Redshift Polypaint Materials allow for polypaint support, enabling users to paint directly onto the surface while benefiting from physically based shading (PBR) principles. These materials accurately simulate reflections, transmissions, and subsurface scattering, making them versatile for realistic and stylized rendering in ZBrush with Redshift.
Control each material with Redshift parameters, such as Metalness, Reflection Roughness, Transmission Weight, and Subsurface Scattering (SSS). These parameters define how light interacts with the material, allowing users to dynamically fine-tune metallic, dielectric, transparent, or emissive surfaces while painting. This flexibility makes Redshift Polypaint Materials ideal for artists needing real-time material customization without relying on predefined colors.
Redshift Polypaint Materials have the Use Material Color option turned off, allowing full access the ZBrush MRGB colorization system used to colorize the model with polypaint. Learn more about this feature and more, in the Redshift Material Parameters section.
Aluminum is a highly reflective metal that balances shininess and roughness to create realistic, slightly diffuse reflections. It primarily utilizes high Metalness values with a Reflection IOR typical of metals to control how light interacts with the surface. The Reflection Roughness can be adjusted to create a polished or brushed look. Adjusting Reflection Anisotropy and Reflection Rotation to simulate variations in real-world aluminum will create directional highlights that mimic manufacturing effects such as brushed finishes.
The Basic material is a versatile, neutral shader suitable for general-purpose rendering. It primarily relies on Base Weight to define its diffuse characteristics, with Reflection Weight determining the reflectivity. Adjust the material to create anything from a matte finish by increasing Diffuse Roughness to a glossy look by reducing Reflection Roughness. It works well as a starting point for custom shaders.
Chrome is a highly reflective material with a Metalness value 1.0, meaning it relies entirely on reflections to define its appearance. Reflection Roughness should remain at 0.0 to achieve a mirror-like surface, ensuring crisp, sharp reflections. Adjusting Reflection IOR influences how reflections behave under different lighting conditions. For realistic variations, slight tweaks to Reflection Anisotropy and Reflection Rotation can introduce subtle distortions, mimicking real-world imperfections.
Clay is a soft, diffuse material with minimal reflections, making it ideal for sculpting previews and non-reflective surfaces. It utilizes the Diffuse Model set to Oren-Nayar with increased Diffuse Roughness to simulate real clay's powdery, matte finish. Since clay has no metallic properties, Metalness remains at 0.0; set the Reflection Weight to 0 to prevent unwanted glossiness.
Glass is a transparent material that uses Transmission Weight to control its clarity. Transmission IOR determines how light bends through the surface, with typical values around 1.5 for standard glass. Transmission Depth affects how color saturates as light passes through, while Reflection Roughness affects the surface properties to produce frosted or imperfect glass. Reflections play a significant role, so balancing Reflection Weight and Reflection IOR is essential for realistic glass rendering.
Gold is a fully metallic material with Metalness set to 1.0 and a characteristic Reflect color to achieve its warm, golden hue. Adjusting Reflection Roughness determines whether the gold appears polished or slightly aged. Fine control over Reflection Anisotropy can replicate brushed gold finishes. Thin Film Thickness can be used for artistic color variations, creating a subtle, iridescent effect.
Leather is a non-metallic material that requires a high Base Weight and Reflection Roughness to control the sheen of the surface. It benefits from a slightly anisotropic reflection to simulate genuine leather's organic, uneven highlights. Using Sheen Weight and Sheen Roughness allows for a more realistic soft reflection along surface edges, enhancing its authenticity. Bump or normal maps can add further realism by simulating leather grain.
Brushed metal relies on high Metalness and anisotropic reflections to simulate the directional streaks created during brushing. Reflection Anisotropy and Reflection Rotation are crucial parameters for defining the direction and spread of the brushed highlights. Increasing Reflection Roughness softens reflections while still maintaining a distinct metallic quality.
Plastic is a non-metallic material with medium reflectivity and a balance between diffuse and specular components. Reflection Roughness controls the shininess, where lower values create glossy plastic, and higher values produce a more matte look. Use Coat Weight to simulate a transparent coat layer, common in polished plastics. Adding a slight Sheen Weight can enhance soft reflections for realistic plastic surfaces.
Plastic White functions similarly to standard plastic but is optimized for bright, neutral-colored surfaces. Since white materials can appear too harsh in renders, slightly increasing Diffuse Roughness can help diffuse highlights evenly. Adjust the Reflection Weight and Coat Weight to balance glossiness without losing detail.
Rough Metal is a fully metallic surface with a high Reflection Roughness, reducing the clarity of reflections while maintaining the overall metallic characteristic. Setting Metalness to 1.0 ensures reflections remain dominant while minimizing diffuse contributions. Adjusting Reflection Anisotropy can introduce directional streaks, useful for weathered or brushed metal appearances.
Rubber is a non-metallic material with a high Base Weight and Reflection Roughness, creating a soft, matte surface. Sheen Weight enhances surface reflections, mimicking the glossy effect on real-world rubber materials. Adding Scatter can simulate light diffusion inside translucent rubber objects. For soft-touch rubber, a subtle SSS Scale can introduce subsurface scattering.
Shadow Catcher is a specialized material that captures shadows on an invisible surface. It does not contribute to lighting but instead receives shadows and reflections from objects in the scene. Shadow Catcher is ideal for compositing CG elements into live-action backgrounds.
This material utilizes the Is Shadow Catcher parameter, available within all Redshift materials.
Tinted Glass functions similarly to standard glass but with a custom Trans color that tints light passing through. Transmission Weight and Transmission Depth control the intensity of the tint, while Reflection IOR influences surface reflections. Increasing Reflection Roughness can create frosted or sandblasted effects.
Vinyl is a non-metallic material with a reflective coating that enhances glossiness. It uses Coat Weight to simulate the clear protective layer, while Coat Roughness determines its finish—glossy for new vinyl or slightly rough for aged surfaces. Sheen Weight and Sheen Roughness refine soft highlights, replicating the look of real-world vinyl surfaces.