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the_3d_preview_knald_1.3

The 3D Preview

To access the 3d preview window, click the Show/Hide 3D Preview Window button which is located in the General group within the Main Tab or hit the 'P' key. From here you can set up the way in which you preview your results within Knald.

The 3D Preview window1)

3D Preview Settings


3D Preview Settings

Albedo: This button allows you to import an Albedo texture that can be viewed on the primitives or imported meshes within the 3d preview window.

Metalness: This button allows you to import a Metalness texture that can be used to control where conductors (metals) & insulators/dielectrics (non-metals) are shown on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window.

White (1.0) represents conductors (metals), black (0.0) represents insulators/dielectrics (non-metals) & gradients between black & white represent transitional areas where the shader will blend between conductors & insulators/dielectrics.

Smoothness: This button allows you to import a Smoothness texture that can be viewed on the primitives or imported meshes within the 3d preview window.

Smoothness textures define how smooth the micro-surface is on an object with black (0.0) representing 100% rough & white (1.0) representing 100% smooth. If your workflow requires the use of Roughness textures (perceptual) rather than Smoothness, you may use the “Invert Smoothness” checkbox below as both representations of the micro-surface are the direct inverse of the other.

Mesh: This button allow you to import an .obj or .fbx mesh into the 3d preview window.

Albedo/VCols: This toggles the display of an imported Albedo texture or baked Vertex Colors on/off.

Albedo Alpha: This toggles the display of alpha transparency on/off. The alpha channel in the Albedo texture is used to store the transparency mask.

Metalness: This toggles the display of an imported Metalness texture on/off.

Smoothness: This toggles the display of an imported Smoothness texture on/off.

Parallax: This toggles the Parallax effect on/off.

Colored Lights: This toggles colored lights on/off.

Backface Culling: Enables or disables backface culling in the 3d viewport.

Self-Occlusion: Enables or disables self-occlusion in the 3d viewport.

Filtered Reflections: Enables or disables filtering of reflections in the 3d viewport.

Lighting Settings


Image Based Lighting Toggle the use of Image Based Lighting within Knald.

Load Panorama This button allows you to import a Panorama to be used for Image Based Lighting.

Lighting Presets: This drop down menu allows you to choose between various lighting configurations, with which to better view your results. There are 4 presets to choose from.

Surface Settings


Albedo - Dielectric: This controls the base color of insulators/dielectrics (non-metals) on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window.

Albedo - Conductor: This controls the base color of conductors (metals) on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window.

Smoothness: This defines how smooth the micro-surface appears on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window, with 0 representing 100% rough & 100 representing 100% smooth.

Invert Smoothness Inverts the Smoothness texture to make Knald compatible with the Roughness texture (perceptual) workflow.

Surface is Metal A toggle to change the reflectance values displayed on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window between conductors (metals) & insulators/dielectrics (non-metals).

  • Checked will use the correct values for conductors (metals).
  • Unchecked will use the correct values for insulators/dielectrics (non-metals).

UV Coords


U & V Tile: Here you can change the tiling shown on the objects within the 3d preview window in the U & V directions independently of the main UV Tile functionality. Changing the value will increase or decrease the number of times that the texture is tilled along the surface of the object.

Reset UVs: This button resets any changes you have made in regards to offsetting or tiling the UVs within the 3d preview window.

Transmission Settings


Translucency: This toggles translucency on/off.

Bake Options


Cage Color - Here you can change the color of the cage mesh.

Wireframe Color - Here you can change the color of the cage meshes wireframe.

Post FX


Background: Here you can change what is displayed in the background of the 3d preview window.

  • Color: Sets the 3d preview window background to a solid color.
  • Skybox: Sets the 3d preview window background to the Skybox currently being used for Image Based Lighting.
  • Ambient: Sets the 3d preview window background to an ambient version (Irradiance) of the Skybox currently being used for Image Based Lighting.

Exposure: Here you can change the exposure of the image used for Image Based Lighting.

Reinhard: Tonemap the 3D Preview using the Reinhard algorithm.

Surface is Metal A toggle to change the reflectance values displayed on the imported mesh or primitives within the 3d preview window between conductors (metals) & insulators/dielectrics (non-metals).

3D Preview Controls


3D Preview Controls







View Type: This dropdown menu controls what is displayed on the primitive or imported mesh within the 3d preview window.

There are 14 options to choose from:

  • Lighting - This shows the fully lit primitive or mesh with any textures that you currently have imported.
  • Height Map - A preview of the generated Height map.
  • Ambient Occlusion - A preview of the generated Convexity map.
  • Concavity - A preview of the generated Convexity map.
  • Convexity - A preview of the generated Convexity map.
  • Normal - A preview of the generated Normal map.
  • Derivative - A preview of the generated Derivative map.
  • Transmission - A preview of the generated Transmission map. Transmission is only available after it has been generated.
  • Vertex Color - A preview of the generated Vertex Color map. Vertex Colors are only available within The Baker.
  • Curvature - A preview of the generated Curvature map.
  • Material ID - A preview of the generated Material ID map. Material ID is only available within The Baker.
  • Bent Normal - A preview of the generated Bent Normal map. Bent Normal is only available within The Baker.
  • Position - A preview of the generated Position map. Position is only available within The Baker.
  • Transfer - A preview of the generated Texture Transfer map. Texture Transfer is only available within The Baker.

Object Type: This dropdown menu controls the type of object that you wish to use to preview your results within Knald. There are 4 options to choose from.

  • Cylinder - A basic Cylinder primitive.
  • Sphere - A basic Sphere primitive.
  • Plane - A basic Plane primitive.
  • Cube - A basic cube promitive.
  • Mesh - An imported .obj or .fbx mesh of your choosing.

Tessellation Level: This slider controls the amount of tessellation shown on the objects. Tessellation is based upon the ratio of 1 polygon per pixel at level 7, with the polygon count reducing by 25% as each level on the slider is also reduced.

A 2048² texture contains 4194304 pixels and as such the number of polygons use in level 7 during tessellation would be 4194304 when using a plane. If the slider is set to level 6, the new tessellated polygon count on that plane would be 3145728.

The following levels of tessellation for each level, based upon a 2048² texture as shown on a plane, is as follows:

  • Level 7 = 4194304 polygons.
  • Level 6 = 3145728 polygons.
  • Level 5 = 2359296 polygons.
  • Level 4 = 1769472 polygons.
  • Level 3 = 1327104 polygons.
  • Level 2 = 995328 polygons.
  • Level 1 = 746496 polygons.
  • Level 0 = 559872 polygons.
Tessellation levels 0-7
















UV Tiling: Here you can change the tiling shown on the objects within the 3d preview window. Pressing the +/- buttons that are located on the numpad will increase and decrease the UV tiling on the primitives/meshes.

Holding CTRL or Alt in addition to +/- on the numpad will offset the UVs in the U & V direction respectively.

1) Art courtesy of Dan Roarty http://www.danroarty.com/
the_3d_preview_knald_1.3.txt · Last modified: 2017/05/23 03:49 (external edit)