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Texture

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Shading

You use Shaders to define an object’s

appearance. They define not only the texture
and color of an object, but how it responds to
light. Carefully selected and properly applied
shaders enhance the realistic appearance of
your scene.

This chapter introduces shaders—what they

are and which types of shaders are
available—and it provides background
information you must know when you create
your own shaders. It also introduces the
Texture room, including the windows, trays,
palettes, and tools you use when applying or
creating shaders.

To learn how to apply shaders to your objects,

refer to “Applying Shaders” on page 406.
Refer to Chapter , “Creating & Editing
Shader Trees.” to learn how to create shaders.

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Thinking about What are Shaders?

Textures as Shaders
A shader is a set of surface characteristics.
As with learning to think in 3D, you must Each shader can contain settings for one or
learn how to analyze surfaces around you to more of the following attributes: Color,
determine how to recreate the same effects in Highlight, Shininess, Bump, Reflection,
Carrara Studio. As you start to use shaders, Transparency, Refraction, and Glow.
experimenting is the best way to learn which In time, you’ll build your own collection of
shaders you can use to create which types of shaders by editing existing shaders and
effects. creating new ones from scratch.

Note As you learn how to build your

own shaders, you’ll find the pre-
defined shaders to be
invaluable. Examine them
closely: they demonstrate
techniques you might not
immediately discover through
experimentation or reading
these chapters.

Refer to “Learning from Existing Shaders”

on page 404 for more information.

A rendered scene showing various textures.

Carrara Studio comes with a library of

predefined shaders ready to use right out of
the box; however, you can also purchase
shaders from other vendors or even create
your own.

To locate other sources of shaders, visit the

Eovia Web site; to create your own shaders,
refer to Chapter , “Creating & Editing Shader
Trees.”

The best way to learn about shaders is to try

them. As you experiment using different
shaders, you might want to keep a log of how
you think each shader looks so you can
quickly select an appropriate shader for the
desired effect.

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How Shaders Work

To work effectively with shaders, it helps to
have an understanding of how they work. In
traditional animation, images were drawn on
different layers of celluloid. For example, one
layer was used for background, one for items
in the mid range, and one for the foreground.

Layers used to compose a shader.

Shaders can get quite complex, but let’s start

with a simple example. Let’s imagine how to
create a simple shader for a piece of fruit,
such as an orange. In the Color channel, place
a shade of the color orange.
Layers of cels in an animation.
Real oranges have some highlights and shine,
You can think of shaders in a similar way. so you must set values for Highlight and
Each channel of a shader is a different layer. Shine. Oranges have a distinctive bumpy
Instead of celluloid layers displaying texture, so you must place a bump texture in
background, midground, and foreground the Texture channel or use the Spots shader.
layers for an animation, shader channels Oranges aren’t particularly reflective; you
display Color, Highlight, Shininess, Bump, wouldn’t expect to see an image reflected
Reflection, Transparency, Refraction, and back from the surface of an orange. They
Glow. aren’t transparent, they don’t reflect or refract
light, nor do they glow, so no values are
needed for the Transparency, Reflection,
Refraction, or Glow channels.

Channels needed to create a shader for an orange.

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This example demonstrated how to create a You can see the list of Master Shaders for a
simple shader. Carrara Studio makes it easy given scene in the Sequencer. To shade an
to create complex shaders, where you use object in a scene, you assign a Master Shader
functions, operators, and even other shaders from the scene’s Master Shaders list.
are used to create new shaders. Refer to
Chapter , “Creating & Editing Shader Trees,” By default, objects are assigned the first
to learn more. Master Shader in the list named “Default.”

Modify this Master Shader to define the

default shader that is assigned to future
objects. For more information, refer to
“Modifying the Default Shader for a Scene”
on page 414.

Carrara Studio allows you to purge any

unused shaders from your document using
the Edit menu> Remove Unused Shaders
The actual shader for an orange. command. You’ll want to do so periodically
to reduce unnecessary overhead from your
The main difference between shading objects
scene.
in Ray Dream Studio and in Carrara Studio is
that Carrara Studio applies one Master shader
to each object. Each object has only one
Master shader applied to it, although that
shader might contain other sub-shaders.
Carrara Studio converts shaders imported
from Ray Dream Studio into Layers List
shaders. Refer to “Layers List Component”
on page 420 to learn more.

To learn more about using shaders, refer to

“Applying Shaders” on page 406. Shaders listed in the Sequencer.

You always apply a single shader to an

Master Shaders object; however, that shader might be
composed of other shaders in what is known
Once you create or place a shader in a scene, as a shader tree.
Carrara Studio adds it to the Master Shaders
list. These shaders are stored in the
document. As a part of the scene, they can be
edited or animated.

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You can apply a Master Shader to one or

more objects. Any changes you make to a
Master Shader are automatically made to all
the objects using that shader. For example, if
you make a shader for an antique chair leg,
you could apply the shader to all four legs of
the chair.

You can vary the effect of using a shader on

more than one object by using a Layers List
shader and applying layers to the object. To
use the chair example, if you wanted to add
some scuffs to the chair legs, you could create
and position layers, then place a scuff texture
in them.

To store a Master Shader for reuse in another

scene, you must add it to the Browser.

The Shader Browser

Library shaders are stored as separate files
and can be loaded into the Browser. When
you drag a library shader from the Browser You can use the Browser to organize and store your
into the Sequencer, Carrara Studio makes a personal shader library.
copy of that shader. When you drag a shader
from the Browser onto an object, Carrara You might want to organize your shader
Studio makes a copy of that shader and directories as logical categories. For example,
a list of directories might read: Wood, Rocks,
applies it to the object. In either case, the
Plastic, Glass, Marble.
shader becomes a part of the scene and is
referred to as a Master Shader. Don’t overload the Browser tray with
shaders. Each shader thumbnail requires
For information on adding, moving and
some memory. Too many shaders loaded into
removing items and folders in the Browser
the Browser could impact your system’s
palette, refer to “Using the Browser” on
performance. It’s a good idea to limit the
page 69.
directories listed at any given time.

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The Object Surface Carrara Studio automatically applies the

shader to the object.

Every object has a surface that covers the You can also use the Eyedropper tool to
entire object. By applying a shader to an “grab” the shader from an object in the
object’s surface, you give the complete object document window. Then click the object
its surface characteristics. The default surface to apply the shader.
used for new objects is a simple gray color.
If you change your mind, use Undo to undo
your changes.
One of the features of Ray Dream Studio was
a primer that was applied to an object’s
surface. The primer no longer exists. To Shading Domains
obtain more control than the bare surface
provides, use a Layers List shader to create Real objects are often composed of different
the effect of a shader applied over a primer.
textures in different areas of the object. For
When you import textures from Ray Dream example, a log has bark on the outside and
Studio, they automatically become Layers tree rings on the sliced cross-section.
List shaders.
Shading domains allow you to easily texture
logical areas of an object. When you model a
log as a cylinder, for example, it has several
shading domains: the side face, the front face,
and the back face. (In this example, the front
and back face could use the same tree ring
texture, but that isn’t always the case.) The
modeler of the object determines the number
of shading domains. The shader domains are
separate UV mapping spaces of the object,
The basic surface of a default object.
and each one has a separate number.
Refer to “Layers List Component” on
page 420 to learn more about creating Layers You can assign different shaders to each
List shaders. shading domain. They are all stored and
referred to as one Layers List shader. You just
To replace an object’s surface: need to create a Layers List shader that
contains mapping shaders that allow you to
1 Select a shader in the Browser tray: assign layer shaders to specific domains, and
Shaders category or from the the layer shaders themselves. For example,
Sequencer’s Master Shaders list. when creating the component shaders used on
a log object, the side of the log would have a
2 Drag it onto an object in the document bark shader; the ends of the log would have a
window.

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tree ring shader. The resulting Layers List

shader would be known as a log shader,
containing the two different component
shaders.

The Shader Tree Editor, expanded.

When you select one or more objects and

click the Texture room button, you’ll see a
Shader Tree Editor window for the shader
Shader domains of a cylinder object.
used in each selected object. For example, if
you selected three objects and two of them
To learn more, refer to “Mapping Shaders” on used the same shader, you’d see two Shader
page 411. Tree Editor windows.

Before you learn more about shaders, you The Shader Tree Editor lists the type of
must know more about the windows and tools shader and displays the appropriate branches
available in the Texture window. and parameters.

The preview shows you how your shader will

The Texture Room appear on the surface of an object and
supplies you with immediate feedback when
you change shading parameters. The shader
The main elements in the Texture room are
tree editor window displays the type of
the Shader Tree Editor, Shader Preview, and
shader and the components used to create it.
Layers tools. You use the Browser,
introduced earlier, extensively when applying You can edit multiple shaders at the same
shaders or saving them for reuse. time. This allows you to easily drag and drop
between shader tree editors.
The Shader Tree Editor For more information about the Shader Tree
Editor, refer to “The Shader Tree Editor” on
The Shader Tree Editor gives you complete page 402.
control over the appearance of your shaders.
You can use the Shader Tree Editor to edit
shaders stored in the Browser or shaders
you’ve applied to objects in your scene.

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Shader Preview Window To learn more, refer to “Using Layer Shader

Tools” on page 408.
You can set up the Shader Preview window to
preview your shader in a flat preview, sphere,
or even on any of the objects that use that Managing Shaders in
shader. the Browser
You can set up the Browser to display a flat or
spherical preview of the shaders. As with
other items in the Browser, you can add and
remove shaders from the tray.

Refer to“Using the Browser” on page 69 to

learn more about using the Browser.

You can also view shaders contained in a

scene by clicking the Shader button in the
Sequencer. Remember, the shaders you use in
a scene are not automatically listed in the
Browser. If you create or use a shader in a
The Shader Preview window. scene that you want to reuse, be sure to save
Refer to “Building and Editing Shaders” on it to the Browser.
page 421 to learn how to change the preview
modes.

Layer Tools
The Layer tools help you create layer shaders
and mapping shaders interactively in the
shader preview window. You can also create
layer shaders and mapping shaders in the
Shader Tree Editor and position them
numerically or with the Select Layer tool.
Here are the four available layer tools:

• Select Layer
• Polygon Layer
• Rectangle Layer
• Oval Layer
Shaders in the Browser.

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To view shaders in the Browser:

Previewing Shading
• Drag open the Browser tray, then click
the Shaders button to view the currently Once you have created or edited a shader,
installed shaders. you’ll want to see how it looks when applied
to a particular object. When you view the
To view shaders in your scene: shader in the Texture room, you’ll always see
it in a high-quality mode.
1 Drag open the Sequencer tray.
In the Assemble or Storyboard room you
2 Click the Shaders button to display need to use the Textured preview mode to
previews of the shaders. accurately see the color variations created by
the shaders over the surface of your objects.
To add shaders to the Sequencer: Other preview modes use a single color for
each object. To preview the final result in the
• Drag a shader from the Browser to the rendered image, you can use the Test Render
Sequencer. Tool.

To remove a shader from the To use the Test Render tool, refer to “2D
Sequencer: View Tools” on page 63.

1 Select the shader you want to remove

from the Sequencer. Learning from
2 Choose Edit menu > Delete or press Existing Shaders
Cmd/Ctrl+D to delete it.
If an object was using that shader, the One of the best ways to learn about shaders is
default shader will be applied instead. to closely examine the shaders provided with
Carrara Studio. As you view a shader in the
To remove all unused shaders from the Shader Tree Editor, you’ll find out how it was
Sequencer: composed and learn tricks you can use when
creating your own shaders.
• Choose Edit menu > Remove Unused
For a thorough discussion of shader channels
Shaders.
and settings, refer to “Shader Structure and
Content” on page 416.

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Shading Objects

This chapter explains shading, the process of

assigning surface properties to your objects.
By designing and applying shaders, you can
precisely control the color, texture, and finish
on your objects. When Carrara Studio renders
your final artwork, these characteristics
determine whether an object appears rough or
smooth, shiny or dull, transparent or opaque.

Carrara Studio’s drag-and-drop interface for

applying shaders makes shading easy. You’ll
keep a collection of shaders in the Browser
tray and simply drop them onto your objects
in the Assemble, Storyboard, Texture rooms,
or the Scene Preview window. As you add a
shader to the scene, Carrara Studio stores it in
the Master Shader List for the scene. You can
also drag shaders from the Sequencer to
apply them to objects.

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Applying Shaders To apply a shader to an object’s

surface (drag and drop):

You can apply shaders several different ways: • Drag a shader from the Browser:
you can apply a shader from the Browser; Shaders category onto an object in the
apply a shader from the Sequencer; create a document or Scene Preview window, or
layer on an object, then apply a shader to that onto an object’s name in the Sequencer
layer; or drag a shader from one scene to tray.
another.
• Drag a shader from the Sequencer tray
You can apply shaders to the entire surface of onto an object in the document or Scene
an object or only to certain areas, such as to Preview window.
layers in a Layers List shader or to the front
face of a cylinder. Refer to “Mapping To apply a shader from another object:
Shaders” on page 411 to learn how this is
done. 1 Select the Eyedropper tool.

