Create a Material

Create, modify, apply, save, and organize materials.

From the view controls at the bottom left of the modeling window, select Display Modes, and then select Performance Render or Quality Render.
  1. Select one or more objects.
  2. On the Rendering tab, select the Editors tool.
    Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
    The Render Editor appears.

  3. Select the Material tab.

  4. From the Shader dropdown menu, select a material type.
    • None
    • Plastic
    • Carbon Fiber
    • Metal
    • Leather
    • Wood
    • Simple Glass
    • Glass/Gems
    • Fabric
    • Paint
    • Construction
    • Emitter

    The material is applied.

  5. Define the parameters.

Plastic Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Color
To define the color, choose from the following options:
  • Select a color.
  • Select a texture. The texture overrides the color.
  • To blend the color with the texture, click the plus symbol (+). You can tell if the blend option is turned on by looking at the image preview.

To define the shade, enter a value of 0-100, where 100 is the true color and 0 is black.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 1. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 2. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Carbon Fiber Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Color
To define the color, choose from the following options:
  • Select a color.
  • Select a texture. The texture overrides the color.
  • To blend the color with the texture, click the plus symbol (+). You can tell if the blend option is turned on by looking at the image preview.

To define the shade, enter a value of 0-100, where 100 is the true color and 0 is black.

Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Anisotropy
Stretch and blur highlights. Anisotropic reflections are like regular reflections, except they are stretched and blurred against the grain of the material. They are often used to simulate finely brushed metals.
Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 3. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 4. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Metal Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Presets
The Preset is automatically set to Custom.
Choose one of the following options:
  • Aluminum
  • Brass
  • Chassis
  • Chromium
  • Copper
  • Galvanized
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Stainless
  • Titanium
Color
To define the color, choose from the following options:
  • Select a color.
  • Select a texture. The texture overrides the color.
  • To blend the color with the texture, click the plus symbol (+). You can tell if the blend option is turned on by looking at the image preview.

To define the shade, enter a value of 0-100, where 100 is the true color and 0 is black.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 5. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 6. Plastic with a Coating
Brushed
Add a brushed finish to a material.
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Leather Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 7. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 8. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Wood Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 9. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 10. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Simple Glass Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Color
To define the color, choose from the following options:
  • Select a color.
  • Select a texture. The texture overrides the color.
  • To blend the color with the texture, click the plus symbol (+). You can tell if the blend option is turned on by looking at the image preview.

To define the shade, enter a value of 0-100, where 100 is the true color and 0 is black.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 11. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 12. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Glass/Gems Parameters

Create solid glass objects, glass vessels containing liquid, and gemstones.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.


To add a roughness map, upload an image.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Presets
Choose one of the following options:
  • Amethyst
  • Aquamarine
  • Diamond
  • Emerald
  • Fluorite
  • Glass
  • Plastic
  • Polycarbonate
  • Quartz
  • Ruby
  • Sapphire
  • Topaz
  • Water
  • Zircon
  • Custom
Figure 18. Example of Glass


Absorption Color
Define which colors of the spectrum are absorbed (thus not visible) by uploading an image or picking a plain color. The remaining colors of the spectrum are reflected (thus visible).
Absorption Distance
Lower values are more transparent. Higher values are more opaque. Values range from 0 to 0.05 m.
Index of Refraction (N)
Define the reflectivity of the surface. Higher values correspond to more intense reflections.

If you selected a preset, this value is predefined. If you selected a custom preset, look up the index of refraction online.

Use Abbe Number
Abbe Number: Lower values correspond to a stronger rainbow effect. Increase the value to make the effect more subtle. The default value is 10.

Fabric Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 29. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 30. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Paint Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Color
To define the color, choose from the following options:
  • Select a color.
  • Select a texture. The texture overrides the color.
  • To blend the color with the texture, click the plus symbol (+). You can tell if the blend option is turned on by looking at the image preview.

To define the shade, enter a value of 0-100, where 100 is the true color and 0 is black.

Glow Color
Define the color of the glow.
Glow Intensity
Define how intensely the metallic flakes glow. Increase this value for a brighter glow; decrease it for a softer glow. We suggest keeping this value under 30-35%, as increasing this number too much can obliterate the base color.
Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 31. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 32. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Construction Material Parameters

Define the color, reflectivity, roughness, transparency, and more.

Reflectivity
Define the strength of the reflections.

Enter a value of 0-100, where 100 produces perfect mirror reflections and 0 produces the weakest reflections.

Roughness
Roughness adds texture to the material at a microscopic level. When you modify the roughness, the surface texture still looks the same; however, tiny changes invisible to the naked eye have occurred, affecting reflectivity.

0 can produce a perfect mirror reflection.

Lower values produce crisper and brighter reflections.

Higher values produce blurrier, dimmer reflections. Increasing the roughness spreads and distributes reflections over the surface and creates a more matte surface.

At values approaching 100, light becomes so scattered that reflections are barely visible, if at all.

Note: Roughness and Reflectivity are interdependent properties; smoother surfaces produce crisper reflections, while rougher surfaces produce blurrier reflections. For example, set roughness to 0 and reflectivity to 100 to produce a perfect mirror reflection. To make the reflection blurrier, increase the roughness.
Transparency
Define the level of the material transparency. 100 = completely transparent, 0 = fully opaque.
Texture
Select or upload a texture to apply to the object. To learn how to adjust the texture, see Edit and Position the Material's Texture.
Bump
Bump adds texture to the material at a macroscopic level. Because it visibly affects the surface texture, Bump is useful for simulating irregular surfaces.
A bump map gives the illusion of texture without physically distorting the geometry, minimizing rendering time. The grayscale map tells Inspire how to change the surface normals as if the surface had been displaced; the modified normals are used in lighting calculations. A bump map looks like the inverse of what you might expect: black represents the highest extreme and white represents the flattest extreme, while shades of gray represent grades in between.


Coating
Create varnishes and paints on a layered material.

The coating will reflect some light, while the rest of the light will be absorbed by the layer of material underneath; the extent to which this happens affects how the final material looks.

Several coatings may be applied one after the other, simulating multiple varnishes and paints.

Figure 33. Plastic without a Coating


Figure 34. Plastic with a Coating
Scratches
Add scratches to a material.
Wear
Add wear to a material.
Trimming
Add cut-out patterns to a material.

Emitter Parameters

Define the color, power unit, and side.

Note: It is recommended to set Display Mode to Quality Render.
Color
Define the color of the light by choosing a plain color from the color palette. It is recommended to use subtle, light colors for better results.
Power Unit
The default is Watts. Switch to Lumens to automatically convert the Power value.
Power
Enter a value between 0 and 150 Watts or between 0 and 22500 Lumens.
Side
Select which side of the object to emit from. The default option is Both.