Diffuse / Color
Sets the color.
← Fusion node reference
3D MaterialsIntermediate
Ward
Anisotropic specular material
Creates a 3D material with diffuse color and an anisotropic highlight controlled independently along U and V, plus lighting, shadows, transmittance and Material ID.
Ward
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
Ward is especially useful for surfaces where highlights need a deliberate direction: brushed metal, polished plastic, lacquer and premium 3D typography. Separate Spread U and Spread V values create elongated anisotropic reflections.
Overview
What Ward does
Ward is especially useful for surfaces where highlights need a deliberate direction: brushed metal, polished plastic, lacquer and premium 3D typography. Separate Spread U and Spread V values create elongated anisotropic reflections.
Mental model
Think of Ward as a painted surface with a highlight that can be stretched in two surface directions. The greater the difference between Spread U and Spread V, the more directional the reflection becomes.
Common uses
Brushed-metal style highlights
Polished 3D typography
Lacquered graphics
Directional studio reflections
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
MaterialInput
Material or texture data applied to the 3D object.
Ward
Fusion node
MaterialOutput
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Diffuse / Red
Adjusts the red channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Diffuse / Green
Adjusts the green channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Diffuse / Blue
Adjusts the blue channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Diffuse / Alpha
Adjusts the alpha channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Diffuse / Opacity
Sets the overall opacity of the material or object.
Specular / Color
Sets the color.
Specular / Red
Adjusts the red channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Specular / Green
Adjusts the green channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Specular / Blue
Adjusts the blue channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Specular / Intensity
Sets the light intensity.
Specular / Spread U
Sets the width of the Ward specular lobe along the surface U direction.
Specular / Spread V
Sets the width of the Ward specular lobe along the surface V direction.
Transmittance
Controls light transmission for transparent or tinted surfaces.
Receives Lighting
Controls whether the material responds to scene lighting.
Receives Shadows
Controls whether the object or material receives shadows.
Two Sided Lighting
Allows both sides of thin surfaces to be illuminated.
MaterialID / Material ID
Assigns the Material ID written to the render passes.
Material IDs can be used later to isolate surfaces in compositing.
Keyframes
Provides keyframe controls for animating the related parameter.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Apply Ward to the target 3D geometry.
- 2
Set the base Diffuse color.
- 3
Tune Specular Intensity under a simple light.
- 4
Separate Spread U and Spread V to create anisotropy.
- 5
Check the material from multiple camera angles.
- 6
Set shadow and Material-ID behavior before final rendering.
Typical node chain
3D Object→
Ward→
Light→
Renderer3D
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Brushed highlight on 3D text
Different U/V spreads create an elongated studio-style reflection.
Text3DWardSpotLightRenderer3D
Polished logo
Moderate specular and directional spread create a controlled premium surface.
Extrude3DWardMerge3DRenderer3D
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Expecting anisotropy while Spread U and Spread V are nearly identical.
Increasing specular instead of improving the light direction.
Forgetting that the look changes strongly with camera angle.
Production notes
Practical tips
Use anisotropy subtly for clean motion-graphics surfaces.
Tune the light and camera before making extreme U/V changes.
Unique Material IDs make later selective grading much easier.
Related nodes