Installation

1. Download the Surface Lab plugin
2. Unzip the downloaded zip file
3. Drag the Surface Lab.zip file onto the Cavalry interface
4. Find Surface Lab in the Add Layers window

Info

Surface Lab is a material and lighting filter for Cavalry. It gives text, logos, shapes, and artwork a dimensional finish, from polished metal and soft fabric to sculpted ice, glass, and faceted gems. Build a look from the surface controls or start with one of the 33 included presets.

The effect is generated from the source artwork. Text stays editable, and the surface can be relit and textured without building a 3D model.

Quick start

1. Apply Surface Lab to a text layer or shape.
2. Choose a Surface Lab preset, or keep the default glossy material.
3. Leave Height Source on Alpha for text and isolated shapes.
4. Set Surface Scale, then adjust Bevel Width and Depth to suit the artwork.
5. Choose a Studio Layout and adjust Studio Rotation to position the reflections.
6. Refine the main light, surface detail, and color. Use Mix to blend with the original artwork.

Keep Cavalry's native filter Blend Mode on Replace for the normal Surface Lab result. The filter has its own Mix control.

Recommended workflow

Choose the preset before fine-tuning. Presets set the surface shape, material, detail, studio, and lighting together; applying another preset replaces those settings. They do not replace the source artwork or reset its transforms.

Establish the silhouette and bevel first. Bevel Width determines how far the surface rolls over at an edge, while Depth controls how strongly that shape catches the light. Use Inflated for a fuller, balloon-like surface or Chiseled for a more defined bevel. Turn Outline Rounding off when the original outline must stay intact.

Next, position the studio reflections. On polished surfaces, a small change to Studio Rotation can make a bigger difference than increasing light intensity. Set the main light, then add fill or rim lighting if the shaded areas need more definition. Add texture and wrinkles once the larger shapes read well.

For images, use Luminance or Inverted Luminance when the image's brightness should form the relief. Alpha remains useful for cutout artwork. An opaque, full-frame image has a solid alpha channel, so Luminance or Inverted Luminance is required.

Working with presets

The Material menu selects one of five lighting responses. Presets are complete looks built from those responses and the other controls; selecting Metal alone does not apply the Chiseled Gold preset, for example.

Presets are grouped by their intended starting point:

• Text starts with bevel-based relief for lettering, logos and intricate artwork.
• Shape adds broad body curvature for larger forms. Use Dome for circles and ellipses, or Rectangular for squares and rectangles.

These are suggestions, not restrictions: every preset works on any input, and all controls remain editable. A Shape preset spans the whole input bounds rather than fitting each letter separately.

The library includes:

The Dome-based Shape presets start with Outline Rounding off to preserve circular input edges. You can enable it when using them on angular shapes.

Preset names include their suggested starting point, such as Text - Dispersion Glass, or a shape look such as Shape - Textured Ball. All preset controls remain editable after application.

Sampling Padding

Surface Lab manages its sampling space automatically through Surface Scale. The starting padding is 64 × 64, rising to 320 × 320, 576 × 576, and 832 × 832 for Medium, Large, and Extra Large. It is an internal sampling allowance rather than a control for adding a visible border. Leave these connections intact during normal use.

Practical tips

Polished metal that reads clearly

Start with Text - Polished Chrome, Text - Chiseled Silver, or Text - Chiseled Gold. Rotate the studio until a bright reflection runs across an important edge. Use Reflection Contrast to separate the bright and dark areas before increasing light intensity. If the face is too flat, adjust the bevel or profile so there is more variation for the reflections to describe.

Softer materials and fabric

Start with a Fabric preset. Keep Surface Polish modest, then balance Fabric Texture against Bump Amount: the former controls yarn contrast, while the latter gives the weave relief. Add Fabric Sheen for a soft edge highlight. For a cushion-like form, use the Inflated profile and build the larger folds with the wrinkle controls.

Foil and balloons

The Balloon presets pair the Inflated profile with glossy or metallic finishes. Wrinkle Amount sets the fold strength; Wrinkle Size and Wrinkle Length control spacing and extension separately. Use Fold Variation and Wrinkle Seed to avoid an overly regular pattern. Add Iridescence for a holographic finish, then animate Color Shift or Studio Rotation.