2 Click an object in the Assemble,

Storyboard room, or Scene Preview
window to “grab” its shader.
3 Click the Eyedropper on an object to
apply the shader.
Press Shift+click to apply the shader and
A shader applied to part of an object.
keep the Eyedropper “full” of the current
shader so you can apply it to additional
objects.
Shading an Entire Press Cmd/Ctrl+click to select a different
Object shader instead of applying the shader
currently selected by the Eyedropper
When you create a new object, Carrara Studio tool.
creates it a default surface. To shade an entire
object, you simply apply a shader to the To apply a shader from an object in
object’s surface. You can drag and drop a another scene:
shader from the Browser or from another
object. 1 Select the Eyedropper tool and click to
“grab” the shader from an object in the
You can also edit an object’s existing shader. document or Scene Preview window.
For instructions, refer to “The Shader Tree
Editor” on page 402.

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2 Switch scenes using the Scene Preview To achieve effects such as these, you can use
window. Carrara Studio’s layers.
Refer to “Scene Preview” on page 41 to
learn how.
3 Click an object to apply the shader. The
shader is automatically added to the You can use the Layers tools to place Layers on
Sequencer as a Master Shader. objects.

You can also drag and drop a shader The Layers tools enable you to create a
from the Master Shaders list in the Layers List shader. This allows you to apply
Sequencer window onto an object in the different shaders to various regions on the
Assemble or Storyboard rooms, or in the surface of an object. These regions, called
Scene Preview window. layers, take the form of geometric shapes.
Once you create them, layers can be selected,
If you are creating a non-animating scene,
moved along the surface of the object,
you might want to apply a shader only to the modified (in shape, size, or shader content),
facing surfaces of an object. overlapped, or deleted. You can create any
number of layers on the surface of an object.
Each layer exists in the Layers List shader
Shading Part of an and you can edit its shape, component shader,
Object or opacity mask in the Shader Tree Editor.

There are three methods for shading part of Because the Layers tools allow you to place
an object: other shaders in the layers, you’re not limited
to painting with color. You can paint with
• Layer Shaders gold, marble, or concrete and apply not only
• Mapping Shaders color, but bump, reflection, transparency, and
the other shading attributes as well.
• Texture Map Shaders
This section introduces the Layers tools and
explains how to use them. It also explains
Layer Shaders how Layers List shader layers relate to each
other and to the object’s surface. Finally, it
Many real-world objects have non-uniform discusses advanced topics such as mapping
surfaces. Variations on an object’s surface modes, and the Master and Object shading
might be as simple as a painted-on logo, or as layers.
complex as an intricate inlaid wood design.

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Using Layer Shader Tools Rectangle Tool

Carrara Studio’s Layers tools allow you to
create layers directly on your 3D objects.
Each tool provides visual feedback to show
you how your layer appears on the surface of Drag to create a rectangle. As you drag,
your object. Carrara Studio draws a “rubber band”
The Layers tools work best on objects created preview in real time, to show you the
in Carrara Studio. You can create layers on an boundaries of the rectangle. Carrara Studio
object imported from another application, but shades the layer when you release the mouse
you might need to change the object’s button.
mapping mode to achieve satisfactory results.
For more information, refer to “Editing Layer Ellipse Tool
Shaders” on page 410.

To use a Layers tool:

1 Choose a Layers tool. The behavior of Drag to create an ellipse. As you drag,
each tool is described below. Carrara Studio draws a “rubber band”
2 Draw on the surface of an object in the preview in real time, to show you the
Shader Preview window. perimeter of the ellipse.

When you draw with the Rectangle or Ellipse

tool, your first mouse click positions one
corner of your layer’s bounding rectangle,
then you drag to position the opposite corner.
Carrara Studio normally uses the shortest
path to connect these opposite corners—that
is, the layer will not wrap all the way around
the object. If you want the shape to wrap “the
other way” around your object, hold down the
Option/Alt key as you drag.

Previewing layers.

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Polygon Tool To delete a layer:

1 Select the shape.

2 Click the Trash can in the Shader Tree
Click once to position each vertex of your Editor.
polygonal layer. As you position vertices,
Carrara Studio draws the line segments To resize a layer:
connecting the vertices. Double-click at the
last vertex to automatically close the shape. • With the Layer Selection tool, drag one
of the corner handles on the shape’s
Although you can later resize or “stretch” a bounding rectangle.
polygonal layer, you won’t be able to re-edit Drag toward the center of the shape to
its vertices. Refer to “Working with Layers” shrink it. Drag outward to stretch it.
on page 409.
• You can also use the Shader Tree Editor
to numerically resize a layer. Type the
Working with Layers numeric value in the parameters for the
specified layer.
Once you’ve created layers, you can move,
resize, overlap, and delete them. When you use the Shader Tree Editor to edit a
Layers List shader, the layers are listed in the
To select a layer: shader tree. You can edit the contents of the
layer layers from within the Shader Tree
1 Choose the Layer Selection tool. Editor. Refer to Chapter , “Creating &
Editing Shader Trees,” to learn more.

Layering: How Layer

2 Click the layer you want to edit. Carrara Shaders Interact
Studio shows the layout of the layer. The
layer has four handles, one at each When you create a layer on the surface of an
corner. object, the layer’s shader overrides the
shading characteristics of the object’s surface.
To move a layer: Likewise, when several layers overlap, the
topmost layer’s shader overrides those below.
• With the Layer Selection tool, drag the That is, the last layer in the list will appear to
shape along the surface of the object. be “in front” of the other layers.

• You can also use the Shader Tree Editor

to numerically reposition a layer. Type
the numeric value in the parameters to
reposition the specified layer.

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There is one important corollary to this rule, The Layers List shader displays the
however. When a layer’s shader has one or component shader and opacity mask for each
more empty channels, it inherits the settings applied layer. Select which type of
for these channels from the layer immediately component shader you want to use and the
above it (or from the surface, if there is no appropriate branches display in the Shader
layer above). Tree Editor.

For example, if you create a layer on an To change the layering order:

object with a bumpy surface, any layer you
create will also be bumpy unless the shader 1 Select the layer you want to reorder in
you’re using specifies different bump the Shader Tree Editor.
settings. To create a smooth layer on a bumpy
object, you would use a shader with a
2 Drag the layer into the order you want.
constant value in the Bump channel. In a moment, the object preview updates to
The Shader Tree Editor allows you to control your changes.
the opacity of an object’s layers. Unlike a
To create a new layer shader:
shader’s Transparency setting, layer opacity
does not affect an object’s translucence;
1 Click the Plus icon from within a
rather, it controls how layers interact. If a
Mapping branch of the Shader Tree
layer’s opacity is less than 100%, its shader
Editor.
does not fully override the shaders of the
surface and layers above; rather, the shaders 2 Select the type of layer from the list.
effects are mixed.
Carrara Studio creates a new layer on the
surface of the object. The new shape has the
default size, position, and shader—all of
Editing Layer Shaders which you can change.
The parameters for the different branches in
To delete a layer shader:
the Shader Tree Editor allow you to edit the
position and size of an object’s layer with 1 Select an element in the Shader Tree
numerical precision. You can also add and
Editor.
delete layers, change layering, specify a
layer’s opacity, convert a layer from one type 2 Click the Trash can icon.
to another, remove an object’s surface, and
change an object’s mapping mode.

You can also press Delete.

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To change the layer type: • Cylindrical Mapping shader

• Choose the type you want from the • Spherical Mapping shader
Shape pop-up menu that lists the name of Refer to“Mapping Components” on page 420
the current type of layer. to learn more. Each of these mapping shaders
allows you to change the way sub-shaders are
Mapping Shaders projected on the object.

Mapping shaders also allow you to define to

Most shader content is two-dimensional.
which shading domain of the object they can
Texture maps, for example, are nothing more
be assigned.
than 2D images. Many procedural shader
functions—including Carrara Studio’s When you use the Layer Shader Tools,
checkers and wires—also produce two- Carrara Studio automatically inserts Mapping
dimensional image data. Carrara Studio uses Shaders for you so that your layer shaders get
a process known as mapping or projection applied to the appropriate shading domain of
mapping to apply this 2D shading the object.
information to the surface of a 3D object.
But you can also add Mapping Shaders
Carrara Studio’s interface allows you to manually.
shade objects without worrying about the
internal “nuts and bolts” of mapping. Most of Refer to“Reference Shader Component” on
the time, you can simply apply shaders on page 462.
objects with the Layers tools and let Carrara
Studio take care of the details. Occasionally,
however, you might find that changing an Texture Maps
object’s mapping mode makes it easier for
you to achieve the results you want. You can use a texture map to apply an image
to an object. You can create a texture map
When you change an object’s mapping mode, with a separate 2D drawing program such as
Carrara Studio changes the method it uses to Painter or Photoshop. Then, the map is
map 2D shapes and images to the object’s applied to the object. If the image file has an
surface. As a result, the Layers tools behave alpha channel associated with it, you can use
differently on the object. Depending on the that information as well.
shape of your object and the mapping mode
you choose, the difference can be subtle or
quite dramatic.

The four different mapping shaders are:

• Parametric Mapping shader

• Flat Mapping shader

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Texture maps allow you to create effects that Here is an example of a spacecraft created
would be cumbersome or impossible to create using a texture map.
using other methods. Texture maps are useful
when you must create 2D effects, such as
signs of wear on an object or lettering.

Using a texture map.

Object shaded using a texture map.

Here is a similar spacecraft created without
using a texture map.

If any of the shaders in your shader files

contain Texture Map components that
reference external image files, you must
maintain the relative path from the shader files
to the image files.

If you move either the shader files or the

image files to a different folder, Carrara
Studio prompts you to locate the missing
image files when it loads the shader files into
the Browser tray. The same object shaded without a texture map.

Refer to “Texture Map” on page 428 to learn More on Master Shaders

how to load a texture map and apply it to an
object. If your scene contains several objects using
the same Master Shader, you can use the
Master Shader to make changes to the
shading of all these objects.

When you create an object based on a Master

object, Carrara Studio automatically applies
an instance of a specific Master shader to all
these objects. You can then assign different
Master Shaders to each individual object.

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If you use a Master object and want to create

For more information on the relationship variations of a shader, the individual objects
between objects and Master objects, refer to
“Working with Master Objects” on page 224.
will not share the same Master Shader. For
example, if you want to create a series of
For example, you might create a bottle and bottles with different labels, you must create
shade it with a green glass shader. You could separate Master Shaders for each one. Each
then duplicate the bottle so that three copies bottle will use a different Layers List shader.
appear in the scene. Suppose you decided
later that you wanted marble, rather than You can assign a Reference shader as the
glass bottles—you could reopen any object bottle layer so that several Master Shaders
using that shader, affecting all three bottles. can refer to the same sub-shader. This allows
Carrara Studio prompts you to confirm you to edit the Reference shader and
whether you want to apply the change to all automatically update all the Master Shaders
the objects using that shader or whether you that use that Reference shader.
want to create a new Master Shader.
To edit a Master shader:

1 Switch to the Master Shaders tab in the

Sequencer.
2 Double-click the icon for the Master
Shader your want to edit.
The shader opens in the Shader Tree
Editor window. Or you can select a
Master Shader and switch to the Texture
room.

To see to which objects a Master

Shader is applied:
Same bottle (same Master Object), different labels
(different Master Shaders), same bottle shader
(Reference shader.) 1 Click the Master Shaders button in the
Sequencer tray. Previews of all of the
If you choose to apply the change to all the Master Shaders display.
objects, the Master Shader and all the objects
2 Double-click the Master shader to switch
using that shader are updated. If you want to
to the Texture room.
create a new Master Shader, then Carrara
Studio switches to the Shader Tree Editor so 3 Click the pop-up menu in the upper left
you can create the new shader. corner of the Preview window.
A list of objects that use that shader
displays.

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To rename a Master shader:

1 Select a Master Shader in the Sequencer,

either from the Hierarchy or from the
Shader list.
2 Select the name of the shader in the
Properties tray and type a new name.

Modifying the Default

Shader for a Scene
When you create new objects in a scene, they
are assigned the Master Shader named
“Default.” You can modify this master shader
to control what will be the default shading of
the objects in your scene.

To modify the default shader for a

scene:

1 Switch to the Master Shaders view in the

Sequencer.
2 Double-click the icon for the Master
Shader named “Default.”
The shader opens in the Shader Tree
Editor window. Or you can select the
Master Shader and switch to the Texture
room.
3 Edit the shader in the Shader Tree Editor.

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Creating &
Editing Shader
Trees

Shaders are a powerful way of bringing your

3D objects to life. You can use Carrara
Studio’s extensive libraries of shaders to add
life to your objects, but because there is no
limit to the types of objects you can create,
you might need to build a unique shader to
suit each object you create.

Carrara Studio’s shader structure makes it

possible to create your own custom shaders.
Much like mixing your own colors for
painting on an artist’s palette, you’ll use the
Shader Tree Editor to create an infinite
number of different textures, colors, and
surfaces.

This chapters explains the Shader Tree Editor

and guides you through the process of
creating your own shaders.

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Shader Structure and

Content
This section and the two that follow—
“Shader Components Reference” on
page 426 and “Shading Channels Reference”
on page 464—explain the central concepts of
defining shaders. After reading these three
sections, you should understand how to
define a shader by building a shader tree from
Carrara Studio’s shader components.

