Textures

The purpose of this tutorial is the explain Amorphium's Texture work space and it's tools.

Textures are 2d images, graphics, photographs or picture. That are used as surface material. There are 2 layers of surface
material, the paint layer and the texture layer. The texture layer covers the paint layer except were transparency is set.
They are used to give your 3D objects color and character. Applying the texture to a 3D object is
called texture mapping. You can make a texture ( commonly known as texture map) with any paint program, most 3d programs, they can be downloaded from various web sites, you can even scan a picture to use as a texture map.

These are the tools in Textures

To open or load a texture map click on open on the left side of the current texture window.
Note you must have an object in the work space window to open a texture.
Remove, will remove the current texture map from the texture window.

An open dialog box will appear, locate the desired texture map on your computer and select it.

Amorphium supports the following file types as texture maps.
* image
* PICT ( Mac)
* GIF
* TIFF
* PGN
* BMP (PC)
* JPG

Once the texture map is open in the texture window, it will automatically be applied ( with the default setting ) to the
object in the work space. If you don't see the texture on the object in the work space, see if ( use and invert ) are both checked, if they are, uncheck one of them.
If you still don't see the texture on the object in the work space, then your drawing options are not set to texture objects.
To set this option click on the second little square at the bottom right of the work space window, and select or put a dot next to texture objects.

To learn more about this menu see my tutorial on Drawing & 3D Acceleration Menu.

You can align or move the texture around on the object in the work space by clicking hold and drag on the
texture in the current texture window.

MAPPING

There are three mapping options Rectangular, Cylindrical, and Spherical. To select which one Amorphium will use
just click on it and it will become highlighted.

They determine how the texture will be applied or mapped to the object.

Rectangular, it applies the texture flat or in 2D. When the texture hits corners edges or curves
it is stretched till it reaches the opposite side were it appears flat again. It is best used on flat surfaces.

Cylindrical, it applies or wraps the texture around the object like the label around a soda can.
It is best used on cylinders and rounded objects.

Spherical, it applies or wraps the texture around the whole object evenly, it is best used
on spheres or predominately round objects.

There is also three texture adjustment options, Mirror, Turbulence, and Scale.

Mirror inverses the texture to be upside down and left to right around the original texture .
It is only noticeable when you scale the texture smaller.
To activate it place a check in the box.

Turbulence adds noise to the texture, to apply it click hold down and drag. A number indicator will appear in the
upper right side, with a percentage readout from 1% to 100%.

Scale enlarges the texture on the object. To apply it click hold down and drag. A number indicator will appear in the
upper right side, with a percentage readout from 1% to 100%.

Another way to adjust or alter a texture is to liquify it. You do this by selecting one of the brush shapes and brushing the object
in the work space. All of the brush shapes and options work with liquifying, ( brush mode, symmetry, pressure, radius, flux )

Paint texture applies the colors, any alterations and Fx's you set to the texture, and puts them on the paint layer. Then you can
discard or remove the texture in the current texture window. Although the paint layer will appear blurred.
Just click on it and it's done.

ALPHA CHANNEL

The alpha channel is the channel that holds the transparency information of a texture map or image.
Using the alpha channel applies the transparency information of a texture map. Then the paint layer or default color
will blend with the texture layer. The areas with more alpha value will blend more then the areas with less alpha value.
To enable this option place a check in the use box.

Invert, inverts the alpha channel per pixel. The most transparent parts become the most opaque and vice versa.
To enable this option place a check in the use box.
Note if you check both of these options at the same time the texture map disappears.
Because you make the whole texture map transparent.

The fx controls let you adjust some of the properties of the texture map.
All of these controls are used by clicking holding down and dragging. A number indicator will appear in the
upper right side, with a percentage readout from 1% to 100%.

The Opacity controls the transparency of the texture on the object. Anything less then 100%
starts letting the paint layer or default color show though on the entire object.

The Lightness makes the texture map lighter or darker in color.

The Contrast sets the ratio of light to dark on the texture map

These two controls work hand in hand just like a tv or monitor brightens and contrast dials.

The Hue Rotate changes the colors used or cycles the texture though the color spectrum.

The Saturation sets the intensity of the color in the texture map. Lower values turn it to gray higher value sharpen the colors.

Once you make adjustments to a texture map of an object they are set for that object.
If you decide to remove the texture map and use a new texture map for the object, the setting stay the same.
They do not return to the default setting for the new texture map.
If you duplicate or make a new object from the new menu the texture map and all it's settings
will be applied to the new one.

All of the Optic setting in Paint & Optics will be applied to the texture.

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