---
title: "Base"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/METALMATERIAL_57200925_B7E7_437E_8092_2DF207A91599-J8ORINUKLR_QG4UPGHSRQL.html"
section_path: "The Node Editor > The individual Assets > Material > Metal material > Base"
element_id: "METALMATERIAL_57200925_B7E7_437E_8092_2DF207A91599"
group_id: "J8ORINUKLR_QG4UPGHSRQL"
description: "Use this setting to define the base color of the metal. For steel, this will most likely be gray, for copper a reddish color and so on."
---

## Base

### Color

Parameter ID: `INPORT_EJNPWLDNP9DO9ZCZRTPESA`

Use this setting to define the base color of the metal. For steel, this will most likely be gray, for copper a reddish color and so on.

### Grain

Parameter ID: `INPORT_HMXIOBHGPH8RNQZ2EL6KXM` · Range: [0..100%]

![Image: 043232.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/043232.jpg)\
Different values for Grain and Roughness.

The Grain setting superimposes a scaled-down Noise effect. Effects such as a hammer hit can be created. Small values will disable the respective effect, larger values will strengthen the effect correspondingly.

### Roughness

Parameter ID: `INPORT_YNKDSXHJJNOLS5BJGR7EUC` · Range: [0..100%]

This setting can be used to define the roughness of the metal surface. Smaller values will create a correspondingly more polished look and larger values will cause the surface to look increasingly more matte.

### Dirt

Parameter ID: `INPORT_XATHHOMWARPRZ2VJCRFPEG` · Range: [0..100%]

Here you can define values larger than 0% to add an Ambient Occlusion effect, which can be used to simulate dirt in ridges and scratches.