IFW MultiFractal Texture 
IFW Stone Series 
This page is intended to be viewed in 1024 x 768 in 24bit color
Home Order About Description Examples Mail Previous Next Back
What are IFW Textures IFW Textures are a set of procedural textures (shaders) for use with Lightwave or Inspire3D for Windows on the PC. They are a set of color and bump textures that share a common set of user definable parameters. This allows realistic textures to be generated and then animated without then need for large memory intensive image maps. They also allow for many special effects to be generated under direct control of the user.

IFW Multifractal Examples Here's just few textures IFW multifractal can generate....

IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example IFW MultiFractal example
Gravestone Skin Something Something2 Rock
Pools		 Sick
Stuff		 Gone
Off		 Ice
Planet
IFW MultiFractal This texture provides noisy bumps based on Fractal Brownian Motion (fBm). The difference to fBm is that the detail increases at the peaks of the noise.
Texture Specific Parameters
Specific Parameters
Detail 1 to 16 This parameter determines the jaggedness of the bumps, in other words how much detail they have. At low values the bumps will be smooth. The bumps will become more jagged as the value is increased.
Inc. 0% to 100% This parameter controls the increment between each successive scale. The smaller this value the more detail the pattern will have.
Size 0% to 100% Although this parameter is called size it really controls the "crumpledness" of the texture. At low values the bumps will be large deep bumps and at higher values the bumps become shallower and smaller.
Offset 0% to 100% This parameter controls the height at which the smooth valleys become craggy mountain tops.
Bump -1 to 1 This parameter determines the height of the bumps when positive or the depth of the pits when negative.
Bottom 0 to 1 This parameter sets the clipping depth of the bumps. When the bumps are positive then this value sets the depth at which they are clipped. If the bumps are negative, i.e. pits, then this parameter sets the height at which the peaks are clipped.
Top 0 to 1 This parameter sets the clipping height of the bumps. When the bumps are positive then this value sets the height at which they are clipped. If the bumps are negative, i.e. pits, then this parameter sets the depth at which the valleys are clipped.

               

Common Texture Parameters
Common Parameters
Colors
1 to 4		 24bit Colors These four colors set the four colors that are interpolated between by the texture function. The texture function if a value that varies between 0 and 1 specifically for each texture type. This value is used to map to these colors based on the four blend points (B1, B2, B3 and B4).
A1 to A4 0% to 100% These four parameters define the four alpha values for the texture. In the same way as the colors are interpolated so are the alpha values (again using the blend points B1, B2, B3 and B4). These alpha values can then be used to affect or control the layering, the transparency, the specularity, the reflectivity, the diffusion and the luminosity.
B1 to B4 0% to 100% These four parameters define the four blend points that are used to control the interpolation of the colors and alpha values across the texture function. The blend points work in the following manner:

Blend Color Alpha
0 to B1 Object's Color to Color 1 A1
B1 to B2 Color 1 to Color 2 A1 to A2
B2 to B3 Color 2 to Color 3 A2 to A3
B3 to B4 Color 3 to Color 4 A3 to A4
B4 to 100 Solid Color 4 A4


You may notice that the color blending works slightly differently to the alpha blending. This is simply to allow the object's color to be used extending the number of colors in the color map.
Wave Types TRIANGLE
SAW
SINE
SCALLOP
 The wave type allows the texture function to be mapped to one of four different waves. By default the texture function varies linearly from 0 to 1, a saw tooth wave. By changing the wave type the basis texture function is modified produced a variety of different patterns. The four basic wave types are show below:

WaveTypes
Do Blend True/False This check box controls the blending of the colors and alpha parameters. If checked then blending will occur. If unchecked then no blending will occur causing discrete stepped transitions. Note When blending is disabled the value of B1 must be greater than 0 for color 1 to be applied.
Mixing MIX
ADD
SUB
MULT
AND
OR
XOR		 The mixing parameter controls how the texture is applied when layering is enabled. When layering is enabled the texture is applied to the object and mixed with the underlying surface based on the alpha settings. The parameter allows the mixing to be performed in the following ways:

