Blender Documentation: Last modified September 22 2003 S68
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# The standard TextureButtons

This group of buttons determines the type of user from which the Texture must be displayed. Blender automatically selects the correct settings if the TextureButtons are invoked from the MaterialButtons, LampButtons or WorldButtons.

## MA:

The name of the DataBlock that has a (possible) link to the Texture.

## Mat

The Texture of the active Material is displayed.

## World

The Texture of the World block is displayed.

## Lamp

The Texture of the Lamp is displayed.

This group of buttons shows the channels. In this example, we see that of the eight available channels for the Material, only the first is linked to a Texture.

The program includes nine types of textures. These are described in detail later in this manual.

## Default Vars

Changes the values set for the type of texture to the standard values.

## Bright

The 'brightness' of the colour or intensity of a texture. In fact, a fixed number is added or subtracted.

## Contr

The 'contrast' of the colour or intensity of a texture. This is actually a multiplication.

## Colorband

Use this option to create a smooth colour progression. Intensity textures are thus changed into an RGB texture. The use of Colorband with a sharp transistion can cause aliasing.

### Colorband

Switches the use of Colorband on or off.

### Add

Adds a new colour to the Colorband.

### Cur:

The active colour from the Colorband.

### Del

Delete the active colour.

### Pos:

The position of the active colour. Values range from 0.0 to 1.0. This can also be entered using LeftMouse (hold-move) in the Colorband.

### E, L, S

The interpolation type with which colours are mixed, i.e. 'Ease', 'Linear' and 'Spline'. The last gives the most fluid progression.

### A, R, G, B

The Alpha and RGB value of the active colour.

## Image texture

The Image texture is the most frequently used and most advanced of Blender's textures. The standard bump-mapping and perspective-corrected MipMapping, filtering and anti-aliasing built into the program guarantee outstanding image quality (set the DisplayButtons->OSA ON for this). Because pictures are two-dimensionaal, you must specify in the mapping buttons how the 3D texture coordinate is converted to 2D; mapping is a part of the MaterialButtons.

### InterPol

This option interpolates the pixels of an Image. This becomes visible when you enlarge the picture. Turn this option OFF to keep the pixels visible - they are correctly anti-aliased. This last feature is useful for regular patterns, such as lines and tiles; they remain 'sharp' even when enlarged considerably.

### UseAlpha

Use the alpha layer of the Image.

### CalcAlpha

Calcualte an alpha based on the RGB values of the Image.

### NegAlpha

Reverses the alpha value.

### MipMap

Generates a series of pictures, each half the size of the former one. This optimises the filtering process. When this option is OFF, you generally get a sharper image, but this can significantly increase calculation time if the filter dimension becomes large.

### Fields

Video frames consist of two different images (fields) that are merged by horizontal line. This option makes it possible to work with field images. It ensures that when 'Fields' are rendered (DisplayButtons->Field) the correct field of the Image is used in the correct field of the rendering. MipMapping cannot be combined with "Fields".

### Rot90

Rotates the Image 90 degrees when rendered.

### Movie

Movie files (AVIs supported by Blender, SGI-movies) and 'anim5' files can also be used for an Image. To do this, set the "Frames" NumBut to the total number of frames.

### Anti

Graphic images such as cartoons and pictures that consist of only a few colours with a large surface filling can be anti-aliased as a built in pre-process.

### St Field

Normally, the first field in a video frame begins on the first line. Some frame grabbers do this differently!

### Filter

The filter size used by the options "MipMap" and "Interpol".

### Load Image

The (largest) adjacent window becomes an ImageSelectWindow. Specify here what file must be read to become an Image.

### ...

This small button does the same thing, but now simply gives a FileSelect.

### ImageBrowse

You can select a previously created Image from the list provided. Image blocks can be reused without taking up extra memory.

### File Name

Enter a file name here, after which a new Image block is created.

### Users

Indicates the number of users for the Image. The "Single User" option cannot be activated here. It has no significance for Images.

### Pack

Indicates the packing of the image. Pressed (grey) means the image is packed into the Blend-file. Klicking on the Button packs or unpacks the image. If a unpack option is triggered the unpack-menu pops up.

### Reload

Force the Image file to be read again.

The following options determine what happens if the texture coordinate falls outside the Image.

### Extend

Outside the Image the colour of the edge is extended.

### Clip

Outside the Image, an alpha value of 0.0 is returned. This allows you to 'paste' a small logo on a large object.

### ClipCube

The same as "Clip", but now the 'Z' coordinate is calculated as well. Outside a cube-shaped area around the Image, an alpha value of 0.0 is returned.

### Repeat

The Image is repeated horizontally and vertically.

### Xrepeat

The (extra) degree of repetition in the X direction.

### Yrepeat

The (extra) degree of repetition in the Y direction.

### MinX, MinY, MaxX, MaxY

Use these to specify a cropping, it appears that the Image actually becomes larger or smaller.

### Frames

This activates the animation option; another image file (in the same Image block) will be read per rendered frame. Blender tries to find the other files by changing a number in the file name. Only the rightmost digit is interpreted for this. For example: 01.ima.099.tga + 1 becomes 01.ima.100.tga. The value of "Frames" indicates the total number of files to be used. If the option "Movie" is ON, this value must also be set. Now, however, a frame is continually taken from the same file.

### Offset

The number of the first picture of the animation.

