--- title: "Redshift Material Output Node" url: "https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/html/Output_Node.html" section_path: "Shaders > Output Node" description: "When you create a new Redshift material, an Output node is automatically created and connected. The Material Output represents the actual material within …" --- # Redshift Material Output Node You are here: # Output Node ## Introduction When you create a new Redshift material, an *Output* node is automatically created and connected. The Material Output represents the actual material within the shader node environment and collects the definitions for the material via its inputs. In many cases, it is sufficient to connect the *Surface* input, because all color, luminance, reflectance, transparency and bump/normal mapping properties are already exchanged via this input. Therefore, for many materials, the connection of a Redshift *Material* node is sufficient. In addition to the *Surface* properties, other material definitions can be made using the other inputs on this node, e.g. for *Displacement*. For some special materials it is necessary to use the inputs for *Volume* or *Environment* instead of the *Surface* input. | | | --- | | ![Image: C4D_Material_Output_Basic_UI.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Material_Output_Basic_UI.png) | | | ## Inputs ### Surface This port expects a container of colors and definitions for diffuse, reflectivity, transparency, luminance and bump/normal mapping. This is the most common port for Redshift materials like the Standard Material or Toon Material. ### Displacement This port expects displacement information as output by the *Displacement* node. This attribute can be combined with the *Surface* definition to add deformations to the mapped geometry. By using the *Redshift Object Tag* for the mapped object, you can add additional subdivisions to the geometry at render time to achieve a more defined displacement, even for low-resolution objects. ### Volume This input expects volume information as output by a *Volume* shader like the [Standard Volume](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/html/Material%2BStandard%2BVolume.html.md). This combination is needed to render volumetric smoke, clouds, fire or explosions loaded with the *Redshift Volume* object. Noise can also be added to a global fog volume by connecting a noise shader to the Volume input and applying that material directly to the RS Environment object as pictured below. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | ![Image: RS_Volume_Noise_BW.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/RS_Volume_Noise_BW.jpg) | ![Image: rsVolume_Noise_Color.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/rsVolume_Noise_Color.jpg) | ![Image: rsVolume_Noise_Default.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/rsVolume_Noise_Default.jpg) | | Volume Fog with Maxon Noise | 3 noises blended with a Color Layer | Volume Fog without Noise | | | | --- | | [Video: C4D_Volume_Noise_Connect.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Volume_Noise_Connect.mp4) | | Applying volume noise to global fog | ### Environment This input expects color information, for example, from an *Environment* node, but even a simple color will work here as well. This input can be used together with *Surface* or *Displacement* to include a virtual environment to the material, that is used for reflection simulation. Another use case would be to use the *Environment* input at the *Output* node to create an environment definition, that can be used as *Environment* within the *Redshift Camera Tag* or as global environment in the *Redshift Render Settings* (*Globals*/*Options*/*Default Environment*). When using a color or texture as an environment shader consider using it with a UV Projection node and setting the mode to Spherical. ![Image: Output_Node_1.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Output_Node_1.png) *The Environment information can be used to create virtual surroundings for the material.* ![Image: Output_Node_2.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Output_Node_2.png) *The left side shows the result when using a simple, white *Color* node for the environment of a displaced sphere. The effect is similar to using a *Dome Light* or *Ambient Occlusion* shading. The right is using a sunset HDR image loaded into an *Environment* node and connected to the *Environment* at the *Output* node.* ### Light This is an input exclusively for the Redshift *Light* nodes (*Dome Light*, *IES Light*, *Physical Light*, *Portal Light* and *Sun Light*). These shaders allow you to control general parameters of *Redshift Light* objects from within the node environment when the material is applied directly to a *Redshift Light*. | | | --- | | ![Image: C4D_Light_Nodes.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Light_Nodes.png) | | Available light nodes | With this, you can create procedural shading setups for light color and other compatible inputs, eliminating the need to load an external texture. The "lightColor_shadowAmount" output from a light node should be connected to the Light input of the Material Output node, and that light material should be assigned directly to the light in the Object Manager. | | | --- | | ![Image: C4D_Light_Shader_Ex_01.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Light_Shader_Ex_01.png) | | Creating a procedural light color | ### Material ID Using a value above 0, you can use this ID in combination with a *Puzzle Matte* AOV layer to output masks for the objects that are rendered with this material. See [AOV Topics](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/html/AOV%2BTopics.html.md) for details about rendering with AOVs ### Contour This port only works with a [Contour shader](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/html/Utility%2BContour.html.md) to create outlines around objects. This is frequently used with a [Toon Material](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/html/Material%2BToon.html.md) but it can be used with any Surface shader. ### Viewport This can be used to preview a custom shader in the viewport. This only affects viewport preview and does not affect not final rendering. You can use something as simple as a color texture or as complex as a full material setup for viewport preview. | | | | --- | --- | | ![Image: C4D_Viewport_Texture.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Viewport_Texture.png) | ![Image: C4D_Viewport_Material.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/cinema/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/C4D_Viewport_Material.png) | | Using a texture with Viewport preview | Using a custom material with Viewport preview |