Shader Effects (CineRender Surfaces)

Algorithm: Use this setting to define the shading algorithm for the backlighting.
Internal is equivalent to the common Phong shading.
For Oren Nayar, see Model.
Simple generates no shading at all, so that backlit objects are rendered uniformly bright. This is particularly well suited for very thin surfaces such as leaves, blades of grass, etc.
Type: The distortion algorithm to be used.
Wrap: The Wrap function controls what happens to parts of the texture that have been distorted and now lie outside the UV map. These can be ignored (None), repeated (Cycle), cut off (Clamp) or mirrored (Seamless).
Amount: Global distortion amount. 100% means distortion values from 0 to 1 in UV and 0 to 10 in 3D.
X/Y/Z: X is the distortion amount in U for 2D and X for 3D. Y is the distortion amount in V for 2D and Y for 3D. Z is the distortion amount in Z for 3D.
Delta: Delta is a scaling factor to use in sampling the texture for evaluating slope to be used in the bump channel. This allows you to get very sharp bump with minute detail that is not possible with the standard bump delta.
Step: Relative step size to be used in evaluating the flow direction in Flow Field distortion type.
Texture: This is the source image or shader to distort with the Distorter texture. You can bring in and affect any image or channel shader available to CineRender.
Distorter: The distorter texture is used to distort the texture defined by Texture (see above). The value of the distorter image or shader is used in the distortion algorithm to offset the sampling of the texture.
Direction [XYZ]: The vector to falloff from in 3D space.
Space: The space to calculate the falloff in.
Object: The vector is specified in object coordinates and the falloff is affected by the object’s orientation (and by the orientation of the texture axis). In this way, the falloff sticks to the object as it changes rotations.
World: The vector is specified in world coordinates and is not affected by the object’s orientation. This is the most common setting because it allows the object to move and have the falloff stay oriented in a consistent direction.
Camera: The vector is specified in coordinates relative to the orientation of the camera. In this way, up is always up (in the camera view, for example) regardless of camera or object orientation.
Use Bump: If enabled, the bump normal is used to calculate the falloff. If off then the bump normal is ignored.
Gradient: The gradient used by Falloff to remap the value.
Diffuse Color: Sets the base diffuse color of the surface.
Diffuse Algorithm: Specifies which illumination model Lumas will use.
Internal is the standard Lambertian model
Oren Nayar, which provides for a roughness variable allowing the user to go from simple surfaces (0 Roughness, identical to Lambertian), to complex rough surface (1+ Roughness, which provides a matte surface, such as linen or dirt).
Diffuse Roughness: Dictates how rough the Oren Nayar illumination model will be. Zero is no roughness while 100% or greater is very rough. Experimentation is required to fully understand this parameter. This option is only available if Oren Nayar is selected in the Algorithm drop-down list.
Illumination: Scales the Color to produce attenuation in the illumination of the surface (this simply means it makes the color darker when the value is close to zero and brighter when the value is closer to 100% or above).
Contrast: Provides contrast for the result of the Color. Zero causes no effect, 0% - 100% causes standard contrast, above 100% causes a wrap contrast (the values that go above 100% wrap around to 0% again), negative values provide an inverse contrast to simulates surface that seem luminescent, such as silver. Appropriate values are -500% to 500%.
Active: Use this checkbox to individually activate or deactivate each specular light.
Color: Sets the base specular color for the specular component.
Intensity: Scales the Color to produce attenuation in the specular reflection of the surface (this simply means it makes the color darker when the value is close to 0% and brighter when the value is closer to 100% or above). The appropriate range is 0% - 1,000%.
Size: Sets the size of the specular reflection. Appropriate value range for Size is 0.001% - 200%.
Contrast: Provides contrast for the result of the specular sample color. Implements a standard contrast function. Appropriate values are 0% - 100%.
Glare: Works with Intensity by using the edge falloff (multiplied by the Falloff scalar) to change the intensity of the specular reflection. This can be used to add a glare to the surface when a light is reflecting more on an edge or specular effects to reduce the specular reflection when a light causes a reflection closer to the edge. Appropriate values run between 0% - 200%.