Clear, frosted, and dispersion glass

Start with Text - Clear Glass, Text - Frosted Glass, or Text - Dispersion Glass. Check the result against the background it will be used on. Transmission opens up the body while preserving stronger reflections; Material Opacity fades the entire treatment.

For dispersion, use a visible studio reflection or light highlight. Glass Dispersion colors these reflections rather than adding a rainbow over the whole face. Surface Polish and light softness affect how distinct the fringes appear. Keep Iridescence at zero when you want a clear body with color mainly at the highlights.

Frosted glass has a softer surface response. It does not blur the actual artwork behind it.

Sculpted ice

Shape - Ice Sphere is a domed, cyan-tinted glass finish with fine surface distortion, dispersion, fill and rim lighting. Outline Rounding is off to preserve circular inputs.

Text - Sculpted Ice combines the Sculpted Ice pattern with the Ice / Glass material. It also starts with Surface Distortion at 0.5 and Distortion Size at 1 for fine surface texture. Broad, uneven relief carries the main reflections, with finer surface detail kept more restrained. Bump Amount shapes this relief, Ice Cracks controls the fissures, and Ice Frost adds rougher patches. Adjust these independently. Use Transmission before reducing Material Opacity when the ice should feel clear but still hold bright edges.

Diamonds

Text - Cut Diamond and Text - Brilliant Diamond provide irregular groups of cut facets, with broader flat tables in Brilliant. The glass material adds a secondary studio reflection to suggest internal reflections within the cuts. Both diamond presets use Material Opacity at 1 and Transmission at 0.5 to preserve bright reflections while opening up the body. The Brilliant preset uses Strip Lights to give the facets clear reflections. Adjust Detail Size for the scale of the cuts, and rotate the studio to find a strong arrangement of light and dark faces. Diamond Fire adds colored flashes; leave Glass Dispersion at zero to use it.

When the effect is barely visible

Check that Output is Final and Mix is above zero. Depth and Bevel Width need to be above zero only for a visible bevel. For a broad, flat face, enable Body Shape and leave Fit Body to Input on. Increase Surface Scale when the edge bevel itself needs more width. On an opaque image, choose a brightness-based Height Source if you want internal image detail to form the relief.

When the outline changes too much

Reduce Bevel Width or Surface Scale, or turn Outline Rounding off. Narrow strokes and small counters are more sensitive to large rounding than broad lettering. Inflation Spread can broaden an Inflated surface without increasing the outline-rounding radius.

When a control is grayed out

Check the feature it belongs to. Inflation Spread needs the Inflated profile; Fabric Texture needs a weave pattern; Ice Cracks and Ice Frost need Sculpted Ice. Transmission and Glass Dispersion need Ice / Glass. Fill, rim, coat, wrinkle, and iridescence controls become available when their sections contribute to the effect.

Animation

Surface Lab does not add automatic animation. Keyframe its controls or connect Cavalry behaviours and expressions as needed.

Good places to start are Studio Rotation for traveling reflections, Light Angle for a moving main light, and Color Shift for cycling iridescence. The source text and shapes remain editable throughout. Choose Detail Seed and Wrinkle Seed to establish an arrangement; changing seeds can reorganize the pattern rather than move it smoothly.

Performance

Processing cost depends on the size of the filtered artwork, the number of instances, and the enabled features. Outline Rounding adds contour reconstruction work. Larger surface scales also increase the sampling bounds, and ice, facets, wrinkles, and dispersion add processing of their own.

Outline reconstruction is split across passes so its horizontal calculation can be reused. Height sampling adapts to the bevel width, and lighting is calculated directly from the surface gradients. Wrinkles still require extra surface samples, especially with long folds or Crease Focus enabled.

Wrinkle direction queries calculate only the surface information they need, and candidates with no contribution are skipped. The fold shape and sampling quality remain the same.

While building a look, work with only the detail and lighting sections you need. For artwork that does not need its silhouette rounded, turn Outline Rounding off. Check the final settings on a short section of animation before rendering a long sequence.

Output quality and scope

Check fine grain, weave, cracks, facets, and rounded edges at the intended output size. Viewport zoom can change the apparent sharpness of small details, so use a full-resolution render to judge the delivery image as well.

