# 🏽  Material Editor

Glossary of Studio Terms

Following a Physically Based Rendering or PBR Flow, the material editor gives creators extra dimensionality to their AR creations. It also gives creators more flexibility in the size of the AR scene so that file sizes are optimized and more economical when being rendered.

**Reset Materials**: brings the model back to its original state, prior to editing materials/textures

**Save Materials:** saves the materials after they've been manipulated for the object

### Path dropdown

This provides a list of different channels in the 3D scene which can be edited as provided by the UV map of the model.

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FzllOdCOAafMg8xmpq7Ia%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.05.07%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a7b9d492-7841-48e3-b128-bdf1a01c6eea" alt="" width="375"><figcaption><p>Material channel dropdown highlighted in blue</p></figcaption></figure>

### Color Material

It represents the diffuser based material of the color outside of any other color such as shadows or reflections. It only maintains only the surfaces color and texture. It so that we don't have baked shadows or reflections in the material since we only want to display texture and shadows from the light source in our scene.&#x20;

**Color Map:** a texture uploader that sets the color map for the 3D experience. It comes with a color picker as well.

**Emissive Color:** a map that provides a sense of glow for the object. This "glow" is it's own light source and separate from the main light source in the scene.&#x20;

**Emissive Intensity:** on a scale of 0 to 1, the emissive intensity the strength of the light

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2F9sbgNNBQQGGHwM8U20Z0%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.12.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e34b0421-f663-48a8-947d-19ad68a53fec" alt="" width="375"><figcaption><p>Playing with the texture, color, emmssive color and intensity</p></figcaption></figure>

### Metallic, Roughness, and Ambient Occlusion (AO)

Different surfaces such as metal and glass provide different levels of reflection given its surface.

**Roughness Map:** it shows how rough or smooth the surface is and dictates how intense the reflections are on the surface. Rough substances scatters light on the surface in multiple directions resulting in softer reflections and diffused highlights. While a smooth surface reflects light more directly creating sharp highlights and glossy reflections. The texture uploader is used to define the roughness of the specific channel being manipulated. The roughness map scale is from 0 to 1 with 0 being a perflectly smooth surface with crisp reflections and 1 with a surface with diffused reflections.

<div><figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FTc9I2zWIXDQMY6V9GFdU%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.16.06%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=42af67f2-7fbc-463f-b8ae-0fac34cc7218" alt="" width="188"><figcaption><p>From a roughness of 1</p></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FEOCpUOTr45nWPxMrEmJ0%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.16.45%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b278f124-dfd2-4ed4-b24e-4cf50c1d76a1" alt="" width="188"><figcaption><p>To a roughness of 0</p></figcaption></figure></div>

**Metalness Map:** a texture uploader used to define how metallic the surface channel being manipulated. When the metallic value is set to maximum it appears darker and reflects its environment.

<div><figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2F2310X07dS0B7FArgDMOc%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.20.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9d562554-df8e-4d17-bf54-e239af721833" alt=""><figcaption><p>With a metalness of 0, the object is whiter and barely reflects</p></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FLZfGtmcjTyZGdN3xL3Kv%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.20.44%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1bcdbfd2-b92c-4e57-92db-dd4d5d6ac04a" alt=""><figcaption><p>With a metalness of 1, the object is darker and is very reflective</p></figcaption></figure></div>

**Ambient Occlusion Map:** serve to emphasise more shadows and details on the surface of the 3D channel being manipulated. It's used to emphasise color or diffuse&#x20;

### Normals

Normal maps: are useful for providing fake depth without the cost of additional geometry. They simulate the way light interacts with the surface using complicated computations simulating smaller bumps and bends. This way you can simulate rough substances with real time light interactions by only using one single image texture.&#x20;

<div><figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FBJ5EJBjwyt2Tccyj2oNb%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.46.05%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=0b78ecf8-d2a7-4f70-bd83-001f7d055e8c" alt=""><figcaption><p>Uploaded normal map, no X, Y axis shift</p></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2F0NG0Wjd0QIuFgJe2ppHu%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.46.21%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=5118eaf5-2368-4e7e-9863-fa2c1c4b89a1" alt=""><figcaption><p>Uploaded normal map, shifted X,Y axis</p></figcaption></figure></div>

### Transparency

The level of transparency of the object. To use simple transparency, turn "Transparent" on and set the opacity to the desired value, then set "Transmission" to 0.

