3.8. DS BC Material Scalar

Allows integration of a data stream into a materials as a parameter which affects one of the material’s properties. With this behaviour, the full power of the materials system can be leveraged to create data-driven materials. Examples include changing opacity, reflectivity, blending between textures etc. based on data.

Datasculpt provides a small library of materials set up to be used with the Scalar Material behaviour. These materials are just a starting point and you can create much more complex material behaviours using these as a jumping off point.

Step-by-Step: Material Scalar Setup – Basic

1. Pre-requisite: You have added the component and set up the common behaviour parameters
2. Click the DS BC Material Scalar component
3. In the Data-Driven Behaviour section, select a Material with M_DS_Scalar at the start to use a basic data-driven material
   

• The Material Parameter Name is set to ‘MyData’ which is used within the M_DS_Scalar materials as an input parameter for various material properties.
• The behaviour will accept an output value range from 0-1.
• There are materials preset to alter opacity, metallic, specular, emissivity, clearcoat, colour, colour curve.

Step-by-Step: Material Scalar Setup – Advanced

1. To create your own data-driven material, open an existing material or create a new one (or duplicate one of the DS library ones).
2. If you have duplicated an existing DS material, there will be a Parameter node in the material called MyData.
3. If you have created a new material, right-click in an empty area of the material canvas and type into the search box ‘scalar parameter’ then select the suggested node.
4. The parameter can be named by clicking on the Parameter node you created and naming it in the Node Details panel. This name must match the name in the Behaviour Component’s Material Parameter Name field.
   
5. You can plug this into any node present or create new nodes to plug it into, in order to affect the material properties via that node.
6. Ensure that the data range MyData feeds in will match the expected input range of the node. Use Data Transforms in the behaviour’s Data Transform section to alter the range if required.