Falloff: Utilized to vary the falloff of the center of the object to the edge to affect the Glare intensity. Smaller values cause the specular reflection to reflect the Intensity value more, while larger values make the surface use the Glare scalar more. Experimentation is required to fully understand this parameter.
Anisotropy: Anisotropy is the property of being directionally dependent (as opposed to isotropy, which implies identical properties in all directions.)
Projection: The type of projection is used to define the anamorphic (disproportional) scaling of the specular highlights. It can also define the scratch direction to be used with the reflection and environment convolution groups.
Projection Scale: Scales the scratch algorithms that have an actual pattern (Radial Pattern is the only current algorithm of this type to which scale applies).
X Roughness/Y Roughness: Scale the highlights in the X and Y directions defined by the Scratch Projection algorithm. The appropriate range is 0.1% to 10,000%. If the X & Y roughness are the same, the standard internal specular algorithm is used.
Specular 1/Specular 2/ Specular 3: These check boxes specify which specular channels will be affected by the anisotropic scratches.
Amplitude: Scales the effect of the scratch of the specular highlights. The higher the value, the more scratched the speculars will look. The appropriate range is 0% - 100%.
Scale: Scales the scratch pattern itself. This applies to all scratch algorithms.
Length: Defines the scratch length in the space of the scratch pattern. Smoother milled surfaces would use a higher scratch length and rougher surfaces would use smaller values. The appropriate range is 1% - 1,000%.
Attenuation: Scales the amount of detail of the scratches based upon the samples, angle to the camera and the distance from the camera. The larger the values, the greater the attenuation, causing less scratching (better for animation); the smaller the value, the greater the detail (better for still images). The appropriate range is 0% - 1000%.
Note: The Pixel Shader only works with 2D Shaders and textures. When using a Noise Shader, for example, the Space option should be set to UV (2D)
Texture: This is the source image or shader to be projected. You can bring in and project any image or 2D channel shader available to CineRender.
Position (X/Y/X): Offset of the 3D texture space.
Size: Scaling of the 3D texture space.
Rotation (Heading/Pitch/Bank): Orientation of the 3D texture space.
Intensity: Controls the overall brightness of the color reflexes. A value of 0 means no effect at all, while bigger values result in brighter color reflexes.
Variation defines how many times the gradient is repeated within the defined range.
Out of Range Type: In combination with the Variation parameter, Out Of Range Type controls if and how the gradient is repeated. Experiment with the Stop, Mirror and Tiling modes to see the effect.
Spectrum: The Spectrum gradient defines the colors for the spectral reflexes.
Use CD Effect: If you enable this option, the shader is optimized for cylindrical surfaces and you can render wedge-shaped, prismatic color effects, such as those seen on CD surfaces.
Width: Width defines how far the gradient spreads out.
Peak: Normally the entire rainbow colored spectrum is visible only if the angle between the light source and the camera forms a straight line. Increasing the Peak value allows you to generate a larger color spectrum.
W Factor: Defines the starting point of the prismatic effect, based on the center of the surface. A value of 1 makes the gradient start from the exact center of the surface. Values above 1 offset the gradient away from the center, and values below 1 shift it more towards the center.
Diffuse Intensity: Diffuse Intensity controls the intensity of the spectral effect. Increasing the value results in overblown colors.
Diffuse Variation: Scatters the spectral effect by bringing in random colors from the gradient.
Front Side: Defines how the spectral gradient is projected onto the surface, with reference to the object coordinate system. If you can’t see the CD effect immediately, you probably need to adjust this parameter.
The shader’s Intensity controls the strength with which the texture is smudged, as you can see in the image below in which the value is increased from left to right from 20% (default value) to 50% and 100% respectively.
In addition to Intensity, you can also define how smooth the smudged texture should be. The higher the Smoothness value, the smoother the effect will be and the more realistic it will look. In the image below, the Smoothness is increased from left to right from 4 to 16 (default value) to 32.
Finally, the Intensity shader’s brightness value can be used to define the degree of weathering. An image or a Shader can be used. In the image below, a Tiles Shader was used to create a horizontal line structure.