CARROTREVOLT LABS
INTERACTIVE STUDIES / 01

Material Lab

All labsBlender concepts
Preparing material…
EEVEE
Drag or MMB to orbit · Scroll to zoom

Shader Editor

MATERIAL
100%
ColorVectorShaderRest the pointer on a value to see what it doesDrag output → input: connect · Drag input away: disconnect · Ctrl+RMB drag: cut · Ctrl+Z undo · Home fit
Ready. Change a value or connect a socket.9 connections
MATERIAL LAB

Follow the connections.

A texture supplies data. The shader uses that data to calculate how the surface reacts to light.

  1. Connect: drag from an output socket (right side of a node) to an input (left side). Inputs that can accept the link light up. Clicking the output and then the input also works.
  2. Disconnect or move a link: drag a connected input away, as in Blender. Drop it on empty space to remove it, or on another input to move it. Ctrl + right-drag across wires cuts them.
  3. Explore: move a node by its header. Drag the background or the middle mouse button to pan, scroll to zoom, press Home to see every node.
  4. Change values: drag along a value bar, as in Blender's sliders.
  5. Learn a parameter: rest the pointer on any value (or its panel header, or a setting in Properties): a card explains what it does, typical values of real materials and the usual mistake.
  6. Use your images: choose Open in an Image Texture node. Images stay in your browser and are never uploaded.

Roughness and Base Color values are replaced by a connected texture, as in Blender. Disconnect the input to use its slider or color picker.

Stages and steps: each step loads a material and checks your change. Show a solution and Ctrl Z are always there. Your work in each step is kept in this browser.

Coordinates: start with UV → Mapping → Image Texture. Mapping changes Location, Rotation and Scale in XYZ. Images use Flat projection and Repeat: with UV input, Z translation or scaling alone does not change the image. Object coordinates use the preview mesh.

This lab implements a focused subset of Blender node concepts with a browser renderer. It does not run Blender or open .blend files.

Sources & credits

Blender manual · Principled BSDF
Node names, sockets and material concepts.

Brick Wall 001 · Poly Haven
Color, roughness and OpenGL normal maps. CC0.

Painted steel, tiles and leaf textures are drawn by the lab in your browser. The HDRIs are the procedural ones of the Lighting Lab.

Three.js · MIT license. Browser rendering and orbit controls.