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Channels Palette

The Channels palette and the controls that can be found on it are described in the table below. When controls also bring up additional dialogs, these are referenced for more information.

What It Does

The Channels palette displays:

a list of channels in the project,

buttons to add, convert, or remove channels,

options for creating quick channels, and

channel attribute information.

Note:  Channels provide a foundation that layers and layered shaders are built on. These channels can be diffuse, bump, or specular channels, to name only a few. Channels are assigned to lighting shaders, and sliders in that palette give you fine control over aspects of each channel.

Channels Palette Fields

Control

Type

What it does

Dialog

Notes

Quick Channel

swatch

Creates a channel filled in black.

The created channel is named Quick Channel. If there are multiple Quick Channels, then the name is followed with a number.

 

 

swatch

Creates a channel filled in white.

The created channel is named Quick Channel. If there are multiple Quick Channels, then the name is followed with a number.

 

 

swatch

Creates a channel filled in mid-gray.

The created channel is named Quick Channel. If there are multiple Quick Channels, then the name is followed with a number.

 

 

swatch

Creates a channel filled in transparent.

The created channel is named Quick Channel. If there are multiple Quick Channels, then the name is followed with a number.

 

 

<channel size>

dropdown

Sets the channel size used when creating a Quick Channel, from the options:

256x256

512x512

1024x1024

2048x2048

4096x4096

8192x8192

16384x16384

32768x32768

 

Ensure this is set to the size you want before creating Quick Channels.

<channel depth>

dropdown

Sets the channel depth used when creating a Quick Channel, from the options:

8bit (Byte)

32bit (Float)

16bit (Half)

 

Ensure this is set to the depth you want before creating Quick Channels.

Channels panel

button

Opens an individual palette that displays the layers of that channel only.

 

 

icon

Indicates whether the channel is tagged for Channels Palette.

- The data in the image-set/channel is considered as color data and is being color managed.

- The data in the image-set/channel is considered as non-color data, specifically scalar data, and has no color management applied.

 

 

icon

Indicates the color depth of the channel:

- 8bit (Byte)

- 16bit (Half)

- 32bit (Float)

 

 

button

Indicates an unlocked state. Clicking the icon changes the channel state to locked.

 

 

button

Indicates a locked state. Clicking the icon changes the channel state to unlocked.

 

 

button

Adds a new channel to the channels list.

Add Channel Dialog

 

button

Converts the channel into either 8bit (Byte), 16bit (Half), 32bit (Float).

Convert Type Dialog

 

button

Channels can be shared into the layer stack of another channel in the Channels palette. This button shows with which channel it is shared.

Sharing Channels

 

button

Removes the channel.

 

 

General

File Space

dropdown

Set whether the channel is Normal, Vector, Vector (flipped Y), or Normal (flipped Y).

 

 

Size

information

Lists the size of the patches in the channel.

 

 

Depth

information

Lists the color depth of the channel.

 

 

User Attributes

MriImport Path

information

Lists the import path of the channel.

 

 

MriImport Template

information

Lists the import file name of the channel.

 

 

Color Data

Colorspace

dropdown

The colorspace of the channel. Automatic is determined by the file name, size, and type of data in the channel.

Changing the colorspace of the channel changes all the color pickers and swatches when working on that channel.

 

 

Raw Data

checkbox

The colorspace of the channel masks. Automatic is determined by the file name, size, and type of data in the channel.

Changing the colorspace of the channel changes all the color pickers and swatches when working on that channel.

 

 

Scalar Data

checkbox

When checked, the data in the image-set/channel is considered as non-color data such as masks, heights, normals, and depths.

 

 

Mask Data

Colorspace

dropdown

The colorspace of the channel mask. Automatic is determined by the file name, size, and type of data in the channel.

Changing the colorspace of the channel mask changes all the color pickers and swatches when working on that mask.

 

 

Raw Data

checkbox

The colorspace of the channel masks. Automatic is determined by the file name, size, and type of data in the channel.

Changing the colorspace of the channel mask changes all the color pickers and swatches when working on that mask.

 

 

Scalar Data

checkbox

When checked, the data in the image-set/channel is considered as non-color data such as masks, heights, normals, and depths, so Mari stops applying the viewport colorspace LUT when such channel/image-set is displayed in isolation.

For example, when you are viewing a scalar channel through "Current Channel" shader, Mari applies no viewport colorspace LUT.

 

See Color Data and Scalar Data for more information.