When you’re ready to start designing your The shader tree of a Multi-Channel shader contains
eight sub-shaders that are used to define the
own shaders, read the step-by-step
appearance of the object in each shading channel.
instructions for using the Shader Tree Editor
in “Building and Editing Shaders” on In more complex cases, the tree has multiple
page 421. levels. For example, the glow branch of a
Multi-Channel shader can contain a mixer
shader that, in turn, uses several sub-shaders.
What is a Shader Tree?
A shader is a set of surface properties that
you can assign to an object. Carrara Studio
features a modular structure for defining
shaders: the shader tree. The shader tree’s
modular nature allows for great flexibility in
shader content.

A shader tree is a set of shaders assembled in

a hierarchical way. Each shader in the tree
uses the output of its branches in the tree and
combines these outputs to provide the final
appearance of the surface.

In simple cases, the tree is only one level

deep.This is the case with the default Multi-
The shader tree of a multilevel shader.
Channel shader.
The tree can be as deep as necessary.
However, the deeper the shader tree, the
longer it will take to be calculated.

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You can use shaders as components when To specify shader settings, you add
creating other shaders. A sub-shader is components to the shader tree in one or more
simply a shader used within another shader. of the channels. The components beneath a
You can use any type of shader as a sub- particular channel represent that channel’s
shader. The only distinction is whether the settings.
shader is at the top of the tree or located
under one of the branches. Depending on the components you use, the
settings in each channel can be simple or
complex. The Color channel might specify
Understanding Shading either a plain color or a multi-color pattern.
Channels Likewise, the Reflection channel might
specify uniform or varying levels of
When shading is calculated, eight shading
reflectiveness across the surface of an object.
channels are evaluated: Color, Highlight,
You can also place functions in a channel. For
Shininess, Bump, Reflection, Transparency,
example, you could place the Marble or
Refraction, and Glow.
Wood functions in the Color channel, instead
To learn more about the shading channels, of a color.
refer to “Shading Channels Reference” on
A shader need not contain settings in all eight
page 464.
channels. If you don’t want to define a
particular shading attribute, you can simply
leave that channel empty.

Understanding Shader
Components
There are several types of shader
components: basic components, operators,
functions, layer, and mapping components.

Basic Components
Basic components are the fundamental
building blocks of shaders. Colors, values,
and texture maps are examples of basic
The shader tree of a Multi-Channel shader contains
components. The diagram below shows a
the eight surface properties, known as shading
channels, that define an object’s surface in Carrara
Studio.

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shader tree built entirely with basic the Wood function to mix two colors in a
components. Notice the structural simplicity wood grain pattern. Notice that placing an
of the tree—no branching occurs below the operator in the shader tree causes the tree to
level of the channels. branch.

You can adjust the contents of a shader’s channels

by placing different components in each channel. Placing the Mixer operator in the shader tree
creates three branches. One for the mixing function
For more information on specific basic and one for each of the components you’re mixing.
components, refer to “Color” on page 426.

Operator Components
To create more complex and varied shading
effects, you can use operators to combine the
effects of two basic components within a
shading channel. The arithmetic operators
(Add, Subtract, and Multiply) combine
components mathematically. An additional
operator, the versatile Mixer operator, uses
functions to combine components in many
different ways.

For more information on specific operators,

refer to “Operators” on page 433. The wood grain applied to this object was created
by using the Mixer operator with two colors and a
The diagram below demonstrates the use of wood grain function.
an operator. In this particular example, the
Mixer operator is used in conjunction with

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When a component such as the Mixer

operator has branches extending below it, the
component and all the branches below are
referred to as a sub-shader. Sub-shaders allow
you to create truly complex effects—
anywhere you can place a component on the
shader tree, you can place a sub-shader
instead.

The shader in the example below uses the

Mixer operator with the checkers function to
create a complex checkerboard pattern in the
Color channel. Half the squares in the
checkerboard are spotted—the spot pattern is
produced by a second Mixer operator, nested
as a sub-shader within the first. The
appearance of the remaining squares is
determined by a texture map, loaded into The checkerboard pattern applied to this object
contains a second Mixer operator that produces
Carrara Studio from a 2D image file. This spots in one half of the squares in the checker
image file might contain a multi-color pattern.
gradient or fractal pattern, for example.
The top level of a Multi-Channel Mixer
shader tree has only one branch, which
affects all eight shading channels. The Multi-
Channel Mixer operator always appears on
that branch. The Multi-Channel Mixer
operator functions identically to the Mixer
operator, except that it mixes complete
shaders rather than individual shader
components. These complete shaders can be
Multi-Channel shaders, as in the example
above, part of Layered List shaders, or other
Multi-Channel Mixer shaders. You can
achieve complex shading effects by nesting
Multi-Channel Mixer shaders.

Instructions for creating and editing Multi

Channel, Layers List, and Multi-Channel
Mixer shaders appear in “Building and
Using two Mixer operators in the shader tree lets Editing Shaders” on page 421.
you create a sub-shader.

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Function Components When you apply different textures to areas of

an object, you are using a Layers List shader.
By choosing which function to use, you The layers in a Layers List shader are
control how the Mixer operator combines a stacked, as if one was painted on top of
pair of components. Carrara Studio comes another. You can modify the layer ordering
with several functions, including Cellular, within the list.
Checkers, Wires, Wood, Spots, Gradient,
Psychedelic, and Marble. You can also define Carrara Studio specifies layers either by the
your own function with a formula. shading domains of the object or by the use of
layer components. Refer to “Shading
For more information on specific functions, Domains” on page 401 or “Layer Shaders” on
refer to “Functions” on page 437. Refer to page 407 to learn more.
“Operators” on page 433 to learn more about
operators.

Mapping Components
When you model an object such as a beveled
text object, the modeler of the object assigns
shading domains. Then, using a mapping
component shader, you can assign different
component shaders to each of those shading
domains and define how these shaders are
applied to the 2D surface of the object.

Mapping allows you to easily texture

different logical areas of the object. You can
apply cylindrical mapping, flat mapping,
spherical mapping, or projection mapping to
an object or a layer.

For more information, refer to “Mapping

Components” on page 420.

Layers List Component

Using a Layer List component as the root of
your Shader Tree allows you to use Layer
Shaders and Mapping Shaders. You can then
add any number of Layer Shaders to your A Layers List shader.
object.

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Layer components Select the control in the lower right

corner and drag to resize the window.
You can specify the following types of layers: • When more than one object is
selected, and they all use the same
• Rectangular
shader, a single Shader Tree Editor
• Elliptical displays and you can select which
object you want to display in the
• Polygonal
Preview window by clicking the pop-
Each Layer uses two sub-shaders: up menu in the upper left corner of the
preview window.
• A primary sub-shader used to define the • When more than one object is
appearance within this layer selected, and they all use different
shaders, a separate Shader Tree Editor
• An opacity mask sub-shader used to
window displays for each shader.
define where the primary shader is
applied within the layer For example, if you select three objects
and two use the same shader, Carrara
Studio displays two Shader Tree Editors,
Building and Editing one for each shader.
Shaders If you select two of three objects that use
the same shader and start to edit the
Most of the work in building and modifying a shader, Carrara Studio prompts you
shader takes place in the Shader Tree Editor. whether you want to modify that shader
The Browser: Shaders category and shader (and apply the changes to all three
document windows are also useful. objects), or clone the shader and apply
the new shader with changes to only the
You can use the Shader Tree Editor to design selected objects.
a new master shader, modify a master shader
already used in your scene, or modify a The Shader Preview window shows you what
master shader you’ve stored in the Browser. the shader you are editing looks like. Each
time you change the shader tree, Carrara
To display the Shader Tree Editor: Studio updates the preview to show how your
change affects the shader.
• Select one or more objects in the
Assemble or Storyboard rooms, then
click the Texture room button to switch
to the Texture room.
Carrara Studio displays a Shader Tree
Editor for each Master Shader. You can
resize the Shader Tree Editor windows as
needed to view the contents of the Editor.

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The Shader Preview window.

... or a preview of your object.
You can choose a spherical preview, which
shows you how your shader will look on the To switch between spherical, flat, and
surface of an object, a flat preview, which object preview:
gives you an undistorted view of 2D image
data like texture maps, or a preview of any 1 Click the text in the top left corner of the
object primitives that use this shader. Shader Preview window.
2 Choose one of the preview options from
the list.
This change affects only the preview of
the shader you are currently editing,

To create a new shader:

1 Switch to the Texture room.

2 Choose File menu> New Master
Shader.
You can choose between a spherical shader
preview...
3 Use the Shader Tree Editor tools and
features to design the shader.
• Choose a shader type, and add a
component from the lists.

Note Refer to “Shader Components

Reference” on page 426 for
information on the shader
components. Instructions for
navigating and editing the
shader tree appear below.

• Drag a shader from the Browser into

... a flat shader preview...
an appropriate place in the Shader

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Tree Editor, where it becomes a sub- Carrara Studio opens it in a Shader Tree
shader. Editor window.
• Open a shader document from the
Browser and drag its components or
sub-shaders into the Shader Tree
Editor.

Note If you drop a shader or sub-

shader onto a place holder
where its type is inappropriate,
Carrara Studio alerts you. For
example, you can’t put a Single
Channel shader at the top of a
shader tree.
Double-click on the shader to display the Shader
4 When you’re finished designing the new Tree Editor window.
shader, either apply it to an object or add
it to the Browser.
Note If you don’t see the Shader Tree
Editor window right away, it
To add the current shader to the might be hidden under one of
Browser: the floating palettes such as the
Sequencer or Browser trays.

1 Drag the shader preview from the

2 Edit the shader by adjusting sliders and
Sequencer to the Browser.
other settings.
You can drag and drop components or
Note You must drop the shader under
a directory column.
sub-shaders from another Shader Tree
Editor window or other open shader
Carrara Studio prompts you to name the documents.
new shader. You can also add or change components
2 Enter a name and any comments, then using the lists in the Shader Tree Editor.
click OK. The lists display appropriate choices that
you can use for the level of shader tree
To open/edit a shader from the you are currently editing.
Browser:
To save the modifications to the
1 Double-click on the shader you want to shader:
edit.
1 Make sure the Shader Tree Editor
window for the shader you want to save
Note In the Browser, Carrara Studio
saves shaders as documents.
is the active window.
2 Choose File menu> Save.

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3 Carrara Studio saves the changes into the 3 Edit the shader tree by adding, removing,
Browser document file. and modifying shader components.
If you want to save the shader under a Instructions for navigating and editing
different name: the shader tree follow.
• Drag the preview into the Browser.
To edit a layer’s shader:
• Enter a new name.
4 Close the Shader Tree Editor window 1 Choose the layer component within the
when you’re done. Shader Tree Editor and make your
changes to that layer.
Editing Master Shader 2 If you want to revert your changes, use
Names Undo.

Once a Master shader becomes part of a

scene, it is listed in the Sequencer. You can
Navigating the Shader Tree
rename the shader if you want to. A complex shader tree has many levels;
however, it is displayed in a hierachical view
To rename a master shader:
similar to Windows Explorer or the
Macintosh Finder.
1 Switch to the Assemble room by clicking
the Assemble room button. Each time the tree branches, Carrara Studio
2 Display the Sequencer tray by dragging adds a new level. You can resize the Shader
it open if needed. Tree Editor window, as needed, to view the
entire shader structure. You can also collapse
3 Click the Master Shaders button in the or expand branches, as needed, to view more
Sequencer. or less detail.
4 In the Master Shaders list in the
Sequencer, select the name of the shader Editing the Shader Tree
you want to change.
5 Display the Properties tray if needed. You build a shader by placing components
and sub-shaders on the branches of the shader
6 Edit the name of the shader in the tree. To edit a shader tree, you simply add,
Properties tray. remove, and replace shader components.

To edit an object’s shader: You can select options from the pop-up
menus to create your shader. Notice that you
1 Click an object to select it. can nest shaders within other shaders to
2 Click the Texture room button to switch create complex effects. Depending on the
to the Shader Tree Editor. type of shader you are creating, you’ll see a
plus sign or the Trash can icon, which you
can click to add or remove branches.

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Carrara Studio’s drag-and-drop interface To place a shader component or sub-

pertains not only to applying shaders, but also shader on the shader tree:
to building them. You can drag a component
or sub-shader from one branch of the shader 1 Choose a shader from the pop-up menu.
tree to another. You can also drop a shader 2 Choose the component you want to add
from the Shaders Browser onto a branch of
from the pop-up menu corresponding to
the shader tree or drag a sub-shader from the
the branch you want to edit.
tree into the Browser for storage.
For complete information on the
This section describes how to construct a components, refer to “Shader
shader tree from a collection of components. Components Reference” on page 426.
For detailed descriptions of the different
shader components and a discussion of how To move components by dragging:
they interact, refer to “Shader Structure and
Content” on page 416. • Drag a sub-shader or component onto the
branch of the shader tree where you
To specify a root shader type: want it.
• You can drag a shader from the
• Choose a shader from the pop-up menu Browser.
such as Multi Channel, Multi-Channel
• You can drag a component from
Mixer, or Layers List.
another open Shader Tree Editor
This replaces the current contents of the window.
Shader Tree Editor with an empty shader
Carrara Studio copies the component or
tree of the appropriate type.
sub-shader you drag onto the branch
where you drop it, replacing any contents
that might have been there before.

