Creating a texture

Parameter

Description

Name

Specifies the name of the texture resource

Display options

Depending on the complexity of the texture you're creating, select whether to show a Basic properties set, only the properties that have been Modified from the PBR default settings, or All the available settings 

Properties list

Lists all the properties available for creating a PBR texture and their current values, divided into categories. Properties with (RS) after the name work only with Realistic RS render styles. Click the disclosure arrow to display the properties in each category, and click a property to select it; the appropriate controls for each property display below, depending whether you are using parametric values or an image for that property.

See academysoftwarefoundation.github.io/OpenPBR/#parameterreference for information about specific parameters used to create PBR textures.

To create a texture resembling a legacy Renderworks texture, set only the properties that correspond to the four shader types and parameters used by that texture type. See Legacy Renderworks textures.

Use parametric values

Uses parametric values for the settings for the property selected in the list box; the controls for the selected property display below

Parametric value controls

Depending on the property selected in the list, the controls may include text entry fields (including some with real-world dimensions), check boxes or radio buttons to select options, sliders to set the intensity of the effect, and color selectors. As you change the settings, the preview updates.

All textures include a General Options category where you can set the following parameters:

Shadows: Allows objects with this texture to cast and/or receive shadows (if the render mode's current settings are set to display shadows).

Indirect Lighting Options: Opens the Indirect Lighting Texture Options dialog box, to set overrides for the texture when the model is rendered with indirect lighting (see Setting lighting options). Specify how the texture will receive and emit light, and whether the texture will be used as a portal for light transfer, such as exterior windows. The Portal setting works only with Renderworks modes/styles, and affects only renderings that use both indirect lighting and physical sky or panoramic image backgrounds for lighting.

Surface Hatch: Displays the name of the current surface hatch resource, for use in hidden line rendering with surface hatches. Surface hatches are an aspect of textures that can display similar planar hatches in 2D.

Edit Surface Hatch: Opens the Edit Surface Hatch dialog box, to select the surface hatch to associate with the texture, and to align and register the surface hatch and texture (see Editing surface hatches).

Use image

For parameters that can use images, allows the use of an image instead of parametric values for the property selected in the list box. Opens the Choose Image dialog box; select an image for import or an image to reuse from another resource. The image controls display below. 

Vectorworks supports the following image formats: BMP, JPG, PCT, PNG, PNT, PSD, QTI, SGI, TIF, TGA. Most image-based textures are automatically compressed when imported. Imported JPG files retain the original JPG data; all other image files are compressed using lossless PNG format.

Image controls

The image displays; use the image controls to manipulate how the image is used for the selected property.

 Flips the image horizontally.

 Flips the image vertically.

 Rotates the image counter-clockwise.

 Inverts the colors in the image.

Change Image opens the Choose Image dialog box to select a different image.

Image Effects opens the Image Effects dialog box; see Image effects.

Remove Image removes the image.

Filter Color optionally uses an object fill or a chosen color as a filter; if Use Chosen Color is selected, select the color.

Preview

The Preview window displays the effects of the settings on a preview object; the preview updates as settings change.

For PBR textures, the Resource Manager's resource viewer pane thumbnail view and resource preview pane display the preview as it appears when the dialog box is closed. You can strategically select preview objects to visually categorize texture resources. For example, you can display all metal textures with a gear object, all fabrics with a drape object, and so on. For the best Resource Manager appearance, select a Realistic RS render style before closing the dialog box, regardless of the render style used for the preview while changing the settings.

Object

Select the type of preview object from the list; the list includes objects designed to showcase different aspects of textures

Stage

Select the stage used for the preview background

Render Style

Select the render style for the preview; some render styles include an environment for showing background, refraction, and reflections.

Realistic RS render styles fully support PBR texture features and will yield the best results for textures of that type, in the preview and in renderings. However, for textures to be shown in renderings that use Shaded or Realistic render styles, select the appropriate preview.

Texture Size

Enter the real world size of one horizontal repetition of the texture, or select to set the size by an image used to create the texture

Texture Type

Displays whether the texture is PBR or legacy Renderworks

Convert to PBR

Converts a legacy Renderworks texture to PBR. This conversion can't be undone.

When converting a legacy Renderworks texture to PBR, the legacy shaders are mapped and converted as accurately as possible. An alert displays the changes that will be made before you proceed with the conversion. After the conversion, you can set additional PBR properties to refine the PBR texture's appearance.

PBR to legacy translation is done automatically for support of Renderworks render modes and styles, and when exporting files to previous versions. However, some features are lost in the conversion; this is unavoidable because legacy textures have a more limited set of properties. The results are imperfect, though the legacy texture will resemble the PBR texture.