Diffuse Layers

• General
• Parameters
  • Diffuse Color
  • Diffuse Layer Transparency
• Notes

General

The diffuse layer is basically the color of an object, although it final color is a composite of many material aspects of course.

Again the diffuse layer can have a transparency mask, we have 2 diffuse layers. You can use the transparency to make mixes of both diffuse layers (handy for fast mixing textures) or you can make the diffuse both just a slight effect, like a dirty glass p.e. in the screenshot below you see the white dots in transparency that lets looks through the yellow diffuse below, also  in combination with translucency, it often makes sense to keep a certain amount of diffuse to achieve a semi opak body.

Parameters

Diffuse Color

Color - this is the diffuse color of the material. Note the actual diffuse color of the surface also depends on the reflection and refraction colors.

 

Brightness- use this setting to adjust the brightness of a channel’s color.

Texture Map - here an image texture or shader can be defined.

 

Mix Mode- use these parameters to mix the color and texture panes using one of four modes. The default mode for all channels is Normal. If you load a texture or shader, it is placed on a layer above the color (i.e. the texture is placed on top of the color). Please consult the Cinema4d documentation about the different mix modes.

 

Mix Strength - defines the mixing proportion between the texture and color.

 

Roughness - this parameter controls the surface roughness for the material. A value of 0.0 produces a diffuse material, while higher values give the surface a translucent quality.

Texture Map - here an image texture or shader can be defined.

Diffuse Layer Transparency

Transparency Color - this is the transparency color of the material. 

Amount - use this setting to adjust the transparency of a channel. use this setting to adjust the transparency of a channel. use this setting to adjust the transparency of a channel.

Texture Map - here an image texture or shader can be defined.

 

Mix Mode - use these parameters to mix the color and texture panes using one of four modes. The default mode for all channels is Normal. If you load a texture or shader, it is placed on a layer above the color (i.e. the texture is placed on top of the color). Please consult the Cinema4d documentation about the different mix modes.

 

Mix Strength - defines the mixing proportion between the texture and color.

Invert - This option simply inverts the Texture Map, so transparent and solid areas are reversed. This works for both clipped images and images with built-in alpha channels.

 

Map Preview Size- Here you’ll find entries from 64x64 (16 KB) to 4096x4096 (64 MB). The value controls the internal resolution of the map — the higher you set this value, the more detailed the map will be in the viewport. The value has no effect on the rendered result.Proceed with caution when increasing the  Map Preview Size. Higher settings require more RAM and increase the filesize of the CINEMA 4D scene. OpenGL is also affected because the map previews must be loaded into the graphics card’s memory.

Notes

• The diffuse layers are below the reflection and luminance layers, as they get covered by this effects full or partly, so when you have a 100% reflection you will never see the diffuse layer of course, this is physical correct and makes sense, you never see that color of a mirror, the mirror will only show the reflecting environment (At most the reflection can be tinted). In real world there are very few materials that have 100% reflectivity of course. Most materials have a Fresnel effect and show also the diffuse color.
  
• If you have a very bright luminance (100+%) you will also not see the diffuse color.