Surface Lab avoids storing its lighting normals in an 8-bit image between passes. Fine dithering reduces quantization in the remaining intermediate data and final color, helping broad, smooth surfaces retain their gradients in 8-bit compositions. This does not blur the alpha edge.

Surface Lab creates shaded relief from 2D artwork. It does not create an extruded 3D object, cast shadows onto surrounding layers, or ray-trace the scene. Its glass and ice treatments combine reflections with transparency; they do not refract other layers. These distinctions are useful when planning a composition that combines Surface Lab with other artwork.

Control reference

The defaults below are the values for a newly created filter, before applying a preset. Ranges are the supported control limits; some sliders show a smaller convenient working range. Angle controls without a listed limit can continue through multiple rotations.

Controls are grayed out when their associated feature is inactive. Their values are retained for when that feature is enabled again.

Surface controls

Height Source

Selects the signal used to build the surface height. Alpha uses opacity, Luminance raises brighter areas, and Inverted Luminance raises darker areas. Both brightness modes respect source transparency. Outline Rounding continues to follow the alpha silhouette in all three modes.

Default: Alpha
Options: Alpha, Luminance, Inverted Luminance

Surface Scale

Multiplies Bevel Width and Wrinkle Size to suit larger artwork. Start with Fine and move up when the bevel is too small even at a high Bevel Width. This changes the size of the effect, not its quality setting. Depth and Detail Size remain independent.

Default: Fine (x1)
Options: Fine (x1), Medium (x4), Large (x16), Extra Large (x32)

Bevel Width

Sets the width of the edge transition before Surface Scale is applied. A narrow bevel leaves a flatter center; a wider bevel spreads the shading farther into the shape. At zero, the bevel is flat; material, lighting, and surface detail remain active. Use Mix at zero to restore the original artwork. Large widths can consume thin strokes when Outline Rounding is enabled.

Default: 12 px
Range: 0 px–25 px

Depth

Sets the apparent height of the bevel independently of Surface Scale and Body Depth. Increase it for steeper shading and stronger changes in reflection direction. It does not extrude the layer or add side geometry. At zero, the bevel is flat; material, lighting, and surface detail remain active. Use Mix at zero to restore the original artwork.

Default: 24 px
Range: 0 px–96 px

Surface Mode

Choose Raised / Emboss for a raised surface or Recessed / Deboss for an inward relief. The light response follows the selected direction.

Default: Raised / Emboss
Options: Raised / Emboss, Recessed / Deboss

Bevel Profile

Chooses the bevel cross-section.

• Classic — A general-purpose bevel for a wide range of materials.
• Rounded — A curved roll from edge to face.
• Linear — A straighter ramp, with its transition adjusted by Profile Shape.
• Concave — An inward-curving bevel.
• Double Shoulder — A stepped profile that creates multiple changes in slope.
• Inflated — A fuller surface for balloons, cushions, and rounded forms.
• Chiseled — A defined ramp with controlled transitions at the face and edge.

Profile Shape refines each of these profiles.

Default: Classic
Options: Classic, Rounded, Linear, Concave, Double Shoulder, Inflated, Chiseled

Profile Shape

Changes the cross-section within the selected Bevel Profile. Its effect depends on the profile, so adjust it while watching the highlight travel across the bevel. It is not an overall strength control.

Default: 0.15
Range: 0–1

Inflation Spread

Broadens the height shaping of the Inflated profile without increasing the outline-rounding radius. Increase it to carry the inflated shading farther across broad faces. Available only with Bevel Profile set to Inflated.

Default: 2.5
Range: 1–6

Bevel Smoothing

Smooths bevel shading and its highlights. It does not smooth Body Shape, Surface Distortion, wrinkles, or the alpha outline. Zero skips the extra neighborhood smoothing, which can improve performance on narrow bevels but may reveal uneven shading. Values from zero to 0.35 gradually introduce it; higher values broaden its reach. On narrow bevels, the neighborhood reach is limited to preserve small features. Broad bevels already smooth the surface through their height calculation, so this control has much less visible effect there. Disabled when Bevel Width or Depth is zero.

Default: 0.35
Range: 0–1

Outline Rounding

Reconstructs the alpha outline with rounding tied to Bevel Width and Surface Scale. This allows sharp source corners to follow the rounded finish. Turn it off to preserve the original silhouette. Very large rounding can remove fine strokes or alter small gaps, so check delicate artwork at its intended size.

