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Game Editing => Video Channel => Topic started by: kat on February 25, 2014, 12:42:45 PM

Title: Coloured Wireframe and Surface rendering (simple)
Post by: kat on February 25, 2014, 12:42:45 PM

Download example file (https://www.katsbits.com/files/blender/katsbits_render-wireframe_coloured-wires-solid-surfaces.zip)

Scenario
Most wire-frame rendering is of a simple type; black wire-frame absent rendered surfaces. This is done in Material properties by selecting "Wire" as the materials "Surface Type" (changes the way a material is rendered), and changing the "Diffuse" colour associated with that material. In some circumstances however, a render might need different coloured wire-frames to be and/or rendered with coloured opaque or transparent surfaces. How is this done?

Problem
The basic properties available for a given Material are relatively versatile when it comes to producing simple scene renders; the colour of a wire-frame is determined, as mentioned above by the assigned Material's "Diffuse" colour, and because the "Wire" surface type is set it renders the Object as a wire-frame.

This is a per-material property; its use is based on its assignment.

What this means is that a given Object can have a number of differing materials assigned, each with unique attributes, depending on the desired render outcome - a green 'wire' rendered around a 'blue' box for example.

Solution
To do this, with an Object selected, if not already assigned, create a new Material and change the "Diffuse" colour as needed, 'green' as per the above example for instance. This initial Material, assigned to the OBJECT (at the 'Object' level), will ALWAYS be rendered as the Objects WIRE-FRAME.

Next, enter "Edit" mode and select the surfaces that need to be rendered as a colour. Create a second new Material and "Assign" that to the selection. Change the "Diffuse" colour as desired ("blue" as mentioned above for example) - make sure "Surface" remains the default 'Material Type' (the "Surface" button should be active in Material properties).

Exit Edit mode and render ("F12"). The results should display the Object with surfaces rendered solid 'blue', outline by a 'green' wire-frame.

Depending on the results required, assign more Materials to SURFACES to change their respective colours - another 5 Materials, one assigned to each face of a cube, results in a varied colours outlined with a single colour.

Note that because the WIRE is assigned at the Object level, it's not possible to assign multiple materials to change that because only one can be properly assigned that way. IF the Wire needed to be differing colours it would tend to require mesh duplication and unique Material assignments to an edited Object (unwanted surfaces removed).