Planar: Projects the image onto the surface from the current window's point
of view. The width and height of the decal are adjustable. Only the patches visible from this view will be stamped.
Cylindrical: Wraps the image around the object in a cylindrical fashion. The
height of the cylinder is adjustable. For the back seam it sets the repeat to 3 in the x and uses the middle third of the map. All unhidden patches are stamped.
Spherical: Wraps the image around the object in a spherical fashion. For
the seams it sets the repeat to 3 in the x and y and uses the middle ninth of the map. All unhidden patches are stamped.
Image Shown
When multiple images are associated with this decal, this property allows you to choose which one you see when applying the decal to the model.
Opacity
Default: 60%, Min: 0%, Max: 100%, Percentage. When applying a decal to a model, it is sometimes useful to be able to see the model through the decal so you can tell where you are stamping it. This property allows you to control how opaque the image is when applying it. Opacity has no affect on how the decal will render.
Display As Rotoscope
Default: OFF. Allows you to see the decal even when you deselect it and return to modeling.
Decal Clip
This is used to put stills or animations on a model. It selects which image to use, and how to use it. Decal Clips can be used with Decals or Groups.
Decal Clip Instance Menu
Delete
Removes the selected object from the project.
Rename
Rename the selected object
Select Cache ()
Highlights the object that this shortcut is to.
Properties
Edits the selected object's properties.
Decal Clip Properties
Image Sets the image used.
Repeat
Visible: Sometimes. The number of times this image is to repeat itself.
Seamless
Visible: Sometimes, Default: OFF. When the image repeats, the seamless property flips the image on every repeat. Causing the image to look "seamless". This is most useful on repetitive textures.
Frame
Visible: Sometimes, Default: 0sec. When the image is an animation (or sequence of images), this property sets which frame to use out of the original animation. If this property is marked as "-not set-", the current frame from the interface is used automatically. This will cause the animation to animate as it was originally intended. This property can also be keyframed to have the sequence play out of order. For instance, if the original animation is one second, and at frame 0 you set the Time property to be 1 second, and at 2 seconds you set it to be 0, the sequence will play backwards at half speed.
Decal Types
Visible: Sometimes, Default: Color. Sets the method that the render will use when applying this image to the Model surface. Map types can be changed once they have been applied without having to reapply them.
Color: The default type of map. A Color map merely takes an image file and
maps it on your object. The colors in the image file are used instead of the color of the model. The Value field for a Color map determines the amount of color that comes from the image file versus the object's color. For example, a value of “75” would take 75% of the image map color and 25% of the underlying color. For Color maps, this number should range from 1 to 100.
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Transparency: Transparency maps are used to make an otherwise opaque
surface have various amounts of colored transparency. Transparency maps are simply images that use the intensity of each color to indicate the amount of transparency on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The lower the intensity of the color, the greater the transparency. Totally black areas in the transparency map will cut a hole in the object's surface, while totally white areas will remain opaque.
The Value determines how much effect the image has on the surface. A higher number would make the surface more transparent. Reasonable values for Transparency maps are from 1 to 1000%.
Bump: Bump maps cause an otherwise smooth surface to appear irregular
(even though it really is not). Bump maps are simply grayscale images that use the intensity of adjacent pixels to indicate surface perturbation. As you draw a Bump map using shades of gray, be aware that it is the change in intensity from one pixel to another that determines the amount of surface perturbation. For example, two black pixels next to each other have no effect, but a black pixel next to a white pixel will cause the maximum angular shift. To make a gradual incline, place increasing shades of gray together. Reverse the order of the pixels for a descending slope. Bump maps are often used as reliefs. For example, the face of a coin makes a good Bump map. Because bumps maps do not actually change the shape of the underlying surface (they are more of a visual trick), the surface's profile shape is not affected. An otherwise irregular bump map will still appear smooth when viewed along the surface's profile. (The key to a good bump map is using a blur filter on it).
The value determines how much effect the gray scale image has on the surface. A higher number would make the bumps appear higher. Reasonable values for bump maps can be from 1 to 1000%.
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Specular Size: Specularity maps are another technique for adding a
realistic touch to your models. Specularity maps are grayscale images. When applied to a model, dark areas on the Specularity map cause the specular intensity of the underlying object to lessen.
Completely black areas of the Specular map allow no surface specular intensity. If the amount of specular intensity varies across an object's surface, it makes the surface appear as if it is not perfectly smooth, just like objects in real life are rarely perfectly smooth. Of course, the angle of the light causing the specular highlighting must be right for the effect to occur. Specularity maps override the base specular intensity of an object. The value determines how much effect the grayscale image has on the surface. A higher number would make the specular intensity higher. Reasonable values for Specularity maps are from 1 to 1000%.
Specular Intensity: Specularity maps are another technique for adding a
realistic touch to your models. Specularity maps are grayscale images. When applied to a model, dark areas on the Specularity map cause the specular intensity of the underlying object to lessen. Completely black areas of the Specular map allow no surface specular intensity. If the amount of
specular intensity varies across an object's surface, it makes the surface appear as if it is not perfectly smooth, just like objects in real life are rarely perfectly smooth. Of course, the angle of the light causing the specular highlighting must be right for the effect to occur. Specularity maps override the base specular intensity of an object. The value determines how much effect the grayscale image has on the surface. A higher number would make the specular intensity higher. Reasonable values for Specularity maps are from 1 to 1000%.