When you drop a shader onto any branch of a

Multi-Channel shader, Carrara Studio places
only the contents of the applicable channel on
the branch. If the shader you’re dropping has
no components in the applicable channel,
Carrara Studio notifies you, and adds nothing
to the branch.

The root shader type in the Shader Tree Editor Note When you drop a shader onto
the Source 1 or Source 2 branch
window.
of a Multi-Channel Mixer shader,
Carrara Studio places the entire
shader you’re dropping (all eight
channels) on the tree.

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To remove the contents of a branch: You might have received other shader
components in addition to those described
1 Select a component or sub-shader. here. Carrara Studio’s open architecture
2 Choose Edit menu> Delete, click the allows developers to program their own
shader components in the form of plug-ins.
Trash can icon, or press the Delete/
These third-party extensions join seamlessly
Backspace key.
with Carrara Studio’s built-in shading tools.
If the component you remove is the root
of a sub-shader, Carrara Studio removes
the entire sub-shader. Color
To copy a component or sub-shader to The Color component allows you to specify
another channel: any color. Although you can place the Color
component anywhere on the shader tree, it’s
• Hold Cmd/Ctrl, then drag a component best suited for use in the Color, Highlight,
or sub-shader from its branch and drop it Reflection, Transparency, and Glow
on a different channel tab. channels, which are designed for color input.
Carrara Studio replaces the entire For a description of how colors affect each
contents of the channel with the channel, refer to “Shading Channels
component or sub-shader you drop. Reference” on page 464.

• In the Bump channel, the Color

Shader Components component produces no effect because it
Reference gives a constant value across the surface
of an object. To create the illusion of
This section describes Carrara Studio’s bumpiness, the Bump channel requires
different shader components. It explains what variation across an object’s surface.
each component does and how to set each For a thorough discussion of the Bump
component’s unique parameters. Within this channel, refer to “Bump” on page 465.
section, the components are divided by type
into groups: basic components, operators, • In a non-color channel—Shininess or
functions, layers, and mapping modes. Refraction—Carrara Studio converts
colors to values. Dark colors convert to
“Building and Editing Shaders” on page 421 low values, light colors to high values.
explains how to use the Shader Tree Editor to
place shader components on the shader tree. When you place the Color component on the
shader tree, it appears as a color chip.

In the shader tree, a Color component appears as a

Color chip.

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To set a color: Your choice of a color model is for your

convenience only—it has no effect on the
1 In the Shader Tree Editor, click a contents of your final rendered image. As
channel. with other rendering applications, Carrara
2 Choose Color from the list. Studio always renders RGB images. You can
use an image processing application to
3 Click the triangle next to the color chip convert rendered images to CMYK for
and select a new color from the palette. separation.
4 Click the triangle next to the color chip,
drag the color palette open, then move Color Gradient
the cursor over another area of the
screen, and select the color underneath The color gradient shader can transform a
the cursor. black and white mapping into a color
mapping. Two parameters can be set:
5 Click the color chip to edit the color. The
color picker appears. • the first one is the shader to which the
• You can switch between the different gradient will be applied. It can be
color models. For more information, selected by the Shader popup menu.
refer to “Color Pickers” on page 67.
• the second one is the gradient itself. To
edit the gradient, a click on the gradient
button will open the gradient picker.

The Carrara Studio Color Picker.

• Depending on the color model you

select, you can drag the sliders or use
the wheel to set the color you want.
• You can also enter specific values into
the text boxes. The valid range for
RGB values is from 0 to 255. The
valid range for CMYK values is from
0 to 100%. The Carrara Studio Color Gradient

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A key corresponds to a color in the gradient. • You can use the Value component to set
To modify the color of a key, select the key to the Opacity Mask of a layer in a Layers
be modified, then change the color using the List shader.
color picker, displayed in the bottom part of
the window. When you place the Value component on the
shader tree, it appears as a slider.
To modify the position of a key, either click
and drag it or select it and enter a value
(between 0 and 1) in the text field.
In the shader tree, a Value component appears as a
To add a key to the gradient, click in the area slider.
of the color gradient to set the position of the
new key. Then either click on the 'Add key' To set a value:
button or modify the color with the color
picker. Or click in the graduated scale area to • Drag the Value slider, or enter a value.
add the key, then modify its color. The far left side of the slider represents
0, the far right 100. The number to the
To delete a key, select the key to be deleted right of the slider displays the current
then click on the 'Del key' or use the Delete or value.
Backspace keys of the keyboard.

The Color Gradient can be animated. Texture Map

Modifying or adding a key at a time that is
different from 0 will create a keyframe. The Texture Map component allows you to
use a 2D image, such as a scanned
photograph or paint-type illustration, in your
Value shader. Used effectively, texture maps can
lend your shaders unparalleled realism. Many
The Value component allows you to set a
complex real-world surfaces are nearly
value between 0 and 100%. You’ll use the
impossible to simulate through other means.
Value component frequently in every channel
but the Color channel. You can use a 2D editor to create a texture
map.
• If you use it by itself, it specifies a
constant level for a particular attribute
Using Color Images as Texture
across the surface of an object or Layer. Maps
• For example, a 30% value in the
Texture maps using color images are
Transparency channel means the shader extremely useful in the Color channel. You
will make an object 30% transparent. might import an actual product logo as a
• If you place it beneath the Color channel, texture map and apply it like a decal to a 3D
Carrara Studio converts its value to a package model. Or to mimic an extremely
shade of gray. 0 converts to black, 100 to
white.

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detailed natural surface, you could import a Black & White and Grayscale
small photographic sample of the surface and Images as Texture Maps
tile it—duplicate it a specified number of
You can use a black and white or grayscale
times—to cover your entire object.
texture map in any channel (besides Color) to
specify varying levels of a particular shading
attribute. The shade of each pixel in the
image determines the level of the attribute for
the corresponding point on the object or
Layer.

If you use a black and white image, each

black pixel turns the attribute on sets it to
100%; each white pixel turns the attribute off.
An 8-bit grayscale image allows subtler
effects, with 256 possible shades for each
pixel. For example, a grayscale blend from
white to black in the Transparency channel
The surface of this object was created by placing a would make an object or layer fade smoothly
texture map in the color channel.
from opaque to transparent.
Color texture maps are also appropriate in the
Highlight, Reflection, Transparency and
Glow channels.

If you use a color image in a non-color

channel, Carrara Studio internally converts it
to grayscale.

You can use an image of any color depth as a

texture map. In most cases, an 8-bit (256-
color) image with a custom color palette
provides excellent results, while requiring
substantially less memory and disk space
than a 32-bit image. Carrara Studio cannot
use CMYK images as texture maps. If you
want to use a CMYK image, you must
convert it to RGB before importing it.
The fade in on this vase was created by using a
texture map in the Transparency channel.

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You can also use a black and white or 2 Select Internal or External.
grayscale texture map with the Mixer
You can also specify to store each texture
operator, in place of a function. For more
map based on the settings in the Shader
information, refer to “Layer Components” on
Tree Editor, texture map controls.
page 459.
3 Click OK to close the Options dialog.
Storing Maps Internally vs. 4 Click the Open button in the Open dialog
Externally or press Return/Enter. The texture map
By default, Carrara Studio saves copies of all controls appear, displaying the image
texture maps internally. You can also have you have chosen.
Carrara Studio save only a reference to an
external file. Choosing an Image
There are advantages and disadvantages to When you place a Texture Map component
each option. Storing maps internally avoids on the shader tree, you must click the folder
organizational hassles, because you don’t icon. Then the standard Open dialog displays,
need to keep track of any external files. prompting you to choose an image.
However, internally saved maps greatly
increase the size of a file, which can result in To choose an image:
slower loading and saving. With an external
map, you can modify it with another 1 Click the folder icon to display the Open
program, and you don’t need to reload the dialog.
map. 2 Select an image file from the file list in
the Open dialog.
In general, you can store maps internally
unless your file contains particularly large 3 Click the Open button in the Open dialog
texture maps (or many smaller maps). or press Return/Enter. The texture map
controls appear, displaying the image
If you move an externally referenced image you have chosen.
on your hard drive, Carrara Studio prompts
you to locate the image file the next time you A discussion of the Shader Tree Editor’s
open your scene file or a shader Browser display options and instructions for
document. navigating the shader tree appears in
“Building and Editing Shaders” on page 421
To specify how texture maps are
stored:

1 Press Option/Alt when you first save the

scene, or press Option/Alt and choose
File menu> Save As.
The Texture Map Options dialog
appears.

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To replace the image:

• Click the folder icon in the Texture Map

controls.
The Open dialog appears, allowing you
to choose a different image.

The White is invisible check box allows you

to achieve a type of masking effect by
instructing Carrara Studio to ignore any
purely white pixels in the image. For
example, you could use this option to place a
You can use an image as a component in a shader
tree using the Shader Tree Editor’s texture map logo with an irregular shape on the surface of
controls. an object. Simply create a map with a white
background and place it in the Color channel,
A thumbnail preview of the image appears on then apply it to an object using the Polygon
the left of the Texture map controls with the tool. Wherever there is a white pixel in the
image's dimensions in pixels displayed below map, the layer or surface below shows
it. through.

To flip or rotate the image: To adjust the brightness:

• Click the appropriate button to the left of • Adjust the Brightness slider as desired.
the preview.
Drag the slider to the right to increase the
brightness.
To tile the image:
To specify that the texture map be
1 Click the Tile check box to turn tiling on.
interpolated:
Carrara Studio enables the tiling sliders.
2 Use the sliders to set the number of • Select the Interpolate check box, to
repetitions in each direction. specify that the texture map be
If you want Carrara Studio to rotate and interpolated.
flip neighboring tiles to maximize
continuity, click the Seamlessly check To specify how the texture map is
box. If your image is specifically sampled during rendering:
designed for seamless tiling, you don’t
need to enable this option. • In the Texture map controls, select one of
the following sampling options:
• Sampling is the fastest and lowest
quality.

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• Summed area table takes a lot of To flip or rotate the movie:

memory and is not recommended for
big texture maps. • Click the appropriate button to the left of
• Gaussian provides the best quality. the preview.

To tile the movie:

Movie
1 Click the Tile check box to turn tiling on.
The Movie component allows you to use
Carrara Studio enables the tiling sliders.
many types of movie formats, such as
sequenced images, QuickTime (Macintosh) 2 Use the sliders to set the number of
or AVI (Windows) movies, within a shader. repetitions in each direction.
The movie behaves just as a texture map, If you want Carrara Studio to rotate and
except that the image differs in each frame of flip neighboring tiles to maximize
the rendered animation. continuity, click the Seamlessly check
box. If your movie is specifically
For more information on using movies as
designed for seamless tiling, you don’t
shader components, refer to “Rotoscoping”
need to enable this option.
on page 505.
To replace the movie:
To select a movie in the shader
component:
• Click the folder icon in the Texture Map
controls.
1 Click the folder icon in the Texture map
controls. Carrara Studio displays the The Open dialog appears, allowing you
Open dialog. to choose a different movie.
2 Locate and open a movie file. The White is invisible check box allows you
When you’ve opened a movie, a preview to achieve a type of masking effect by
player appears. This player lets you instructing Carrara Studio to ignore any
synchronize the movie with your purely white pixels in the image. For
animation. Refer to “Rotoscoping” on example, you could use this option to place
page 505. an animated logo with an irregular shape on
the surface of an object. Simply create a
movie with a white background and place it
in the Color channel, then apply it to an
object using the Polygon tool. Wherever there
is a white pixel in the movie, the layer or
surface below shows through.
Movie Controls

To adjust the brightness:

• Adjust the Brightness slider as desired.

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Drag the slider to the right to increase the branches below it. The Source 1 and Source 2
brightness. branches are placeholders for the two
components you want to mix. The mixing
To specify that the movie be function resides on the Blender branch.
interpolated:

• Select the Interpolate check box, to

specify that the movie be interpolated.
The Mixer operator mixes the other components in
To specify how the movie is sampled the shader tree.
during rendering:
For each point on an object, the Blender
• In the Texture map controls, select one of function generates a value between 0 and
the following sampling options: 100. The Mixer operator uses this value to
• Sampling is the fastest and lowest combine the component’s sources. When the
quality. value is closer to 0, more of the Source 1
component is used. When the value is closer
• Summed area table takes a lot of
to 100, more of the Source 2 component is
memory and is not recommended for
used. You can also use a shader in the
big texture maps.
Blender branch.
• Gaussian provides the best quality.
Some functions, like Checkers and Wires,
generate a value of 0 or 100 for each point.
Operators These functions result in clear divisions
between the two components. Other
Operators allow you to create complex functions, like Wood and Spots, generate a
shading effects by combining two or more range of values between 0 and 100. These
components or sub-shaders within a single functions result in gradual blends between the
shading channel. components.

Mixer For more information about functions, refer

to “Functions” on page 437.
The Mixer operator is one of Carrara Studio’s
most versatile shading tools. It can produce a
wide variety of results, depending on which
function you choose to mix the two source
components.

