T stands
for Texture, a function that lets you vary an attribute??™s setting spatially, over the
area of the surface.We??™ll cover envelopes and textures later in the chapter.
The rest of the controls in the Basic tab all work the same way. Each contains a number field
you can click and type into in order to enter a setting. To the right of each number field is a
LightWave adjuster called a mini-slider.To use one, click on it, and holding down the mouse
button, move your mouse left or right to change the setting value. The range of each minislider
generally covers the observed values for that attribute in natural materials.Many controls
let you type in values outside those naturally occurring ranges to achieve special effects.
?—? Luminosity. This controls the brightness, or self-illumination, of a surface.
?—? Diffuse. This is the amount of light the surface receives from the scene. You??™ll
learn more about this shortly.
Figure 3.13 The Basic tab in the
Surface Editor is home to the most
commonly used surface settings.
?—? Specularity. This value specifies the amount of shine on a surface. High specularity
settings are appropriate for surfaces such as glass, water, and polished metal.
Pages:
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201