Default: On

Mix

Blends the complete material treatment with the original artwork: 0 returns the source and 1 gives the full effect. Available in Final output. Use this for the overall treatment strength; use Material Opacity when the finished material itself should become less opaque.

Default: 1
Range: 0–1

Output

Chooses the displayed result.

• Final — The finished material.
• Lighting Only — The lighting response on a neutral base, useful for judging highlights without the source color.
• Height — A grayscale view of the shaped height, before surface detail is added.
• Normals — A color view of surface directions, including bump and wrinkle detail.
• Contact Shading — The contact-darkening result, useful for checking edges and recessed joins.

Mix and Material Opacity apply to Final output. Return to Final before rendering the finished look.

Default: Final
Options: Final, Lighting Only, Height, Normals, Contact Shading

The Shape - Textured Ball and Shape - Textured Rect presets use the Inflated Gloss finish with Surface Distortion at 1 and Distortion Size at 2. The Ball uses Dome; Textured Rect uses Rectangular. “Rect” is short for rectangular. Distortion Size is relative to the input, so 2 corresponds to two shader pixels on a 500-pixel input.

Body controls

Body shaping adds curvature across the face of a large shape. Dome and Rectangular combine with the edge bevel; Silhouette builds the curvature from the input alpha instead. It affects shading and reflections without changing the silhouette or creating actual 3D geometry.

Start with Shape - Inflated Gloss or Shape - Holo Balloon. Fit Body to Input uses Cavalry's supplied layer dimensions and draw center to place the body automatically. Surface Scale controls the bevel and does not enter the body-size calculation. For a group, text layer, or image with transparent margins, these are the whole input bounds rather than a separate fit to every visible element.

Body Shape

Off keeps the existing bevel-only surface. Dome adds a continuous rounded face, suited to circles and ellipses. Rectangular curves the surface in both horizontal and vertical directions, suited to cushions and rounded rectangles. Dome and Rectangular span the whole layer; on a text layer they do not create a separate dome for each letter. Silhouette follows the visible input, including concave outlines and holes, for inflated hearts, stars, lettering and other irregular shapes. It is an approximation from the alpha image, so nearby parts can influence each other and very fine features may remain shallow. It costs more to render than Dome or Rectangular. On rings, Silhouette produces a rounded band around the hole rather than a broad plate-like face. Small cogwheel teeth can remain shallow because the inflation spread follows the overall input size. Choose Dome or Rectangular with an edge bevel for a flatter machined-metal appearance.

To try it, apply Shape - Inflated Gloss, choose Silhouette, and adjust Body Depth. In this mode, Depth, Bevel Profile, Profile Shape, Height Source and Surface Smoothing are disabled. Bevel Width still controls Outline Rounding; the body does not require a nonzero bevel. Materials, lighting, wrinkles and Surface Distortion remain available.

Default: Off
Options: Off, Dome, Rectangular, Silhouette

Shape - Brushed Aluminum and Shape - Glossy Enamel start in Silhouette mode with automatic fitting enabled. They use the same material finishes as their Text counterparts.

Body Depth

Sets the strength of the broad curvature. Increase it for a fuller body, or lower it for a shallow bulge. Surface Mode reverses this curvature for a recessed result.

Default: 1
Range: 0–2

Fit Body to Input

Automatically matches the body center and dimensions to the input bounds. Leave this on for normal use; turn it off only for a deliberately offset or differently sized body. In Silhouette mode, automatic fitting sets the inflation spread from the input dimensions; the input alpha always determines its position. Available when Body Shape is enabled.

Default: On

Body Width / Body Height

Override the body dimensions when Fit Body to Input is disabled. These manual shader-pixel sizes are independent of Surface Scale; automatic fitting is recommended when the render scale changes. For Silhouette, the smaller of these two dimensions controls the overall inflation spread, rather than stretching the body along separate axes.

Default: 500 px each
Range: 1–2,000 px

Body Center X / Body Center Y

Move the body relative to the input's draw-rectangle center when Fit Body to Input is disabled. Automatic fitting ignores these offsets, including any values left over from a manual adjustment. Silhouette always follows the input alpha, so these controls are disabled in that mode.