When you place a Mixer operator on the

shader tree, it appears as a node with three

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Add (+) You can use the Subtract operator to invert

the value of another component. Just place
The Add operator sums the values of two the component you want to invert in the
components. When you place the Add Source 2 branch and a Value component set
operator on the shader tree, it appears as a to 100 in the Source 1 branch. Try this
node with two branches extending below. technique on a complex shader if you want to
invert its colors.

Multiply (*)
When you place the Add operator in the Shader
Tree Editor, it sums the values of the other The Multiply operator multiplies the values
components in the tree. of the source components.

The two branches are placeholders for the

components you want to combine. For each
point on a layer or object, the Add operator
sums the values of the two components.
When you place the Multiply operator in the Shader
Subtract (–) Tree Editor, it multiplies the values of the other
components in the tree.
The Subtract operator subtracts the value of You can use the Multiply Operator to tint a
the Source 2 component from the value of the grayscale bitmap by multiplying the bitmap
Source 1 component. shader by a color shader.

Curve Filter
The Curve Filter shader modifies the levels of
a black and white image.

2 parameters can be set:

• the first parameter is the shader to which

When you place the Subtract operator in the
the filter will be applied. It can be
Shader Tree Editor, it subtracts the value of the
Source 2 component from the value of the Source 1 selected by the Shader popup menu.
component. • the second parameter defines the curve.
The default curve doesn't modify the

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image. To edit the curve, click on the Overlay

curve button to open the curve editor.
The Overlay operator multiplies the values of
its two sources but keeps the general look of
the first one predominant.

This operator is not a symmetrical operator,

so the order of the two sources is important.
A 'Swap Shaders' checkbox is available to
invert their order easily.

This operator can be used to bring noise to

another shader.

Overlay: Tutorial
The following tutorial uses the Overlay mixer
to create perturbations in a layered shader.
This shader is meant to be used on the model
of a canyon.
The Carrara Studio Curve Editor
First we create some variations in color with
4 tools are available to edit the curve:
the altitude.
- Move tool: Modifies the point’s location by
clicking and dragging it.

- Add Point tool: Adds a new point to the

curve when it is clicked on.

- Delete Point tool: Removes a point from the

curve.

- Convert Tangent tool: Links or unlinks two

tangents of a point (when the curve is a
smooth curve) Shader settings for changing colors with altitude

The curve can be smoothed by checking the

Smooth option (note that a smooth curve will
be slower to render than a linear one).

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Then we multiply it using the curve filter. • At a higher level after the elevation map
has been made more complex with the
curve filter.

A curve filter raises the number of variations

The resulting shader has enough lines, but

they are too smooth. To distorted them, we
are going to overlay some noise into the map.
There are 2 places noise could be overlaid: A noise is overlaid after modification of the map by
the curve filter
• At a low level in the elevation map.
• A combination of the 2 would lead to a
suitable shader for a canyon.

A noise is overlaid into the environment map

A shader with 2 noises

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Functions Marble, and Psychedelic are 3D functions.

These functions give the appearance that the
In general, you’ll use Functions almost object has been carved from a solid block of
exclusively with the Mixer operator. You can, material.
however, use them by themselves. A function You’ll recognize the importance of 3D
generates a value between 0 and 100 for each shading when you consider a block of wood.
point on an object or layer. If the grain runs along one surface, the
When you place a function on the Mixer perpendicular surface shows the ends of the
operator, the operator uses the values grain.
generated by the function to mix the
components on the Source 1 and Source 2 Cellular
branches. Where the value equals 0, Carrara
Studio uses the Source 1 component; where The Cellular function creates a surface that
the value equals 100, Carrara Studio uses the looks like a network of cells. Cellular is a 2D
Source 2 component. Intermediate values function. You can use it effectively in the
produce a blending of the two components. Color and Bump channels. You can
experiment with it in the other channels for
When you place a function in a channel by other effects. Use Cellular to create organic
itself, it assigns a value directly to each point surfaces such as alien skins, leather, or exotic
on the object or Layer. In a non-color plant textures.
channel, Carrara Studio uses each value “as
is.” In any of the channels designed for color
input (Color, Highlight, Reflection,
Transparency or Glow), Carrara Studio
converts each value to a shade of gray, with 0
translating to white and 100 to black.

2D and 3D Functions
A 2D function creates a flat image that is then
wrapped around the shaded object. Checkers
and Wires are 2D functions.

A 3D function creates a three-dimensional

shader that “shares space” with the object. You can create skin-like textures by using the
The object’s visible shading depends on how Cellular function in the Shader Tree Editor.
its surfaces coincide with the variations in the
3D shading volume. Cellular, Spots, Wood,

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To set Cellular options: Spots

1 Use the Shape menu to select the basic The Spots function produces a random
shape of the cells. pattern of spots. The spots are irregular, more
2 Drag the Intensity slider to adjust the like leopard spots than polka dots. You can
use spots to create skin and building textures.
contrast between the two colors.
Spots is a 3D function.
The slider ranges from 0% to 200%.
Negative settings invert the image.
3 Drag the Scale slider to change the size
of the cell shape. The slider ranges from
1% to 200%.
4 Drag the markers on the Upper and
Lower Limits slider to controls the range
of values created by the function.
The range determines the balance
between the two (light and dark)
components. The left marker controls the
lower limit. The right marker controls
You can create a spot pattern using the Spots
the upper limit. function in the Shader Tree Editor.
5 Enable the Fractal Version to use fractals
instead of more regular shapes for the To set Spots options:
cells.
1 Adjust the Size slider to control the size
Using the Fractal Version can of the spots.
significantly increase the time required
to redraw and to render your image. 2 Adjust the Blending slider to control how
the spots blend together.
When Blending is set to 0%, the function
produces equal numbers of zero-value
and 100-value spots, with gradual
blending.
When Blending is set to 50%, the
function produces equal numbers of
zero-value and100-value spots, with
abrupt transitions.
3 Click the Shuffle button to randomize the
spot pattern.

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High values produce dense vein patterns;

low values produce sparse vein patterns.
Use the Shuffle button to randomize the pattern of 3 Adjust the Perturbation slider to control
spots. the size of the “waves” in the veins.
4 Adjust the Undulation slider to control
Wood the frequency of the waves in the grain.
The Wood function produces a wood grain 5 Adjust the Vein Blending slider to
pattern. It assigns a value of 100 to the veins determine whether the transitions
and a value of 0 to the spaces between the between veins and spaces are abrupt
veins. Wood is a 3D function. or gradual.
6 Use the Direction pop-up menu to set the
orientation of the wood grain pattern in
relation to the object.
7 Use the Center pop-up menu to set
whether the wood grain pattern is taken
from the center of the tree, where the
curvature of the veins is quite
pronounced or from a point farther from
the center, where the curvature is more
gradual. There are three settings to
choose from.
8 Click the Shuffle button to randomize the
wood grain pattern.
You can create a variety of wood grain textures by
mixing different colors with the Wood function.

To create different wood textures, use the

Wood function as a sub-shader in a Layers
List shader to create more realistic types of Use the Shuffle button to randomize the pattern of
wood. the wood grain.

To set Wood options: Marble

1 Adjust the Global Scale slider to set the The Marble function produces a marble
size of the wood grain pattern in relation pattern. It assigns a value of 100 to the veins
to the object. and a value of 0 to the spaces between the
2 Adjust the Vein count slider to set vein veins. Like Spots and Wood, Marble is a 3D
spacing. function.

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6 Use the Direction pop-up menu to set the

orientation of the marble pattern in
relation to the object.
7 Click the Shuffle button to randomize the
marble pattern.

Objects shaded with 3D functions like Spots,

Wood, and Marble appear to be carved or
sculpted from solid blocks of material, but
this appearance is only skin-deep—all the
objects you create in Carrara Studio, these
objects are still “hollow.” To illustrate this
point, if you make a marble object partially
transparent, you won’t see veins running
You can create marble surfaces by using the Marble through the inside of the object.
function in the shader tree.

To create realistic looking marble, use the Checkers (and Stripes)

Marble function in a layered shader to create
layers of marbled depths throughout your The Checkers function produces a
object. checkerboard or striped pattern. Every point
is assigned a value of exactly 0 or 100, so no
To set Marble options: blending occurs. Checkers is a 2D function.

1 Adjust the Global Scale slider to set the

size of the marble pattern in relation to
the object.
2 Adjust the Vein count slider to set vein
spacing.
High values produce dense vein patterns;
low values produce sparse vein patterns.
3 Adjust the Perturbation slider to control
the size of the “waves” in the veins.
4 Adjust the Undulation slider to control
the frequency of the waves in the pattern. You can use the Checkers function to create a
checkerboard pattern on an object.
5 Adjust the Vein Blending slider to
determine whether the transitions
between veins and spaces are abrupt or
gradual.

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To set Checkers options: Wires

The Wires function produces a grid of lines.
1 Drag the Squares H slider to set the As with the Checkers function, Wires assigns
number of horizontal squares. a value of either 0 or 100 to each point on an
2 Drag the Squares V slider to set the object or Layer. Specifically, it assigns a
value of 100 to the lines of the grid and a
number of vertical squares.
value of 0 to the spaces. Wires is a 2D
function.

Use the sliders to set the number of horizontal and

vertical squares.

By setting one of the sliders to 0, you get

stripes—either horizontal or vertical,
depending on which slider is at 0.

You can use Checkers to create tile effects,

checkerboards, striped objects such as wall
papers, beachballs, or umbrellas. You can create a lined pattern on the surface of an
object using the Wires function.
To create stripes:
To set Wires options:
• Drag one of the sliders to 0.
The stripes will be either horizontal or 1 Drag the Horizontal count slider to set
vertical, depending on which slider is set the number of lateral wires.
to 0. 2 Drag the Height slider to set the size of
the lateral wires.
The thickness of the horizontal/vertical
wires is expressed as a percentage of the
height/width of the entire object or
Layer. You can determine the thickness
of a single wire by dividing the
percentage by the number of wires. For
example, if ten horizontal wires
represent 50% of a Layer’s height, the
thickness of each wire is 5% of the
height.
3 Drag the Vertical count slider to set the
number of longitudinal wires.

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4 Drag the Width slider to set the size of or trippy effects. Psychedelic is a 3D
the longitudinal wires. function.
5 Enable the Gray Scale option if you want
to smooth the transitions between the
spaces and the wires.

The grayscale option smooths the transitions

between wires and spaces.

This option is especially useful in the

Bump channel, where gradual transitions
produce striking results. You can create
textures for objects to create, for
example, a pumpkin or corrugated
sheetmetal. You can also use it along
with the Checkers function to create
grouted tile.

Psychedelic
Use the Psychedelic function to create colorful
swirls on an object.
The Psychedelic shader function creates
unusual textures, including swirls of
To set Psychedelic options:
color reminiscent of the psychedelic Pop
Art of the 1960s. When animated, the
1 Adjust the three Interference sliders to
Psychedelic function can create hypnotic
control the amount of interference
applied to each plane.
The sliders range from -1.00 to 1.00.
Each slider controls the stripes applied
on the specific plane. A setting of 0
results in no interference on that plane.
Using all three planes, you can create
more interesting design elements.
2 Enable the Use Global Coordinates
check box to use the Global Coordinates
for the Psychedelic function.
By default, the psychedelic function uses
the individual Object's coordinate

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system. The shading is constant as you Gradient

move and rotate the object.
When Use Global Coordinates is The Gradient function produces a gradual
enabled, the shading remains static in blend from one color to another. Gradient is
global space when the object moves. The useful in the Color and Transparency
object behaves as a “window” on the channels. Gradient is a 2D function.
shading. This is like moving your hand
through the dappled shadows under a
tree. Instead of shadows, though, the
psychedelic shading passes across the
moving object.
3 Drag the Scaling slider to control the size
of the design elements.
4 Adjust the Number of Stripes slider to
control the number of stripes in each
element.
5 Adjust the Density slider to control the
density of the pattern. Use the Gradient function to blend two colors in the
shader.
6 Adjust the Phase slider to set the current
position in the psychedelic cycle. To set Gradient options:
The Phase slider ranges from 0.00 to
1.00. The two extreme settings display 1 Choose Direction menu> Horizontal or
the cycle at the same point. Vertical to set the direction of the blend.
Use the flat preview to see how the 2 Adjust the Turbulence slider to mix up
shader changes when you adjust the colors as they change.
the Phase. A low setting results in a uniform blend.
A high setting increases irregularity in
the blend.
Note Phase settings are particularly
useful in animations. Set key
events to animate the Phase
from 0 to one using the Oscillate:
Fractal Noise
Saw/Loop tweener.
Fractal noise makes a random variation of
black and white. The fractal part of it gives
more detail and subtleties in its variations.

2 tabs of settings are available to modify the

noise.

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The first one, the Noise tab, contains the The second tab, the Transform tab, contains
parameters for the noise. the spacial characteristics of the noise. The
scaling, position and orientation of the noise
can be modified here.

