Doc:Manual/Textures/Options/Channels

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[edit] Texture Channels

[edit] Description

A material can contain 1 to 10 Texture Channels, which are layered in a list. The relationship between a material and a texture is called 'mapping,' and this relationship is two-sided. Each texture channel can contain a texture, and each has individual options for how it is positioned on the object's geometry, and how that material affects the final shading.

Each texture channel has its own individual texture mapping. By default, textures are executed one after another --Bottom to Top-- layered upon each other. For example, the second channel overlays on top of the first channel which could potentially replace the first channel.

[edit] Options

[edit] Empty Channels

A channel can be activated by clicking on it in the list. If there is no texture currently in the active texture channel, the following options are available:

Add New

Add a new texture to the active texture channel

Select an existing texture

Choose an existing texture from a list, to insert in the active texture channel.

[edit] Channels with Textures

If the active texture channel contains a texture, further options are made available in the Texture panel, and in two additional panels, Map Input and Map To.

(Texture Panel with one texture) shows the texture with the two new panels. These panels are organized in the sequence in which the texture pipeline is performed. For example, information about the mapping of the texture on the geometry goes in through the Map Input panel and then goes "out" the pipeline, as colours of the material, from the Map To panel.

TE:

The texture itself is designated by its name here, which you can edit here.

Select an existing texture

Same as for #Empty Channels.

Clear

Clears the texture from the active channel. The texture data still remains and can be added back to the same channel or another channel from the existing texture selection menu

Number of users (number field)

The number of materials that use the texture. You can't create a "Single User" copy here, you have to do that in the Texture buttons (F6).

Auto (car icon)

Automatically generates a (hopefully relevant) name for the texture

[edit] Copying and Pasting Texture Channels

By adding an existing texture to a channel, you create a link to that texture, but all the mapping options remain as they are. To copy all texture settings, including the contents of the Map Input and Map To panels, you can copy a given texture channel and paste it into another by using the copy and paste buttons.

Copying and Pasting is used when you want to combine two similar textures where each is slightly different from the other. Rather than manually duplicating the properties of one into another just copy and paste.

Copy (Arrow up)

Copies the active texture channel's settings into a temporary buffer.

Paste (Arrow down)

Pastes the copied texture channel information into the active texture channel.