 the texture will be repeated four times on the surface.
- An offset of the texture respectively to its initial position along X and Y axes.
For example, by the offset of 0.5 along X axis the texture will be repositioned to the right (so the left edge of the texture will be rendered in the center).
- Scale texture coordinates, along X and Y axes.
Transform vector is (1,1,0,0) |
Transform vector is (4,4,0,0) |
- Detail - detail textures coordinates transformation.
Detail texture native coordinates transformation. A vector of the four float components, consisting of two pairs of vector elements:
- Scale texture coordinates, along X and Y axes.
- An offset of the texture respectively to its initial position along X and Y axes.
Animation Parameters
Animation parameters are present only if an Animation state is enabled and are modified in the Animation field of the Parameters tab.
Stem Noise
Stem noise is coefficient to scale a spatial noise that diversifies the direction of movement of the vegetation stems.
Stem Offset
Stem offset is a coefficient to scale an amplitude of horizontal movement for the vegetation stems.
Stem Radius
Stem radius is a coefficient to scale an amplitude of vertical movement for the vegetation stems.
Stem Scale
Stem scale is a coefficient to scale the speed of vegetation stems movement.
Field Animation Parameters
This parameter is present only if the Field value is set for the Animation option on the States tab.
Mask
Field Mask is a mask that specifies an area of the animation field to be applied to stems. This mask must match the field mask of the animation field.
Auxiliary Parameters
Auxiliary color parameter is present only if an Auxiliary pass is set as a Default. The parameter is modified in the Auxiliary field of the Parameters tab.
Auxiliary color parameter is color picker to choose an auxiliary color for the Auxiliary rendering pass.
Detail Parameters
Detail parameters are present only if the a Detail option in the Options tab is enabled and a detail material is created.
Diffuse
Diffuse detail parameter is a coefficient to modify the visibility of the detail diffuse map:
- By the minimum of 0, the detail diffuse texture is not visible at all
- By the maximum of 1, the detail diffuse texture is fully appeared
Normal
Normal detail parameter is a coefficient to modify the visibility of the detail normal map:
- By the minimum of 0, the detail normal texture is not visible at all
- By the maximum of 1, the detail normal texture is fully appeared
Specular
Specular detail parameter is a coefficient to modify the visibility of the detail specular map:
- By the minimum of 0, the detail specular texture is not visible at all
- By the maximum of 1, the detail specular texture is fully appeared
Shading Parameters
Shading parameters are modified in the Shading field of the Parameters tab.
Normal Intensity
Normal is a coefficient to scale the intensity of the normals (provided by a normal map). The higher the value, the higher the normal texture effect is.
Diffuse
Diffuse is a coefficient setting the brightness of the diffuse texture. The higher the value, the brighter the diffuse texture is.
Specular
Specular is a color picker to choose the auxiliary specular color for the specular texture. It can be used for specifying different specular colors for one texture or modifying the texture color on the spot. The specular color of the texture and this color will be blended.
Gloss
Gloss shading parameter coefficient to modify size of the highlight of the specular map:
- Low values imitate wider highlights, typically appropriate to create diffuse reflection from the mat surface
- High values imitate pinpoint highlights, typically appropriate to create uniform reflection of light rays from the glossy surface
Fibers
Fibers is a coefficient to scale the intensity of the fiber effect. The higher the value, the higher the fiber texture effect is.
Decal Mask
Decal mask parameter specifies decal bit-mask. If the decal mask of the decal material matches the surface material, the decal will be projected.