The Fractal Noise Settings Tab

5 noise presets are available. They can be

The Fractal Noise Transform Settings
selected by clicking on the corresponding
images.
Environment
The following parameters can then be
adjusted: The environment shader can be used to shade
landscapes. The black and white image
• Scale: modifies the global scale of the generated can be modified with the altitude,
texture. the slope and the orientation of a geometry.
• Brightness: computes the average value 3 tabs of settings are available to modify this
of the noise from a black value (-1) to a shader.
white value (1).
• Contrast: sets the scale of the oscillations Altitude:
of the noise around its average value.
• The Pattern and Density parameters
modify the way the fractal computation
is done and are only available if the
Fractal option is checked.
• The Invert check box inverts the
grayscale values. Altitude Settings
• Reset restores the default values.
• Influence: the influence of the altitude
• Shuffle makes the random generator can be set between 0 and 100%. An
build a new set of values. influence of 0% means that the altitude
parameter won't modify the shader at all.
• Noise can be set in a local space or a
global space. • Altitude Min: the altitude from which the
grayscale will start. If under this altitude
setting, the shader will be all white.

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• Altitude Max: the altitude to which the the Orientation parameter won't modify
grayscale will go. If over this altitude the shader at all.
setting, the shader will be all black. • Blend: blends around the Orientation
• The Invert check box inverts the value.
greyscale values. • Pitch: angle of the orientation axis with
the z axis. Modifies the up/down position
Slope of the orientation axis.
• Direction: the direction in the ground
plane.

Environment: tutorial
The environment shader is well suited to
building complex landscape textures. The
following example explains how snow can be
Slope Settings
added to the top of a mountain range. For
• Influence: the influence of the slope can this, the environment shader is used as a
be set between 0 and 100%. An influence mixer between a snow shader and a ground
of 0% means that the slope parameter shader.
won't modify the shader at all.
• Slope: set the slope value in degrees
here.
• Blend: blends around the Slope value.
• The Invert check box inverts the
Environment used as a Mixer
greyscale values.
First, we set the altitude where we want the
Orientation first traces of snow to appear and then the
altitude where we want there to only be snow.

Orientation Settings

• Influence: the influence of the Altitude settings

Orientation can be set between 0 and

100%. An influence of 0% means that

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Then we set the slope parameters. To clearly Noise Factory

see the effect of the slope on the shading, we
will temporarily set the influence of the Noise is simply a field of random numbers. A
altitude to 0%. Now, the snow will appear type of noise that is more interesting is
only when ground reaches a certain slope. referred to as Perlin noise, or turbulence.
Generally speaking, these words are
interchangeable.

Slope settings

Next we set the influence of the orientation.

(Sun or wind could modify the distribution of
the snow around the mountains.) Again, to
Use the Noise Factory function to create interesting
clearly see the effects of the orientation on
effects.
the shading, we will temporarily set the
influence of the other parameters to 0%. Perlin noise is a technique used to impose
self-similarity on noise. Perlin noise
algorithms are used to generate, among other
things, clouds, marble, wood, and jitter
effects. A universal parameter of Perlin noise
is the octave parameter. Each successive
octave of noise has a frequency twice that of
the previous octave. Therefore, each time you
Orientation settings increase the octave parameter, the Perlin
Noise becomes more detailed and intricate.
Finally we restore the desired influence to the Some shader extensions have an order
Altitude and the Slope. parameter instead of an octave parameter.
When order is a parameter, the extension is
using so-called “reverse” Perlin noise. In this
case, a low order gives a very noisy result,
and each successive increase imposes more
order on the noise. Noise Factory uses the
traditional Octaves, and Lumber Yard uses
order. Another parameter that is common to
Perlin noise, is persistence. This parameter
Final rendering of the mountain defines the rate at which the amplitude

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decreases for each successive level of noise/ Phase

order. Higher values of persistence lead to Can be used to animate the texture. This
greater levels of noise for both regular and really only works in 2D mode, in 3D mode it
reverse Perlin noise. will appear as if the texture is simply raising
vertically. This can be useful for glowing
Options: effects, and so on.

Noise Type Limits

Choose between three - Basic Noise, Upper and lower limits. Any values that fall
“Linoleum” Pattern, and Perlin Noise. below the lower limit will be set to that
Experiment with the linoleum pattern to number, any reaching above the upper limit
understand what it does. will be set to that limit.

Mapping Perlin Noise Parameters

Choose between three - 3D Local, 3D Global, Read the introduction to Perlin noise to learn
2D UV. 3D local is the default value. The more about its parameters. See “Noise
difference between global and local is fairly Factory” on page 446.
simple; each object has it's own local
coordinate system, choosing that option will Threshold controls
cause the shader to look identical even when Very similar to limits. The threshold is a
animated. If global mode is selected, the middle value, that when enabled, any
appearance will differ based on the object's numbers falling below it will be set to 0, any
global location. UV mapping uses UV above it to 1. The blending value blends
coordinates, this can often result in distortion; values close to the threshold.
nevertheless, it is still useful, especially when
Interpolation Settings
used on an object you plan to morph.
Three options - none, linear, and cubic. When
Smoothing None is used, any values that occupy more
When checked the shader averages the value than one pixel are not interpolated, giving
of each pixel with its neighbors. them a harsh, pixelated look. This can be
desirable in certain situations. Linear and
Seed cubic are fairly similar, one uses a simple
This value “seeds” the random number linear function to perform interpolation, and
generator. It is important to note that if Noise the other uses a cubic function. Cubic,
Factory is used twice, and all the values generally speaking, is more CPU intensive
remain the same, both instances will be and looks better, though at a distance, it is
identical. nearly impossible to distinguish linear from
cosine.
Scaling
These parameters control scaling.

Intensity
Controls the brightness of the noise.

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Lumber Yard Seed

This value “seeds” the random number
Lumber Yard can be used to create amazingly generator.
realistic 3D procedural wood. It has a clear
advantage over texture maps. 3D objects will Scaling
appear to actually be cut out of a block of All four scaling values are useful, even in the
wood. 2D version of this extension. Experiment
with different combinations of x, y, and z
scales to observe the various effects.

Order and Persistence

Please refer to the introduction to noise in
“Noise Factory” on page 446.

Perturbation
This parameter sets the amplitude of the
turbulence. Higher values lead to a more
knotty looking surface.
Use the Lumber Yard function to create interesting
effects. Grain Edge
The default value for this parameter, 1,
Direction creates sharp edges between each band of
Z, the default, provides a view as if one cut a wood. Decreasing this value smooth the
tree down and attempted to count the rings. X transition between the bands.
and Y provide a view as if one cut a tree into
planks along each respective axis. Threshold Controls
These controls behave identically to the
Mapping threshold controls in Noise Factory. See
Choose between three - 3D Local, 3D Global, “Noise Factory” on page 446.
2D UV. 3D local is the default value. The
difference between global and local is fairly Plank Controls
simple; each object has it's own local Controls the density of planks (if desired).
coordinate system, choosing that option will The default values of zero provide no
cause the shader to look identical even when paneling. Increasing the density increases the
animated. If global mode is selected, the number of bands in each plank. To increase
appearance will differ based on the object's the amount of planks visible, scale the texture
global location. UV mapping uses UV accordingly.
coordinates, this can often result in distortion;
nevertheless, it is still useful, especially when Z Offset
used on an object you plan to morph. This parameter creates random variation in
the Z length of any given plank. The higher
the value, the greater the average offset.

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Value Variation 6 This will set all the parameters in the

This parameter controls the maximum plank shader identical to your wood.
amount by which the intensity varies from
plank to plank. 7 Copy into the bump channel, if desired.

Options:
Plank Shader
Direction
This shader was designed primarily as a Z, the default, provides a view as if one cut a
supplement to the wood shader. It has many tree down and attempted to count the rings. X
of the same parameters. See “Wood” on and Y provide a view as if one cut a tree into
page 439. planks along each respective axis.

Here is the suggested procedure for using this Mapping

extension: Choose between three - 3D Local, 3D Global,
2D UV. 3D local is the default value. The
difference between global and local is fairly
simple; each object has it's own local
coordinate system, choosing that option will
cause the shader to look identical even when
animated. If global mode is selected, the
appearance will differ based on the object's
global location. UV mapping uses UV
Use the Plank function to supplement the wood coordinates, this can often result in distortion;
shader.
nevertheless, it is still useful, especially when
To use the plank shader: used on an object you plan to morph.

Seed
1 Use Lumber Yard first to get your wood This value “seeds” the random number
looking just how want it to. generator.
2 Move your mixer from the color channel
to the highlight channel. Change the Scaling
color channel to a new mixer. Scales the shader.

3 Move wood to the second slot of your Order and Persistence

new mixer. Please refer to the introduction to noise
introduction in the section covering Noise
4 Press Control and drag the lumber yard Factory. See “Noise Factory” on page 446.
shader from its spot in the old mixer to
the mix spot in the new mixer. Perturbation
5 Change the lumber yard in the new mixer This parameter sets the amplitude of the
to 'planks'. turbulence. Higher values lead to a more
knotty looking surface.

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Grain Edge
The default value for this parameter, 1, leaves
a definite edge between each band of wood.
Decreasing this value makes for successively
more even blending of bands.

Threshold Controls
These controls behave identically to the
threshold controls in Noise Factory. See
“Noise Factory” on page 446.
Options
Plank Controls
Controls the density of planks (if desired). Seed
The default values of zero provide no This value “seeds” the random number
paneling. Increasing the density increases the generator.
number of bands in each plank. To increase
the amount of planks visible, scale the texture Scaling
accordingly. Experiments with different combinations of
x, y, and z scales to observe the various
Z Offset effects.
This parameter creates random variation in
the Z length of any given plank. The higher Displacement
the value, the greater the average offset. These values set the center of the sphere.

Value Variation Order and Persistence

This parameter controls the maximum Please refer to the introduction to noise
amount by which the intensity varies from present in the section covering Noise Factory.
plank to plank. See “Noise Factory” on page 446.

Global
Spherical Gradient When this box is checked, the shader will use
This shader is most useful when designing global coordinates, meaning the appearance
explosions using particles. When applying is dependent on the location of object.
this shader to a particle system, be sure to Turbulence
check the 'Global' option. In addition to This box enables turbulence.
setting the global option, be sure to set the
displacement values identical to the center of Level
your particle system. This parameter sets the amplitude of the
turbulence.

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Bricks Caution
The Bricks function produces a pattern like a
wall of bricks. It assigns a value of 100 to the
bricks and a value of 0 to the mortar. Bricks is
a 2D function.

The Caution function produces a pattern of

diagonal stripes. It alternates a value of 100
and a value of 0 to the bands. Caution is a 2D
function.
Use the Bricks function to create a wall of bricks.
To create a caution band:
To create bricks:
1 Bands control the number of stripes.
1 Use the Horizontal and Vertical control 2 Pattern controls the pattern of the
the number of bricks. stripes.
2 Grout controls the percentage of each 3 Orientation changes the direction of the
row that is grout. pattern.
3 No Grout on Border leaves the grout
off of the edges. Elevation
4 Curved Surfaces smooths the transition
between brick and mortar.
5 Orientation changes the direction of the
brick pattern.

The Elevation function creates a pattern

based on height. It assigns a value of 0 to
everything below the height and a value of
100 to everything above. Elevation is a 3D
function.

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To create an elevation: To create a refraction:

1 The Seed value provides the starting 1 Material displays a list of known index
point for the Wiggle function. of refraction values.
2 The Scale slider stretches the Wiggle 2 Other Value can be used to enter an
function. index of refraction not listed in the
3 Height sets the dividing line between Material list. Choose (Other) in the
Material list to enable value in Other
light and dark.
Value.
4 Blend adjusts the distance over which
the Height change occurs. Tips and Tricks
5 Wiggle changes the amount of variation
in the dividing line. • Check chemistry textbooks for index of
refraction values for things not listed in
6 Orientation changes the axis that drives the Material list.
Height.
7 Space selects from between Global and Noise
the object's Local coordinates.
The Noise function produces a noise pattern.
Tips and Tricks

• Elevation isn't just for outdoor scenes.

Use it for oozing barrels, flames, a
sharpened pencil, or anything else where
the color changes based on distance Use the Noise function to create interesting effects.
along an axis.
To use noise:
• A good rule of thumb for the Space
option is, if it moves set it on Local, if 1 The Seed value provides the starting
not set it on Global. point for the Turbulence function.
2 Brightness controls how light or dark
Index of Refraction pattern is.
3 Global Scale makes the pattern larger or
smaller.
4 Scale X makes the pattern larger or
smaller along the X axis. Scale Y makes
The Index of Refraction function converts
the pattern larger or smaller along the Y
IOR values into Carrara Studio refraction
axis. Scale Z makes the pattern larger or
values.
smaller along the Z axis.

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5 Space selects from between Global, To use slope:

Local, and UV coordinates.
1 The Seed value provides the starting
6 Threshold makes the pattern black or
point for the Wiggle function.
white depending on if the grayscale
value is greater or lower than the 2 The Global Scale slider stretches the
threshold value. Wiggle function.
7 Limits constrain the high and low 3 Slope sets the dividing line between light
values. and dark.
4 Blend adjusts the distance over which
Scanlines the Slope change occurs.
5 Wiggle changes the amount of variation
The Scanlines function produces scanlines.
in the dividing line.
6 Space selects from between Global and
the object's Local coordinates.

