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RGBA Color Masking

RGBA Color Masking provides a flexible way to apply different color tints, textures, and normal maps with the main color. This allows the user to seamlessly blend between Materials for situations where the need for blending vertex colors is necessary and for consolidating Detail Normals for greater efficiency.

By default, all 4 channels of RGBA color masking will be set to pure white and 1.0 alpha. Any unused channels should be disabled.

Changes in 9.0

RGBA Color Masking has been completely redone from scratch as of Poiyomi 9.0.

If you are upgrading from previous versions, please take the time to go over the newly reorganized properties as documented below.

Using RGBA Color Masking​

Usage of RGBA Color Masking can greatly increase efficiency for various types of usage scenarios. Community member Teeh has put together this video that demonstrates how to use RGBA Color Masking, which you can watch below:

Material Properties

Below are the list of properties available to use in RGBA Color Masking.

Mask Type​

  • Type: Dropdown, Options: Texture/Vertex Colors

Texture​

Use a Texture Mask to set the RGBA Mask. If enabled, it exposes the Masks slot.

Vertex Colors​

Use the mesh's Vertex Colors to set the RGBA Mask.

Linear Vertex Colors Recommended

When using Vertex Colors as the RGBA Mask, make sure the Color Attributes on the Mesh are in Linear Color so that the shader can accurately read them.

Masks and Maps​

Masks​

  • Type: Data Texture (sRGB OFF)

Slot for the masks that you wish to use for your RGBA Masking. This will only be exposed when Mask Type is set to Texture.

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This slot is only exposed when Mask Type is set to Texture.

Metallic Maps​

  • Type: Data Texture (sRGB OFF)

Slot to use for Metallics & Smoothness effect on your RGBA Masks. Use this for the Metallics mapping in each channel.

Smoothness Maps​

  • Type: Data Texture (sRGB OFF)

Slot to use for Metallics & Smoothness effect on your RGBA Masks. Use this for the Smoothness mapping in each channel.

Channel Module​

These following properties will appear for each Channel you are customizing. We will refer them to "Channel" on this Documentation. This means the word Channel would be the RGBA Mask Channel, such as Red, Green, Blue, or Alpha.

Please take the time to understand how these settings work and how to use them.

Channel​

  • Type: Checkbox

Enables the mentioned Channel to be used.

Blend Mode​

  • Type: Dropdown, Options: Replace/Darken/Multiply/Lighten/Screen/Subtract/Add/Overlay/Mixed

Choice of Blend mode you wish to use for this channel.

Color​

  • Type: Color

Set the Color of the Channel to use.

Texture​

  • Type: Data Texture (sRGB ON)

Texture to use for the Channel masked area. This is pure white by default, if a texture is not defined.

Normal​

  • Type: Normal Map Texture (sRGB OFF)

Normal Map texture to be used for the Channel masked area.

Blend Mode​

  • Type: Dropdown, Options: Replace/Blend

Adjust how the Normal Map blends with the Base, also defined by your RGBA Mask. Expand the Normal Texture Slot to see this property.

Replace is the default setting, overwriting the Normals already existing on your Base with the one defined instead.

If set to Blend, it will combine the bump Normal with the Base Normal of your Material, if defined.

Normal Intensity​

  • Type: Float, Range: 0.0 - 10.0

Intensity for the Normals in your mask, if defined.

By default, a standard Normal intensity would be 1, for reference.

Emission Strength​

  • Type: Float, Range: 0.0 - 20.0

Set the Emission strength to the masked area. High values can create a "bloom" effect in worlds with Post Processing.

Metallics & Smoothness​

  • Type: Checkbox

Enables the usage of your Metallic Map and Smoothness Map to be used in the Channel, if defined.

Custom Sampling​

  • Type: Checkbox

If enabled, exposes more options for sampling your Metallic Maps and Smoothness Maps.

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