Diffuse: Objects in real-life rarely have the same color uniformly across
their surface. Things age and get scuffed up, leaving the color approximately the same but with obvious blemishes. An easy way to add this kind of real world, used appearance is with a Diffuse map. Diffuse maps are grayscale images. As colors get darker on the Diffuse map, the underlying color of the object gets darker. Completely white areas of the Diffuse map have no affect on the object, while completely black areas of the map make the underlying color completely black. A good-looking "scuff" mark would be varying shades of gray. The value determines how much effect the grayscale image has on the surface. A higher number would blemish the surface color more. Reasonable values for Diffuse maps are from 1 to 1000%.
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Reflectivity: To define an irregularly shaped mirror, you can specify the
areas to be reflective by using a Reflectivity map. A Reflectivity map is a grayscale image where white is 100% mirror, and black is not reflective at all. The value determines how much effect the grayscale image has on the surface. A higher number would make the surface appear more reflective. Reasonable values for Reflectivity maps are from 1 to 1000%.
Ambiance Intensity: To achieve a self-illuminating effect on a particular
area of an object, use an Ambiance map. This technique works well for making the appearance of lit windows on a building or spacecraft. It is generally used in conjunction with a Color map, since the Ambiance map simply tells how bright pixels are. Ambiance maps are grayscale images where white is 100% ambiant, and black is 0%.
The value determines how much effect the grayscale image has on the surface. A higher number would make the surface appear more ambient. Reasonable values for Ambiance maps are from 1 to 1000%.
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Cookie-Cut: Cookiecut maps work the same as Color maps, where the
Background color of the image is used as a cut out. Using cookie cut maps, anywhere the background color is used, the object becomes invisible. This method can be used for making complex shapes out of simple surfaces, such as a maple leaf out of a patch grid. An image map with an Alpha channel can also be used. If an Alpha channel is present, the software will cut accordingly, including the Alpha channel's natural antialiasing. The "Value" determines the amount of color that comes from the image file versus the objects color (a value of "75" would take 75% of the image map color, and 25% of the underlying model color). This number should range from 1 to 100%. Value has no effect on the cut out portion of the picture. If no Background color is set for the image map, white will be assumed to indicate the cut out portion.
Displacement: Bump maps are sufficient for most applications but they
lose the illusion of bumpiness along the object's profile since no "bumps" actually exist. Displacement maps actually affect the object's surface, making real bumps but they are computationally and memory expensive, and are also more difficult to control. Sometimes, however, true surface perturbation is required, justifying the use of Displacement maps. 256 shade grayscale images are ideal for displacement maps.
However, contrary to Bump maps, the gray value determines the amount of displacement, (Bump maps look for changes in value rather than the value itself): "128" being no displacement, while "255" equals 127 centimeters of displacement. The color "black" (0,0,0) displaces the surface down 127 centimeters. The transparent Background color and pixels with transparent Alpha components cause no surface perturbation.
The "Value" of displacement will raise or lower the displacement by the specified percent. Negative values will cause the displacement to occur in the opposite direction. Displacement maps work best with small values of deformation, (large spikes shade unnaturally and look incongruous). As a model scales, so does its displacement.
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Fractal: Fractal maps are simply displacements that flat shade the facets of
perturbation as if they were polygons, whereas Displacement maps shade smoothly. Displacement/Fractal maps dynamically subdivide the patches they are applied to, limited to 16 subdivisions per patch. For more detail, large patches may have to be constructed out of many smaller patches.
Next Map Factor: Lessens the effect that the next map has on the surface
by the amount in this map. White means use the next map as it is, black means the next map has no effect.
Other...: Allows you to pick one or more other surface properties that you
want this map to control.
Normal: Normal maps cause an otherwise smooth surface to appear
irregular (even though it really is not). Normal maps are simply color images that use the red and green channels to encode surface normal direction. The red channel value determines the left-right (or X) direction of the normal while the green channel value determines the up-down (or Y) direction of the normal. The X and Y values are assumed to be part of a X,Y,Z vector of length 255 so that the Z component can be derived from the X and Y values.
Properties Driven
Visible: Sometimes. The list of surface properties that this decal controls. Percentage
Default: 100%, Min: 0%, Max: 100%, Percentage. This is a scalar value that will adjust the influence of the map. For example, if the map you are using is not affecting the surface enough, you can use the Value to scale the affect up. This is much more desirable than creating a new image map.
No Min or Max for a Bump Map
Map Export Method
Visible: Cache Only, Advanced, Default: Reference Original Maps
Sets the method used to export maps for this decal image when exporting this model to a different file format.
Reference Original Maps: This setting will save bitmap information for the
patches with a reference to a single map. This is the preferred method. Include In Patch Maps: This setting will save map for each patch. Use this for export to polygon game engines.
Contribute To Shadow Color
Visible: Sometimes, Advanced, Default: ON. Allows the color of a
semitransparent image to not affect the shadow. Designed for antialiased edges of cookie cut holes.