To use scanlines: Squares

1 Scan Lines controls the number of lines.
2 Orientation controls the direction of the
lines.

Slope
Use the Squares function to create interesting
effects.

The Squares function produces a pattern of

random grayscale squares. Squares is a 2D
function.

To use squares:
Use the Slope function to create interesting effects.

The Slope function creates a pattern based on 1 Horizontal and Vertical control the
the slope of the surface. It assigns a value of 0 number of squares.
to everything below the slope and a value of 2 Brightness controls how light or dark
100 to everything above. Slope is a 3D the squares are.
function.
3 Threshold makes the square black or
white depending on if the grayscale

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value is greater or lower than the 3 Radius controls amount of curve on the
threshold value. corners and edges of tiles.
4 The Seed value provides the starting 4 No Mortar on Border leaves the grout
point for the grayscale values. off of the edges.
5 Bricks Mode changes the pattern of the 5 Curved Surfaces smooths the transition
squares to be offset like bricks. between tile and grout.

Tips and Tricks 6 Try Equalize Ratios if your grout lines

don't render the same size horizontally
1 Random mixtures of different square and vertically.
settings make great spaceship hulls. Put a 7 Negative inverts the output.
squares in the Mix operator with
8 Orientation changes the direction of the
Threshold on and in the right and left
tile pattern.
channels put Squares with different
Horizontal and Vertical settings.
Tips and Tricks
2 Use the Multiply function with the Tile
shader in the Glow channel to make lit • Use Tile with a large Grout setting in the
portholes or windows at night. transparency channel to add air vents to
machines.
Tile • No tile is perfect, so combine with Noise
in the Bump channel to create more
believable tiles.

Turbulence

Use the Tiles function to create interesting effects.

The Tile function produces a pattern like a

floor of tiles. It assigns a value of 100 to the Use the Turbulence function to create interesting
tile and a value of 0 to the grout. Tile is a 2D effects.
function.
To use turbulence:
To use Tile:
1 The Seed value provides the starting
1 Horizontal and Vertical control the point for the Turbulence function.
number of tiles. 2 Octaves controls the number of layers in
2 Mortar controls the percentage of each Turbulence, each layer is finer than the
last.
row that is grout.

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3 Brightness controls how light or dark Fire

pattern is.
The Fire shader simulates a flame. You can
4 Global Scale makes the pattern larger or
adjust the effect from a steady candle flame
smaller. to a turbulent wood fire. You can also
5 Scale X makes the pattern larger or animate this shader.
smaller along the X axis.
6 Scale Y makes the pattern larger or
smaller along the Y axis.
7 Scale Z makes the pattern larger or
smaller along the Z axis.
8 Space selects from between Global,
Local, and UV coordinates.
9 Threshold makes the pattern black or
white depending on if the grayscale
value is greater or lower than the
threshold value.
10 Limits constrain the high and low
values.

Formula
The Formula function lets you design a
mixing function with a mathematical
formula.

For more information, refer to Chapter , The Fire shader applied to an object and shown in
“Using Formulas in Carrara Studio.” the Shader Tree Editor.

To set Fire options:

Four Elements 1 Set the Color parameter to control the
Components color of the fire. Typically, you’ll choose
an orange color.
The Four Elements components allow you to
create atmospheric effects using Fire, Snow, 2 Set the Turbulence parameter to change
Water Ripples, and Water Waves. the turbulence of the fire. At 0%, it looks
like a candle. At higher values, it flickers
like a flame in the wind.

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3 Set the Completion slider to define when The snow component allows you to apply
the flame starts to move and when it snow to positive shapes, negative shapes, or
stops. Typically, set this value to 0% for both types of shapes. For best results, you
the first frame of your animation and to should use Snow with the mixer or multiply
100% for the last frame. If you use the operators.
Fire shader in multiple channels, the
Completion value should be the same in
every channel.
4 Use the Shuffle button to randomize the
turbulence.
5 Use the Transparency button when this
shader is placed in the Transparency
channel.

To create a realistic flame, apply the Fire

shader only to the Glow and Transparency
channels.

Snow
The Snow shader simulates snow. When you
apply snow to an object, it creates an effect
The Snow shader applied to an object and shown in
according the surfaces of your object. the Shader Tree Editor.

To set Snow options:

• Click the checkboxes to apply snow to

positive, negative, or both types of
shapes.

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Water: Ripples 4 Set the Damping parameter to create a

fading effect in the ripple. Higher values
The Ripples component simulates ripples in cause the ripples to appear to fade as they
water. By adjusting the parameters of move away from the center.
concentric waves, you can simulate
disturbances on the surface of a calm pool of
5 Set the Center H and Center V sliders to
water. You can animate this shader. It looks control the horizontal and vertical
best when placed in the Bump channel. position of the center of the ripples.
6 Use the Perturbation slider to control the
amount of distortion in the ripple. This
parameter is dependent on the size of the
object to which the shader is applied.
To obtain good results on small objects,
use very small values (2% to 9%).

To create a body of water:

1 In the Assemble room, add a Plane

object.
2 Scale the plane as desired.
3 Create a Multi-Channel shader in the
Shader Editor Tree and apply it to the
object.
The Ripple shader applied to an object and shown • Set the color to blue.
in the Shader Tree Editor.
• Set the transparency to 30%.
To set Ripple options: 4 Apply the Ripple shader to the Bump
channel and set parameters as desired.
1 Use the Time parameter to set the
appearance over time when creating an To create a shader with more than one ripple
animation. Set the value to 0% in the first effect, use the Plus operator (+) and set
frame and to 100% in the last frame. different Center H and Center V values for
each ripple.
2 Set the Scale parameter to control the
spacing of the ripples. Low values create
small, closely spaced ripples; high values
create fewer, widely spaced ripples.
3 Set the Amplitude parameter to control
the height of the ripples. When applied to
the Bump channel, higher values will
create a greater degree of depth.

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Water: Waves small, closely spaced waves; high values

create fewer, widely spaced waves.
The Wave shader simulates water 3 Set Compute interferences to control the
environments such as oceans and lakes. By
interactions between waves. When
adjusting the parameters, you can simulate a
enabled, waves can eliminate each other.
wide range of wave effects ranging from a
When disabled waves can be added on
calm sea to a turbulent ocean. You can also
top of each other.
animate this shader. It works best when you
apply it to the Bump channel. 4 Set the Perturb value to add extra depth
to the waves. When disabled, waves
appear flatter, with less variation. When
enabled, the waves appear to have more
depth and color gradations.
5 Click the Add checkboxes to add
additional waves to your shader.

For individual waves, you can set the

following options:

• Angle controls the orientation of the

wave.
• Amplitude controls the height of the
wave. This is most effective when you
apply it to the Bump channel.
• Scale controls the frequency of ripples
in individual waves.
• Perturbation controls the distortion of
the wave. Higher values create more
agitated waves.

The Wave shader applied to an object and shown in Scale and Perturbation are dependent on the
the Shader Tree Editor. size of the surface on which they are applied.
Use lower values when you apply them to
To set Wave options: smaller objects.

1 Use the Time parameter to set the To create a body of water:

appearance over time when creating an
animation. Set the value to 0% in the first 1 In the Assemble room, add a Plane
frame and to 100% in the last frame. object.
2 Set the Scale parameter to control the 2 Scale the plane as desired.
spacing of the waves. Low values create

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3 Create a Multi-Channel shader in the Oval

Shader Editor Tree and apply it to the
The Oval layer creates a round or oval layer.
object.
• Set the color to blue. Rectangle
• Set the transparency to 30%.
The Rectangle layer creates a rectangular or
• Apply the Waves shader to the Bump
square layer.
channel and set parameters as desired.

You can also use the Waves shader to create a Polygon

denim texture by mixing blue and white in The Polygon layer creates a layer with
the Color channel. You can also create Sand multiple sides.
by mixing brown and yellow, setting a high
perturbation value, and turning on Perturb
CoverAll
values.
The CoverAll layer creates a layer that covers
the entire UV space of the object.
Layer Components
You can adjust the layer order, layer position,
You can create layer components with the and opacity of a layer in a Layers List shader.
Layers tools or you can add them in the
Shader Tree Editor, then size and position To change the layer order:
them numerically. Each layer is displayed in a
Layers List shader and can have a sub-shader 1 Click a layer to select it.
applied to it, as well as an optional opacity 2 Drag the layer to a new location within
mask sub-shader.
the list.
The Shader Tree Editor changes to
indicate where you can place the layer.
3 Release the mouse button to drop the
layer into the new location.
The preview updates to show your
change.

To adjust the position of a layer:

1 Click a layer to select it.

2 Drag it into a new location in the
Oval, Rectangle, and Polygon layers applied to an Preview window, or type the numeric
object and shown in the Shader Tree Editor. values for the new location in the Shader
Tree Editor.

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The preview updates to show your surface of your object. This straightforward
change. approach minimizes distortion and loss of
image quality. You’ll want to use parametric
To adjust the layer opacity: mapping for most objects you create in
Carrara Studio. However, parametric
1 Click Opacity Mask and choose Value mapping cannot be used on Metaball objects.
from the pop-up menu.
2 Drag the slider or enter a number to
choose a new value.
The preview updates to show your
change.

To specify a different compositing

method:

• Click Opacity Mask and choose one of

the other shaders from the pop-up menu.

Parametric mapping is like applying a decal.

Mapping Mode
Components Projection Mapping
Mapping Mode shaders identify UV spaces Because objects imported from other
and UV coordinates. They determine to applications contain limited information,
which shading domain to apply themselves. parametric mapping generally cannot be used
on these objects.
When you model an object such as a beveled
text object, the modeler of the object creates When you shade an imported object, you
and assigns shading domains. Carrara Studio must choose one of Carrara Studio’s
uses these domains to create the Mapping projection mapping modes: Flat Mapping,
Mode components. Each Mapping Mode Spherical Mapping, or Cylindrical mapping.
component displays in a Layers List shader In the different projection mapping modes,
so that you can apply component shaders to Carrara Studio maps the image onto an
the different shading domains. invisible primitive—a box, a sphere, or a
cylinder that encloses the object. Carrara
Parametric Mapping Studio then projects the image from the
Carrara Studio’s default mapping mode is primitive onto the object itself.
known as parametric mapping. Parametric
mapping is like applying a decal to an
object’s surface—each pixel in your image
maps directly to a specific point on the

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For the best results, you should choose the To change an object’s mapping mode:
primitive that best resembles the object you
are mapping. For example, spherical mapping 1 Select an object and view its shader in
would be appropriate for a basketball and the Shader Tree Editor.
cylindrical mapping would be right for a juice
can. .

Use the Mapping Modes list to select a mapping

mode option for a selected object.

2 Use the pop-up menu to choose a

mapping mode—Parametric, Flat,
Cylindrical, or Spherical.
The currently selected mapping mode
Mapping an image on a primitive object.
displays in the branch of the Shader Tree
Editor.
When you choose Flat mapping, you can Carrara Studio displays the options
specify which face of the box primitive you appropriate for the selected mode.
want to map onto. When you choose (Parametric mapping has no options.)
cylindrical or spherical mapping, you can
specify the orientation of the primitive in 3 Set your options (described below).
relation to the object. 4 Apply your changes.

Cylindrical and Spherical

Mapping Shader
To add a mapping shader to a shader
tree: To set the mapping alignment:

• If your Master Shader top shader is not a • Click the icon to choose the alignment
Layer List Shader, click the top branch you want—X, Y, or Z axis.
list item and change it to a Projection
Mapping shader. If you slice a cylindrical object, each slice
uses the same front face and back face
The shader opens in the Shader Tree
information.
Editor window.

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Flat Mapping Shader channels of the underlying shader would be

used, and only the Glow value would be
The Single Face mappings project the image replaced by the color specified in the Single
on one side of the object. The projection Channel Shader.
continues through to the other side of the
object.
Reference Shader
Component
A reference shader component allows you to
specify an existing shader by reference.
When you edit that other shader, Carrara
Studio automatically updates all references to
it.

For example, if you created a series of wine

bottles with different labels, you could set up
the glass in the bottle to be a reference shader.
Then when you edit the Glass shader, Carrara
This is how the various face Flat mapping options
appear on an object.
Studio automatically updates all of the bottles
that refer to that shader.
By default, the image is aligned with the
object’s bounding box axes. To specify a reference shader:

1 In a Layers List shader, select Reference

Single Channel Shader Shader.
Component 2 Select one of the shaders listed in the
Shaders list.
A useful component shader is the Single
Channel shader. You can specify a single
channel such as Glow, then apply a color to Multi-Channel Shader
that channel. You can use a Single Channel
shader as a component shader in many of the A Multi-Channel shader contains eight
other types of shaders. channels. You can use any type of shader
component in each of those channels. Refer
For example, if you create a Layers List to “Shading Channels Reference” on
shader with an Oval component, you can page 464 for more information.
apply a Single Channel shader to set the
Glow of the oval to blue. All of the other The settings within the different channels
combine to determine the shader’s overall
appearance, but settings in one channel have
no effect on the settings in the other channels.

