Gradient

RGBA Gradient

Gradient Control	The gradient slider is where you create and adjust the gradient. The bar displays the gradient left-to-right from beginning (0.00) to end (1.00). Square markers on the bottom of the gradient bar are color markers. You can use up to 8 color markers, each with its own color. Clicking on the gradient bar inserts a color marker at the click-point. By default, the new marker assumes the color of that point in the gradient. To delete a color marker, right-click it and choose "delete marker" from the menu. A round marker on the top of the gradient bar appears between each pair of color markers, indicating the mid-point in the blend between those two colors. Moving the round marker closer to either color marker causes less of that color, and more of the other, to appear in that "sub-gradient". The net effect is a sharper blend and a larger portion of the dominant color.
Color	Controls the R, G, B, and alpha values for the selected color marker.
Pos	Controls the position of markers on the gradient: Color Markers: If a color marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, within the entire gradient. Interpolation Markers: If an interpolation marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, between its associated pair of color markers.
Cubic/Linear	Switches between linear and cubic interpolation of the gradient. Cubic interpolation results in a smoother transition between gradient colors, while linear interpolation results in sharper transitions.
Gradient Type	Vertical: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the bottom of the texture projection object and gradiates to the top. Horizontal: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the leftmost edge of the texture projection object and gradiates to the rightmost. Radial Wave: Creates a gradient that begins at the center of the texture projection and gradiates outward, in a bull's-eye pattern. Radial Rainbow: Creates a rainbow-like gradient that originates at the center of the texture projection, except this mode uses a linear, symmetrical pattern. Diagonal Down: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the bottom-left corner of the texture projection object and gradiates to the top-right corner. Diagonal Up: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the top-left corner of the texture projection object and gradiates to the bottom-right corner.
Invert Direction	When enabled, the gradient colors are applied in the reverse order of how they appear in the gradient slider.
Clip	When enabled, the gradient ends at the edge of the outermost color. Otherwise the outermost color bleeds over the untextured portion of the object.

Copy Alpha to RGB

Copy Alpha to RGB	Copies the gradient's alpha channel into the RGB channels, creating a grayscale image.
Alpha Strength	Determines the factor by which the Alpha is multiplied when it is copied into the RGB channels.

Animation

Key All	Adds a keyframes for the gradient's color and position parameters. One keyframe is added for each color and interpolation marker in the gradient.
Remove Keys	Removes any and all keyframes applied to the gradient's color and position parameters. Keyframes are removed from all markers.
Reset	Removes any and all keyframes applied to the gradient's color and position parameters, and resets these parameters to their default values.
Disconnect All	Disconnects any and all shaders that are attached to gradient shader parameters.

Preset

Black/White	Creates a 2-marker black to white gradient.
White/Black	Creates a 2-marker white to black gradient.
Black to Transparent	Creates a 2-marker black to black gradient with a descending alpha value.
White to Transparent	Creates a 2-marker white to white gradient with a descending alpha value.
Chrome	Creates a 4-marker gradient that simulates the look of chrome.
Copper	Creates a 4-marker gradient that simulates the look of copper.
Spectrum	Creates a 7-marker gradient that replicates the visible spectrum of colors.
Rainbow	Creates an 8-marker gradient that replicates the red to violet spectrum of a rainbow.
Fire	Creates a 6-marker gradient that simulates the colors of a flame, beginning with yellows and reds, blending into orange and ending with a blue. The alpha value gets progressively lower to give the edges of the flame translucence.

