Metallic and Smoothness
- Game Development course
- Intermediate
- Lesson 15/83
- 4 min
Learn how Metallic and Smoothness values shape surface appearance.
Metallic and PBR fundamentals
Physically Based Rendering (PBR) accurately simulates light behavior according to real-world physics. The Metallic parameter dictates whether a surface behaves as a conductive metal or a dielectric insulator.
// Making surface fully metallic (between 0.0 and 1.0)
mat.SetFloat("_Metallic", 1.0f);Dielectrics like wood, stone, and cloth use a Metallic value of 0.0, whereas iron, gold, and chrome use 1.0.
Smoothness
Smoothness controls microscopic surface irregularities. When set to 0.0, the surface is completely matte and diffuses light broadly.
// High gloss mirror-like smoothness setting
mat.SetFloat("_Glossiness", 0.85f);As the value approaches 1.0, the surface becomes mirror-smooth, generating sharp, defined specular highlights and reflections.
Practice Print Metallic and Smoothness values
Assign "0.9" to metallic and "0.85" to smoothness. Print Metallic: 0.9 | Smoothness: 0.85 to the console.
Starter code
using System;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// metallic ve smoothness değerlerini tanımlayıp yazdır
}
}Sample solution
using System;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
string metallic = "0.9";
string smoothness = "0.85";
Console.WriteLine("Metallic: " + metallic + " | Smoothness: " + smoothness);
}
}Expected output
Metallic: 0.9 | Smoothness: 0.85
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 In the PBR material system, what should the Metallic value be for non-metallic items like wood, plastic, or stone?
- -1.0 (Negative reflection)
- 0.0 (Non-metallic dielectric) Correct answer
- 1.0 (Pure metal)
- 0.8 (Chrome plating)
Explanation: Non-metallic dielectric surfaces possess a Metallic value of 0.0, exhibiting zero metallic conductance.
2 Set metallic value
mat.SetFloat("____", 0.8f);mat.SetFloat("_Metallic", 0.8f);Explanation: In the Unity Standard Shader, the parameter controlling metallic factor is named '_Metallic'.
3 PBR properties
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
PBR |
Physics-based realistic rendering model |
Metallic |
Value defining surface metalness (0-1) |
Smoothness |
Setting for shininess and reflection |
Dielektrik |
Non-metallic surface like wood or stone |