MIX Straight blend between the surface color and the texture color
ADD The texture color is added to the surface color.
SUB The texture color is subtracted from the surface color
MULT The texture color is multiplied with the surface color
AND The texture color is ANDed with the surface color
OR The texture color is ORed with the surface color
XOR The texture color is XORed with the surface color


Force Affects True/False This check box controls how the layering of the textures affects the transparency, reflectivity, etc. With this option enabled any transparency, reflectivity, etc are forced irrespective of the current texture attributes. This does mean however that you cannot make a transparent area opaque or a reflective area non-reflective. By disabling this option affected attributes can be layered. NOTE In order for this to work the base affect must first be set. So, to properly control the transparency the base transparency must first be set. Once this has be arranged the affect attributes are layered. This means, for example, that textures that include transparency can be properly stacked.
Axes
Size Meters These three parameters control the size of the texture in the X, Y and Z direction respectively. The textures are applied to an object based on a texture axis where the size of the axis controls the size of the texture. These parameters therefore control the size of the texture axis.
Center Meters These three parameters control the center of the texture with respect to an object's pivot point in local co-ordinates mode of the world center (0,0,0) in world co-ordinates mode. The textures are applied to an object based on a texture axis the center of the texture axis is by default at the pivot point (or world center) for the object. The center texture axis can be moved away from the pivot point (or world center) by adjusting these parameters. The three parameters control the translation of the center of the texture in the X, Y and Z axis respectively.
Rotate 0 to 360
Degrees		 These three parameters control the orientation of the texture with respect to the object or world depending on the co-ordinate system being used. The textures are applied to an object based on a texture axis that is by default lined up to the X, Y and Z axis of the object (or world). The texture can then be rotated with respect to the object (or world) about the texture center. The three parameters control the heading, pitch and banking respectively.
Ref. Object LW Object This drop down list allows an object to be selected as a reference for the size, orientation and position of the textures. The affect of the reference object is accumulative. So if the texture has a rotation of 30 degrees and a reference object has a rotation of 30 degrees the overall texture rotation will be 60 degrees. The same applies for the scale and position of the texture.
World Coords True/False This check box controls whether the texture uses the world co-ordinate system or the object's co-ordinates system. With the check box unchecked local co-ordinates will be used. This means that the texture will move with the object as it moves as the texture is referenced to the pivot point of the object. Conversely if the check box is unchecked the world co-ordinate system will be used and the texture will change as the object moves through the world, as though the object is moved through the texture. This is because the texture is reference to the center of the world (0,0,0).
Falloff % per meter These parameters control the fall off of the texture in the X, Y and Z axes. The texture can be set up to fade linearly from the texture center along any of the axis. The rate of the fade, or falloff, is controlled by the values for each axis as a percentage per meter. So, setting the X falloff to 100% means that the texture will have completed faded 1 meter from the texture center in both directions along the X axis. The falloff will fade all of the texture parameters including bumps.
Velocity Meters Per Frame These parameters allow the texture to be moved in the X, Y and Z axis over time (i.e. referenced to the current frame number). Each parameter defines a linear translation in meters per frame. This means that setting the X velocity to 01 causes the texture to shift 01 meters in the positive X axis on each frame (-01 shifts it in the negative direction).
Affect
Layer 0% to 100% This parameter controls the overall amount of layering. Layering allows control over how the texture affects the object's current color. This means that part of the current texture can be made clear (allowing the current color to show through) or opaque (totally obscuring the object's color). Any amount of opacity can be derived between these two extremes. The layer parameter allows this options to be enabled and the minimum opacity to be set. Control over the layering is provided using the alpha values in conjunction with the blend points.
Luminosity 0% to 100% The alpha values in conjunction with the blend points and the texture function can control the luminosity of the object. This parameter controls the maximum possible luminosity. In other words an alpha value of 100% means at this point in the texture function the object's luminosity will be the luminosity set by this parameter. A check box is provided to control whether the texture affects the object's luminosity. An envelope can be applied to this parameter so that the maximum possible luminosity can be controlled over time.