Default: 0 px each
Range: -500–500 px

Surface Distortion

Adds broad, uneven surface relief that bends lighting and reflections. Useful for liquid metal and sculpted glass. It can be used with Body Shape Off and does not distort the alpha outline.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Distortion Size

Sets the relative size of the surface undulations, independently of Surface Scale. Larger values create broader waves; values around 3–4 produce fine bump detail. Use Surface Distortion to adjust its strength. The input's shorter dimension provides the scale: a value of 4 corresponds to 4 shader pixels on a 500-pixel input, and 0.8 on a 100-pixel input. Texture density stays consistent as the input changes size. Very fine detail can fall below a rendered pixel on small shapes. The pattern follows the input center. Available when Surface Distortion is above zero.

Default: 180
Range: 0.1–2,500

Values below 2 allow finer bump textures, with strength retained as the texture gets finer. Adjust in steps of 0.05. Detail smaller than a rendered pixel can alias, so judge very small values at the final output size.

Distortion Seed

Changes the arrangement of the undulations. Available when Surface Distortion is above zero.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1,000

Height output includes body shaping and distortion before fine surface detail, with its display range adjusted to the body size. The body and distortion are calculated directly in the lighting pass; they require no additional render passes, but enabled distortion adds shading work.

Material controls

Material

Selects the base response to lighting and studio reflections.

• Satin — A balanced surface with soft reflections.
• Glossy Plastic — A glossy finish with a colored body and bright highlights.
• Metal — Reflections take on the surface color, suited to chrome, silver, gold, and brushed finishes.
• Matte — A softer, less reflective response.
• Ice / Glass — A reflective glass-like response with Transmission and Glass Dispersion controls.

Use presets to combine a material with a specific profile, texture, and lighting setup.

Default: Glossy Plastic
Options: Satin, Glossy Plastic, Metal, Matte, Ice / Glass

Material Tint

Sets the color blended into the source by Tint Amount. Its alpha also scales the tint contribution. Available when Tint Amount is above zero.

Default: #FFFFFF (alpha 255/255)

Tint Amount

Blends between the artwork color and Material Tint. At zero, the source supplies the base color; at one, an opaque Material Tint supplies it. Lighting and reflections still affect the resulting color.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Material Opacity

Sets the overall opacity of the finished material in Final output. Lowering it fades the highlights as well as the body. For transparent ice or glass that retains bright reflections, adjust Transmission first.

Default: 1
Range: 0–1

Transmission

Lets the background show through Ice / Glass while retaining more coverage in highlights and reflective areas. This gives the material a clearer body without fading everything equally. It is a compositing treatment: it does not bend, distort, or blur other layers behind the glass.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Glass Dispersion

Separates color at studio reflections and light highlights on Ice / Glass. Use it for prismatic fringes that follow the lighting. Higher values make the separation more pronounced. The Glass - Dispersion preset starts at 0.9; the default on a new filter is zero. For rainbow color across the broader surface, use Iridescence instead.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Highlight Strength

Controls the strength of the direct-light highlights. Studio reflections have their own Reflection Strength control, so reducing this value does not remove the studio pattern.

Default: 0.7
Range: 0–3

Surface Polish

Controls how polished the surface appears. Higher values produce sharper highlights and reflections; lower values make them broader and softer. The selected Material and Roughness Variation also affect the result.

Default: 0.4
Range: 0–1

Clear Coat

Adds a glossy coating over the base material. Use it to give a softer finish a more reflective top layer, or to strengthen a lacquered or enamel look.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Coat Polish

Controls the sharpness of clear-coat highlights and reflections. Available when Clear Coat is above zero.

Default: 0.7
Range: 0–1

Contact Shading

Darkens bevel edges and recessed joins to help separate nearby forms. Increase it for stronger contact definition; reduce it if creases become too dark. This is local surface shading, not shadows cast onto other layers.

Default: 0.2
Range: 0–1

Iridescence

Adds rainbow color to the surface based on its slope and a spatial variation pattern. Useful for holographic foil, pearlescent finishes, and colorful balloons. It can be used with any material.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Color Shift

Moves through the iridescent color cycle. Animate it for a changing foil or holographic finish. Available when Iridescence is above zero.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Color Bands

Controls the number of color bands across the surface slopes. Lower values give broader color changes; higher values create more closely spaced bands. Available when Iridescence is above zero.

