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Materials

There are 15 types of materials available in OctaneRender^®.

• Clipping - Used to cut one shape from another much like a Boolean subtraction function.
• Composite - Used to blend multiple materials together, similar to the Mix material but without the limitation of only mixing two materials.
• 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. - Used for dull, non-reflecting materials or light-emitting surfaces (Mesh emitters).
• 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. - Used for shiny materials, such as plastics or metals.
• Hair - A dedicated shader with real-world physical characteristics that describe hair interaction with light.
• Layered - A system that uses dedicated material layer types to construct complex surfaces.
• Metallic - Similar to the Glossy materialUsed for shiny materials such as plastics or metals. except, by default, it exhibits more metal-like characteristics.
• Mix - Mixes any two material types.
• Null - Used for mesh objects that have an invisible surface but contain a medium.
• ORBXThe ORBX file format is the best way to transfer scene files from 3D Authoring software programs that use the Octane Plug-in such as Octane for Maya, Octane for Cinema 4D, or OctaneRender Standalone. This format is more efficient than FBX when working with Octane specific data as it provides a flexible, application independent format. ORBX is a container format that includes all animation data, models, textures etc. that is needed to transfer an Octane scene from one application to another. - Provides access to a node-like editor for material design, similar to the Nodegraph Editor found in OctaneRender^® Standalone.\
• PortalA technique that assists the render kernel with exterior light sources that illuminate interiors. In interior renderings with windows, it is difficult for the path tracer to find light from the outside environment and optimally render the scene. Portals are planes that are added to the scene with the Portal material applied to them. - Designates openings, such as windows or doors in otherwise closed interior scenes, to allow the render kernel to sample light from those areas better.
• Shadow CatcherThe Shadow Catcher can be used to create shadows cast by objects onto the surrounding background imagery. The shadows cast are not limited to simply a ground plane but can be cast onto other surfaces of varying shapes. - A dedicated material that captures shadows.
• SpecularAmount of specular reflection, or the mirror-like reflection of light photons at the same angle. Used for transparent materials such as glass and water. - Used for transparent materials, such as glass and water.
• Standard Surface - This material closely aligns with the Autodesk Standard Surface shader specification for cross-application interoperability.
• Toon - Designs hand-drawn-looking surfaces.
• Universal - Integrates more closely with PBRA contemporary shading and rendering process that seeks to simplify shading characteristics while providing a more accurate representation of lighting in the real world. workflows.

The Mix and Composite materials are often used to blend any combination of these material together to provide deeper surface characteristics. The Universal and Standard Surface materials could become the materials that are used most often as production workflows move more towards PBR and cross-application standardization.

Figure 1: Various Octane materials rendered in a Maya^® scene

The OctaneRender materials are accessible from both the OctaneRender Shelf and the Hypershade window.

Figure 2: Accessing the OctaneRender MaterialsA set of attributes or parameters that describe surface characteristics. using the Octane Shelf or the Hypershade window

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