> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.vectary.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.vectary.com/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials.md).

# Basic materials

Basic material properties define how a surface looks and reacts to light. These properties control essential aspects like color, reflectivity, transparency, and surface details. Each property can be manually adjusted or assigned a texture to create more complex and realistic materials.

<table><thead><tr><th width="154.2109375">Property</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/color.md">Color</a></td><td>Determines the base color of a material</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/roughness.md">Roughness</a></td><td>Controls how glossy or rough a surface appears</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/metalness.md">Metalness</a></td><td>Defines whether a material behaves like a metal or a non-metal</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/opacity.md">Opacity</a></td><td>Adjusts the transparency of a material</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/emission.md">Emission</a></td><td>Makes a material emit light, allowing it to glow regardless of the scene’s lighting</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/documentation/design-process/materials-and-textures/basic-materials/normal-map.md">Normal map</a></td><td>Simulates surface details by affecting how light interacts with the material without changing its actual geometry</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czgoIgrmuEQ>" %}


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