### Fie/Ima

The number of fields per rendered frame. If no fields are rendered, even numbers must be entered here. (2 fields = 1 frame).

### Cyclic

The animation Image is repeated cyclically.

### StartFr:

The moment - in Blender frames - at which the animation Image must start.

### Len

This button determines the length of the animation. By assigning "Len" a higher value than "Frames", you can create a still at the end of the animation. The "Fra:"-buttons allow you to create a simple montage within an animation Image. The left button, "Fra" indicates the frame number, the right-hand button indicates how long the frame must be displayed.

## Environment Maps

Blender allows three types of environment maps:

### Static

The map is only calculated once during an animation or after loading a file.

### Dynamic

The map is calculated each time a rendering takes place. This means moving Objects are displayed correctly in mirroring surfaces.

### Load

When saved as an image file, environment maps can be loaded from disk. This option allows the fastest rendering with environment maps.

### Free Data

This action releases all images associated with the environment map. This is how you force a recalculation when using a Static map.

### Save EnvMap

You can save an environment map as an image file, in the format indicated in the DisplayButtons (F10).

These buttons are drawn when the environment map type is "Load". The environment map image then is a regular Image block in the Blender structure.

### Load Image

The (largest) adjacent window becomes an ImageSelectWindow. Specify here what file to read in as environment map.

### ...

This small button does the same thing, but now gives a FileSelect.

### ImageBrowse

You can select a previously loaded map from the list provided. EnvMap Images can be reused without taking up extra memory.

### File Name

Enter an image file name here, to load as an environment map. Users (But) Indicates the number of users for the Image.Reload (But) Force the Image file to be read again.

### Ob:

Fill in the name of an Object that defines the center and rotation of the environment map. This can be any Object in the current Scene.

### Filter:

With this value you can adjust the sharpness or blurriness of the reflection.

### Clipsta, ClipEnd

These values define the clipping boundaries when rendring the environment map images.

### CubeRes

The resolution in pixels of the environment map image.

### Don't render layer

Indicate with this option that faces that exist in a specific layer are NOT rendered in the environment map.

## Plugin texture

Plugins are pieces of compiled C-code which can be loaded by runtime, to extend a programms features. After choosing "Load Plugin" you get a FileWindow which lets you choose a plugin. The plugins are plattform specific, so be sure to load a plugin for your operating system.

## Clouds texture

"Clouds" is a procedural texture. This means that each 3D coordinate can be translated directly to a colour or a value. In this case, a three-dimensional table with pseudo random values is used, from which a fluent interpolation value can be calculated with each 3D coordinate (thanks to Ken Perlin for his masterful article "An Image Synthesizer", from the SIGGRAPH proceedings 1985). This calculation method is also called ~(Perlin) Noise.

### Default

The standard Noise, gives an Intensity.

### Color

The Noise gives an RGB value.

### NoiseSize

The dimension of the Noise table.

### NoiseDepth

The depth of the Cloud calculation. A higher number results in a long calculation time, but also in finer details.

### Soft Noise, Hard Noise

There are two methods available for the Noise function.

## Wood texture

"Wood" is also a procedural texture. In this case, bands are generated based on a sine formula. You can also add a degree of turbulence with the Noise formula. It returns an Intensity value only.

### Bands

The standard Wood texture.

### Rings

This suggests 'wood' rings.

### BandNoise

Applying Noise gives the standard Wood texture a certain degree of turbulence.

### RingNoise

Applying Noise gives the rings a certain degree of turbulence.

### NoiseSize

The dimension of the Noise table.

### Turbulence

The turbulence of the "BandNoise" and "RingNoise" types.

### Soft Noise, Hard Noise

There are two methods available for the Noise function.

## Marble texture

"Marble" is also a procedural texture. In this case, bands are generated based on a sine formula and Noise turbulence. It returns an Intensity value only.

### Soft, Sharp, Sharper

Three pre-sets for soft to more clearly defined Marble.

### NoiseSize

The dimensions of the Noise table.

### NoiseDepth

The depth of the Marble calculation. A higher value results in greater calculation time, but also in finer details.

### Turbulence

The turbulence of the sine bands.

### Soft Noise, Hard Noise

The Noise function works with two methods.

## Magic texture

"Magic" is a procedural texture. The RGB components are generated independently with a sine formula.

### Size

The dimensions of the pattern.

### Turbulence

The strength of the pattern.

## Blend texture

This is also a procedural texture. It generates a progression in Intensity.

### Lin

A linear progression.

### Quad

A quadratic progression. Ease (RowBut) A flowing, non-linear progression.

### Diag

A diagonal progression.

### Sphere

A progression with the shape of a three-dimensional ball.

### Halo

A quadratic progression with the shape of a three-dimensional ball.

### Flip XY

The direction of the progression is flipped a quarter turn.

## Stucci texture

This procedural texture generates Noise-based normals.

### Plastic

The standard Stucci. Wall In, Wall out (RowBut) This is where Stucci gets it name. This is a typical wall structure with holes or bumps.

NoiseSize (NumBut) The dimensions of the Noise table.

### Turbulence

The depth of the Stucci.

### Soft Noise, Hard Noise

There are two methods available for working with Noise.

## Noise texture

Although this looks great, it is not Perlin Noise! This is a true, randomly generated Noise. This gives a different result every time, for every frame, for every pixel.

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