Appearances Illumination PropertyManager

Use the Illumination tab in the Appearances PropertyManager to adjust the lighting in part or assembly documents.

If you have the PhotoWorks application add-in selected, but cannot see the Illumination tab, click Advanced.

Illumination

Select an appearance type such as Satin Finish to display its illumination properties.

Select or clear Dynamic help to display pop-up tips for this PropertyManager. Pop-up tips include illumination dependencies.

Select or clear Accurate reflections (slower) to control the level of surface reflections.  

To control illumination:

Move the slider or type a value between 0 and 1. (Index of refraction uses a different scale).

Caustics

• Select or clear Cast. When selected, specular appearances reflect caustic photons. Light that hits either reflective or refractive objects bounces, forming light patterns.

• Select or clear Receive. When selected, diffuse appearances absorb caustic photons. Light that hits either reflective or refractive objects is absorbed.

These options are available only when Enable Caustic on the Illumination tab of the Options dialog box is selected, and All appearances cast and receive caustics by default  is cleared.

Global Illumination

• Select or clear Cast. When selected, specular appearances reflect photons. An object that is set to cast light reflects light and indirectly illuminates an adjacent object.

• Select or clear Receive. When selected, diffuse appearances absorb photons. An object set receive light absorbs the light, causing no effect on an adjacent object.

These options are available only when All appearances cast and receive global illumination by default on the Illumination tab of the Options dialog box is cleared.

Sampling rate

Controls the number of samples used to calculate the contribution of the glossy component. Increasing the sampling rate reduces artifacts but reduces performance. Available when the Material Type is Satin Finish, Accurate reflections is selected, and Glossy is non-zero.

Ambient

Controls the intensity of the light source. The level changes equally on all sides of the model without attenuation or shadowing.

The results vary widely. They depend on multiple combinations, including the material, the color of the model, the degree of ambience (intensity), as well as the color of the light. For example, changing the color of the ambient light produces more noticeable results with high ambience than with low ambience.

Diffuse

Controls the intensity of the light on the surface. This property is dependent on its angle to a light source but independent of the position of the viewer.

 Increasing the diffuse value makes the material appear brighter.

Glossy

Controls the specular factor of the lights reflected by the material. Increasing the glossy value makes reflections more visible. Glossy reflections are blurred and the amount of blur depends on Roughness. Glossy also controls the intensity of the light on the surface, which is dependent on the position of the light source and the position of the viewer.

Specular

Controls the intensity of the light on the surface. This property is dependent on the position of the light source and the position of the viewer.

Increasing the specular value makes the material appear shinier.

Specular Color. Controls the color of reflected highlights within the specular component.

Specular spread

Controls the size of any highlights on a surface. Also known as specular exponent, increasing the specular spread value makes highlights larger and softer.

Specular Spread/Bluriness

Controls the size of any highlights on a surface and the bluriness of reflections. Increasing the specular spread/bluriness value makes highlights larger and softer and the reflections more blurry.

Reflectivity

Controls the reflectivity of a material. If the property is set to None, no reflections are visible on a surface. If the property is set to Full, the material simulates a perfect mirror.

Index of refraction

Controls the bending of light as it passes through a transparent object. Although actually dependent on the ratio of indices between the transparent material entered and the material exited, in practice, the higher the index of refraction, the more the light is bent. Typical values are 1.0 for air, 1.33 for water, and 1.44 for glass.

Values from 0.50 to 1.00 simulate refraction underwater.

Transparency

Controls the degree to which a material allows light to pass through.

Translucency

Controls the degree to which the material is able to filter and diffuse light.

Increasing the translucency value gives the material more back lighting.

Density of holes

Controls the size and the density of the holes of the mesh in corroded or eroded appearances.

Metallic

Mix

Controls the metallic quality of a material. Set to 0, it produces a glossy finish; set to 1, it produces a more metallic finish.

Roughness

Controls the size (coarseness) of any highlights on a surface. It is also known as the specular exponent.

Scale

Controls the size of the metallic flakes in the metallic layer.

Amplitude

Controls the amplitude of the metallic flakes. When set to smaller values, the metallic flakes are flat. When set to larger values, the metallic flakes are irregular and high.

Metallic flake material

Controls selection between different metallic layers applied to the material.

Anisotropic

PhotoWorks models anisotropic reflection by laying (virtual) cylinders along the surface.

Not all appearances have anisotropic properties. For example, brushed aluminum looks different when seen in the brushing direction than when seen perpendicular to the brushing direction.

Floor Height

Controls the height difference between neighboring cylinders.

For a stronger anisotropic effect, decrease the Floor height.

Cylinder distance

Controls the distance between the cylinders.

For a stronger anisotropic effect, increase the Cylinder distance.

Bias

Makes the effect of light on the surface stronger in the horizontal or vertical direction.

This property is available only for Woven Anisotropic appearances.

Related Topics

Appearances PropertyManager Color/Image tab

Appearances PropertyManager Mapping tab

Appearances PropertyManager Surface Finish tab