Texture Layer Property Editor

This property editor contains all of a texture layer's parameters.

To display:

Open a material/shader's property editor. If the material/shader has texture layers, a layer property editor is appended to the main property editor for each layer.
From the texture layer editor, select a layer and press Enter to open its property editor.
Locate the material/shader in the explorer. Expand its Texture Layers node and choose the layer to open its property editor.

Name	The layer's name as it appears in the render tree, the explorer, and so on.
Mute	Causes the selected layer(s) to have no effect.
Solo	Makes the selected layer(s) the only one(s) to have an effect.
Input Color	Defines the layer's Color input. By default, this is a color value that you set using the sliders. To connect a texture, click the connection (plug) icon and choose a shader from the menu.
Premultiplied	Toggles the premultiplication state of the texture/shader connected to the layer's color input.
Invert Alpha	Inverts the alpha channel of the texture/shader connected to the layer's Color input.
Ignore Alpha	Blends the layer with previous layers without using its alpha channel to define the layer's transparency.
Use Alpha	Uses the alpha channel of the texture/shader connected to the layer's Color input as the layer's color.

Mask

Mask Mode	Choose one of the following to define the Mask input: No Mask: Leaves the texture layer's Mask input unconnected. The layer's weight is based entirely on its Weight value. Use Mask Connection: Uses the shader connected to the layer's Mask input as the layer's mask. Use Layer Input Alpha as Mask: Uses the alpha channel of the shader connected to the layer's Color input as the layer's mask. Use Intensity of Layer Input as Mask: Creates a grayscale image based on the intensity of the shader connected to the layer's Color input and uses it as the layer's mask. Use Threshold of Layer Input as Mask: Compares the intensity of the Color input's pixels to a specified threshold value. Where the Color input's intensity falls below the threshold, the mask is completely black. Where the intensity exceeds the threshold value the mask is completely white. You can set the threshold value using the Threshold slider.
Mask	Defines the layer's Mask input. By default, this is a scalar value that you set using the slider. To connect a texture, click the connection (plug) icon and choose a shader from the menu.
Threshold	When the Mask Mode is set to Use Threshold of Layer Input as Mask, this is the threshold used. Where the Color input's intensity falls below the threshold, the mask is completely black. Where the intensity exceeds the threshold value the mask is completely white.
Invert	Inverts the mask.
Weight	Controls the degree to which the layer affects the previous layers. The higher the weight value, the more prominent the layer's effect in the blended result. The weight value is multiplied with the layer's mask to produce the layer's final weight.

Mode

The mixing mode that determines the way in which the layer is blended with previous layers. The list below includes all available mixing modes and their formulae.

In the formulae below C is the color being composited in, B is the current "background" color from the previous layers.

In these functions, both B and C are premultiplied, i.e., the R, G and B components have been multiplied by the alpha value.

For example, pure white with 40% transparency is (1, 1, 1, 0.4) when not premultiplied, and (0.4, 0.4, 0.4, 0.4) when premultiplied.

Choose one of the following mixing modes:

Over: Interpolates the previous layer's color with the new layer's color, weighted by the alpha of the new layer. Higher alpha values make the new layer's color more prominent and vice-versa. Thus areas where the new layer's alpha value is 0 shows only the previous layer's color, while areas where its value is 1 shows only the new layer's color.

This is the mode to use when you want to apply a layer as a decal.

Formula: C + B*(1-C.a)
In: Cuts the previous layer in the shape of the new layer's alpha channel.

Formula: C*B.a
Out: The opposite of In. Cuts the shape of the new layer out of the previous layer's alpha channel.

Formula: C*(1-B.a)
Plus: Adds the previous layer's pixel values to the new layers' pixel values. The result is not clipped at 1 (100%).

Formula: C + B
Bounded Plus: Performs a similar calculation to the Plus mode, but all values are clipped at 1 (100%).

Formula: Same as plus but every component is clamped between 0 and 1
Hide/Reveal (Multiply): Multiplies the previous layer's color by the new layer's color.

Formula: C * B
Hide/Reveal Bounded (Multiply): Performs a similar calculation to the Hide/Reveal (multiply), except that all values are clipped at 1 (100%).

Formula: Same as multiply but every component is clamped between 0 and 1
Difference: Looks at the information in each color channel and subtracts either the previous layer's color from the new layer, or vice-versa, depending on which of the two components is brighter.

Formula: { abs(C.r-B.r), abs(C.g-B.g), abs(C.b-B.b), abs(C.a-B.a) }
Darken: Sets the darkest color (between the previous layer and the new layer) as the result color, on a per-component basis. Pixels lighter than the new layer's color are replaced. Pixels darker than the new layer's color are not replaced.

Formula: { min(C.r,B.r), min(C.g,B.g), min(C.b,B.b), min(C.a,B.a) }
Lighten: Sets the brightest color (between the previous and new layer) as the result color, on a per-component basis. Pixels lighter than the new layer's color do not change. Pixels darker than the new layer's color are replaced.

Formula: { max(C.r,B.r), max(C.g,B.g), max(C.b,B.b), max(C.a,B.a) }
Hard Light: On a per-component basis, causes the previous layer's bright pixels to brighten the new layer's bright pixels. Also, the previous layer's dark pixels dim the new layer's darkest pixels. Visually, each layer is pushing the other layer's extreme pixel values; that is, the darks become darker and the light parts become brighter.

Formula: { HL( C.r, B.r ), HL( C.g, B.g ), HL( C.b, B.b ), HL( C.a, B.a ) }

Where HL( c, b ) =

if ( c < 0.5 ) 2 * c * b

else 1-2*(1-c)*(1-b);
Soft Light: On a per-component basis, mixes the previous and new layers, then reveals the resulting color with the brightest pixels of the new layer.

Formula (see Hard Light, above, for a definition of HL): { SL( C.r, B.r ), SL( C.g, B.g ), SL( C.b, B.b ), SL( C.a, B.a ) }

Where SL( c, b ) = HL( c, b*0.5+0.25)
Screen: Multiplies each color channel's values with the inverse of the new layer's color and the previous layer's color. This results in a lighter color as though the original color has been faded.

Formula: C + B - C*B
Overlay: Lightens or darkens the foreground layer depending on the background layer.

If the background is dark (<0.5), it scales down the foreground color with the background's relative darkness by interpolating between the front color and black.

If the background is light, it scales up the foreground color with the background's relative lightness by interpolating between the front color and white.

This allows you to preserve the background layer's shadows or highlights while overlaying the foreground layer.

Formula (see Hard Light, above, for a definition of HL:

{ OL( C.r, B.r ), OL( C.g, B.g ), OL( C.b, B.b ), OL( C.a, B.a ) }

Where OL( c, b ) = HL( b, c )
Blend: Makes the brighter sections of the new layer gradually (and proportionally) screen out the darker sections of the previous layer. This mode compensates the previous layer prior to adding, so the resulting color never exceeds 1 (100%).

Formula: C + B*({1,1,1,1}-C)