Glossary

Alpha (surface alpha). A greyscale pattern that shapes each dab of a brush: pores, scales, stitches. See Stamps and surface alphas.

Cavity shading. Darkening creases by the surface’s curvature so fine detail reads clearly.

Clay. Shapeaway’s sculpting material: a volume stored as distances to the surface, so it can’t tear.

Detail level. How finely a clay object is stored, from Draft (2.1 mm) to Studio (0.4 mm).

Detail mesh. A mesh with subdivision levels made from a clay object, for detail finer than the clay holds.

Dual contouring. The meshing used by Sharp edges, which keeps creases and corners crisp.

Falloff. How a brush’s effect fades from its middle to its edge.

Finish. An object’s material: Clay, Skin, Metal, Leather, Gloss, Fabric or Eye, with sliders.

Groom. A set of hair growing from one object, shaped by guides.

Marching cubes. The default way Shapeaway draws the clay’s surface; smooth and organic.

Mask. Protection painted onto the clay so brushes leave that part alone.

Matcap. A picture of a lit sphere the clay takes its shading from.

Overhang. A downward-facing part of a print that needs support.

Signed distance. For every point, how far it is from the surface, negative inside the clay. It’s how the clay is stored.

Subdivision level. One step of a detail mesh; each roughly quadruples the triangles.

Turntable. An animation of the sculpt turning once round.

Watertight. A closed surface with no holes or flipped faces, which every slicer can print. Shapeaway exports always are.