**Opacity:** with the transparent selection on, it provides a level of "tranparency" for the 3D experience. 1 being visible, 0 being invisible.

**Blending Mode - Normal:** In the Normal blending mode, transparency allows the underlying layer to be partially visible through the opaque portions of the top layer. This is achieved by reducing the opacity of the top layer, causing the colors below to "bleed" through where the top layer is less opaque. In essence, Normal mode with transparency is a simple form of blending, where the top layer's opacity dictates how much of the bottom layer is visible.

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FjyMby8dv92YB5XdIZ5ks%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.51.56%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=485cc727-5785-4f9d-9cfb-ad6454fd6fc7" alt=""><figcaption><p>Setting the transparency to on and the opacity to 0.5, you can see through the channel.</p></figcaption></figure>

**Blending Mode - Additive:** "Additive" (also known as "Linear Dodge" or "Add") means that the color values of the two layers are added together, resulting in a brighter appearance. Transparency is handled by making black values transparent, as adding black to any color will not change it. This makes additive blending useful for effects like fire or highlights, where light and color need to combine to create a visual effect.

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2FBc8Y5tBL90mMz0ppOMbQ%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.56.53%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=22cc8783-acd2-432d-96cc-f16211aa01b8" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Blending Mode - Subtractive:** the "subtractive" mode refers to a mode that makes the resulting channel darker by subtracting color values or light from the base layer. When used with transparency, this means that transparent areas in the blending layer (the layer above) will effectively make the corresponding areas of the base layer darker, as the transparent areas allow the base layer's colors to be seen more intensely.

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2F851zudNUydnPddMioGfV%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.57.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4d7ae4c8-3212-45d4-9b9d-3b785cf91417" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Blending Mode - Multiply:** the "Multiply" blending mode effectively darkens the underlying layer where there are colors in the blending layer. Any white pixels on the blending layer will have no effect, while black pixels will act as a full dark, transparent overlay. The result is a darkening effect, where the luminosity of the base color is multiplied by the blend color.

<figure><img src="https://3634829135-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FDz8s4S73Ev6JLRQmTW58%2Fuploads%2F469lc9oi8QKddkK9Ic8i%2FScreenshot%202025-06-09%20at%205.57.13%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d0ac16b9-57f9-4eb7-9f17-1ef64c9654f9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Transmission:** "transmission" refers to the amount of light that passes through a material. It's a key parameter for controlling how light interacts with a material, especially when creating effects like refraction, translucency, or even transparency. When a material has a high transmission value, it means more light can pass through it, making it appear more see-through or transparent. \
\&#xNAN;*(note: to use complex transparency, turn transparent off and set transmission to 1, then set Thickness and Index of Reflections.)*

**Thickness:** determines how much light travels through the material before exiting. It's a measure of how much material is present, influencing how light interacts with the material. Thicker materials transmit less light, leading to darker colors or reduced visibility of objects behind them.&#x20;

**Index of Refraction (IoR):** IOR dictates how much light bends when passing through the material.&#x20;

* A higher IOR means the light bends more when entering the material.&#x20;
* Different materials have different IOR values, with air having an IOR of 1.0.&#x20;
* Examples of materials with increasing IOR include water (1.33), glass (1.54), and diamond (2.419).&#x20;
* IOR is a physical property, and it can be looked up for specific materials.&#x20;

**Sides - Double**: For "double-sided" materials, thickness/IoR affects both the front and back of the object

**Sides - Front:** For "front" materials, thickness/IoR affects the front of the object

**Sides - Back**: For "back" materials, thickness/IoR affects the front of the object

Helpful information for newbies: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2K6WXdifGA>

For free assets, please check out: <https://ambientcg.com/>
