The Displace space warp works much like the Displace modifier, except that like all space warps, it affects world space rather than object space. There are two basic ways to use the displace warp:
For geometry, the detail of the displacement depends on the number of vertices. Use Edit Mesh to tessellate faces you want to show in greater detail.
Tip: When you need to create detailed displacement of a small number of objects, use the displace modifier. Use the displace space warp to displace particle systems, a large number of geometric objects at once, or an object relative to its position in world space.
Displace warp on a patch and the bitmap it uses
The Displacement area of the Parameters rollout contains the basic controls for displace warps.
Strength: When Strength is 0.0, the displace warp has no effect. Strength greater than 0.0 displaces object geometry away from the position of the displace warp object. Strength less than 0.0 displaces geometry toward the warp. Default=0.0
Decay: When Decay is 0.0, the displace warp has the same strength throughout world space. Increasing the Decay value causes displacement strength to diminish as distance increases from the position of the displace warp object. Default=0.0
Luminance Center : Centers the luminance by using medium (50%) gray as the zero displacement value. Gray values greater than 128 displace in the outward direction (away from the displace warp object) and gray values less than 128 displace in the inward direction (toward the displace warp object).
Bitmap: Click to assign a bitmap to the displace warp. After you choose a bitmap, this button displays the bitmap’s name.
Remove Image: Click to remove the bitmap assignment.
Blur: Increase this value to blur or soften the effect of the bitmapped displacement.
The area labeled Map contains mapping parameters for a bitmapped displace warp. The mapping options are comparable to the options you use with mapped materials. For details about UVW coordinates.The four mapping modes control how the displace warp object projects its displacement. The warp object’s orientation controls where in the scene the displacement effect will appear on bound objects.
Planar: The map is projected from a single plane, somewhat like projecting a slide.
Cylindrical: The map is projected as if it were wrapped around the cylinder.
Spherical: The map is projected from a sphere, with singularities at the top and bottom of the sphere, where the bitmap edges meet at the sphere’s poles.
Shrink Wrap: Map projection is also spherical, but Shrink Wrap truncates the corners of the map and joins them all at a single pole, creating only one singularity.
Length, Width, and Height: specify the dimensions of the space warp.
UVW Tile: The number of times the bitmap repeats along the specified dimension. A value of 1.0, the default, maps the bitmap exactly once; a value of 2.0 maps the bitmap twice, and so on. Fractional values map a fractional portion of the bitmap in addition to copies of the whole map. For example, a value of 2.5 maps the bitmap two and a half times.
Flip: Check to reverse the orientation of the map along the corresponding U, V, or W axis.
The displace object appears as a wireframe whose shape depends on the active mapping parameter settings. Regardless of the mapping, a single drag creates the space warp.
When no bitmap is assigned, this button is labeled None.
At the default Strength of 0.0, the displace warp has no effect.