Anisotropic is a type of Specular or reflection that simulates the directionality of grooves in a surface and modifies/stretches the Specular in the perpendicular direction. It is very useful when you want to simulate brushed metals, not a metal with a clear, smooth, and polished surface. Imagine the Specular that you see when you look at the data side of a CD or DVD or the way Specular is shaped at the bottom of a pot or pan. You will notice that if you carefully examine the surface, there is a direction to the grooves, usually in the way the metal was brushed. When you apply a Specular to this surface, you get a Specular stretched in the perpendicular direction.
This recipe will introduce you to the ...