Default: 2
Range: 0.25–8

Color Variation

Varies the color bands across the artwork. Increase it to make the color less uniform from one area to another. Detail Seed changes the variation arrangement. Available when Iridescence is above zero.

Default: 0.15
Range: 0–1

Fabric Sheen

Adds soft fiber-like highlights to sloping edges. This is independent of Fabric Texture and can be used with any detail pattern. Light direction and intensity determine where the sheen appears.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Fabric Texture

Controls the light and dark contrast of the woven yarns in Linen Weave and Cotton Weave. It works independently of Bump Amount, so a weave can remain visible without strong relief. Available only with those two patterns.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Detail controls

Detail Pattern

Selects the procedural pattern used for fine relief and polish variation. Grain, brushing, hammering, and weaves suit everyday finishes; Sculpted Ice and the two facet patterns give more pronounced surface structure. The pattern is separate from Material, so combinations are editable.

Default: Fine Grain
Options: Fine Grain, Brushed, Hammered, Linen Weave, Cotton Weave, Sculpted Ice, Diamond Facets, Brilliant Facets

Bump Amount

Sets how strongly the detail pattern perturbs the surface and its reflections. Start low for fine grain or brushing. At zero, Roughness Variation, Fabric Texture, and the ice controls can still contribute their own detail.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Detail Size

Sets the size of the detail pattern independently of Surface Scale. Lower values produce finer texture; higher values produce larger marks, yarns, or facets. Detail below the pixel scale is softened to keep it from becoming excessively harsh.

Default: 8 px
Range: 0.5 px–200 px

Detail Angle

Rotates the pattern. Most apparent with Brushed, woven fabrics, and directional facets.

Default: 0°

Detail Seed

Changes the arrangement of procedural detail without changing its size or strength. It also affects the spatial variation of iridescent color. Use another seed when a particular mark or facet falls in an awkward place.

Default: 0
Range: 0–9999

Roughness Variation

Varies surface polish using the selected detail pattern. This breaks up an overly uniform finish and can be used without bump relief.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Wrinkle Amount

Adds folds to the shaded surface. Wrinkles respond to the underlying surface shape and contact regions, making them useful for foil, balloons, and cushions. They change shading rather than deforming the source outline.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Wrinkle Size

Sets fold spacing and width, multiplied by Surface Scale. Use Wrinkle Length to change how far folds extend without changing their spacing. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 8 px
Range: 2 px–100 px

Wrinkle Length

Lengthens or shortens folds while keeping their spacing separate. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 2
Range: 0.5–3

Wrinkle Reach

Spreads wrinkles away from steep edges and onto gentler parts of the surface. Increase it when folds are too confined to the bevel. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 0.65
Range: 0–1

Crease Focus

Concentrates wrinkles around recessed joins. Higher values favor creases around these regions; lower values allow a less concentrated distribution. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 0.7
Range: 0–1

Fold Variation

Varies the length of individual folds, helping break up a repetitive wrinkle pattern. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Wrinkle Seed

Changes the wrinkle arrangement independently of Detail Seed. Available when Wrinkle Amount is above zero.

Default: 0
Range: 0–9999

Ice Cracks

Controls the visibility of angular fissures and smaller branches in the Sculpted Ice pattern. Cracks can remain visible with Bump Amount at zero. Available when Detail Pattern is Sculpted Ice; the Ice / Glass material is not required to use the pattern.

Default: 0.12
Range: 0–1

Ice Frost

Adds patches of frost to the Sculpted Ice pattern, softening the polish in those areas. Available when Detail Pattern is Sculpted Ice.

Default: 0.3
Range: 0–1

Diamond Fire

Adds colored flashes to studio reflections on Diamond Facets and Brilliant Facets. Requires Ice / Glass, one of those facet patterns, Reflection Strength above zero, and Glass Dispersion at zero. If Glass Dispersion is enabled, it takes over the studio color separation.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Studio controls

Studio Layout

Chooses the reflection arrangement: Classic, Softboxes, Strip Lights, Ring Light, or Window. These are built-in reflection patterns, so no environment image is needed. Available when Reflection Strength is above zero.