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Multi-Channel
Mixer Shader
Suppose you wanted to create a shader that
mixed attributes in all the shading channels at
once. For example, you might want to create
a checkerboard pattern with alternating
squares of shiny, reflective gold and rough
granite. To accomplish this with a Multi-
Channel shader, you would need to apply the
same mixer function to each channel.
Fortunately, Carrara Studio provides another
type of tree structure, the Multi-Channel The checker pattern applied to this object has
Mixer, which makes it easier to achieve alternating squares of gold and granite. It was
effects like this. The diagram below created using the Multi-Channel Mixer shader.
illustrates how a Multi-Channel Mixer shader
works. Using Other Components
as Functions
You can actually use any component as a
function in the Mixer operator, or in the
Blender channel. This allows you to mix
components in ways not supported by Carrara
Studio’s basic functions.

When you use a component as a function,

Carrara Studio automatically converts its
output to values so that the Mixer operator or
Blender channel can use it to mix the
components on the Source 1 and Source 2
Any component you place under the Multi-Channel branches.
Mixer affects all the shading channels.
Value and Texture map components are
especially useful in place of functions.

• You can use a Value component to blend

the components on the Source 1 and
Source 2 branches of the Mixer operator
in a given ratio. A value of 50 blends the
two components evenly. Lower values
favor the Source 1 component; higher
values favor the Source 2 component.

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• You can use a black and white or appearance.

grayscale texture map to mix the Source The default content of the Color channel is a
1 and Source 2 components in a custom Color component set to a shade of gray.
pattern. For each white pixel in the Carrara Studio assigns the default content of
image, the Mixer operator uses the each channel, as part of the default primer, to
Source 1 component. For each black each new object you create. Carrara Studio
pixel, the Mixer operator uses the Source also uses the default content to calculate the
2 component. Intermediate shades preview of a shader in the Shader Tree Editor
produce a blending of the two when a particular channel is empty.
components.

You can also use a shader or reference shader Highlight and Shininess
as a Blender component.
Most objects in the real world show
highlights when illuminated. These bright
Shading Channels spots or streaks are direct reflections of light
Reference sources, like the sun glinting off a chrome
bumper.
Metallic objects have small, bright highlights.
Color Plastics have dim, but large, highlights. And
stones usually have no highlights, unless
No shading channel has a more obvious polished.
effect on the appearance of an object or layer You can control the color, intensity, and size
than the Color channel. Depending on the of an object’s highlights by placing shader
components you place beneath the Color components beneath the Highlight and
channel, you can specify anything from a Shininess channels.
plain color to a complex, multi-color pattern.
Viewer sees highlight.
• To specify a plain color, simply place a
Color component.
• To specify a multi-color pattern, use a
Incoming Light
Texture Map component or combine
colors with the Mixer operator. Reflected
Light
If you find that your single-color objects look
unrealistic, try using the Mixer operator with
the Spots function to create minute color Surface is
variations. Simply mix two slightly different reflective.
hues in a pattern of tiny spots, with Blending
set to 0 for smooth blends. When viewed
from a distance, these subtle color variations How highlight is reflected back to the viewer.
can give an object a more realistic

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The Highlight channel controls highlight By placing shader components in the Bump
intensity. A high value produces bright channel, you can “perturb” a smooth surface
highlights; a low value produces dim to produce irregularities. This technique is
highlights. known as bump mapping. Bump mapping can
produce subtle effects like the bumps and pits
The Shininess channel controls highlight size. on the surface of an orange, or more
A high value produces small highlights; a low pronounced effects like the seams on a
value produces large highlights. baseball.

Note Typically, highlights that are

extremely bright are very small;
those that are softer spread
larger.

By default, highlights are white. You can

specify color highlights by placing a Color
component (or any component that produces
color information) in the Highlight channel.
Color has no effect on the Shininess channel;
any color information in the Shininess The textures on the baseball were created by
channel is internally converted to values. placing a texture map in the Bump channel.

The default content of both the Highlight Bump mapping does not change the actual
channel and the Shininess channel is a Value topography of an object—no points are
component set to a value of 50. displaced. Rather, it changes the angle at
which light rays reflect off the surface at
If you want varying levels of highlight or
certain points. This technique tricks the eye
shininess across the surface of an object or
into perceiving texture. Because the
Layer, you can use a texture map or a
bumpiness is just an illusion created by the
function.
renderer, the edge of the object remains
smooth. In most cases, this is not a problem.
Bump However, if you require true surface
variations to appear on the silhouette of your
Bumpy and rough surfaces are difficult to object, you must create them in the modeler.
model geometrically. Imagine modeling the
To simulate bumps, the components you
irregularities of the skin of an orange, point
place beneath the Bump channel must specify
after point—the task would quickly become a
some variation in the colors or values of
nightmare. Fortunately, Carrara Studio allows
adjacent pixels. Consequently, placing a
you to use a shader to simulate variations on
simple color or value in the Bump channel
the surface of an object.
does not produce bumping.

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Texture maps and functions produce the best This slider lets you strengthen or weaken
results in the bump channel. As with the other the Bump effect.
non-color channels, the Bump channel
2 Apply your changes to the object.
always converts color information to
grayscale. 3 Use the Test Render tool to check the
results on the object.
When you use a grayscale image in the Bump
channel, lighter areas appear to be raised;
darker areas appear to be lowered. When you Reflection
use a function that produces values, areas
with higher values appear to be raised; areas Many real-world surfaces are at least
with lower values appear to be lowered. somewhat reflective. Most types of metal and
glass are partially reflective. A mirror is so
• For the most convincing results, you reflective that it takes nearly all of its color
should create a smooth blend between from the environment around it.
extreme values like black and white or 0
and 100. Carrara Studio allows you to specify
reflectiveness by placing shader components
If a grayscale image with hard edges beneath the Reflection channel.
between black and white does not
produce a satisfactory bump effect, try
Incoming Light
applying a blur effect to the image in an
image-editing application.
• The relative height or “steepness” of the
bumps depends on how rapidly you
blend between extreme values. A blend Surface is
that occurs over the range of many pixels reflective.
produces shallow, gradual bumping. A
blend that occurs over the range of a few
pixels produces steeper, more sudden
bumping.
Viewer sees object on the
surface of object.
The default content of the Bump channel is a
Value component set to a value of 0. This Reflection determines how much light is reflected
produces no bumping because there is no off the surface of the object.
variation from pixel to pixel.
Although a Value component works fine in
To change the amount of bump: the Reflection channel, you can achieve both
subtler and more fantastic effects by using a
1 Adjust the Bump Amplitude slider Color component instead.
located after the glow channel in a multi-
channel shader. • When you use color data (a Color
component, a Texture Map component,

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or a complex sub-shader) in the For example, placing the Wires function in

Reflection channel, its hue affects the tint the Transparency channel creates a wireframe
of the reflection and its brightness effect..
determines the amount of reflection.
Darker colors produce less reflection;
brighter colors produce more. Direct Light

• Using values in the Reflection channel

produces the same effect as using shades
of gray. Only the amount of reflection is
affected.

Of course, if you want varying levels and

tints of reflection across the surface of an
object or layer, you can use a texture map or a
function.
The amount of light that can pass through an object
The default content of the Reflection channel is set through the Transparency channel.
is a Value component set to a value of 0.
• When you use color data (a Color
component, a Texture Map component,
Transparency or a complex sub-shader) in the
Transparency channel, its hue affects the
When light strikes an opaque surface, it
appearance of colors viewed through the
simply bounces off. When it strikes a
transparent shader. Its brightness
semitransparent surface, some light bounces
contributes to how transparent the shader
off, but some passes through. As a result, you
is. Darker colors produce less
can see through a semitransparent object.
transparency; brighter colors produce
Glass, water, and clear plastic are examples
more.
of semitransparent materials.
• Using values in the Transparency
You can specify transparency by placing channel produces the same effect as
shader components beneath the Transparency using shades of gray. Only the amount of
channel. transparency is affected.
Try using a function or a black and white • A 100% transparent surface might not be
texture map in the Transparency channel to completely invisible—depending on the
create a shader that makes transparent settings in the other channels, it might
“holes” in an object. still refract and show highlights.

The default content of the Transparency

channel is a Value component set to a value
of 0.

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Refraction Try a simple refraction experiment: Stand a

pencil in a glass of water. Refraction “bends”
When light rays pass through a semi- the pencil where it enters the water.
transparent object, their trajectories are A single Value component is generally all
deflected. This phenomenon is known as you’ll need to place in the Refraction
refraction. Glass, fluids, and other translucent channel.
materials refract light to some degree. This
results in a distorted view of objects behind
the refractive surface.
Note The setting in the Refraction
channel affects only a shader
with some degree of
transparency. Light must pass
through to be refracted.

Shaders simulating glass should have

Refraction values around 20. Shaders
simulating water or ice should have values
somewhat lower. Try experimenting with
different values until you achieve the effect
you want.

• Color has no effect on the Refraction

The distorted view of the straw was created by channel. Any color information in the
using refraction on the water glass. Refraction channel is internally
converted to values.

The default content of the Refraction channel

Light is filtered through is a Value component set to a value of 0.
Transparent Color.

Light is bent if Refraction is

greater than 0.

Light can bend as it passes through an object,

depending on the Refraction value.

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Glow To create unusual effects, you can place

markedly different colors in these two
The settings in a shader’s Glow channel channels. For example, you might create a
determine the shader’s luminance. An object shader which appears green when well lit, but
whose shader has a high degree of luminance glows red when covered in shadow.
will appear bright, even if it is not lit by
ambient light or external light sources.
• When you use color data (a Color
component, a Texture Map, or a complex
You can use glowing shaders to simulate sub-shader) in the Glow channel, its hue
things like neon tubing, lit windows in a determines the color of the glow, and its
cityscape at night, or the LED display of a brightness determines the intensity.
digital clock. You can also use them for the
For a related glow technique, refer to
subtler purpose of brightening a particular
“Rendering with an Aura” on page 241.
object in a dimly lit scene. This allows you to
emphasize an object without affecting the
lighting and mood of your entire scene.
Shader Recipes
Here are a few shader recipes to get you
started creating your own shaders.

When using refraction, you should have

something behind your object to refract. You
can set a background in the scene settings.

Chrome
Chrome is a simple shader to create yet it can
create interesting effects in a scene as the
chrome object reflects what surrounds it.

A glowing shader allows you to create an effect

such as this streetlight.

Objects with glowing shaders do not cast

light on other objects in the scene.

Although you can use a Value component in

the Glow channel, a Color or Texture Map
component is more appropriate. For realistic
results, try using similar colors in the Color
and Glow channels.

An object with a chrome shader applied.

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To create chrome: To create Ice:

1 Create a Multi-Channel shader. 1 Create a Multi-Channel shader.

2 Set Color to Black. 2 Set Color to a black.
3 Set Highlight to White. 3 Place a Value slider in the Highlight
4 Place a Value slider in the Shininess channel and set it to 35%.
channel, and set it to 9%. 4 Place a Value slider in the Shininess
5 Place a Value slider in the Reflection channel, and set it to 15%.
channel, then set it to 90% or 100%. 5 Place a color in the Transparency
channel, then set it to an aqua (H–52,
L–90, S–100).
6 Place a Value slider in the Refraction
channel, then set it to 19%.
7 Set Glow to Black.

Chrome in the Shader Tree Editor.

Ice
Ice is another simple shader to create. Simply
select a shade of blue, and set a value in a few
of the channels.

Ice in the Shader Tree Editor.

An object with an Ice shader applied.

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Pine 5 Set Glow to color, and select Black.

Pine uses a Mixer in the color channel. You
can change the colors used to create other
types of wood.

Pine in the Shader Tree Editor.

An object with a pine shader applied.

To set up the Color channel Mixer:

To create pine: 1 Set Source 1 to light yellow.

2 Set Source 2 to light tan.
1 Create a Multi-Channel shader.
3 Set Blender to the Wood function and set
2 Set Color to Mixer. the following values:
3 Place a Value slider in the Highlight • Set Global Scale to 50%.
channel and set it to 20%. • Set Undulation to 37%.
4 Place a Value slider in the Shininess • Set Vein Count to 6.
channel and set it to 7%. • Set Vein Blending to 50%.
• Set Perturbation to 100%.

Beach Ball
This beach ball is created by using two
Mixers and the Checkers shader. You can add
more colors to your beach ball by placing
another Mixer in the Source 2 channel (where

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yellow is currently selected) and selecting

two colors. Other than selecting the new
colors, you would set it up like the Mixer
placed in the Source 1 channel.

Beach ball in the Shader Tree Editor.

6 Place a Value slider in the Highlight

An object with a beach ball shader applied. channel and set it to 89%.
To create a beach ball shader: 7 Place a Value slider in the Shininess
channel and set it to 3%.
1 Create a Multi-Channel shader. 8 Place the color black in the Glow
2 Place a Mixer in the Color channel. channel.
3 Place another Mixer in the Source 1 To set up the secondary Mixer in the
channel. Source 1 channel:
4 Place the color yellow in the Source 2
channel. 1 Set Source 1 to Blue.
5 Set Blender to Checkers, and set the 2 Set Source 2 to Red.
Checkers options as follows: 3 Set Blender to Checkers and set the
• Set Squares H to 12. following options:
• Set Squares V to 0. • Set Squares H to 6.
• Set Squares V to 0.

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