Alpha Gradient

Enable Alpha Gradient	Activates a gradient in the alpha channel of the output texture.
Gradient Control	The gradient slider is where you create and adjust the gradient. The bar displays the gradient left-to-right from beginning (0.00) to end (1.00). Square markers on the bottom of the gradient bar are alpha markers. You can use up to 8 alpha markers, each with its own alpha value. Clicking on the gradient bar inserts an alpha marker at the click-point. By default, the new marker assumes the alpha of that point in the gradient. To delete an alpha marker, right-click it and choose "delete marker" from the menu. A round marker on the top of the gradient bar appears between each pair of alpha markers, indicating the mid-point in the blend between those two alpha values. Moving the round marker closer to either alpha marker causes less of that alpha value, and more of the other, to appear in that "sub-gradient". The net effect is a sharper blend and a larger portion of the dominant alpha value.
Alpha	Controls the alpha value for the selected alpha marker on the gradient slider.
Pos	Controls the position of markers on the gradient: Alpha Markers: If an alpha marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, within the entire gradient. Round Markers: If a round marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, between its associated pair of alpha markers.
Cubic/Linear	Switches between linear and cubic interpolation of the gradient. Cubic interpolation results in a smoother transition between alpha values, while linear interpolation results in sharper transitions.
Gradient Type	Vertical: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the bottom of the texture projection object and gradiates to the top. Horizontal: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the leftmost edge of the texture projection object and gradiates to the rightmost. Radial Wave: Creates a gradient that begins at the center of the texture projection and gradiates outward, in a bull's-eye pattern. Radial Rainbow: Creates a rainbow-like gradient that originates at the center of the texture projection, except this mode uses a linear, symmetrical pattern. Diagonal Down: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the bottom-left corner of the texture projection object and gradiates to the top-right corner. Diagonal Up: Creates a standard linear gradient that starts from the top-left corner of the texture projection object and gradiates to the bottom-right corner.
Invert Direction	When enabled, the gradient alpha values are applied in the reverse order of how they appear in the gradient slider.
Clip	When enabled, the gradient ends at the edge of the outermost color. Otherwise the outermost color bleeds over the untextured portion of the object.

Copy Alpha to RGB

Copy Alpha to RGB	Copies the gradient's alpha channel into the RGB channels, creating a grayscale image.
Alpha Strength	Determines the factor by which the Alpha is multiplied when it is copied into the RGB channels.

Animation

Key All	Adds a keyframes for the gradient's color and position parameters. One keyframe is added for each alpha and interpolation marker in the gradient.
Remove Keys	Removes any and all keyframes applied to the gradient's alpha and position parameters. Keyframes are removed from all markers.
Reset	Removes any and all keyframes applied to the gradient's alpha and position parameters, and resets these parameters to their default values.
Disconnect All	Disconnects any and all shaders that are attached to gradient shader parameters.

Preset

Black and White	Creates a 2-marker gradient that goes from full transparency (alpha=0) to full opacity (alpha=1).
White and Black	Creates a 2-marker gradient that goes from full opacity (alpha=1) to full transparency (alpha=0).

Texture

Controls for applying the gradient as a texture.

Texture Space

Selects the texture projection to use. See Specifying a Texture Projection [Texturing].

Bump Mapping

Enable Bump	Switches on the bump mapping parameters.
Use Alpha	Specifies the extent to which the gradient's alpha channel is used to achieve a bump map.
Bump Map Factor	Defines how "bumpy" the bump map will be. A negative value inverts the bump inward; a positive bump map factor bumps outward.

Advanced

Alternate

U, V	Specifies whether every other copy of the repetition should be reversed so that the successive copies of the texture are alternated.

Bump Mapping

Step	Controls the U, V, and Z steps of a bump map. Use this parameter to "smooth" bumps or make them more jagged.

Repeats

Texture Repeats

Contains the repetition factor in X,Y, and Z. A value of 2, for example, shrinks the texture so that it fits twice in a [0..1] interval.

UV Remap

Minimum, Maximum

Determines the remapping of the gradient texture.

Render Tree Usage

Color parameters can be connected to other textures or image processing shaders. For example, you can connect a different texture to any input from Color 1 to 8 to create a gradient of textures or colors. You can also use Texture Generator shaders to control the weight parameter of each color.

A texture shader has limitless capabilities in a render tree. It can texture an object, be used as a camera or light projection, define bump or displacement maps, or be blended with any number of other textures to create any effect.