powered by CADENAS

Manual

Manual

5.9.2.9.2.  Render material - Settings

[Note] Note

This note contains important key points. Later at the single options, you can find details.

Attribute display

The attributes Percentage Metallic, Roughness, Mix color with color texture, Color texture, Normalmap and Transparency are only displayed as of version 11 SP4.

Versions prior 11 SP4 only show Color.

More information concerning display color can be found under Section 5.9.2.9.3, “Rendering matrices”.

Attribute export

  • RenderMaterial set on part level:

    • When exporting to a CAD system, the Color! of render material is transferred.

      An entry under "Color and texture" -> "Color" is not needed and is not used - if available.

      An entry under "Color and texture" -> "Color" is not needed and is not used - if available.

      Exception:

      If an entry is made under Color and texture -> Color AND the option Mix color with color texture is set AND a texture is entered, then the color from Color and texture -> Color is exported into the CAD, NOT the color of render material.[a]

    • If NO render material is set, but a color under Color and texture -> Color, then this is transferred to the CAD system.

  • RenderMaterial set on face level:

    If the render material is set as face attribute, then also the color of render material is correctly transferred to the CAD system and overwrites the value under Color and texture -> Color. Reason for this is that SYS_FaceAttributeColor is automatically set with the color from render material. However, in particular please consider that this automatic setting only works for a first time. Later changes of SYS_FaceAttributeRenderMaterial won't be pulled again.

Material specification via variable

Material can also be set via variable. However, this significantly affects the performance, why it should only be used if really needed. If the render material is specified via variable, in versions prior 11 SP4 NO color is displayed and NO color is exported to the CAD.

Face attributes

Render Materials can also be used for Face attributes or Feature attributes... such as Blend/Sweep. Details can be found here.

Priority texture before color

In the dialog box Edit material for 3D preview, the texture has always priority over color, if the option Mix color with color texture is not activated. Details on this can be found in the matrices under Section 5.9.2.9.3, “Rendering matrices”.

Caution: Nevertheless, the desired color has to be set, because a) textures are only displayed in CADENAS software (PARTdataManager, PARTproject, …) and will not be exported to CAD systems and b) colors are already displayed while the texture is still loading when opening a part.

So also set the desired color, even if the option Mix color with color texture is not set (compare following figure).

Example: Wood texture

Example: Wood texture

Please fill in the license information (as of V11 SP5), this is mandatory. Otherwise an error message is displayed.

The fields License, Source and Source date are mandatory fields and have to be filled in when creating a new render material (only if a texture is used/specified, otherwise not). If this remains undone a respective note is displayed.

  • License: CC0 (Creative Commons Public Domain)

  • Source: URL

  • Source date (e.g. date/time of download)

Fill in license information

Fill in license information

The option Mix color with color texture should only be used with gray textures.

Standard approach

  • Deactivated option Mix color with color texture

    Mixing colors with texture in fact only makes sense, if one and the same texture is used with a lot of different colors (e.g. for painted surfaces).

  • Use textures with desired color.

  • Due to compatibility reasons (concerning export), set a matching color under Color.

    Caution: Nevertheless, the desired color has to be set, because a) textures are only displayed in CADENAS software (PARTdataManager, PARTproject, …) and will not be exported to CAD systems and b) colors are already displayed while the texture is still loading when opening a part.

Textures/Normalmaps

  1. Textures from the Internet may only be used if the source is freely usable. This can be recognized by the fact that you do not have to specify where the source/the texture comes from. It is also important that the texture can be used without attribution. -> Use only textures, which are CC0 (Creative Commons Public Domain)!

  2. For any texture downloaded from the Internet, the source, so the link, must be deposited in the catalog. Additionally the date with time, when you downloaded the file! This serves the legal protection.

  3. Textures can be downloaded for example from the following sites:

    Please note: Sometimes the licenses are defined differently per texture!

  4. Do not download textures from forums! The license conditions are often confusing.

General:

  1. Textures should always be downloaded and saved with an associated Normal/Normalmap with the same resolution.

    Textures may be used without the corresponding normal. However, a normal may not be used without the corresponding texture!

  2. Textures must be tileable (-> seamless).

  3. Textures may not be scaled or compressed!

  4. Pay attention to the resolution of the texture:

    • min.: 512*512

    • max.: 2048*2048

    The resolution must be a power of 2 (2^n).

    Permitted resolutions: 512*512; 1024*1024; 2048*2048

    If there is no permitted resolution available you can use a resolution higher than 2048*2048 (4096*4096; 8192*8192).

[a] This special setting is only required, if many different colors shall be used based on one and the same texture or if colors shall be controlled by variables.

In the dialog box Edit material for 3D preview, you can perform the following settings:

  • 3D Model

    At the very top a dummy part is shown, which mirrors all settings. In particular, this is useful to adjust the scaling. You can choose dummy parts of different shapes and sizes in order to get a realistic impression.

    Setting 3D Model

    Setting 3D Model

  • Color, Percentage Metallic and Roughness: In the simplest case only make settings here and none under Extended.

