The most simple material entity with individual behavior as a single material is named BSDF (stands for Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Function, which is the usual abbreviation in computer graphics for the main surface definition).
The BSDF component is the main component in the Maxwell material system. It contains all the parameters needed to create lots of different types of materials, ranging from clear glass to sandblasted glass, plastics, metals and translucent materials such as skin, porcelain, and wax.
The most simple materials are created with one single BSDF, while some others are a mix of several BSDFs.
When a BSDF is selected in the material layer, its BSDF properties are displayed in the panel on the right hand-side. The controls are divided into 3 distinct areas: BSDF, Surface and Subsurface.
- BSDF Properties: The BSDF properties handle all settings related to the material as a whole.
- Surface Properties: The Surface properties handle all settings related to the surface of the material, such as the surface roughness and bump.
- Subsurface Properties: The Subsurface properties control the effect of translucency – or light that is scattered beneath the surface.
First we will go through each parameter in order, providing deep descriptions of each parameter. After that we will show different material examples and discuss the settings used.