List of Supported Material/Surface State Files
The following page lists the different supported files that you can input in Optical Properties.
- Volume Optical Properties (VOP)
- Surface Optical Properties (SOP)
Volume Optical Properties File
When you want to define Volume Optical Properties properties, the VOP will be input with a *.material file. *.material files simulate volume materials, taking into account the diffusion, index and absorption variation, gradient index and birefringent properties.
Surface Optical Properties Files
When you want to define Surface Optical Properties properties, the SOP can be input with different types of surface state.
Simple scattering file (*.simplescattering)
Simple scattering file simulates the surface's behavior with the classical model (Specular, Lambertian, Gaussian) for both transmitted and reflected rays without wavelength information.
Simple scattering file is an analytical model. That means a formula defines the model with parameters to adjust the model in the file. The BSDF is the result of the formula.
Advanced scattering file (*.scattering)
Advanced scattering file simulates the surface's behavior for both transmitted and reflected rays for Specular, Lambertian, and Gaussian models, and depending on incidence angle, and wavelength information.
Advanced scattering file is an analytical model. That means a formula defines the model with parameters to adjust the model in the file. The BSDF is the result of the formula.
Anisotropic BSDF file (*.anisotropicbsdf)
Anisotropic BSDF file simulates isotropic or anisotropic surfaces, and carries information regarding the surface’s behavior for both transmitted (BTDF) and reflected rays (BRDF).
Anisotropic BSDF file is not a formula, unlike Simple and Advanced Scattering files. The file uses measure tables and interpolates the BSDF in the tables. This allows more possibilities than Simple and Advanced Scattering files, however Anisotropic BSDF files are bigger.
Complete scattering file – BRDF (*.brdf)
Complete scattering file - BRDF simulates transmission as well as reflection and has one distribution per wavelength, and is isotropic.
As Anisotropic BSDF file, Complete scattering file – BRDF uses measure tables and interpolates the BSDF in the tables. Complete scattering file – BRDF does not manage Lambertian and Gaussians models, and anisotropy, unlike Anisotropic BSDF file. However, spectral information are better managed.
BSDF180 file (*.bsdf180)
BSDF180 file simulates the behavior of optical surfaces that have asymmetrical optical properties, as you may need to simulate surfaces that receive rays from both faces with different behaviors. The BSDF180 file corresponds to two files (Advanced Scattering, Coate Surface, Anisotropic BSDF, etc.) that have been joined together, one for each face of the surface.
Coated file (*.coated)
Coated file simulates optical coatings that are thin multilayers of materials applied on optical components such as lens, prism, or mirrors. These multilayers interfer with the light and so modify the way the optical component reflects and transmits light. We recommend you to use the Lumerical Subwavelength Model plugin instead as it provides higher quality and higher complexity.
Thin lens file (*.doe)
DOE stands for Diffractive Optical Element. DOE file describes diffractive lenses out of their phase function. The phase function is described by a polynomial.Thin lens is a specific DOE file for perfect thin lens.
Grating file (*.grating)
Grating file simulates a simplified representation of the behavior of a surface that diffracts light. We recommend you to use the Lumerical Subwavelength Model plugin instead as it provides higher quality and higher complexity.
Retroreflecting file (*.retroreflecting)
Retroreflecting file simulates the behavior of a surface that reflects the rays in the direction they come from, such as road signs, road lines, yellow vest.
Polarizer file (*.polarizer)
Polarizer file simulates a simplified representation of the surface behavior of a polarizer. The file contains information on the coordinates of the easy axis of the polarizer. This means that if you rotate the surface on which you apply the polarizer, the vector rotates the same way. Besides, using Jones matrix, Polarizer files can be used as retarder or define circular polarization. We recommend you to use the Lumerical Subwavelength Model plugin instead as it provides higher quality and higher complexity.
Unpolished file (*.unpolished)
Unpolished file simulates the behavior of an unpolished surface in transmission or reflection. The transmission/reflection of a ray will depend on the underlying material refraction indices.
AxF file (*.axf)
As of version 2025 R1, Speos allows to use AxF files. AxF files are textured appearance property files generated with X-Rites measurement devices. Speos supports the SVBRDF model.
For more information, refer to AxF File.
Surface State Plugin file (*.sop)
Surface State Plugin files are material models that allow you to create your own user-custom plugin models.
For more information refer to Surface State Plugin.