Default: Classic
Options: Classic, Softboxes, Strip Lights, Ring Light, Window

Reflection Strength

Controls the brightness of studio reflections separately from the direct lights. Raise it to give polished materials stronger reflected shapes; reduce it for a quieter finish.

Default: 0.5
Range: 0–2

Reflection Size

Changes the size of the shapes reflected in the material. Smaller reflections can create thin accents; larger ones cover more of the surface. Available when Reflection Strength is above zero.

Default: 1
Range: 0.25–2.5

Reflection Contrast

Controls the contrast between bright and dark parts of the studio pattern. Increase it for a more graphic reflection or lower it for a gentler result. Available when Reflection Strength is above zero.

Default: 1
Range: 0–2.5

Studio Rotation

Rotates the studio pattern around the surface. Animate this for moving reflections without changing the source artwork. It also influences Iridescence, so it remains available when Iridescence is active even if Reflection Strength is zero.

Default: 25°

Lighting controls

Light Angle

Sets the main light direction around the surface: 0° right, 90° top, 180° left, 270° bottom. Animate it to sweep the light around the artwork.

Default: 135°

Light Elevation

Tilts the main light toward or away from the viewer. 0° grazes the surface and emphasizes relief; 90° lights it from the front.

Default: 40°
Range: 0°–90°

Light Intensity

Sets the main light brightness. Increase it to strengthen illumination, or reduce it when bright areas lose too much detail.

Default: 1
Range: 0–4

Light Color

Sets the main light color. The color alpha scales its strength. Available when Light Intensity is above zero.

Default: #FFF8EE (alpha 255/255)

Light Softness

Softens the main light shading and highlights. This changes the lighting response, not the source outline.

Default: 0
Range: 0–1

Ambient Light

Adds general fill illumination to the material body. Use it to lift dark areas without adding another directional highlight. Its effect is less pronounced on reflective metals and highly transmitting glass.

Default: 0.3
Range: 0–1

Ambient Color

Sets the ambient fill color. The color alpha scales its strength. Available when Ambient Light is above zero.

Default: #FFFFFF (alpha 255/255)

Fill & Rim controls

Enable Fill Light

Enables a second directional light. Use it to reveal shaded areas or add a second color to the lighting.

Default: Off

Fill Angle

Sets the fill direction using the same angle convention as the main light. Available when the fill light is enabled and Fill Intensity is above zero.

Default: 315°

Fill Elevation

Tilts the fill light from grazing at 0° to frontal at 90°. Available when the fill light is enabled and Fill Intensity is above zero.

Default: 30°
Range: 0°–90°

Fill Intensity

Sets the fill brightness. Keep it below the main light for subtle shadow detail, or raise it when both directions should be prominent. Available when the fill light is enabled.

Default: 0.35
Range: 0–4

Fill Color

Sets the fill light color. The color alpha scales its strength. Available when the fill light is enabled and Fill Intensity is above zero.

Default: #CDE0FF (alpha 255/255)

Fill Softness

Softens the fill light shading and highlights. Available when the fill light is enabled and Fill Intensity is above zero.

Default: 0.5
Range: 0–1

Enable Rim Light

Enables a light weighted toward sloping edges. Use it to define a silhouette against its background.

Default: Off

Rim Angle

Sets the rim direction using the same angle convention as the main light. Available when the rim light is enabled and Rim Intensity is above zero.

Default: 45°

Rim Elevation

Tilts the rim light above or below the surface plane. Available when the rim light is enabled and Rim Intensity is above zero.

Default: 0°
Range: -45°–45°

Rim Intensity

Sets the rim brightness. Available when the rim light is enabled.

Default: 1.25
Range: 0–4

Rim Color

Sets the rim light color. The color alpha scales its strength. Available when the rim light is enabled and Rim Intensity is above zero.

Default: #FFFFFF (alpha 255/255)

Rim Softness

Softens the rim light shading and highlights. Available when the rim light is enabled and Rim Intensity is above zero.

Default: 0.2
Range: 0–1

Rim Spread

Spreads the rim contribution from steep edges onto gentler slopes. Available when the rim light is enabled and Rim Intensity is above zero.

Default: 0.75
Range: 0–1