    Color, Percentage Metallic, Roughness

    Color, Percentage Metallic, Roughness

  • In the dialog area Extended below you can perform the following settings:

    • Mix color with color texture:

      The option Mix color with color texture in fact is only needed, if based on one and the same texture a lot of different colors shall be used or if colors shall be controlled by variables.

      • In the standard case you will use a deactivated option Mix color with color texture.

      • Then preferably use textures which have exactly the desired color.

      • AND due to compatibility reasons, in parallel set a matching color under Color.

        Caution: Nevertheless, the desired color has to be set, because a) textures are only displayed in CADENAS software (PARTdataManager, PARTproject, …) and will not be exported to CAD systems and b) colors are already displayed while the texture is still loading when opening a part.

      The exact effects of this option can be seen in the matrices. See Section 5.9.2.9.3, “Rendering matrices”. The shortcut "mix" stands for this option.

      In the following the different combination possibilities are described:

      • Mix color with color texture: Off

        • Only color, no entry under Color texture and/or Normalmap:

          -> The color is used (for view and export).

        • Entry under Color texture and/or Normalmap:

          -> The texture is used for view.

          -> The color is used for export.

          Example: Wood texture

          Example: Wood texture

          [Note] Note

          Once an entry is made under Color texture and/or Normalmap, the setting under Color is ignored! The color in above exemplary 3D view comes from the color texture stored as picture, NOT from the set color.

          Caution: Nevertheless, the desired color has to be set, because a) textures are only displayed in CADENAS software (PARTdataManager, PARTproject, …) and will not be exported to CAD systems and b) colors are already displayed while the texture is still loading when opening a part.

      • Mix color with color texture: On

        The color values of texture are not considered, only the brightness values and then these are mixed with the set color.

        Example: Texture + Color White

        Example: Texture + Color White

        Example: Texture + Color Blue

        Example: Texture + Color Blue

        [Note] Note

        If there are no set entries under Color texture and Normalmap, is doesn't matter if Mix color with color texture is activated or not.

    • Color texture: With a click on ..., select desired image file.

      [Note] Note

      Textures may be used without the corresponding normal. However, a normal may not be used without the corresponding texture!

      [Note] Note

      Currently the starting point of texture can not be specified!

      The Color texture has to be tileable.

      [Note] Note

      If graphics from Internet are used for the texture, it has to be checked, if it is a graphic with CC0 license (Creative Commons Public Domain) and can be used without attribution. (On this also see above.)

      [Note] Note

      If the option Mix color with color texture is activated, color values of texture doesn't matter. Only brightness values are used and then these mixed with the set color. If the option Mix color with color texture is deactivated, the color values of texture are used in addition.

      • Scale:

        Adjust the Scale according to part size, in order for the texture to be optimally overlaying the part (repetition of pattern. The declaration of value is in mm.

        Example:

        A scale of 300 means, that a - quadratic - color texture is exactly mapped one time to a - quadratic - area with length/width of 300. When changing the scale to 100, for example, the color texture is mapped 9 times ((300/100)^2).

      • Rotation:

        Via Rotation, determine the orientation of texture.

        [Tip] Tip

        Textures can be rotated globally, however, locally on faces in addition.

        Example:

        The model depicted below is a part and the texture is globally from top to bottom in direction of Z axis.

        Texture vertical

        Texture vertical

        When selecting the horizontal cylinder in PARTdesigner and overlaying the same texture there, however, now rotated with 90° it will look better.

        Result:

        Texture horizontal

        Texture horizontal

    • Normalmap (Bumpmap): Select the desired image file by clicking on ....

      [Note] Note

      Textures may be used without the corresponding normal. However, a normal may not be used without the corresponding texture!

      • Scale: Adjust the Scale according to part size, in order for the texture to be optimally overlaying the part (repetition of pattern).

        Color texture and Normalmap can be adjusted independently.

      • Height: Determine the height of the "bumps". Without height there may be strong reflexions.

        Example:

        Height "0"

        Height "0"

        Height "10"

        Height "10"

      • Via Rotation determine the direction of texture.

        Color texture and Normalmap can be adjusted independently.

      [Note] Note

      Currently the starting point of texture can not be specified!

      The Normalmap has to be tileable.

      [Note] Note

      Textures should always be downloaded and saved with an associated normal (-> Normalmap) with the same resolution.

      Please regard further notes on textures above.

    • Transparency: For transparent materials like glass, perspex, etc., the use of transparency can be appropriate.

      [Note] Note

      If the material shall be opaque, Transparency has to be deactivated.

      Once in the dialog Edit material for 3D preview "Transparency" is set, the setting under Color and texture -> Color is overwritten.

      Color and texture -> Color

      Color and texture -> Color

      Edit material for 3D preview -> Transparency

      Edit material for 3D preview -> Transparency

      [Note] Note

      Transparency can only be used for the entire part, not for single faces.

      If attempting to set transparency for a face attribute, a respective note is displayed.

      The use of transparency for faces is ignored.

      The use of transparency for faces is ignored.

      Once the option is activated, transparency is set. That means, even with 0% transparency the part appears transparent.