Env Cube

Simulates an environment by mapping six image files onto the inner surfaces of a large (or infinitely large) cube.

Use Env Cube to make reflections on a moving surface during an animation if you do not have time to raytrace because it treats the texture placement box as the geometry of the environment. This means changes in the relative size and position of camera, surface, and environment are respected.

For example, you can fake a nice reflection on the surface of an animated shiny car as it drives down a road. This process is known as reflection mapping.

Find this texture in the Create bar. To use this texture, see Simulate reflections with Env Cube.

Infinite Size

When on, the images in the cube are reflected as though the sides of the cube were infinitely far away. If you are using images with distance, such as the horizon or a starfield, turn on Infinite Size. If the images are of the interior of a room, or nearby objects, leave Infinite Size off.

Right, Left, Top, Bottom, Front, Back

The image files mapped to the right, left, top, bottom, front, and back inner surfaces of an infinite cube. (The front of the cube faces the front orthographic view.)

NoteBeginning Maya 2012, you can avoid dividing your cube texture data into individual sides of the cube in Viewport 2.0. You can connect your single file texture that includes all six sides of a cube to the Right attribute of the envCube node, and Maya loads the cube map texture properly as a single cube map.