---
title: "Formula Shader"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/XFORMULA.html"
section_path: "Material Manager > Classic Materials > Classic material > Channel Shaders > Formula Shader"
element_id: "XFORMULA"
description: "Users who possess a certain level of mathematical skills can use the Formula shader to create gray scale gradients using a formula. The variables are the …"
---

# Formula Shader

![Image: 039648.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/039648.jpg)

Users who possess a certain level of mathematical skills can use the Formula shader to create gray scale gradients using a formula. The variables are the texture coordinates **U**, **V** and **W**, position coordinates (both local and global) **X**, **Y**, **Z** and **T** (for time) as well as the User Data created by the user (note: User Data names cannot contain spaces or punctuation!).

When rendering in 32-bit color depth, the **Color** setting is not restricted to an RGB range of 0 to 255. Very high values can also be applied, which gives the Formula shader a type of HDRI effect.