BCC Brick

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Overview

Brick is a versatile generator of tiled surfaces with realistic texture and lighting controls. The bricks can act as a filter on a layer or generate a brick surface

Function

Presets and Common Controls

BCC filters come with a library of factory installed presets plus the ability to create your own custom presets and preview them  with the BCC FX Browser™.

BCC filters also include common controls that configure global effect preferences and other host-specific effect settings.

For more information about working with presets and other common controls, Click Here.

Brick Parameter Group

The Offset XY parameter determines the position of the generated bricks.

Scale X and Scale Y determine the horizontal and vertical size of the brick image. These values scale both the bricks and the mortar. To scale only the bricks, use the Brick Width and Brick Height parameters. Select Lock to Scale X checkbox to lock the Scale Y value to the Scale X value, or deselect this option to adjust each parameter independently.

Rotation spins the brick pattern around the Z axis.

Bump Height determines the height of the bump map used to create the texture of the bricks.

Resolution determines the size of bump map. Increasing Resolution adds finer detail. However, increasing Resolution also increases rendering times.

The Brick Color controls set the color of the bricks.

The Mortar Color controls set the color of the mortar between the bricks.

Brick Color Hue Var. adjusts the amount of hue variance between brick colors. As this value increases, the bricks assume a wider variety of colors. Decreasing this value produces bricks that are more uniform in color.

Brick Color Sat. Var. adjusts the amount of saturation variance between brick colors. Decreasing this value produces bricks that are more uniform in saturation.

Brick Color Lightness Var. adjusts the amount of lightness variance between brick colors. Decreasing this value produces bricks that are more uniform in lighting.

Brick Color Pattern controls the Brick Color Variation at a given point by moving through the color map used to create the Brick Color Variation.

Brick Width determines the width of the bricks. Higher values create wider bricks. This parameter differs from Scale X in that increasing the value increases the width of the bricks but does not affect the mortar.

Brick Height determines the height of the bricks. Higher values create taller bricks. This parameter differs from Scale Y in that increasing the value increases the height of the bricks but does not affect the mortar.

Mortar Thickness determines the thickness of the mortar between the bricks. Higher values create wider bricks.

Brick Coarseness determines the amount of bumpy texture applied to the bricks.

Brick Wear makes the mortar between the bricks appear worn. Higher values create more worn mortar.

Lighting Parameter Group

The Light Type menu determines the type of light source.

• Point combines both focused (specular) and diffuse light. You can use this Light Type to create the appearance of a shiny surface lit by a point light source.
• Distance creates a non-directional infinitely distant diffuse light, similar to sunlight.
• Spot creates the look of a traditional theatrical spotlight. Spot creates a small spot of intense light whose falloff can vary.

The Light XY controls position the light source in space by moving the light parallel to the image plane along the X and Y axes.

Light Z positions the depth of the light source relative to the image plane. A value of 100 places the light one source width above the image plane. Light Z can be negative, which places the light behind the image plane. If Light Z is negative, the light is seen only if the object is rotated or displaced so that all or part of it is behind the light source (that is, the light source always points in toward the object, never out at the viewer).

Light Intensity controls the intensity of the light.

The Light Color controls determine the color of the light.

The Spot XY controls set the X and Y coordinates for the point at which the spotlight is aimed. Unlike the X and Y Light controls (under the Light Type menu), adjusting the Spot parameters does not change the shape of the light.

Spotlight Angle sets the angle of the light. This is analogous to focusing the light. Decreasing values create a smaller, more focused light.

Spotlight Falloff controls the relative softness of the edges of the lit region. Leave Spotlight Falloff at its default setting if you prefer a soft edge, or decrease this value to harden the edges of the lit region. Spotlight Falloff removes light from the edges of the lit region. To maintain the size of the region while softening the edges, you need to increase Spotlight Angle accordingly.

White in Specular increases the amount of white in the specular light. Increasing this value can create a more metallic surface effect. This parameter is only useful when Specular Intensity has a value greater than 0.

Ambient Intensity adjusts the total amount of diffuse light on the image. The default setting of 100 does not add or subtract ambient light from the source image. Decreasing this setting makes the image darker before the other lights are applied. Ambient light illuminates or darkens the image evenly, and is unaffected by any other lighting parameters.

Diffuse Intensity determines the amount of non-directional diffuse light applied to the object. Increasing Diffuse Intensity brightens the object uniformly.

Specular Intensity simulates lighting a glossy surface from a point source, creating a small spot of intense light whose falloff can vary. Increasing this value adds reflected light to the surface.

Shininess controls the rate at which the Specular light falls off from the center of the lit region. A higher Shininess value creates a more concentrated highlight, simulating a shiny, highly reflective surface. A lower Shininess value spreads light more evenly throughout the lit region, simulating a rougher, less reflective surface.

Stain Parameter Group

Stain Amount sets the amount of stain added to the brick surface. You can use this parameter to imitate dirt, moss, spray paint or water on the bricks. At a value of 0, no stain is visible.

Stain=0	Stain=25	Stain=50

Stain Scale X and Stain Scale Y sets the scale of the stain on the X and Y axis respectively. Select the Lock to Scale X checkbox to lock the Stain Scale Y value to the Stain Scale X value, or deselect this option to adjust each parameter independently.

Stain Scale X=100, Y=50	Stain Scale X=50, Y=100	Stain Scale X=100, Y=100

Stain Smoothness adjusts the amount of blur applied to the stain. Higher values produce more blur, which tends to reduce the amount of detail and noise in the filtered image.

Stain Detail sets the level of detail in the stain texture. At a value of 0, the stain is not visible. At a value of 1, the stain is a simple gradient with soft edges. As the value increases, the texture appears finer, with a rougher gradient.

Stain Detail=0	Stain Detail=50	Stain Detail=100

Stain Mutation controls the pattern of the stain at a given point by moving through the procedural noise from which the effect is generated along the Z axis.

The Stain Color controls set the color of the stain.

Surface Image Parameter Group

The Image Layer menu allows you to choose a layer to use as the background of the effect. When the Image Layer menu is set to None, the other parameters have no affect.

The Position XY controls determine the position of the layer specified in the Image Layer menu.

Scale X and Scale Y determine the horizontal and vertical scale of the layer specified in the Image Layer menu. Select Lock to Scale X checkbox to lock the Scale Y value to the Scale X value, or deselect this option to adjust each parameter independently.

Image Rotation spins the layer specified in the Image Layer menu around the Z axis.

Image Opacity sets the opacity of the layer specified in the Image Layer menu.

Apply Parameter Group

Select the Source Alpha checkbox to use the source alpha channel as a mask for the filter, so the texture appears only in the opaque regions of the source. If this option is deselected, the source image’s alpha channel is ignored.

Opacity adjusts the opacity of the simulated texture.

The Apply Mode menu controls how the texture is composited over the source image.  For descriptions of all the possible Apply Modes, Click Here.

Apply Mix controls the mix of the specified Apply Mode with the Normal apply mode. If the Apply Mode is Normal, Apply Mix has no affect. If Apply Mix is 0, Apply Mode has no affect. Increase Apply Mix to blend the Apply Mode setting with the Normal apply mode.