The Create Render Node window provides access to materials, textures, lights, and utility nodes you can create and customize in Hypershade. Icons representing the nodes are displayed under each tab.
To open the Create Render Node window, from the Hypershade, select Create > Create Render Node.
The Create Render Node window works the same as the Create Bar in the Hypershade and the Create Node window (Window > Create Node).
When on, creating a material node automatically creates a shading group. See About shading networks for more information about the Shading Group.
To display the shading group icon in Hypershade, click the Graph > Input and Output Connections button.
When on, Maya automatically creates a texture placement node when you create a texture render node. The default setting is on.
Enter the keyword for the render node that you want to create. As you enter a keyword, the right panel of the Create bar updates in real time and only render nodes with names that match what you entered are displayed.
You can also use the search area to clear your selection. When you select one or more sections, only the nodes in the selected sections are displayed in the right panel. To clear your selection, press in the search area.
Describe the physical appearance of surfaces. See About surface materials for more information.
2D patterns that simulate various types of surface materials by using either an image file (File texture) or a computer graphic procedure. See 2D and 3D textures.
3D patterns that simulate solid materials (for example, wood or marble) using a computer graphic procedure. When you map a 3D texture to a surface, the surface appears to be carved out of the material. See 2D and 3D textures.
Surfaces are illuminated by light rays directly emitted from these light sources. Using the attributes and properties associated with lights, you can simulate many different types of real-world light sources and special effects.
For more information about light sources and their attributes, see Direct light sources.
Choose among utilities that enhance and blend various attributes and textures, or color correct and enhance texture colors. See Utility nodes.
Control the appearance and placement of an image plane. You can assign a texture or image file to an image plane to create a background for the scene.
For more information, see Create, edit, or position an image plane.