Material Region Node Types
Material Regions - Node Types by Jens Kafitz |
NodeGraph / Right Mouse Click / Add Nodes / Material Regions /There are 4 types of Material Region Nodes available.
Each type exists for different workflows with different Material Attributes. Nodes are prefixed with their workflow initial
such as MR Region, SG Region, RR Region etc.
The Region Base Nodes are for use as an optional first node in a chain of Regions.
They hold the base values for your lowest material covering the object completely.
Since the Node cannot be masked and all its Values are output at all times, this nodes ensures that there are
no 'empty' areas on your model, that do not have a material defined.
Values can be defined in its Node properties or input via the exposed connections on the Node.
A Region Base Node from the Metalness/Roughness Workflow Preset
Outputs on the right side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region, Region Merge, Region Output)
Connections can be used to add Base Values by connecting other nodes to it.
When a connection is in use, the corresponding Values in the Node Properties of the Region Base Node
are no longer used and overwritten by the values coming in through the connection.
The Handle Groups hold the values for each available Material Attribute of the Node.
The Group names are suffixed with the data type that the Material Attribute will use internally
and will pass on to other material regions.
Data types can be
Two different Handles, the first one can pass on Color Data, the second will only pass on greyscale information
If the Handle supports RGBA or RGB Data, a 'Color' Field will be available to set a default color for the material attribute.
The 'Color' Field will be ignored if a Node has been mapped to the Handles exposed Connection in the Nodegraph.
The 'Color' Field will be multiplied by the 'Float' Field if available.
If the Handle supports only float/greyscale data, a 'Float' Field will be available to set a default value for the material attribute.
The 'Float' Field will be ignored if a Node has been mapped to the Handles exposed Connection in the Nodegraph.
If the Handle supports RGBA or RGB Data a 'Float' Field will be available in addition to a 'Color' Field.
The Float Field will multiply against the Color set in the Color Field.
The float field will multiply against the color set in the handles color field.
'Clamp Input' will clamp the Range of the Input to a 0-1 value range.
It is important to understand that this Clamping is only done on the Values defined in the Handle Group or
the Values input by the Connection in the Nodegraph.
Clamping will not be performed on any data fed into the region node. from another region.
The Region Nodes are used to define a material for your model.
They hold material attributes for all available channels (depending on workflow preset)
The Node can be masked to defined the location of the material on your model
Values can be defined in its Node properties or input via the exposed connections on the Node.
A Region Node from the Metalness/Roughness Workflow Preset
Inputs on the left side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region Base, Region)
Outputs on the right side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region, , Region Merge, Region Output)
Connections can be used to add Values to a material attribute by connecting other nodes to it.
Values will only be used if the corresponding handle group has been set to on in the Nodes Node Properties.
When a modifier connection is in use, the Values in the Node Properties Handle Group corresponding
to the Name of the connection, will be ignored.
The 'Region Mask' connection is used to attach a Mask or Material ID Channel to the region.
The Region will only be active in the areas defined by the Mask or Material ID.
The 'Debug' Connection can be used to attach a viewer Node and only view a defined Debug Output.
The type of 'Debug Output' can be set at the top of the Region Node Properties Window.
Each Region Node contains a few general settings at the top of its Node Properties.
Turns the entire Region on or off.
Determines the Output of the 'Debug' Connection in the Nodegraph.
By setting it to a material attribute you will view the combined material attribute up to the selected material region.
All Inputs (previous material regions) will be evaluated. It acts like a 'current layer & below'
By setting it to 'Region Mask' you are viewing the Regionmask used to mask in the effects of the Region on the model
By setting it to 'Region Mask over ID', if you are using a Material ID, you can see the picked Material ID over the Material ID Channel
This mode makes it easier to pick the correct Material ID for the region.
(Left) The Material ID Channel
(Centre) The 'RegionMask over ID' Debug Output after having picked the Green Color ID.
(Right) The Mask generated from the picked ID and viewed through the 'Region mask' Debug Output.
The Handle Groups hold the values for each available Material Attribute of the Node.
The Group names are suffixed with the data type that the Material Attribute will use internally
and will pass on to other material regions.
Data types can be
Two different Handles, the first one can pass on Color Data, the second will only pass on greyscale information
Activates the Material Attribute for the current Region.
Unless it is turned on the Region will not affect the Material Attribute and will pass on any data from
previous regions unchanged.
If the Handle supports RGBA Data, a 'Color' Field will be available to set a default color for the material attribute.
The 'Color' Field will be ignored if a Node has been mapped to the Handles exposed Connection in the Nodegraph.
The 'Color' Field will be multiplied by the 'Float' Field if available.
If the Handle supports only float/greyscale data, a 'Float' Field will be available to set a default value for the material attribute.
The 'Float' Field will be ignored if a Node has been mapped to the Handles exposed Connection in the Nodegraph.
If the Handle supports RGBA Data a 'Float' Field will be available in addition to a 'Color' Field.
The Float Field will multiply against the Color set in the Color Field.
The float field will multiply against the color set in the handles color field.
On Greyscale/Float Material Attributes (Specular, Height etc.) an additional 'Input Multiplier' Field can be found.
This is a multiplier on any values coming in from a region lower in the material region chain (nodes to the left of the current region)
It can for example be used to increase or decrease height map information from underlying regions in the masked area of the current region.
If the Handle Group is turned on, this determines the Mix of the Material Attribute over any data coming in from
previous regions.
Mixing of Material Attributes can also be done globally for all Material Attributes of a Region by modifying the
Region Mask to contain greyscale values instead of full White.
If the Handle Group is turned on, this determines the Blendmode of the Material Attribute over any data coming in from
previous regions.
Changing the Blendmode from 'Normal' to something like 'Multiply' can be useful to set a Material Attribute relative to
Materials below the current Region.
For example by setting a Specular Roughness to 'Multiply', setting a 'Float' Value of 2 and turning off 'Clamp Input'
the current region will always output 2x the Specular Roughness of any Material below the current region.
'Clamp Input' will clamp the Range of the Input to a 0-1 value range.
It is important to understand that this Clamping is only done on the Values defined in the Handle Group or
the Values input by the Handle Connection in the Nodegraph.
Clamping will not be performed on any data fed into the region node. from another region.
The Region Merge Node is used to merge two separate Region Chains into one chain.
It will use the Masks from both Region Chains to combine all outputs together - Region 2 over Region 1.
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MASK EVALUATION A Region Base Node and a Region Node that is activated but not masked will always output a fully white mask, covering the entire object |
A Region Merge Node from the Specular/Glossiness Workflow Preset
Inputs with name Input_Region_1 on the left side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region Base, Region, Region Merge).
The region data will be the lower layer in the merge operation
Inputs with name Input_Region_2 on the left side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region Base, Region, Region Merge).
The region data will be the upper layer in the merge operation
(This Node does not have any properties)
The Region Output Node is used to split the Material Attributes from a chain of regions into channels that have the
combined effect of all regions.
A Region Output Node from the Metalness/Roughness Workflow Preset
Inputs on the left side of the Node are for connection to other Material Region Nodes (Region Base, Region, Region Merge)
Outputs on the right side of the Node are for connection to Channels.
Please see the 'Outputting results of Regions to Channels' section for best practices.
The 'Out Mask' Output on Region Output Nodes is an optional Output.
It will give you a combined mask of all active Regions feeding into the Output, that you can use for other purposes.
Please note, Region Nodes that are active but not masked as well as Region Base Nodes will output a fully white mask
covering the entire object.
(This Node does not have any properties)
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