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How Does It Work?
When you load a bitmap file, it's rendered differently depending on whether you use a color, percent or
bump Image component (you can, of course, use the same bitmap for all three component types). A color Image component simply loads the bitmap "as is". If you use a percent type Image component, it will
convert the bitmap to grayscale based on the brightness of the image colors. And finally if you use a bump type Image component, it will interpret the brightness of the color values as elevations.
Using the Tile check box, you have the option of tiling the bitmap as well, causing it to repeat forever. If
Tile isn't checked, you'll see a background texture in the areas that surround the bitmap. If the bitmap includes an alpha channel, the background color will be seen through the transparent areas of the bitmap.
The Width and Height parameters are strictly for your own information and give you the size of the
loaded bitmap in pixel coordinates. When a bitmap is loaded, it is automatically scaled so that it's largest
dimension fits perfectly in the viewing area. The Mapping Type specifies how the bitmap is projected in 3D space. You will usually want a Planar 2D mapping unless you are using the bitmap as an environment
in which case you will want Spherical 2D.
Hints!
A bitmap that's loaded into a percent Image component can provide some very unique and interesting
results when it's used as a control for another texture. For example, linking the Width parameter of the Stripes component to a percent Image will make a horizontal line interpretation of the original image. Be
sure that the Stripes component is scaled in such a way that there are a lot of stripes, otherwise there won't be sufficient resolution to make the image effects visible.
The Image component can function as a way to provide hand painted masks within a DarkTree as well.
For example, you could load some hand painted text into an Image component, then use it to control the Puff Size parameter of an animated Clouds component. This, in effect, will create moving/rolling "cloud
writing". If you want to create this effect, the text works best if it has a very diffuse, airbrushed edge.
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