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Working with Base Layers

When you open the texture layer editor for a given shader, the shader’s ports, and any shaders connected directly to them, are displayed as base layers. The Base Colors layer shows a color box for every unconnected port, while an additional base layer is created for every shader connected directly to one or more ports. Collectively, the base layers are a sort of canvas on top of which you can build an effect using texture layers.

Because base layers are a representation of what is directly connected to the current shader’s ports, any time you connect a shader to a port, a base layer is created and the port’s color swatch is removed from the Base Colors layer.

Outside of the texture layer editor, you can create base layers by:

• Using the Render toolbar’s Get > Texture menu, as described in Method 1: Texturing Using the Texture Menu.

• Using the connection icons in the current shader’s property editor, as described in Method 2: Connecting Shaders Using the Property Editor.

• Using the render tree to connect a shader or texture to one of the current shader’s ports, as described in Connecting Nodes [Material and Shader Basics].

The following sections describe how to work with base layers in the texture layer editor.

The texture layer editor is the only place where base layers are actually represented as layers. In the render tree, the base layers are represented by direct connections to shader ports (see Base Layers in the Render Tree), while in shader property editors, base layers are represented by connections to the parameters in the main property editor.

Adding and Replacing Base Layers

In the texture layer editor, you can add and replace base layers using menus that appear when you click or right-click various parts of the base layers. Adding and modifying a shader’s base layers actually makes and breaks direct connections to the shader’s ports, and you can see these changes reflected in the render tree or the shader’s property editor.

To add a base layer

1. Select one or more cells in the base layer rows, including the Base Colors row if desired.

2. Right-click one of the selected cells and choose one of the following from the menu:

Two things happen:

- The new base layer is added to the texture layer editor. The base layer’s shader is directly connected to all of the selected cells’ ports (or connected via conversion shaders if necessary—see Conversion Shaders [Material and Shader Basics] for more information).

- Connected ports’ color boxes disappear from the Base Color row and dots appear in the cells where the ports’ columns and the new base layer’s row intersect.

• Another way to add a new base layer is by dragging and dropping an image/shader preset from a toolbar or browser onto an unconnected port’s color box in the Base Colors layer. • You can also drag and drop a texture layer’s thumbnail to use the layer’s texture as a base layer.

To replace a base layer

• Click a base layer thumbnail’s arrow icon (or right-click the thumbnail) and choose any of the options from the menu described in the previous procedure.

The base layer’s shader is replaced with the new shader. All of the layer’s port connections are kept.

• Another way to replace a base layer is by dragging and dropping an image/shader preset from a toolbar or browser onto a base layer’s thumbnail. • You can also drag and drop a texture layer’s thumbnail to replace the base layer with the texture layer’s texture.

Connecting and Disconnecting Ports from Base Layers

You can connect one or more of a shader’s unconnected ports to, or disconnect them from, an existing base layer by doing the following:

1. Select the cells of one or more ports in the base layer rows.

2. Right-click one of the selected cells and choose one of the following:

- Connect Shader connects the selected cells’ base layers to their ports. Dots appear in each of the selected cells to indicate the connection.

- Disconnect Shader disconnects the selected cells’ base layers from their ports. The ports’ color boxes reappear in the Base Colors layer and dots indicating connections to base layers are removed from the cells.

If you selected a mix of connected and unconnected cells, the command you choose is applied to all of the cells.

When you disconnect a base layer from its last connected port, the base layer disappears.

Another way to add an unconnected port to a base layer is to drag and drop the base layer’s thumbnail on the port’s color box.

Editing Base Colors and Base Layers

There are three ways to open the property editors for base layer shaders:

• Double-click any cell in the Base Colors layer. A combined property editor opens for the current shader (the one whose layers you’re displaying in the texture layer editor), as well as all of its texture layers and the ports to which they’re applied.

• Double-click any base layer’s thumbnail or any of the cells where it’s connected to a port to open the property editor for the base layer’s shader.

• Right-click a thumbnail or connected cell and choose Edit from the menu.

Deleting (Disconnecting) Base Layers

There are two ways to delete base layers:

• To delete a single base layer, right-click the layer, its thumbnail, or any of the cells where it’s connected to a port and choose Disconnect.

• To delete multiple base layers, select them and press Delete.

Any ports connected to deleted base layer shaders are automatically disconnected, and their color boxes reappear in the Base Colors layer.

You cannot delete the Base Colors layer.

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