The layered material system lets you construct complex materials that consist of a base layer and up to eight MaterialThe representation of the surface or volume properties of an object. Layers. The layers are based on components used in previous Octane materials. Using this set of unique layers, OctaneRender® now lets you recreate complex materials in a physically-based manner, as opposed to manually mixing materialsUsed to mix any two material types. together.
The Specular layer is used for shiny materials like plastics, or clear materials like glass. Refer to the GlossyThe measure of how well light is reflected from a surface in the specular direction, the amount and way in which the light is spread around the specular direction, and the change in specular reflection as the specular angle changes. Used for shiny materials such as plastics or metals., Specular, and Universal Material topics in this manual for more information. Material Layers can connect to the Material Layer, Layer Group, or Layer pin on standard materials (Figure 1).
Figure 1: A Specular Layer mode connected to the Layer pin on a DiffuseAmount of diffusion, or the reflection of light photons at different angles from an uneven or granular surface. Used for dull, non-reflecting materials or mesh emitters. Material node
Specular Layer Parameters
Specular
The layer's coating color.
TransmissionA surface characteristic that determines if light may pass through a surface volume.
The layer's transmission color.
BRDF Model
Provides three options for determining the overall bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The Octane option produces a brushed metal effect. The Beckmann, GGX, and Ward options produce more polished chrome-like effects.
Roughness
The layer's roughness.
Affect Roughness
The percentage of roughness affecting subsequent layer roughness.
Anisotropy
The layer's anisotropy. A value of -1 is horizontal, while 1 is vertical. A value of 0 is Isotropic.
Rotation
The rotation of the specular anisotropic reflection.
Spread
Determines the tail spread for the specualr BSDF (Bidirectional ScatteringDefines how fast light gets scattered when traveling through the medium. Distribution Function) model of the specular layer.
IOR/Index
Controls the Fresnel effect of the reflection and refraction of light when it enters or exits the material. You can find standard values of Index Of Refraction (IOR) by searching the internet. Glass has a value of 1.53, and water has a value of 1.33.
Film Width
Sets the film coating's thickness.
Film IOR
Sets the film coating's Index Of Refraction.
Thin Layer
Makes the layer very thin so it reflects, or goes straight though the layer.
Bump
Simulates a relief by using a Greyscale texture interpreted as a Height map for the layer.
Normal
Distorts layer normals using an RGB image.
Dispersion Coefficient
This is the B parameter of the Cauchy dispersion model. Increasing this value increases the coloration amount and dispersion in the layer’s transmission and caustics.
Opacity
Controls the layer's opacity with a Greyscale texture.