Specularity 0% to 100% The alpha values in conjunction with the blend points and the texture function can control the specularity of the object. This parameter controls the maximum possible specularity. In other words an alpha value of 100% means at this point in the texture function the object's specularity will be the specularity set by this parameter. A check box is provided to control whether the texture affects the object's specularity. An envelope can be applied to this parameter so that the maximum possible specularity can be controlled over time.
Transparency 0% to 100% The alpha values in conjunction with the blend points and the texture function can control the transparency of the object. This parameter controls the maximum possible transparency. In other words an alpha value of 100% means at this point in the texture function the object's transparency will be the transparency set by this parameter. A check box is provided to control whether the texture affects the object's transparency. An envelope can be applied to this parameter so that the maximum possible transparency can be controlled over time.
Reflectivity 0% to 100% The alpha values in conjunction with the blend points and the texture function can control the reflectivity of the object. This parameter controls the maximum possible reflectivity. In other words an alpha value of 100% means at this point in the texture function the object's reflectivity will be the reflectivity set by this parameter. A check box is provided to control whether the texture affects the object's reflectivity. An envelope can be applied to this parameter so that the maximum possible reflectivity can be controlled over time.
Diffuse 0% to 100% The alpha values in conjunction with the blend points and the texture function can control the diffuse of the object. This parameter controls the maximum possible diffuse. In other words an alpha value of 100% means at this point in the texture function the object's diffuse will be the diffuse set by this parameter. A check box is provided to control whether the texture affects the object's diffuse. An envelope can be applied to this parameter so that the maximum possible diffuse can be controlled over time.
Noise
Scale Proportional This parameter controls the period of the noise applied to the basic texture. A low value will give small highly detailed noise, that is noise with a small periodic rate. As the value is increased the noise will become smoother and more sweeping. The value of the noise scale will depend on the overall size of the texture. An envelope can be applied to the noise scale so that it can be varied over time.
Magnitude Proportional This parameter controls the magnitude, or amplitude, of the noise applied to the basic texture. At low values the amplitude will be small giving a small noise displacement of the basic texture. As the value is increased the displacement of the basic texture is increased. NOTE Setting this value to zero completely switches off any modification of the texture by the noise. The value of the noise magnitude will depend in the overall size of the texture. An envelope can be applied to the noise scale so that it can be varied over time.
Octaves 1 to 16 This parameter controls the number of octaves over which the turbulence is summed. Turbulence is generated by summing noise with each summed noise being half the magnitude of the previous summed noise. The number of times the noise is summed is determined by octaves. So, at low values the turbulence will be smoother and will increase in detail (due to the fact that the summed noise is getting smaller) as the number of octaves is increased. All this basically means is the turbulence becomes more "crinkled" as the number of octaves is increased.
Noise 0 to 30 The noise parameter controls the granularity of the turbulence. As was detailed in the octaves section the turbulence is generated by summing successive scales of noise with each scale being half the magnitude of the previous one. The noise parameter actually controls the scaling of successive noise scales. With a noise of 20 each scale will be half that of the previous one, with a noise of 30 each scale will be a third of the previous one and with a noise of 10 each scale will be the same as the previous one. This effectively means that the turbulence will have a finer grain with higher values of noise.
Time 0% to 100% A function is provided that allows the noise to be animated over time. The time parameter controls the cycle time of this animated noise. The noise animated cycle starts at 0% and completes at 100%. After one complete cycle the noise will return to its original position allowing the animation to be looped. The animated noise function can be enabled and disabled using the Enable Time check box.
Velocity Proportional This parameter works in conjunction with the animated noise function. It controls the number of gyrations that the noise will go through during one animated cycle. The higher the value the more mobile the animated noise will be.