Simple Material PropertiesSimple Material PropertiesThe Simple Material Properties dialog box give easy access to the properties you will usually want to change to make a material look different without changing the material style from, say Solid Color to Glass. For most materials, changing the color is all that is necessary to get a different look. You can change the advanced properties. These are pre-set by the material template to help you quickly achieve the appearance you want.
All materials share three basic properties: name, color, and preview.
Name
The material name.
Color
Controls the local color for the material. All materials have a base color. More about color...
Color swatch selector
Click the color swatch to select colors from the Select Color dialog box.
Preview
The preview image shows the material as it will appear on objects in the model. The style and size of the preview are part of the material definition.
Note: Set the default size for the preview object in Options: Flamingo nXt.
Right-click the material preview
pane to specify options that control the preview's appearance:
Sphere
Sets the preview object to a sphere.
Box
Sets the preview object to a box with a width equaling the sphere radius.
Plane
Sets the preview object to a plane with a width equaling the sphere radius.
Sphere radius
Sets the preview sphere radius and box and plane width. Set the size to approximate the size of the objects to which the material will be assigned to help visualize the material.
Solid Color materials have only a name and a color.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
All other properties are set to a default (usually off or zero).
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Metal materials have a highlight whose color matches the color. You can control the Sharpness of this highlight from the Simple Material Properties control.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Properties pre-set by the template:
Highlight
color: The Highlight color matches the base color.
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Glass materials have an Index of Refraction (IOR) that you can adjust.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Properties pre-set by the template:
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Plastic materials have a white highlight set by the template.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Properties pre-set by the template:
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
The ClearFinish material simulates car paint, porcelain, ceramics, varnished woods, or any material with a plastic or clear-coat layer. ClearFinish uses the Fresnel setting to change the material color based on angle to the view. These materials tend to be a deep color when looked at straight on, but as the surface curves away from the view, they become more and more reflective. Car paints with a clear-coat or clear lacquer finishes are good examples.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Properties pre-set by the template:
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Glossy materials have a highlight with low Highlight Intensity and Sharpness settings that you can control from Simple Material Properties.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Properties pre-set by the template:
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Textured materials use images to create colored and patterned materials. The image name, resolution, tile size, and highlight intensity and sharpness are controlled from the Simple Materials Properties dialog box.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog box:
Tiles:
Width/Height
and Mirror
tiles
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.
Texture set materials support third-party texture maps that contain information such as displacement, normal, or bump maps. Displacement maps cause the material to have depth. The image names, tile size, and map properties are controlled from the Simple Materials Properties dialog box.
Properties available from the Simple Material Properties dialog:
Opens the Advanced Material Properties dialog box.