I would appreciate some homespun definitions or analogies for Ambient and Diffuse in reference to materials – those are the two terms that I don’t quite understand, even after looking at the ZBrush manual and the Kitchens Bryce book
Thanks for your help,
Kevin
Ambient is light that an object gives off, regardless of lighting. You could turn off all lighting in a scene, and the object will still be visible. This light does not radiate, however. It won’t illuminate other objects, or even create a glow around the object.
Diffuse light requires a light source. It is the non-shiny illumination on an object from any light. (Shininess is specularity) When you shine a light on an object, it will illuminate certain parts more brightly than others based on the angle from the light. That angle is controlled by the Diffuse Graph. Basically, the slider and graph control the “hot spot” that is created by a light – both how bright it is and how it falls off from the brightest value. Every material behaves differently.
In addition, you have Diffuse Color. Ordinarily, the diffusion of a material is based on the color of the light hitting it. This slider and color box let you change that color to something else. Ever see an expensive dark blue fabric with a green shimmer to it? That is an example of this effect in action.
Thanks Aurick … I think I’m getting it