Background Window

Select View > Background or click the BG tab of the Aggregate Window to open the Background Window. The Background Window is used to specify various settings of the background.

Upper Base Color

The base color for the upper hemisphere. A mapping pattern or image can be blended with this base color. Use the Blend pop-up menu to select a blend mode.

Lower Base Color

The base color for the lower hemisphere. A mapping pattern or image can be merged with this base color. Use the Blend pop-up menu to select a blend mode.

Load... Button

Loads a background settings file (.shdbgr, .xmlshdbgr).

Save... Button

Saves the current Background Window settings as a background settings file (.shdbgr, .xmlshdbgr).

Lighting Factor

When using image-based lighting (IBL), sets the relative brightness of the background as a light source. To use image-based lighting, in the Image Window select Path Tracing or Path Tracing + Photon Mapping from the Global Illumination pop-up menu (G.I. tab). The Reflect Background checkbox on the Basics tab must also be selected.

Layer Pop-up Menu

Specifies the layer index for the settings. Select New Layer to add a new layer. The weight and blend mode can be set differently for individual layers for multi-layer mapping.

Pattern Pop-up Menu

Specifies the pattern used for the selected layer.

Move Layer Buttons

Clicking

will move the selected distant light up one layer.
Clicking

will move the selected distant light down one layer.

Duplicate Layer

Clicking

will copy the selected distant light layer. The new layer is added at the bottom.

Delete Layer

Clicking

will delete the selected distant light layer.

Preview

Shows a preview of the background using the current Background Window settings. By default only the selected layer is shown in the preview. To preview all layers blended together, select the Show All checkbox.

Edit Image Pop-up Menu

Click to open a menu for working with the image used for the selected background layer.

Image: Select between images that have been already loaded.
Cut: Cuts the image currently loaded in the preview.
Copy: Copies the image currently loaded in the preview.
Paste: Pastes an image from the clipboard to the preview.
Clear: Deletes the image currently loaded in the preview.
Load...: Opens a dialog for selecting an image to load to the preview.
Save...: Saves the image currently loaded in the preview to a file.
Open: Opens the currently loaded external reference file with the associated application.
Edit Image...: Opens the Image Correction Window, where you can apply various filters to the currently loaded image.

Note In addition to the above menu items, in Shade3D Standard and Professional plugin options will be available. These options allow plugin features to be applied to the image.

Color

Specifies the pattern color used for the selected layer. This color is also used for any borders added in the Crop Area Setting dialog.

Area

Select Whole, Upper, or Lower for the area to apply the background.

Upper: The background is applied above the horizon.
Lower: The background is applied below the horizon.
Whole: The background is applied to both upper and lower hemispheres.

Projection Pop-up Menu

When mapping a pattern to the background, different projection methods can be used. Choose between Planar, Spherical, Light Probe, Cube Map, and Vertical Cross. The available projection methods depend on the pattern selected. If the projection method name is dimmed, it cannot be used for the selected pattern. For the Light Probe projection, the pole can be specified via the adjacent Pole pop-up menu.

Pole Pop-up Menu

This menu becomes available when Light Probe is selected as the projection method. Here you can specify the pole used for mapping.

Premultiplied Alpha

This option becomes available when Image is selected as the background pattern.
When selected, the layer alpha channel is ignored and the layer color is blended with the upper or lower base color or pattern underneath.
When unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.

Horizontal Flip

This option becomes available when Image is selected as the background pattern. When selected, the image is flipped horizontally.

Vertical Flip

This option becomes available when Image is selected as the background pattern. When selected, the image is flipped vertically.

Switch Axes

This option becomes available when Image is selected as the background pattern. When selected, the image's horizontal and vertical axes are switched.

Show All

When selected, the blend of all background layers is shown in the preview.
When unselected, only a preview of the currently selected background layer is shown.

Blend Pop-up Menu

Specifies the blend mode used for multiple layers.

Normal: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, the pattern is blended with the upper or lower base color or lower pattern according to the Mapping Weight value.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.
Alpha: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, the image is blended with the base color or lower pattern using the alpha channel as a mask.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the alpha channel is not used.
Add: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, additive synthesis is used to blend the pattern with the upper or lower base color or lower pattern. In most cases the result is a brighter background.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.
Subtract: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, subtractive synthesis is used to blend the pattern with the upper or lower base color or lower pattern. The color of the layers is inverted.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.
Multiply: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, multiply blend mode is used to blend the pattern with the upper or lower base color or lower pattern. In most cases the result is a darker background.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.
Max: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, the layer is compared to the base color or lower pattern and the brighter value is used. In most cases the result is a brighter background.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.
Min: When Premultiplied Alpha is selected, the layer is compared to the base color or lower pattern and the darker value is used. In most cases the result is a darker background.
When Premultiplied Alpha is unselected, the pixel alpha channel value is multiplied with the Mapping Weight value.

Mapping Weight Slider and Text Box

Specifies the weight given to the selected background layer.

Density

The density of clouds. (Only used when Cloud is selected for the pattern.) Smaller values will result in a sky with few clouds.

Size

The size of the pattern.

Anisotropic

The directionality of the pattern.

Orientation

The horizontal orientation of the pattern.