Autodesk 12812-051462-9011 User Guide 3 - Page 277

While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button's label. ■ Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of diffuse map to use. This value is a percentage: at 100.0, only the map is visible; at lower amounts, the diffuse color shows through; at 0.0, the map is not visible at all. ■ On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an on/off switch. When on, the map appears in the material. When off, the map does not appear. Shininess Sets the shininess of the material. This value is a percentage: at 100.0, the material is as shiny as possible; at lower values, it is less shiny; at 0.0, it is not shiny at all. In general, the shinier a material is, the smaller its specular highlights appear. Specular highlights are reflections of the lights that illuminate the material. (The index of refraction can also affect the size of highlights.) Shininess also controls how much the material reflects other objects in the scene. NOTE Shininess alone is not sufficient to produce specular reflections and highlights on a surface. You must also consider the Index Of Refraction (IOR), described below. The amount spinner for a shininess map scales the map. If no map is assigned, the spinner value is used by itself. Transparency Controls how transparent the material is. This value is a percentage: at 100.0, the material is completely transparent; at lower values, the material is partly opaque; and at 0.0, the material is completely opaque. TIP The effect of transparency is best previewed against a pattern background. If the material preview doesn't show a pattern of colored checks, right-click the material preview or the map preview, and choose Background from the pop-up menu. The amount spinner for a transparency map scales the map. If no map is assigned, the spinner value is used by itself. Translucency Controls how translucent the material is. A translucent object transmits light, but also scatters it within the object. This value is a percentage: 5532 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps