Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Help Volume 3 3dsmax En Vol3
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Autodesk
3ds Max
®
®
2009
Help: Volume 3
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Material Editor,
Materials, and Maps
19
Materials describe how an object reflects or transmits light. Within a material, maps can
simulate textures, applied designs, reflections, refractions, and other effects. (Maps can also
serve as environments and projections from lights.) The Material Editor is the dialog you use
to create, alter, and apply the materials in your scene.
Image by Michael McCarthy
5259
See also:
■
Designing Materials on page 5260
■
Types of Materials on page 5379
■
Material Editor on page 5284
■
Types of Maps on page 5767
Designing Materials
Materials make objects look more convincing.
These topics give you an overview of using the Material Editor to design
materials on page 8041. The Material Editor on page 5284 gives you a wide variety
of options for designing material, as well as myriad controls. If you’re new to
the Material Editor, read this topic for a general idea about working with
materials, and what the most important options are.
5260 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
For more details, follow the links in the workflow outline.
Workflow Outline
In general, when you create a new material and apply it to an object, you
follow these steps:
1 Make a sample slot on page 5262 active, and enter a name for the material
you are about to design.
2 Choose the material type on page 5264.
TIP 3ds Max provides two renderers: the default scanline renderer on page
6141 and the mental ray renderer on page 6230, each with distinctive capabilities.
You choose a renderer for each scene based on its features. It is a good idea
to design materials with a particular renderer in mind. The mental ray
Connection rollout on page 5385 lets you add features unique to the mental
ray renderer to basic 3ds Max materials.
When rendering with mental ray, it’s highly recommended that you use
the Arch & Design material on page 5544 whenever possible. This material
is optimized for use with mental ray and offers a number of distinct
advantages over other materials available with 3ds Max.
3 For a Standard or Raytrace material, choose the shading type on page 5265.
4 Enter settings for the various material components on page 5267: diffuse
color, glossiness, opacity, and so on.
NOTE Lights and Shading on page 5268 describes how lights affect the
appearance of a material. Choosing Colors for Realism on page 5270 gives
guidelines on getting good results from unmapped materials.
5 Assign maps on page 5274 to the components you want to map, and adjust
their parameters.
6 Apply on page 5278 the material to the object.
7 If necessary, adjust the UV mapping coordinates on page 5279 in order to
orient maps with objects correctly.
8 Save on page 5280 the material.
Designing Materials | 5261
Sample Slots and Material Name
The sample slots on page 5304 display previews of materials. They are the most
prominent feature of the Material Editor interface. Below and to the right of
the sample slots are various tool buttons on page 5317 for the Material Editor.
Below the tool buttons is a name field that shows the name of the material.
TIP Always give a material a unique, intelligible name as soon as you begin to
work on it.
By default, six sample slots are visible at once. The Material Editor actually
holds 24 materials at one time. You can use the scroll bars to move among
the sample slots, or you can change the number of sample slots visible at once
to 15 or 24 slots. Seeing more slots at once can be helpful if you are working
with a complex scene.
5262 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
IMPORTANT While the Material Editor can edit no more than 24 materials at a
time, a scene can contain an unlimited number of materials. When you are through
editing one material, and have applied it to objects in the scene, you can use that
sample slot to get on page 5341 a different material from the scene (or create a new
one) and then edit it.
To increase the number of sample slots visible at once, right-click a slot and
then choose 5 X 3 Sample Windows or 6 X 4 Sample Windows from the pop-up
menu.
NOTE The right-click menu also has an Options choice on page 5335. This displays
a dialog with various options for sample display. Exploring these options can help
you learn to preview materials effectively. However, keep in mind that these settings
affect the sample display only. They change nothing in the 3ds Max scene.
When more sample slots are visible, the images are smaller, but you can display
a larger, floating, and resizable material sample by double-clicking the slot
you want to see better.
Click a sample slot to make it active. Now you can design a new material from
scratch, or you can load a previously stored material by clicking Get Material
on page 5341, which displays the Material/Map Browser. The Browser is a dialog
that lets you choose materials and maps from a material library, from the
scene, and so on.
You can also copy a material from one sample slot to another. Drag the slot
with the material to another slot. To avoid confusion, rename the copy in the
new sample slot before you begin to make changes to it.
Sample Slots and Material Name | 5263
Material Type
Every material has a type. The default is Standard on page 5395, which is the
material type you will probably use most often. In general, other material
types are for special purposes. The other material types are:
■
Advanced Lighting Override on page 5734
Used to fine-tune the effects of a material on Advanced Lighting on page
6153, including light tracing on page 6154 and radiosity solutions on page 6168.
Radiosity Override is not required for calculating advanced lighting, but
it can enhance the result.
■
Blend on page 5708
Mixes two other materials together. Can use a mask or a simple amount
control.
■
Composite on page 5711
Mixes up to 10 materials.
■
Double-Sided on page 5713
Contains two materials, one for the front and one for the back faces of an
object.
■
Ink 'n Paint on page 5742
Creates cartoon effects with flat shading and “inked” borders.
■
Lightscape on page 5741
Supports import on page 7253 and export on page 7251 of data from the
Lightscape product.
■
Matte/Shadow on page 5699
Displays the environment but receives shadows. This is a special-purpose
material. The effect is similar to using a matte in filmmaking.
■
Morpher on page 5716
Lets you morph between materials using the Morpher modifier on page
1545.
■
Multi/Sub-Object on page 5720
Lets you apply multiple sub-materials to a single object's sub-objects.
■
Raytrace on page 5490
Supports the same kind of diffuse mapping as Standard material, but also
provides fully raytraced reflections and refractions, along with other effects
such as fluorescence.
5264 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Shell on page 5732
Contains a material that has been rendered to a texture on page 6371, as well
as the original material upon which the texture is based.
■
Shellac on page 5727
Mixes two materials by applying a "shellac" material to another.
■
Standard on page 5395
Uses surface shaders to simulate materials. In general, the standard material
is probably the best choice for a simple material if you choose to use
standard light objects. If you use photometric lights, use the default
Architectural material.
■
Top/Bottom on page 5729
Contains two materials, one for faces that point upward, the other for faces
that point downward.
Standard materials let you set values for components such as color,
glossiness, and opacity. They also let you apply maps to the components,
which can produce an enormous variety of effects. Some other material
types have these features as well. Some materials, such as Multi/Sub-Object
or Double Sided, have controls only for combining other materials.
mental ray Materials
A group of materials is provided for use with the mental ray renderer on page
6230. See mental ray Materials on page 5543.
Shading Type
The Standard and Raytrace materials let you specify a shading type. Shading
types are handled by a "shader," which describes how the surface responds to
light.
WARNING When you change the shading type of a material, you lose the settings
(including map assignments) for any parameters that the new shader does not
support. If you want to experiment with different shaders for a material with the
same general parameters, copy the material to a different sample slot on page 5304
before you change its shading type. That way, you can still use the original material
if the new shader doesn't give you the effect you want.
Shading Type | 5265
Samples of different shading for a standard material
1. Anisotropic
2. Blinn
3. Metal
4. Multi-layer
5. Oren-Nayar-Blinn
6. Phong
7. Strauss
8. Translucent
Several different shaders are available. Some of these are not available for the
Raytrace material, as indicated below. Blinn is the most general-purpose of
5266 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
these shaders. The others have special purposes, especially regarding how the
material creates highlights.
■
Anisotropic on page 5424
Creates surfaces with noncircular, "anisotropic" highlights; good for
modeling hair, glass, or metal.
■
Blinn on page 5426
Creates smooth surfaces with some shininess; a general-purpose shader.
■
Metal on page 5427
Creates a lustrous metallic effect.
■
Multi-Layer on page 5428
Creates more complex highlights than Anisotropic by layering two
anisotropic highlights.
Not available for Raytrace material.
■
Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429
Creates good matte surfaces such as fabric or terra-cotta; similar to Blinn.
■
Phong on page 5426
Creates smooth surfaces with some shininess; similar to Blinn, but doesn't
handle highlights (especially glancing highlights) as well.
■
Strauss on page 5431
Creates both nonmetallic and metallic surfaces; has a simple set of controls.
Not available for Raytrace material.
■
Translucent on page 5434
Translucent shading is similar to Blinn shading, but it also lets you specify
translucency, where light is scattered as it passes through the material.
You can use translucency to simulate frosted and etched glass.
Not available for the Raytrace material.
Material Components
A material's components describe its visual and optical properties. The
components in the Architectural material on page 5526 are based on physical
qualities; for example, diffuse color, shininess, transparency, and so on. The
components in a Standard material on page 5395 include color components,
highlight controls, self-illumination, and opacity. Like the Standard material,
the Raytrace material on page 5490 uses a nonphysical model to describe surfaces.
Material Components | 5267
Standard and Raytrace material components vary depending on which shader
on page 5265 you use.
You can assign maps to most components, including color components such
as Diffuse, and value components such as Transparency or Opacity. Maps can
increase the complexity and realism of the material's appearance.
Lights and Shading
Materials work in combination with lights on page 4970. The intensity of light
that falls on a surface determines the intensity of color to display. Three factors
contribute to the intensity of light where it falls on an object:
■
Light intensity: A light's original intensity at its point of origin.
■
Angle of incidence: The more a surface inclines away from the light source,
the less light it receives and the darker it appears. The angle between a ray
of light and the face normal on page 8059 of a surface is the angle of incidence
for that face.
When the angle of incidence is 0 degrees (that is, the light strikes the face
perpendicularly), the face is illuminated at full intensity unless the light
is attenuated. Full intensity is the light's Multiplier value times the value
of the face's surface color. The Multiplier value is 1.0 by default; the surface
value is the Value component of the surface color's HSV description on
page 8105. As the angle of incidence increases, the intensity of the face
illumination decreases.
5268 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Angle of incidence affects intensity.
■
Distance: Light diminishes over distance. This effect is known as
attenuation on page 7915. By default, attenuation is turned off, but you can
turn it on and specify the distance over which it operates.
Lights and the Component Colors of a Standard Material
As the names of a standard material's color components on page 5267 imply,
the kind of light that strikes a surface with a material determines how the
surface appears when it is shaded.
■
Ambient color appears where the surface is lit by ambient light alone
(where the surface is in shadow).
■
Diffuse color appears where light falls directly on the surface. It is called
"diffuse" because light striking it is reflected in various directions.
Highlights, on the other hand, are reflections of light sources.
■
Specular highlights appear where the viewing angle is equal to the angle
of incidence. Glancing highlights appear where the angle of incidence is
high, relative to the observer or camera (that is, the light ray is nearly
parallel to the surface). Shiny surfaces usually have specular highlights.
Glancing highlights are characteristic of metallic surfaces.
Some surfaces are completely reflective, or nearly so. These reflect their
environment as well as the light sources that illuminate them. To model
Lights and Shading | 5269
such surfaces, you need to use reflection mapping on page 5964 or ray tracing
(see Raytrace Material on page 5490).
The three color components blend at the edges of their regions. Between
ambient and diffuse, the blending is calculated by the shader. Between diffuse
and specular, you set the amount of blending by using the standard material's
highlight controls.
Choosing Colors for Realism
Materials add greater realism to a scene only if you choose their colors and
other properties to appear like real-world objects. This topic presents some
general guidelines for choosing standard material colors. When possible, you
should also observe colors in the objects you are modeling, especially under
different lighting conditions.
For objects on which you want the viewer to focus attention, an unmapped
standard material doesn't often provide the level of realistic detail you probably
want. However, for distant and peripherally visible objects, as well as some
kinds of real-world materials, such as molded plastic, an unmapped standard
material can work well. Keeping the number of maps to a minimum can help
keep down the file size.
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting
Whether a scene is indoors or outdoors affects your choice of material colors,
just as it affects the way you set up lights on page 4970. Full sunlight is bright
and unidirectional. Most indoor lighting is less intense and more even (that
is, multidirectional) than daylight. However, some special indoor lighting
(and nighttime outdoor lighting), as for the stage, also features intense,
directional light.
Direct sunlight has a yellow tint. Materials for objects to appear in daylight
should have a specular color of a pale, unsaturated yellow (for example, RGB
values of 240, 240, 188). The ambient color should be the complement of the
specular: a deep, dark purple with a hint of the diffuse color.
Materials for objects to appear under normal interior lighting should have a
specular color that is close to white. (Our perception compensates for the
yellow or green tint that is often present in artificial light.) The ambient color
can often have the same hue as the diffuse color, but with a darker value.
5270 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Materials for objects to appear under spotlights should follow the general
guidelines for daylight materials. The specular color should match the
spotlight's color, and the ambient color should be a very dark value of the
spotlight color's complementary hue, mixed with a bit of the material's diffuse
color.
If you want to render an object under changing lighting conditions, you can
choose colors that are a compromise between the optimal colors for each kind
of lighting, or you can animate on page 5361 the material so that its colors
change to suit the changing light.
Representing Natural Materials
Outdoor scene with natural materials
Most natural materials have a matte surface with little or no specular color.
For natural materials such as these, use the following guidelines:
■
Ambient color: The ambient color depends on whether the scene is indoors
or outdoors, as previously described.
■
Diffuse color: Choose a color found in nature. It is best to use the observed
color of the object itself, or a similar object.
Choosing Colors for Realism | 5271
■
Specular color: Make the specular color the same hue as the diffuse, but
with a higher value and a lower saturation.
■
Glossiness: Set the Glossiness to a low value.
Some foliage, bird feathers, fish scales, and so on, are shiny. For materials
such as these, set the Glossiness to higher values. You might also want to
change the specular color so it's closer to the lighting color than the
surface's diffuse color.
Water is reflective, and is best modeled by a color component in combination
with a reflection map on page 5964 or a water map on page 5907.
While metal is a natural material, its special visual characteristics are most
apparent when it has been polished. Standard material represents this by using
a special shading type, described later in this topic.
Representing Manufactured Materials
Indoor scene with manufactured materials
5272 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Manufactured materials often have a synthetic color rather than an "earth
tone." Also, many manufactured materials, such as plastics and porcelain
glazes, are very shiny. For manufactured materials, use the following guidelines:
■
Ambient color: The ambient color depends on whether the scene is indoors
or outdoors, as previously described.
■
Diffuse color: Although the diffuse color doesn't have to be an "earth tone,"
as with natural materials you should used the observed color of the object
or a similar object.
■
Specular color: Make the specular color close to white, or to the color of
the light source. White is especially characteristic of plastic materials.
■
Glossiness: Set the glossiness to a high value.
Representing Metallic Objects
Metallic cup and ice cream scoop
Polished metal has a characteristic "glancing" highlight that appears where
the light is at a high angle of incidence. To generate this effect, Metal shading
uses the Cook/Torrance illumination model.
Choosing Colors for Realism | 5273
For metallic materials, you can use the Metal shading type. This disables the
specular color and highlight controls. The Metal shader calculates its own
specular color, which can vary between the diffuse color and the color of the
light.
In the diffuse region of a metal material, the ambient component is greater
than it is for other kinds of materials.
The Anisotropic, Multi-Layer, and Strauss shaders give you further options for
modeling polished metal.
If the metallic object is the focus of the scene, you can improve realism by
using a Blend material on page 5708 to combine metallic shading with a
reflection map on page 5964.
TIP
When you preview metallic surfaces, it is useful to turn on a backlight.
This displays the metal's glancing highlight. The Backlight button is to the right
of the sample slots.
Using Maps to Enhance a Material
Maps provide images, patterns, color adjustments, and other effects you can
apply to the visual/optical components of a material. Without maps, material
design in 3ds Max is limited. Maps give the Material Editor its full flexibility,
and can give you dramatic results.
Spheres with various maps applied to them (as well as a reflection map applied to the
surface beneath them)
The simplest use of a map is to assign a pattern to a material's Diffuse color.
Diffuse mapping on page 5460 is also known as "texture mapping." It applies an
image or pattern to geometry the material is applied to.
5274 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Example of designing a mapped material:
1. Choose a sample slot.
2. Increase the highlight.
3. Apply a checker map to the material's diffuse component.
4. Apply a bump map to give the material ridges.
Using Maps to Enhance a Material | 5275
5. The checker map displays in viewports, but the bump map does not, by default.
6. Rendering the material shows the full effect of mapping.
WARNING When you change the shading type on page 5265 of a standard material,
you lose the settings (including map assignments) for any parameters that the
new shader does not support. If you want to experiment with different shaders
for a material with the same general parameters, copy the material to a different
sample slot on page 5304 before you change its shading type. That way, you can
still use the original material if the new shader doesn't give you the effect you
want.
Map Terminology
The term "material map" is sometimes used to describe a map assigned in the
material editor. A material map applies a color or pattern to a surface. This is
different from maps used for displacement mapping with the Displace modifier
on page 1344, environment mapping for backgrounds, or projection mapping
from lights.
The term "texture map" is sometimes used as well. It is interchangeable with
"diffuse map"; that is, with a map that applies colors to geometry, as opposed
to a map that create reflections, bumps, and so on.
In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, maps are categorized according to
how the map software functions. The categories are:
■
2D maps
A bitmap on page 5795 is the prototypical 2D map. 2D maps apply pictures
and patterns to the surface of objects.
■
3D maps
3D maps are generated procedurally. 3D maps apply patterns throughout
an object's geometry.
■
Compositors
Compositors combine other maps.
■
Color Modifiers
Color modifiers are usually composited with another map to adjust its
color. The Vertex Color map is a special case that displays the colors you
assign to vertices in a mesh.
■
Other
"Other" maps include maps that simulate reflection or refraction.
5276 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The names of individual map types describe the pattern or effect they create,
such as Checker map, Bitmap, Gradient, Flat Reflection, and so on.
NOTE In some cases the user interface also uses "map" to describe not the map
type, but the visual component being mapped. For example, a "diffuse map"
means a map of any type applied to a material's diffuse component. This is an
ambiguity in the use of "map" that can be a bit confusing when you first encounter
it.
Assigning Maps
For a standard material on page 5395, you assign maps using the Maps rollout.
Click the Map button in line with the name of the visual component you
want to map. The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed. Select the
map type (for example, Bitmap) from the list of maps, and then click OK.
Double-clicking the map's name in the Browser also assigns the map type.
The Browse From group box in the Browser creates new maps by default. You
can also use it to obtain maps from a library (see Saving A Material), from the
current scene, from objects selected in the scene, or from elsewhere in the
material editor.
In the Browser, you can turn on icons of differing sizes to preview maps before
you assign them.
A Standard material's Basic Parameters rollout has shortcut buttons for
assigning a map to some of the material's visual components. These small
buttons are equivalent to the buttons in the Maps rollout. Assigning a map
to a button in one rollout changes the corresponding button in the other.
Each type of map has its own set of parameters and controls. If the map is a
Checker map, for example, you can choose the colors of the checkers, and
whether a checker color has a map of its own. You can change tiling values
to affect the scale of the checkers, adjust noise parameters to make the checkers
irregular, and so on.
NOTE To save loading time, if a map with the same name is in two different
locations (in two different paths), it is loaded only once. This poses a problem only
if your scene includes two maps that have different content but the same name.
In this case, only the first map encountered will appear in the scene.
Navigating the Material/Map Tree
When you build a material of any complexity, you are building a material/map
tree. The root of the tree is the material itself. The branches are the maps you
Using Maps to Enhance a Material | 5277
have assigned to the material's components. Some maps can themselves
contain maps, as in a map applied to one color of a Checker material on page
5808, so the tree can be more than two levels deep, and can actually be as deep
as you need it to be.
The Material/Map Navigator on page 5357 is a dialog that displays the tree
for the current material. It is useful for finding a map and displaying its
parameters. Click the map to display its rollouts in the Material Editor. To
copy a map to a different component of the same material, you can also drag
the map's name from the Navigator to a map button in the Material Editor.
The Go Forward To Sibling and Go To Parent buttons also navigate
the map tree. Go Forward To Sibling moves laterally in the map tree, while
Go To Parent moves up the tree. (To move down the tree, click a map button
that has a map assigned to it.) Another way to move between parents and
children in the tree is to drop down the material name field on page 5360 and
click the name of a map or material.
Applying a Material to an Object
There are two ways to apply a material to an object:
■
If the sample slot is active and the object is already selected, click Assign
Material To Selection on page 5344.
■
Drag from the sample slot to the object.
As you drag, a tooltip appears over each object beneath the mouse, showing
the object's name. You can apply the material whether the object is selected
or not. Release the mouse to apply the material.
Applying a material overrides any previous material assignment the object
might have had. Once the material is applied, while the sample slot is active,
the material is "hot" and changes you make to it affect the object automatically.
See Sample Slots on page 5304 for more about hot and cold materials.
The Undo command on page 262 works for material assignment.
You can apply only one material to an object. To overcome this restriction,
use a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720. This is a container for various
sub-materials that correspond to specified sub-objects such as different faces
in a mesh, NURBS surfaces in a NURBS model, and so on.
5278 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
You can apply the same material to multiple objects in the scene.
See also:
■
Dragging and Dropping Maps and Materials on page 5310
■
Drag and Drop Sub-Object Material Assignment on page 5312
Mapping Coordinates
An object assigned a 2D mapped material (or a material that contains 2D
maps) must have mapping coordinates. These coordinates specify how the
map is projected onto the material, and whether it is projected as a "decal,"
or is tiled or mirrored. Mapping coordinates are also known as UV or UVW
coordinates on page 8161. These letters refer to coordinates in the object's own
space, as opposed to the XYZ coordinates that describe the scene as a whole.
Most renderable objects have a Generate Mapping Coordinates parameter.
This is on by default, but if it’s off and the object contains a mapped material,
when you try to render, you get a warning.
Some objects, such as editable meshes, don't have automatic mapping
coordinates. For these types of objects, you can assign coordinates by applying
a UVW Map Modifier on page 1931.
If the material appears the way you want it with the default mapping, you
don't need to adjust the mapping. If you need to adjust it, use the map's
Coordinates rollout. There are two typical sets of coordinates parameters: one
for 2D maps such as Bitmaps on page 5795, and another for 3D maps such as
Noise on page 5886. See Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782 and Coordinates
Rollout (3D) on page 5861.
NOTE The UVW Remove utility on page 5284 provides a way to remove mapping
coordinates or an entire material from selected objects.
Mapping Coordinates | 5279
Mapping coordinates shown as U and V axes local to a surface.
Saving a Material
While a material is in the Material Editor or applied to an object, it is part of
the scene, and is saved with the scene. However, for complicated scenes it is
inconvenient to have all materials active in the Material Editor. You can also
save a material by putting it into a material library. Some libraries are provided
in the \materiallibraries subdirectory. The file 3dsmax.mat is the default library.
You can add your material to this library, or create your own libraries.
Procedures
To save a material in a library:
This stores a material in the current material library. To use a different library,
first open it using the Material/Map Browser on page 5290.
1 In the Material Editor, click the sample sphere for the material to save.
5280 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Put to Library on page 5348.
This opens the Put to Library dialog on page 5372. Change the material
name or leave it as is, and then click OK.
3
Choose Rendering > Material/Map Browser, or, on the Material
Editor toolbar, click Get Material on page 5341.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 opens.
4 In the Browser > Browse From group, choose Mtl Library, if necessary.
The stored material appears in the list.
5 In the Browser > File group, click Save to save the library with the current
name (if any) or Save As to save it as a different file.
TIP You can use the Merge function in the File group to add materials from
the current library to another library.
Material XML Exporter Utility
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > Material
XML Export
You can export materials you create in 3ds Max to XML files, which can then
be shared with other 3ds Max users or used in AutoCAD Architecture (formerly
Autodesk Architectural Desktop) to modify material definitions.
NOTE You can add an exported XML material to your 3ds Max scene by dragging
and dropping from a Web site or Windows Explorer onto an object in your scene,
or by importing it directly onto objects.
Material XML Exporter Utility | 5281
Interface
Selection Method group
The Selection Method group lets you set the method for selecting the materials
you wish to export.
Material/Map Browser Lets you select a material to export from the
Material/Map browser on page 5290.
Object List Lets you specify objects using the Select Object For Material
Modifier Export dialog, which works like the Select From Scene dialog on page
228. All materials assigned to the selected objects are exported.
Pick Object in Scene Lets you select an object from your scene. Any materials
assigned to the selected object are exported.
All Objects in Scene Exports all of the assigned materials in your scene.
5282 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Output Format group
The Output Format group defines the format of the XML Material output.
Native XML (vizML) Materials are exported as raw XML.
TIP Use this format for sharing XML material files within 3ds Max.
Tool Catalog Materials are exported to the ATC (Autodesk Tool Catalog)
format.
This file type is suitable for display in the AutoCAD Content Browser and the
Autodesk VIZ Content Browser.
NOTE This file type cannot be imported to 3ds Max unless you also have Autodesk
VIZ Render installed on the same system.
Specify XSLT This option lets you apply your own XSL transform to the XML
output.
Export group
The Export group lets you define the parts of the material assignments to
export.
Material Exports the material definitions.
Create Thumbnails Exports thumbnails for each material.
NOTE Thumbnail images are referenced by the ATC and displayed in the AutoCAD
Content Browser and Autodesk VIZ Content Browser.
Mapping Modifiers Exports the mapping modifiers applied to specific objects.
Export This button begins the XML export process, using the defined selection
method, output format, and export parameters.
Upon clicking Export, you are prompted to set the path or URL to store in the
XML file as the path to any referenced bitmap files. The default is an empty
string, which means no path will be prepended to the bitmap filenames when
written to XML. When the material is later imported, it will be assumed that
the referenced bitmap file can be found in the bitmap search path.
If you have elected to export thumbnails or to apply your own XSL transform,
you are then prompted to set a path to store the thumbnail files and to locate
your XSLT file, respectively.
Material XML Exporter Utility | 5283
UVW Remove Utility
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > UVW
Remove
The UVW Remove utility removes mapping coordinates or materials from the
currently selected objects.
Interface
UVW Click to remove UVW mapping from this object.
NOTE The utility can remove UVW mapping only from collapsed editable mesh
objects; that is, editable meshes with no modifiers.
Materials Click to remove material assignment from the selected objects.
Set Gray If this is on when you click the Materials button, the object color is
set to a neutral gray. Default=off.
Material Editor
Main toolbar > Material Editor
Rendering menu > Material Editor
Keyboard > M
The Material Editor provides functions to create and edit materials on page
8041 and maps on page 8036.
5284 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Materials create greater realism in a scene. A material describes how an object
reflects or transmits light. Material properties work hand-in-hand with light
properties; shading or rendering combine the two, simulating how the object
would look in a real-world setting.
You apply materials to individual objects or selection sets; a single scene can
contain many different materials.
NOTE Creating a new material clears the Undo/Redo lists.
Procedures
To view the Material Editor:
■
Click the Material Editor button on the main toolbar, or press M.
The Material Editor dialog has sample slots on page 5304 for viewing previews
of materials. When you first view the Material Editor, the material previews
have a uniform default color.
To give a material a different name:
■
Edit the name field that appears below the Material Editor toolbar.
The name of the active material appears in the title bar of the Material
Editor dialog. The name of the material is not a file name: it can contain
spaces, numbers, and special characters.
The name field displays only 16 characters, but a material name can be
longer than that.
To make a copy of a preview material:
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Make Material Copy on page
■
5346.
To get a material from a scene:
If a material that you want to change has been saved in the scene, but not in
the Material Editor, you can load the material by getting it from the scene.
1 Click a sample slot to make it active.
Be careful not to click the sample slot of a material you want to use later.
Material Editor | 5285
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material on page 5341.
A modeless Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
3 In the Browse From group box at the upper left, make sure that either
Selected or Scene is chosen.
The Selected option lists only materials in the current selection. If no
objects are selected, the list of materials is blank.
The Scene option lists all the materials currently in the scene.
4 In the list of materials, double-click the name of the material you want.
You can also drag the material name to the sample slot.
The material you chose replaces the previous material in the active sample
slot.
WARNING When you get a material from a scene, it is initially a hot material on
page 8006.
To apply a material to objects in a scene:
Drag the sample slot that contains the material you want to apply to an
object in the scene.
If the object isn't selected, or if it's the only object selected in the scene,
the material is applied immediately. If the object is one of several selected
objects in the scene, the software prompts you to choose whether to apply
the material to the single object only or to the whole selection (the latter
is the default choice).
■
You can also apply materials to a selection by clicking Assign Material
To Selection on page 5344 on the Material Editor toolbar.
NOTE When you apply a material to an object or selection, that material becomes
a hot material on page 8006 (its sample slot is displayed with white corner brackets).
When you change the properties of a hot material, the scene immediately updates
to reflect those changes. Every object with that material changes its appearance,
not just the objects in the current selection.
To remove a material from an object:
1
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material.
5286 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Material/Map Browser appears.
2 Drag the entry NONE from the top of the list in the Browser to the object.
The object now has no material applied to it.
To make a material no longer hot so it doesn't change the current scene,
click Make Material Copy on page 5346.
To put a material back into a scene:
■
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Put Material To Scene on page
5343.
The material in the active sample slot is now a hot material on page 8006.
The Put Material button is available only when (1) the material in the
active sample slot has the same name as a material in a scene, and (2) the
material in the active sample slot is not hot. In other words, this command
is meant to fit into the following overall sequence of handling materials:
■
You create a hot material either by applying it to objects in the scene
or by getting it from the scene.
■
You make a copy of the material.
■
You make changes to the copy of the material.
■
You update the scene by putting the changed material back into the
scene.
These steps are not as immediate as changing a material while it is hot,
but they help you avoid changing the scene's materials unintentionally
or in unexpected ways.
When a material in the Material Editor is applied to objects in the scene,
you can select the objects from the Material Editor.
To select objects that have the same material applied:
When a material in the Material Editor is applied to objects in the scene, you
can select the objects from the Material Editor.
1 Click a sample slot that contains a material in the scene.
Material Editor | 5287
White corner brackets indicate materials that are in the scene.
2
Click Select By Material on page 5340.
This button is unavailable unless the active sample slot contains a material
in the scene.
The Select Objects dialog on page 228 opens. The names of objects with
the active material applied are highlighted when the dialog appears.
3 Click Select to select objects that have the active material applied to them.
You can also change the selection by choosing other objects. If you change
the selection, you can then apply the active material to newly selected
objects by clicking Assign Material To Selection on page 5344.
To get a material from a library:
1
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material on page 5341.
A modeless Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 In the Browse From group box at the upper left, choose Material Library
if necessary.
If you have opened a library, the list of materials shows the contents of
the library.
If you haven't opened a library, click Open in the File group on the
Browser. This opens the Open Material Library file dialog; use it to open
a material library. After you open the library, its contents appear in the
list of materials.
3 In the list of materials, double-click the name of the material you want.
You can also drag the name of the material to the sample slot.
The material you chose replaces the previous material in the active sample
slot.
To save a material in a library:
1 Click the sample slot that has the material you want to save.
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Put To Library on page 5348.
3 A Put To Library dialog on page 5372 appears.
5288 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
4 Change the material name or leave it as is, and then click OK.
The material is saved in the currently open library. If no library is open,
a new library is created. You can save the new library as a file using the
Material/Map Browser on page 5290 file controls.
Interface
The Material Library interface consists of a menu bar at the top, sample slots
(the spheres) below the menu bar, and toolbars along the bottom and side of
the sample slots. For links to topics describing these interface elements as well
as overviews of materials and maps, see the end of this section.
The Material Library interface also includes a number of rollouts whose
contents depend on the active material (click a material's sample slot to make
it active). Each rollout contains standard controls such as drop-down lists,
check boxes, numeric fields with spinners, and color swatches.
In many cases, associated with a control (typically to its right) is a map shortcut
button: a small, square, blank button, which you can click to apply a map to
the control. If you have assigned a map to a control, the button displays the
letter M. An uppercase M means that the corresponding map is assigned and
active. A lowercase m means that the map is assigned but inactive (turned
off). You turn maps on and off with the check boxes on the Maps rollout on
page 5414 (see this procedure on page ? and the one following it). You can
also right-click the map shortcut button to access functions such as copy and
paste (see Copying and Pasting: Right-Click Menu for Materials, Maps, Bitmaps,
and Colors on page 5301).
Material Editor | 5289
For choosing materials, see Material/Map Browser on page 5290. For applying
materials using drag and drop techniques, see Dragging and Dropping Maps
and Materials on page 5310.
For an overview of how to use the Material Editor, see Designing Materials on
page 5260.
For the user interface elements in Material Editor and the different materials
and map types, see the following topics:
Material Editor Menu Bar on page 5321
Sample Slots on page 5304
Material Editor Tools on page 5317
Types of Materials on page 5379
Types of Maps on page 5767
For information about how to animate materials, see Animating Materials on
page 5361.
Material/Map Browser
Main toolbar > Material Editor > Get Material > Material/Map Browser
Rendering menu > Material/Map Browser
Material Editor > Click Material Type button or Map Type button. >
Material/Map Browser
Procedures on page 5293 Interface on page 5295
The Material/Map Browser lets you choose a material on page 8041, map on
page 8036, or mental ray shader on page 5974.
When you click Get Material on page 5341, the Browser that is displayed is
modeless (you can leave it displayed while you do other work). However,
when you display the Browser by clicking the Type on page 5361 button, a map
assignment button in the Environment dialog on page 6689, or from a projector
light (see Advanced Effects Rollout on page 5108), it appears as a modal dialog
with OK and Cancel buttons.
You can leave the modeless Browser displayed, and drag materials from its
listings to material or map sample slots and buttons in the user interface.
When the Browser displays a Material Library, you can also add materials to
the library by dragging them from the Material Editor sample slots on page
5304.
5290 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
When you double-click a material, map, or shader in the Browser, it places
that material, map, or shader in the Material Editor's active sample slot. It
automatically chooses between an instance or a copy, as follows:
■
Browsing New Materials: Creates a new material.
■
Browsing a Library: Makes a copy.
■
Browsing the Material Editor, Scene, or Selected: Depends on the status of
the map or material.
When you browse the Material Editor, the Scene, or Selected objects, the choice
between making a copy or an instance depends on the status of the material,
as follows:
■
If the material or map is already in the active slot, the Browser does
nothing.
■
If the material or map is in some other sample slot, the Browser puts a
copy in the active slot.
■
In all other cases, the Browser makes an instance of the material or map.
Browsing mental ray Materials and Maps
When you use the mental ray renderer on page 6230, you might want to use
the materials and shaders that provide effects for this renderer only. (The
default scanline renderer renders these materials and shaders only as black or
white, or it simply ignores their effects.) The Material/Map Browser lists mental
ray maps and materials only if you assign the mental ray renderer as the
currently active renderer.
Once you have enabled the renderer, when you use the Browser, it shows
mental ray materials and shaders. Materials are displayed with a yellow sphere,
rather than blue for standard materials, and shaders are displayed with a yellow
parallelogram, rather than green as for standard maps.
Material/Map Browser | 5291
mental ray maps in the browser's list are shown with yellow icons.
When you use the mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385, or other shader
buttons specific to mental ray materials and shaders, the shaders that appear
in the Browser's list are restricted to those that the mental ray renderer allows
for that particular shader component. By default, only shaders that ship with
3ds Max are listed. If you have acquired other shader libraries, you might see
the names of shaders that are not mentioned in this reference.
NOTE You can see the listing of materials, maps, or shaders that are incompatible
with the current renderer, if you turn on the Incompatible toggle in the Show
group, as described under “Interface,” below.
See also:
■
Material/Map Navigator on page 5357
5292 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To navigate materials with the Browser:
TIP Use the Browser primarily in Root Only mode, to see only the top levels of
the materials. This provides a simpler view of your materials, and speeds redraws
when you're using any of the icon display modes. (You can also create thumbnails
to speed up redraws, as described below.)
1 In the Material Editor, choose any sample slot you want that contains a
complex, multilevel material.
2 In the Browser > Browse From group, choose Active Slot mode to display
all levels of the active sample slot.
3 Click any of the items in the Browser's material/map list to move to that
level of the current material.
4 When you want to switch to a different material, select its sample slot in
the Material Editor, and its hierarchy will appear in the Browser.
5 Again, click the items in the Browser to change levels.
To delete an assigned map:
1 While viewing the map parameters, click the Map Type button.
2 In the Material/Map Browser, choose NONE as the new map type.
TIP You can also remove a material or map by dragging the NONE item
from the Browser over to the object or map button.
To merge material libraries:
1 In the Browse From group, choose Mtl Library, and then click the Merge
button.
2 In the Merge Material Library dialog on page 5371, select a material library
other than the current library, or select a 3ds Max or VIZ Render (DRF
on page 7167) scene.
A Merge dialog on page 5370 is displayed, listing all materials in the specified
library, or all materials assigned to the 3ds Max or VIZ Render file. Below
the list are All and None buttons to help in the selection.
Material/Map Browser | 5293
3 Select the materials in the list that you want to merge, and then click
OK.
The selected materials are merged into the current material library.
4 Save the library to save your changes.
To save the sample spheres as thumbnail images:
1 Open the Browser. In the Browse From group, choose Mtl Library.
2
Choose View Small Icons.
3 Display all of the icons in the library by either scrolling through all of
them, or by enlarging the Browser so that all of the icons have been
displayed at least once.
The action of displaying the icons automatically creates thumbnails in
memory.
IMPORTANT If you want to include thumbnails of the sub-materials and
maps, be sure to turn off Root Only.
4 Save the library.
When you save the library, you save the thumbnail images of the samples
as they appeared in the Browser at that time. If you change any of the
materials or maps later, you must re-save the library in order to update
the thumbnails. If you do not re-save the library after altering or adding
a materials, the icon of the material will still appear correctly, but it will
be rerendered when it first appears in the Browser, while all the other
icons will appear immediately.
5294 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Material/Map Browser | 5295
The Material/Map Browser contains the following controls:
Material/Map list The main part of the Material/Map Browser dialog is a
scrollable list of materials and maps. The list indicates a material with a blue
sphere, and indicates a map with a green parallelogram. When you list both
materials and maps, the materials are listed first.
NOTE Icons of materials and maps for which Show Standard/Hardware Map in
Viewport on page 5350 is on are red.
Also, the names of instanced on page 8014 materials and maps appear in boldface.
Both of these effects are shown in the following illustration:
Text entry As you enter a material name in this field, the first matching text
item is selected in the list. Press Enter to select the next matching name, and
so on.
For example, if you enter ch when the list includes the material names Cherry
Red, Chrome Blue, and Chrome Zinc, Cherry Red is selected first. Press Enter,
and the Chrome Blue is selected. Press Enter again, and Chrome Zinc is selected.
The search is not case-sensitive.
Sample slot Below the text-entry field is a single sample slot. This displays a
sample of the current selection. You can drag the sample to any other sample
slot or material button. The sample slot display is interruptible, so you can
quickly click from one list item to the next without waiting. In addition, if
you complete the display of one sample, then move on to another sample,
when you return to the first sample, it displays instantly.
Tool buttons
The first part of this row of buttons controls how you view the list. The second
part is for managing material libraries.
5296 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To speed up the display of the sample spheres in the Browser, the smaller of
the sample spheres (those displayed when you choose View Small Icons or
View List + Icons) can be saved as thumbnail images in the material library
file. (See the Procedures for this topic, above.)
Keep in mind that the saved thumbnails increase the size of the material
library file.
View List Displays the materials and maps in list format. Blue spheres
are materials. Green parallelograms are maps. The green parallelograms turn
red if Show Map in Viewport is on for a material.
View List + Icons Displays the materials and maps in a list with small
icons.
View Small Icons Displays the materials and maps as small icons. As
you move the mouse over the icons, tooltip labels pop up, showing you the
name of the material or map.
View Large Icons Displays the materials and maps as large icons.
The large icons are labeled with the name of the material or map and are
displayed using progressive refinement—samples are rendered quickly, with
large pixels, then rendered a second time in greater detail.
Update Scene Materials from Library Updates materials in the scene
with the materials of the same name stored in the library.
When you click Update Scene Materials from Library, the Update Scene
Materials dialog on page 5377 is displayed. This dialog lists materials in the
library that have the same name as materials in the scene. In the list, select
the materials you want to update in the scene, and then click OK.
If no materials exist in the scene that match the names in the library, an alert
informs you of this.
This button is available only when the Browser is viewing a library.
Delete from Library Removes the selected material or map from the
library display. The library on disk is not affected until you save it. Use Open
to reload the original library from disk. This button is only active when you
select a named material that exists in the current library.
Material/Map Browser | 5297
This button is available only when the Browser is viewing a library.
Clear Material Library Removes all materials from the library display.
The library on disk is not affected until you save it. Use Open to reload the
original library from disk.
This button is available only when the Browser is viewing a library.
Browse From group
The controls in this group choose the source of the materials displayed in the
material/map list.
Material Library Displays the contents of a material library file from disk.
When you set this option, the buttons under File become active (see below).
You can also load a library from a MAX file. When browsing from the Material
Library in the Material/Map Browser, choose Open, and then choose 3ds Max
(*.max) from Files of type. Select and load a .max file. All materials assigned in
that scene are listed in the Browser. To convert the collection of materials to
a library file, click Save, and save it as a MAT (.mat) file.
Material Editor Displays the contents of the sample slots.
Active Slot Displays the contents of the currently active sample slot.
This option is unavailable in the modal version of the Browser.
When you choose this mode, all check boxes in the Show group box are made
available. The entire material and map tree of the active material is displayed,
regardless of the state of these check boxes in other Browse From modes.
You can also use Active Slot mode to navigate the hierarchy of the active
material. When Active Slot is chosen, clicking an item in the material/map
list moves Material Editor controls to that level of the material.
Selected Displays the material applied to the selected objects.
Scene Displays all materials applied to objects in the scene.
All maps assigned to the scene, including Environment Background or spotlight
projector maps, are displayed in the Browser list.
New Displays the set of material/map types for you to create a new material.
5298 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Show group
These options filter what is displayed in the list. Either Materials or Maps is
always on, and both can be on at the same time. The first two options can be
unavailable, depending on the active Browse From and View settings.
Materials Turns display of materials and sub-materials on or off.
This is always unavailable in the modal version of the Browser.
Maps Turns display of maps on or off.
This is always unavailable in the modal version of the Browser.
Incompatible When on, displays materials or maps and shaders that are
incompatible with the currently active renderer. The incompatible materials
are displayed in gray. You can still assign incompatible materials, maps, or
shaders to buttons where they would be legal, but if you use the current
renderer, the results might not be correct. Default=off.
Root/Object group
Root Only When on, the material/map list displays only the root of the
material hierarchy. When off, the list displays the full hierarchy.
The default state of Root Only depends on how you display the Browser.
Generally, when you display the modeless Browser, you're selecting materials
rather than maps (to begin with), so Root Only is on. However, when you
display the modal Browser (by clicking a map button anywhere in the user
interface), Root Only is off so you can see all the maps.
By Object This is available only when you're browsing from either Scene or
Selected. When on, the list displays materials by their object assignment in
the scene. At the left are the names of the objects arranged alphabetically,
with a yellow cube icons as in Track View on page 3503. Applied materials are
shown as children of the objects. When off, the list displays only material
names.
Material/Map Browser | 5299
File group
This button group is displayed when you've chosen Material Library, Material
Editor, Selected, or Scene in the Browse From group. All four buttons are
displayed only when browsing from the Material Library; otherwise, only the
Save As button appears.
Open Opens a material library.
Merge Merges materials from another material library or scene. When you
click Merge, the Merge Material Library dialog on page 5371 is displayed. This
file dialog lets you choose a material library or a scene. When you choose a
library or scene to merge, the Merge dialog on page 5370 is displayed. This lets
you select which materials to merge. If there are duplicate names among the
materials you're merging, the Duplicate Name dialog on page 5368 is displayed
so you can resolve the name conflicts.
Save Saves the open material library.
Save As Saves the open material library under another name.
Display group
This group of radio buttons is displayed only when you've chosen New under
Browse From. It controls what types of maps the Browser displays in the
material/map list. (The Browser displays materials regardless of this setting.)
2D Maps Lists only 2D map types.
3D Maps Lists only 3D (procedural) on page 8097 map types.
Compositors Lists only compositor map types.
Color Mods Lists only color modifier map types.
Other Lists reflection and refraction map types.
5300 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
All (The default.) Lists all map types.
Copying and Pasting: Right-Click Menu for Materials,
Maps, Bitmaps, and Colors
Material Editor > Right-click a Type button, sub-materials button, map button,
bitmap button, or color swatch.
Elsewhere in the user interface > Right-click a map button or color swatch.
A set of right-click pop-up menus in the Material Editor (and elsewhere in the
program's user interface) lets you copy and paste, and otherwise manage
materials, maps, bitmaps, and colors.
You see these menus only if copy and paste actions are appropriate. For
example, if you copy a material and then right-click a map button, nothing
happens.
Material Right-Click Menu
When you right-click a button that represents a material, this menu appears.
This includes the Type button on page 5361 for a material, and sub-material
buttons such as you find in the Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720, the
Blend material on page 5708, and others.
Cut Makes a copy of the material. If you right-click a sub-material button,
this also removes the material from that sub-material component. If you
right-click the Type button, Cut is equivalent to Copy.
Copy Makes a copy of the material.
Paste (Copy) Pastes a copy from the copy buffer.
This item doesn't appear if you haven't yet copied a material.
Paste (Instance) Pastes an instance from the copy buffer.
Copying and Pasting: Right-Click Menu for Materials, Maps, Bitmaps, and Colors | 5301
This item doesn't appear if you haven't yet copied a material.
Clear If you right-click a sub-material button, Clear removes the material from
that sub-material component without making a copy of it. If you right-click
the Type button, Clear has no effect.
Map Right-Click Menu
When you right-click the button for a map component (a “map slot”), the
menu you see depends on whether a map has been assigned yet.
When a Map Has Been Assigned
The following menu appears if a map has been assigned:
Cut Removes the assigned map, and puts a copy of it in the copy buffer.
Copy Copies the map without removing it.
Paste (Copy) Pastes a copy from the copy buffer.
This item doesn't appear if you haven't yet copied a map.
Clear Removes the assigned map without copying it.
Open For bitmaps on page 5795, launches whichever application is associated
with the currently assigned 2D map.
This item does not appear for other map types such as procedural maps.
Reveal Location in Explorer Launches a copy of Windows Explorer to display
the folder where the map is saved.
When No Map Has Been Assigned
If no map has been assigned, all you can do is paste another:
5302 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Paste (Copy) Pastes a copy from the copy buffer.
Paste (Instance) Pastes an instance from the copy buffer.
When No Map Has Been Either Assigned or Copied
If no map has been assigned and you haven't copied a map yet, then no
right-click menu appears at all.
Bitmap Right-Click Menu
This menu appears when you click a button that specifies an external bitmap
on page 7926. See Bitmap 2D Map on page 5795.
Copy Copies the bitmap.
Paste Pastes the bitmap from the copy buffer.
Open Launches whichever application is associated with the bitmap.
Reveal Location in Explorer Launches a copy of Windows Explorer to display
the folder where the bitmap is saved.
Color Swatch Right-Click Menu
This menu appears when you right-click a color swatch.
NOTE This menu does not apply to the VertexPaint modifier's Color Palette on
page 1984, which has its own right-click menu.
Copying and Pasting: Right-Click Menu for Materials, Maps, Bitmaps, and Colors | 5303
Copy Copies the color.
Pastes Pastes a color from the copy buffer.
Sample Slots
Material Editor > Sample slots display
The sample slots let you maintain and preview materials on page 8041 and maps.
on page 8036 Each slot previews a single material or map. You can change the
material by using the Material Editor controls, and you can apply the material
to objects in the scene. The easiest way to do this is to drag the material from
the sample slot to objects in viewports. See Dragging and Dropping Maps and
Materials on page 5310.
IMPORTANT While the Material Editor can edit no more than 24 materials at a
time, a scene can contain an unlimited number of materials. When you are through
editing one material, and have applied it to objects in the scene, you can use that
sample slot to get on page 5341 a different material from the scene (or create a new
one) and then edit it.
You can display a sample slot in a window of its own. This magnifies the
sample slot, which can make it easier to preview the material. You can resize
5304 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the magnified window to make it even larger. To magnify a sample slot,
double-click it, or right-click and choose Magnify from the pop-up menu. See
Sample Slot Right-Click Menu on page 5308.
The Material Editor has 24 sample slots. You can view them all at once, six at
a time (the default), or 15 at a time. When you view fewer than 24 slots at
once, scroll bars let you move among them. See Material Editor Options on
page 5335 and Sample Slot Right-Click Menu on page 5308.
A material in a slot is shown on a sample object. By default, the object is a
sphere. Use the Sample Type flyout on page 5328 to change the sample object.
Sample slot showing a material
By default, a standalone map in a slot fills the whole slot. This is when the
slot shows only a standalone map at the top of a tree; when the map is assigned
to a material, the slot shows it as part of the material, mapped to the sample
object. See Get Material on page 5341 and Material Editor Options on page 5335.
Sample slot showing a map
The Material Editor renders only the active sample sphere for the current
frame.
Sample Slots | 5305
Hot and Cool Materials
A sample slot is "hot" on page 8006 when the material in the slot is assigned to
one or more surfaces in the scene. When you use the Material Editor to adjust
a hot sample slot, the material in the scene changes at the same time.
The corners of a sample slot indicate whether the material is a hot material:
■
No triangle: The material is not used in the scene.
■
Outlined white triangle: The material is hot. In other words, it's instanced
in the scene. Changes you make to the material in the sample slot will
change the material displayed in the scene.
■
Solid white triangle: The material is not only hot, but is applied to the
currently selected object.
Left: "Hot" material applied to currently selected object.
Middle: "Hot" material assigned to scene but not to currently selected object.
Right: "Cool" material: active but not assigned to scene.
A material is "cool" on page 7943 if it is not applied to any object in the scene.
To make a hot sample slot cool, click Make Material Copy on page 5346. This
copies the material in the sample slot on top of itself so that it's no longer
used in the scene.
You can have the same material (with the same name) in more than one
sample slot, but only one slot containing that material can be hot. You can
have more than one hot sample slot, as long as each has a different material.
If you drag to copy a material from a hot slot to another slot, the destination
slot is cool, and the original slot remains hot.
5306 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
See also:
■
Sample Slot Right-Click Menu on page 5308
■
Dragging and Dropping Maps and Materials on page 5310
■
Creating a Custom Sample Object on page 5314
Procedures
To use a sample slot:
■
Click the sample slot to make it active.
The active sample slot is displayed with a white border around it.
The sample slot shows a sample object shaded with a material. (By default,
the sample object is a sphere.) The sample object is lit by a light source
above it and slightly toward the viewer. For the sphere, the highlight is in
the upper-left quadrant. The diffuse color shows most clearly above and
to the left of the highlight, shading toward the ambient color at the sphere's
lower right.
To change the preview shape:
1 Make sure the sample slot of the material you want to view is active.
2 Use the Sample Type flyout on page 5328 to choose the shape you want to
view. The flyout gives you three options: sphere (the default), cylinder,
or box.
The new shape is displayed in the sample slot, with the material mapped
to it.
To render the current mapping level:
1 Move to the level of the map hierarchy that you want to render.
2 Right-click in the sample slot, and choose Render Map from the pop-up
menu.
The Render Map dialog on page 5373 is displayed.
3 Choose Single or the range of frames you want to render.
4 In the Dimensions group box, specify the pixel resolution of the map.
Sample Slots | 5307
5 Click the Files button, and specify a path and file name for the file. Make
sure Save To File is on unless you want to see the image only in a Rendered
Frame Window on page 6073.
6 Click Render.
A Rendered Frame Window appears displaying the map. If Save To File
is on, the image is also saved to disk.
Sample Slot Right-Click Menu
Material Editor > Right-click active sample slot.
When you right-click the active sample slot, a pop-up menu is displayed. For
other sample slots, click or right-click once to select them, then right-click to
use the pop-up menu.
The pop-up menu is available in magnified sample slot windows. See the
"Magnify" option, below.
Interface
The pop-up menu has these options:
Drag/Copy Sets dragging a sample slot to copy mode. When on, dragging a
sample slot copies the material from one sample slot to another, or from the
sample slot to an object in the scene or a material button.
5308 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Drag/Rotate Sets dragging a sample slot to rotate mode. When on, dragging
in the sample slot rotates the sample object. This helps you preview the
material. Drag over the object to rotate it about its X or Y axis; drag in the
corners of the sample slot to rotate the object about its Z axis. In addition, if
you press Shift before dragging in the center, the rotation is constrained to
the vertical or horizontal axis, depending on your initial drag direction.
If you have a three-button mouse and are using Windows NT, the middle
mouse button rotates the sample object while Drag/Copy mode is active.
Reset Rotation Resets the sample object to its default orientation.
Render Map Renders the current map, creating a bitmap or an AVI file (if the
map is animated). Only the current map level renders. That is, the rendering
shows the image displayed when Show End Result is turned off.
If you're at a material level instead of a map level, this menu item is disabled.
Options Displays the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335. This is an
alternative to clicking the Options button.
Magnify Generates a magnified view of the current sample slot. The magnified
sample is displayed in its own, floating (modeless) window. You can display
up to 24 magnified windows, but you can't display the same sample slot in
more than one magnified window at a time. You can resize magnify windows.
Clicking a magnify window activates the sample slot, and vice versa.
Shortcut Double-click a sample slot to display the magnified window.
The magnify window's title bar displays the contents of the editable material
name field on page 5360. It varies depending on which level of the material is
active.
Sample Slots | 5309
Auto Turn off to prevent the magnified window from updating automatically.
This can save rendering time, especially when you have resized the magnified
window to make it larger. Default=on.
Update Click to update the magnified window. This button is unavailable
unless Auto is turned off.
Dragging a different sample slot to the magnify window changes the contents
of the magnify window.
Sample Windows options
The Material Editor always has 24 sample slots available. You can choose to
display fewer sample slots at a larger size. When you do, scroll bars let you
move around among the sample slots.
3 X 2 Sample Windows Displays a 3 x 2 array of sample slots. (The default:
6 windows.)
5 X 3 Sample Windows Displays a 5 X 3 array of sample slots. (15 windows.)
6 X 4 Sample Windows Displays a 6 X 4 array of sample slots. (24 windows.)
Dragging and Dropping Maps and Materials
You can move materials from sample slots to objects using a drag-and-drop
operation. You can also drag to and from map and material buttons. See the
5310 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
following lists to determine where in the interface you can drag from and drag
to.
When dragging materials, use the Undo command on page 262 to cancel
material assignments.
Where You Can Drag From
■
Sample Slots on page 5304
The content you drag from a sample slot is always at the top level of the
sample slot, regardless of which level is currently displayed. If the sample
slot contains a material, you can't drag from the sample slot to a map
button, even if you're at the map level of the material.
■
Material preview and map preview
■
The Material Editor Type button on page 5361
■
Material/Map Browser on page 5290 lists (text or icon lists)
You can't drag from the modal version of the Browser (when OK and Cancel
buttons are present).
■
The sample slot in the Browser
■
Material map buttons (see below)
■
A projector light map button (see Advanced Effects Rollout on page 5108)
■
The Environment Background on page 6689 map button
■
Fog on page 6707 Color and Opacity map buttons
■
Displace modifier on page 1344 map buttons
Material Map Buttons
The material map buttons you can drag from include:
■
The buttons in the Maps rollout on page 5414
■
The small shortcut map buttons on the Basic Parameters rollouts on page
5406.
■
Any map buttons at any level.
■
Sub-material buttons, such as those found in the Multi/Sub-Object material
on page 5720.
Sample Slots | 5311
Where You Can Drag To
■
All of the items in the previous list.
■
Objects in viewports.
Drag from a material button, sample slot, or Browser listing into the
viewport and over an object. When you release the mouse, the material is
applied.
If you drag a material over two or more selected objects, an alert message
asks if you want to apply the material to the object or to the selection.
Choose the option you want, and click OK.
■
The Material Editor Type button on page 5361.
You can drag to the Type button only from the Browser. If the Type button
shows a standalone map, you can drag only a map to it. If it shows a
material type, you can drag only a material to it.
■
All of the items in the previous list, except that you can drag to the Browser
only when it displays a material library.
When the Browser is set to browse from a Material Library, dragging
materials and maps into the Browser adds them to the library.
■
Any palette in the Content Browser. You can drag individual materials,
selections of materials, or entire panels or palettes into the Content Browser.
■
A Face, Polygon, Patch, or Element sub-object selection of an editable
surfacemesh object (mesh, patch, or poly).
■
A Face, Polygon, Patch, or Element sub-object selection created by the Edit
Mesh modifier on page 1353 or Edit Patch on page 1360; or by one of these
selection modifiers: Mesh Select on page 1527, Patch Select on page 1592, or
Poly Select on page 1613.
See also:
■
Applying a Material to an Object on page 5278
■
Drag and Drop Sub-Object Material Assignment on page 5312
Drag and Drop Sub-Object Material Assignment
You can apply a material to a selection of renderable sub-objects, such as faces
in a mesh. In the Material Editor, you can use Assign Material to Selection on
5312 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
page 5344. You can also drag the material from the Material Editor or the
Material/Map Browser on page 5290 to the selected faces. This can create a new
Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720 on the fly.
You can disable drag-and-drop of materials to sub-objects. To do so, go to the
General tab on page 7744 of the Preferences dialog on page 7743, and in the
Sub-Materials group, turn off Assign Automatically. This check box is on by
default.
How the Multi/Sub-Object Material Is Created
The Multi/Sub-Object material is created in one of three ways, depending on
what material is already applied to the selected sub-objects:
■
No material applied
If the selected faces have no material applied, a new Multi/Sub-Object
material is created. The dragged material becomes a sub-material in the
new material. If material IDs already exist, they are preserved.
■
Existing material applied (other than Multi/Sub-Object material)
A new Multi/Sub-Object material is created and applied to the selected
faces. The existing material is moved into the Multi/Sub-Object material
and becomes the first sub-material. Unselected faces get material ID #1,
the selected faces get material ID #2, and the dragged material becomes
part of the Multi/Sub-Object material. Existing material IDs are not
preserved.
■
Multi/sub-object material applied
If the existing Multi/Sub-Object material is already applied more than once
in the scene, the material is copied and the new copy is applied to the
selected faces.
If the Multi/Sub-Object material is only applied once in the scene, then
the existing material is used. The dragged material is added to the existing
Multi/Sub-Object material.
If the dragged material already is a part of the Multi/Sub-Object material,
then the selected faces receive the corresponding material ID number. If
the selected faces all have the same material ID number, and no unselected
faces are already using this number, then this number is used and the new
material replaces the old sub-material at this ID. Otherwise, a new material
ID number is assigned to the faces, and used for the dragged material. In
this case, any existing material IDs are preserved.
Sample Slots | 5313
Procedures
To drag materials onto sub-object selections:
1 In the Modify panel > Modifier Stack rollout, choose Face as the sub-object
level.
2 Select faces of an editable mesh object.
3 Drag a material from a Material Editor sample slot to the selected faces.
4 In the Modifier Stack rollout, click to turn off Sub-Object and return to
the object level.
5
On the Material Editor, click Pick Material From Object, then use
the eyedropper to get the material from the sphere.
The new Multi/Sub-Object material appears in the active sample slot.
Creating a Custom Sample Object
Material Editor > Right-click the active sample slot. > Right-click menu >
Options > Material Editor Options dialog
Material Editor > Material Editor Options > Material Editor Options dialog
5314 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Custom sample object fits within a 100-unit cube
By default, the sample object in a sample slot is a sphere. You can use the
Sample Type flyout on page 5328 to change this to a cube or a cylinder. You can
also create a custom sample object by creating a 3ds Max scene that shows
the object.
Overview of Using a Custom Sample Object
See Procedures for more details.
The scene you create should contain a single object that fits into an imaginary
cube that is 100 units on each side. The object must be at the root level of the
scene: it can't be linked to other objects. If more than one object is in the
scene, only the first object listed in the Track View hierarchy is used as the
sample object.
If the object is of a type that doesn't have a Generate Mapping Coords check
box, apply a UVW Map modifier on page 1931 to it.
After you have saved the single-object scene as a MAX file, use the Custom
Sample Object group in the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335 to
specify the file. When you specify the file, a new button is displayed at the
Sample Slots | 5315
right of the Sample Type flyout. This button, which shows an object with a
question mark, displays the sample object file you chose.
If the sample object scene contains only the object, sample slots display it
with default lighting. If the scene also contains a camera and lights, you can
use the camera to specify the view, and the lights to light the object as you
choose. Turn on Load Camera and/or Lights in the Custom Sample Object
group.
Procedures
To set up a custom sample object:
1 Create a scene with a single object, such as a pyramid.
The object should fit into an imaginary cube that is 100 units on each
side. Also, the object must be at the root level of the scene: it can't be
linked to other objects.
If more than one object is in the scene, the Material Editor uses the first
object listed in the Track View hierarchy.
2 If the object does not have built-in mapping coordinates (via a Generate
Mapping Coords check box), then assign a UVW Map modifier on page
1931 to it to provide mapping coordinates.
If the object has a Generate Mapping Coords check box, it's on by default,
and the Material Editor uses those coordinates. If you want to use
coordinates other than those built into the object, assign a UVW Map
modifier and set up your own coordinates.
3 Save the scene as a MAX file.
4 In the Material Editor Options dialog, click the File Name button in the
Custom Sample Object group box, and choose the file that contains your
object.
5 Activate the sample slot in which you want to see the custom object,
then choose the button at the far right of the Sample Type flyout.
Your custom object is displayed in the sample slot.
If the size of your object is not quite right for the sample slot, adjust its
size and save the scene again. To update the sample slot so it uses the
newly saved MAX file, open the Material Editor Options dialog, and then
click OK.
5316 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To use a camera and lights with the custom sample object:
1 Create a camera in the scene that contains your sample object, and then
adjust the camera to show the object as you want it seen in sample slots.
TIP Viewports have a different aspect ratio than sample slots, so using Zoom
Extents on page 7594 on the sample object usually results in the object
appearing smaller in a sample slot. Perform Zoom Extents on the object, and
then before you save the file, zoom in a little farther so the object more than
fills the viewport. The sample slot projection is based on the width of the
sample object's geometry, not on the image in the viewport.
If more than one camera is in the scene, the Material Editor uses the first
camera listed in the Track View hierarchy.
2 If you want to use your own lighting rather than the default sample-slot
lighting, set up as many lights as you need. If you want to use the
sample-slot lighting, do not add any lights to the scene.
3 Save the MAX file.
4 In the Material Editor Options dialog, specify the file as the Custom
Sample Object file.
5 Turn on Load Camera and/or Lights.
Sample Slots set to use the custom object now display the object as seen
through the camera. If lights are in the scene, those lights are used in the
sample slot instead of the default lights.
Material Editor Tools
Main toolbar > Material Editor
Material Editor Tools | 5317
Material Editor tools below and to the right of the sample slots
Above the Material Editor sample slots on page 5304 is the menu bar. Below and
to the right of the sample slots are buttons and other controls that you use to
manage and change maps and materials.
Material Editor Menu Bar on page 5321
Reflectance and Transmittance Display on page 5324
NOTE These fields are not displayed unless you change a toggle in Preferences >
Advanced Lighting.
Buttons below the sample slots (the "toolbar")
Get Material on page 5341
Put Material to Scene on page 5343
5318 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Assign Material to Selection on page 5344
Reset Map/Mtl to Default Settings on page 5345
Make Material Copy on page 5346
Make Unique on page 5346
Put to Library on page 5348
Material ID Channel on page 5348
Show Map in Viewport on page 5350
Show End Result on page 5356
Go to Parent on page 5356
Go Forward to Sibling on page 5357
Buttons to the right of the sample slots
Sample Type on page 5328
Backlight on page 5329
Background on page 5329
Sample UV Tiling on page 5330
Video Color Check on page 5332
Material Editor Tools | 5319
Make Preview, Play Preview, Save Preview on page 5333
Material Editor Options on page 5335
Select By Material on page 5340
Material/Map Navigator on page 5357
Controls below the toolbar
Pick Material from Object on page 5360
Material name field on page 5360
Material Type button on page 5361
Procedures
To use the Material Editor Options dialog:
1
Click Options on page 5335 to the right of the sample slots.
2 Set the options as you want, and then click OK.
To change the preview shape:
1 Activate the sample slot of the material you want to view.
2 Use the Sample Type flyout on page 5328 to choose the shape you want to
view.
The new shape is displayed in the sample slot, with the material mapped
to it.
The flyout gives you three options: sphere (the default), cylinder, or box.
An additional custom object option is available if you define a custom
object as described in Creating a Custom Sample Object on page 5314.
5320 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material Editor Menu Bar
Material Editor > Menu bar
The Material Editor menu bar appears at the top of the Material Editor window.
It provides another way to invoke the various Material Editor tools.
Material Menu
The Material menu provides the most commonly used Material Editor tools.
■
Get Material on page 5341
■
Pick from Object on page 5360
■
Select By Material on page 5340
■
Highlight Assets in ATS Dialog If the active material uses maps that are
tracked assets on page 7099 (typically bitmap textures), opens the Asset
Tracking dialog with the assets highlighted.
■
Assign to Selection on page 5344
■
Put to Scene on page 5343
■
Put to Library on page 5348
■
Change Material/Map Type
Button on page 5361.
■
Make Material Copy on page 5346
■
Launch Magnify Window Equivalent to double-clicking the active sample
slot on page 5304, or choosing Magnify on its right-click menu on page 5308.
■
Save as .FX File
■
Make Preview on page 5333
■
View Preview on page 5333
■
Save Preview on page 5333
■
Show End Result on page 5356
■
Show Materials in Viewport As on page 173
Equivalent to clicking the Material Type
See DirectX Manager Rollout on page 5393.
Material Editor Tools | 5321
■
Reset Sample Slot Rotation Returns the active sample slot's object to its
default orientation; equivalent to choosing Reset Rotation on the sample
slot right-click menu on page 5308.
■
Update Active Material If Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335 >
Update Active Only is on, choosing this updates the active material in its
sample slot.
Navigation Menu
The Navigation menu provides tools that navigate a material's hierarchy.
■
Go to Parent on page 5356
■
Go Forward to Sibling on page 5357
■
Go Backward to Sibling Like Go Forward To Sibling, but navigates to the
preceding sibling map in the tree instead of the succeeding one.
Options Menu
The Options menu provides some additional tools and display choices.
■
Propagate Materials to Instances on page 5328
■
Manual Update Toggle Equivalent to the Manual Update toggle in the
Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335.
■
Copy/Rotate Drag Mode Toggle Equivalent to choosing either Drag/Copy
or Drag/Rotate on the sample slot right-click menu on page 5308.
■
Background on page 5329
■
Custom Background Toggle If you have used the Material Editor Options
dialog on page 5335 to assign a custom background, this toggles its display.
■
Backlight on page 5329
■
Cycle 3X2, 5X3, 6X4 Sample Slots Cycles through the equivalent choices
on the sample slot right-click menu on page 5308.
■
Options
Opens the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335.
5322 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides map rendering and selecting objects by material.
■
Render Map Equivalent to choosing Render Map on the sample slot
right-click menu on page 5308.
■
Select Objects by Material on page 5340
■
Clean MultiMaterial on page 6052
■
Instance Duplicate Map on page 6058
■
Reset Material Editor Slots Replaces all materials in the Material Editor
with the default material type. This action is not undoable, but you can
restore the previous state of the Material Editor with the Restore Material
Editor Slots command (see below).
■
Condense Material Editor Slots Sets all unused materials in the Material
Editor to the default type, retaining only materials in the scene and moving
those materials to the first slots in the editor. This action is not undoable,
but you can restore the previous state of the Material Editor with the Restore
Material Editor Slots command (see below).
■
Restore Material Editor Slots When you use either of the two previous
commands, 3ds Max saves the current state of the Material Editor in a
buffer; using this command restores the state of the editor using the buffer
contents.
TIP The buffer that holds the material definitions survives the File menu > Reset
command. Thus, if you use either the Reset Material Editor Slots or the
Condense Material Editor Slots function, and then reset 3ds Max, you can then
use Restore Material Editor Slots to bring all materials back into the Material
Editor. This makes it easy to use the same materials in different projects.
For best results, follow this procedure:
1 Save your scene.
2 Use the Reset Material Editor Slots or Condense Material Editor Slots
function.
3 Reset 3ds Max. When prompted to save the scene, click No. Otherwise,
you might lose material definitions in the Material Editor that were
saved with the scene.
4 Open the Material Editor and choose Utilities menu > Restore Material
Editor Slots.
Material Editor Tools | 5323
The Material Editor status before step 2 is restored.
Reflectance and Transmittance Display
Material Editor > Reflectance and Transmittance fields (below the sample slots)
These fields show the reflectance and transmittance of the active material.
Both the average value and the maximum value are shown.
NOTE These fields appear only when you turn on Material Editor > Display
Reflectance & Transmittance Information on the Radiosity panel on page 7786 of
the Preferences dialog.
These fields can change according to the current Show End Result setting on
page 5356. When Show End Result is off, the reflectance and transmittance show
the properties of the current element in the material hierarchy, not the
properties of the material overall.
The reflectance and transmittance values of a material are particularly
important when you are preparing a radiosity solution on page 6168 to obtain
a physically accurate lighting simulation. If a material’s reflectance or
transmittance values are not what your scene needs, you need to adjust these
values.
5324 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Materials and Radiosity
Upper left: Washed-out walls due to high reflectance.
Right: Better radiosity achieved by reducing the HSV Value (V) of materials in the scene.
To get good radiosity results, keep these points in mind as you design materials:
■
Before you generate a radiosity solution, check the reflectance value of all
materials in the scene, to make sure it is not too high. The reflectance of
a material determines how much of the light energy it receives is
subsequently used in the radiosity calculation. Keep this value within the
range of the physical materials you are simulating. (See the table in the
description of “Reflectance,” below.)
■
Don’t be concerned if a material preview seems too dark. For example, a
white wall with the maximum recommended reflectance of 80% appears
gray. The color balance will be adjusted correctly by the exposure control
on page 6732 in the final rendering.
■
Bitmaps used as diffuse textures have already been illuminated by the
scanner, digital camera, or paint program in which you created them. To
bring them into the proper reflectance range, you might have to dim them
Material Editor Tools | 5325
by reducing the RGB Level value in the bitmap’s Output rollout on page
5774.
Left: Wood grain bitmap as originally photographed has too high a reflectance.
Right: Reducing the RGB Level value reduces the map’s reflectance.
Interface
Reflectance Reflectance is the percentage of diffuse light energy that is
reflected from a material. When you increase a material’s HSV value (V), the
material reflects more diffuse light. Decreasing a material’s Opacity also
decreases its reflectance.
Typically, the reflectance of a material should never be greater than 85%. this
is an unusually high value that will lead to poor-quality renderings. In the
real world, even the whitest wall reflects no more than 80% of the light it
receives.
One source of high reflectance can be a map assigned to the material’s diffuse
component. For example, a white tile bitmap might create high reflectance.
In this case, you can reduce reflectance by reducing the RGB Level in the
bitmap’s Output rollout.
An alternate way to reduce a bitmapped material’s reflectance is to set the
diffuse color of the material to black, and then reduce the diffuse map’s
Amount (in the parent material’s Maps rollout on page 5414). You can use this
method to reduce the reflectance of 3D procedural maps on page 5860 as well.
5326 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Here are some typical reflectance ranges for common materials:
Material
Minimum
Maximum
Ceramic
20%
70%
Fabric
20%
70%
Masonry
20%
50%
Metal
30%
90%
Paint
30%
80%
Paper
30%
70%
Plastic
20%
80%
Stone
20%
70%
Wood
20%
50%
Transmittance Transmittance is the amount of light energy transmitted
through a material. A completely opaque material has 0% transmittance.
When the material is transparent (like clear glass), the energy transmitted is
specular, and light passes directly through the material (subject to refraction).
The value of specular transmittance is an interaction between the material’s
Opacity value on page 5442 and its filter color on page 7976. When the filter color
is pure white, specular transmittance is the inverse of Opacity.
When the material is translucent (like frosted glass), the energy transmitted
is diffuse, and scattered in all directions. The value of diffuse transmittance is
based on the HSV value (V) of the translucent color on page 5447. Diffuse
transmittance happens only for materials that use the Translucent shader on
page 5434, or Raytrace materials on page 5490, that specify translucency.
Usually, when a material has high transmittance, it has low reflectance, and
the other way around.
Material Editor Tools | 5327
Sample Type
Material Editor > Sample Type
The Sample Type flyout lets you choose which geometry to display in the
active sample slot on page 5304. This flyout has three buttons:
■
Sphere (the default)
■
Cylinder
■
Cube
■
Displays the material on a sphere.
Displays the material on a cylinder.
Displays the material on a cube.
Custom Displays the material on a custom object. This button
appears only if you have used the Material Editor Options dialog on page
5335 to specify a custom object for sample slots.
See also:
■
Creating a Custom Sample Object on page 5314
Propagate Materials to Instances
Material Editor > Options menu > Propagate Materials to Instances
When Propagate Materials To Instances is on, any material assignment you
make will be propagated to all instances on page 8014 of the object in your
scene, including imported AutoCAD blocks and ADT style-based objects; these
object types are common in DRF files on page 7167. Assignments are also
propagated to instances of Revit objects and of other instances that you've
made in the current scene.
When Propagate Materials To Instances is off, materials are assigned in
traditional 3ds Max fashion; each object has a unique material assignment.
5328 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Backlight
Material Editor > Backlight
Material Editor menu > Options menu > Backlight
Left: Backlight on
Right: Backlight off
Turning on Backlight adds a backlight to the active sample slot. This button
is on by default.
The effect is most easily seen with the sample spheres, where the backlight
highlights the lower-right edge of the sphere.
Backlight is especially useful whenever you're creating metal on page 5427 and
Strauss on page 5431 materials. Backlight lets you see and adjust the specular
highlight created by glancing light, which is much brighter on metals.
Sample Slot Background
Material Editor > Background
Material Editor Tools | 5329
Material Editor menu > Options menu > Background
Left: Background on
Right: Background off
Turning on Background adds a multicolored checkered background to the
active sample slot. The pattern background is helpful when you want to see
effects of opacity and transparency.
The Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335 also lets you assign a bitmap
to use as a custom background.
Sample UV Tiling
Material Editor > Sample UV Tiling
5330 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
1x1, 2x2, and 3x3 sample tiling
The buttons on the Sample UV Tiling flyout adjust the repetition of the map
on page 8036 pattern on the sample object in the active sample slot.
The tiling pattern you set with this option affects only the sample slot. It has
no effect on the tiling on the geometry in the scene, which you control with
parameters in the map's own coordinates rollout.
■
1 x 1 (the default) Tile once in the U dimension and once in V.
This is equivalent to no tiling at all.
■
2x2
Tile twice in U and twice in V.
■
3x3
Tile three times in U and three times in V.
■
4x4
Tile four times in U and four times in V.
The buttons specify the number of times the pattern repeats over the surface
of the sample object. Because maps are mapped spherically around the sample
sphere, the tiling on page 8148 repetition covers the entire surface of the sphere.
The sample cylinder maps cylindrically. The sample cube uses box mapping:
the tiling appears on each side of the cube. Custom sample objects use the
Material Editor Tools | 5331
default mapping coordinates for that kind of object, unless the object has a
UVW Map modifier on page 1931 applied to it, in which case the modifier
controls the mapping.
This flyout is unavailable when the sample slot displays a standalone (top-level)
map.
See also:
■
Creating a Custom Sample Object on page 5314
Video Color Check
Material Editor > Video Color Check
Left: Material with oversaturated colors
Right: Video color check shows black areas that are beyond the video threshold
Video Color Check checks the material on the sample object for colors that
are beyond the safe NTSC on page 8059 or PAL on page 8078 threshold.
Such colors tend to blur or fuzz when transferred from computer to video.
Pixels containing these "illegal" or "hot" colors are flagged on the sample object.
5332 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
You can have 3ds Max correct illegal colors automatically when you render,
depending on the settings in the Rendering tab on page 7768 of the
Customize/Preferences dialog on page 7743.
Use this option as a guide only. The colors in a rendered scene depend not
only on the material color but also on the intensity and color of the lighting.
A material that shows as safe in the sample slot might become illegal if
rendered under several bright lights. A safe practice for video is to use colors
whose saturation is less than 80 to 85 percent.
Procedures
To check for illegal video colors:
1
On the Material Editor, turn on Video Color Check on page 5332.
The active sample slot now renders "illegal" pixels as black. Illegal pixels
have a color that is beyond the safe video threshold.
If Video Color Check detects illegal colors, try reducing the saturation of
the material colors in question.
2 You can also check for legal video colors when you render a scene.
To change the video system:
NTSC on page 8059 is the default video system to check. You can change the
video checking to PAL on page 8078.
■
In the Tools menu > Options > Options dialog > Rendering panel on page
7768 > Video Color Check group, change the setting to PAL.
The sample slot does not automatically update when you change the video
system preference. Turn video checking off and back on to see the change.
NOTE The Rendering panel also shows options for choosing alternate ways
to display illegal pixels. These apply to renderings only, not to the sample slots
in the Material Editor.
Make Preview, Play Preview, Save Preview
Material Editor > Make/Play/Save Preview flyout
Material Editor Tools | 5333
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Make Preview, View Preview, or Save
Preview
You can use animated maps to add movement to a scene. For example, to
simulate a sky view, you could map an animation of moving clouds to a
clerestory window. The Make Preview options let you experiment with the
effect in the Material Editor before you apply it to your scene.
The buttons on the Make Preview, Play Preview, Save Preview flyout let you
preview the effect of an animated map on the object in a sample slot (see
Sample Type on page 5328 for alternatives to the default sphere.) You can use
an AVI file on page 7326, or IFL file on page 7339 as a source for the animation.
The finished preview is saved as a new AVI file and automatically played back.
You can also view the preview in a sample slot by dragging the time slider.
This flyout has three options:
■
Make Preview Displays a Create Material Preview dialog on page
5366 to create an AVI file of the animated material.
When the preview is complete, it is saved as _medit.avi in the \previews
subdirectory. The file is then opened in the Windows Media Player and
played back.
Without this option, the only other way to preview a complex animated
material in real time is to use the renderer on page 6121 to render an animated
sequence and save it to an AVI file, a digital disk recorder, or a video tape
recorder.
■
Play Preview Uses the Windows Media Player to play the current
_medit.avi preview file in the \previews subdirectory.
■
Save Preview Saves the _medit.avi preview to an AVI file of a
different name in the \previews subdirectory.
Procedures
To create a preview of an animated material:
1 Choose Make Preview from the flyout.
2 In the Create Material Preview dialog, set the preview conditions you
want, and then click OK.
5334 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The preview is created, and then plays.
To play back a preview of an animated material:
■
Choose Play Preview from the flyout.
The Material Editor starts the Windows Media Player. The Player then loads
the current _medit.avi preview file in the \previews subdirectory and plays
it in a separate window.
To view an animated material in a sample slot:
■
Drag the time slider through the range of frames.
By default, all sample slots with animated maps update at the same time.
To change this, see Material Editor Options Dialog on page 5335.
To save a preview under a different name:
1 Choose Save Preview from the flyout.
The Material Editor displays a File Save dialog.
2 Enter a new name for the preview, and then click OK to save the file in
the \previews subdirectory.
To play a renamed preview:
1 Choose Tools menu > Display Image.
2 In the View File dialog, change to the \previews subdirectory.
3 Select the renamed preview file and click Open.
The preview is played in a separate window.
Material Editor Options
Material Editor > Material Editor Options
Material Editor menu > Options menu > Options
This button displays the Material Editor Options dialog to let help you control
how materials and maps are displayed in the sample slots on page 5304.
Material Editor Tools | 5335
These settings are “sticky”; they survive a reset, and even quitting and restarting
3ds Max.
NOTE The controls to assign a renderer for the sample slots are on the Assign
Renderer rollout on page 6135.
Interface
5336 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Manual Update When on, the sample slots don't update their contents until
you click them. This option affects only the updating of the sample slots; it
doesn't affect the icon displays in the Browser. Default=off.
Don't Animate When on, animated maps are not updated in the sample slots
while you play an animation or drag the time slider. However, the animation
is updated to the current frame when you stop the animation or release the
time slider. An animated map can use an AVI file on page 7326 or IFL file on
page 7339as a source. Default=off.
Animate Active Only When on, only the active sample slot is animated when
you play an animation or drag the time slider. This option is good for situations
where you have multiple animated materials in the Material Editor, but you
only need to see one at a time. This check box is unavailable when Don’t
Animate is on. Default=off.
Update Active Only When on, sample slots do not load or generate maps
until you make one sample slot active. This can save time while you use the
Material Editor, especially when your scene uses a lot of materials with maps.
Default=off.
Antialias Turns on antialiasing on page 7904in the sample slots. Default=off.
If the mental ray renderer is used to render sample slots, this setting is
disregarded. The mental ray renderer's sampling values control antialiasing.
Progressive Refinement Turns on progressive refinement in the sample slots.
When on, samples are rendered quickly, with large pixels, then rendered a
second time in greater detail. Default=off.
Simple Multi Display Below Top Level When on, the sample sphere for a
Multi/Sub-Object material displays the multiple patches only at the top level
of the material. The sub-materials are displayed over the entire sphere. When
you use nested Multi/Sub-Object materials, the multiple patches again appear
at the top level of the nested material, but the sample sphere is again whole
when displaying any of the sub-materials. Default=on.
Display Maps as 2D When on, sample slots display maps, including standalone
maps, in 2D. The map fills the entire slot. When off, maps are displayed on
the sample object, as materials are. Default=on.
Custom Background Lets you specify a custom background for the sample
slots, instead of the default checkers background. Click the file-assignment
button to display a file dialog from which you can select the custom
background. This can be any bitmap format supported by 3ds Max. Turn on
Custom Background to use the new background instead of the checkered
Material Editor Tools | 5337
background. The custom background is stored in the 3dsmax.ini on page 83
file, so it is available from session to session. Default=off.
Display Multi/Sub-Object Material Propagation Warning Toggles display
of warning dialog when you apply a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720 to
an instanced ADT style-based object.
Auto-Select Texture Map Size When on, and you have a material that uses
a texture map set to Use Real-World Scale, ensures that the map will be
displayed correctly on the sample sphere. Turn off to be able to enable Use
Real-World Map Size For Geometry Samples (see following).
NOTE If a material uses several texture maps at different levels, and only one is
set to Use Real-World Scale, the sample sphere will render with real-world size
coordinates.
Use Real-World Map Size For Geometry Samples This is a global setting that
allows you to manually choose which style of texture coordinates are used.
When on, real-world coordinates are used for the sample slot display.
Otherwise, the old style of 3ds Max mapping coordinates is active. When off,
you must turn on Use Real-World Scale on the map's Coordinates rollout to
see the sample sphere as you'd expect. Available only when Auto-Select Texture
Map Size (above) is off. Default=off.
Top Light color/Back Light color Specify the two lights used in the sample
slots. Click the color swatch to alter the color of either light. Adjust the
Multiplier spinners to multiply the values (intensity) of the lights.
Use the Default buttons to return to the initial settings.
Ambient Light Shows the color of ambient light on page 7906 used in the
sample slots. Click the color swatch to change the color. When the lock button
is on, changing the Ambient Light color here or on the Environment panel
on page 6689 changes both; when off, changing one setting does not affect the
other.
Use the Default button to return to the initial setting.
Background Intensity Sets the background intensity in the sample slots. The
range is from 0 (black) to 1 (white). Default=0.2.
Use the Default button to return to the initial setting.
Render Sample Size Sets the scale of the sample sphere to any size, making
it consistent with the object or objects in the scene that have the texture on
them. This setting affects how 2D and 3D maps are displayed providing that
the sample spheres are set to display real-world scale.
5338 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE The size is scaled to use the current units.
This is a global option that affects all the sample slots. Default=100.0 (Imperial
units) and 2.54m (Metric units).
Use the Default button to return to the initial setting.
Default Texture Size Controls the initial size (both height and width) of a
newly created real-world texture. You see the result of changing this option
only when you create a new texture in a material; the change appears in the
Coordinates rollout on page 5782. Default=48.0 (Imperial units) and 1.219m
(Metric units).
NOTE This setting applies to real-world textures only. For the default size to be
applied to newly created textures, the Preferences dialog > General panel > Use
Real-World Texture Coordinates check box must be on.
Use the Default button to return to the initial setting.
DirectX Shader group
These options affect the viewport behavior of the DirectX 9 Shader material
on page 5758.
Force Software Rendering When on, forces DirectX 9 Shader materials to
use the selected software render style for viewports. When off, the FX file
specified in the DirectX 9 Shader is used unless the material's local Force
Software Rendering toggle is on. Default=off.
Shade Selected When Force Software Rendering is on, selected objects, and
only selected objects, are shaded by the DirectX 9 Shader material. This toggle
is unavailable unless Force Software Rendering is on. Default=off.
Custom Sample Object group
Controls in this group let you specify a custom sample object on page 5314 to
use in the sample slots on page 5304.
File Name Selects the MAX scene file.
The scene should contain a single unlinked object that fits in an imaginary
cube 100 units on a side. The object must be either a primitive with a Generate
Mapping Coords. check box, or have a UVW Map modifier on page 1931 applied
to it. The scene can contain a camera and lights.
Load Camera and/or Lights Turn on to have sample slots use the camera
and lights in the scene, instead of the default sample slot lighting.
Material Editor Tools | 5339
Slots group
These options let you choose how many sample slots to display at a time.
The Material Editor always has 24 sample slots available. You can choose to
display fewer sample slots at a larger size. When you do, scroll bars let you
move around among the sample slots.
3 X 2 Specifies a 3 x 2 array of sample slots. (The default: 6 windows.)
5 X 3 Specifies a 5 X 3 array of sample slots. (15 windows.)
6 X 4 Specifies a 6 X 4 array of sample slots. (24 windows.)
Apply Applies the current settings, except for changes to the Slots group,
without leaving the Material Editor Options dialog. This is useful when you
adjust lighting values for the sample slots.
OK Closes the dialog and applies any changes you made.
Cancel Closes the dialog and cancels any changes you made, including changes
you applied with the Apply button.
Select By Material
Material Editor vertical toolbar > Select By Material button
Material Editor > Material menu > Select by Material
Material Editor > Utilities menu > Select Objects by Material
Select By Material allows you to select objects based on the active material in
the Material Editor. This command is unavailable unless the active sample
slot contains a material used in the scene.
Choosing this command opens the Select Objects dialog, which works like
Select From Scene on page 228. All objects that have the selected material
applied to them are highlighted in the list.
NOTE Hidden objects don't appear in this list, even if the material is applied to
them. However, in the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, you can choose Browse
From: Scene, turn on By Object, and then browse from the scene. This lists all
objects in the scene, hidden and unhidden, along with their assigned materials.
5340 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To select objects that have the same material applied:
1 Click a sample slot that contains a material in the scene.
White corner brackets indicate materials that are in the scene.
2
Click Select By Material on page 5340 in the Material Editor.
This button is unavailable unless the active sample slot contains a material
in the scene.
The Select Objects dialog on page 228 opens. The names of objects with
the active material applied are highlighted.
3 Click Select to select objects with the active material applied.
You can also change the selection by choosing other objects. If you change
the selection, you must then click Assign Material To Selection on page
5344 to apply the active material to newly selected objects.
Get Material
Material Editor > Get Material
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Get Material
Get Material displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 to allow you to
choose a material on page 8041 or map on page 8036.
Procedures
To get a material from a scene:
1 Click a sample slot to make it active.
Be careful not to click the sample slot of a material you want to use later.
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material on page 5341.
A modeless Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
3 In the Browse From group box at the upper left, make sure that either
Selected or Scene is chosen.
Material Editor Tools | 5341
The Selected option lists only materials in the current selection. If no
objects are selected, the list of materials is blank.
The Scene option lists all the materials currently in the scene.
4 In the list of materials, double-click the name of the material you want
to get.
You can also drag the material name to the sample slot.
The material you chose replaces the previous material in the active sample
slot.
WARNING When you get a material from a scene, initially it is a hot on page 8006
material.
To get a material from a library:
1
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material on page 5341.
A modeless Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 In the Browse From group box at the upper left, make sure that Material
Library is chosen.
If you have opened a library, the list of materials shows the contents of
the library.
If you haven't opened a library, click Open in the file area of the Browser.
A file dialog is displayed. Choose a library. After you open the library,
the list of materials updates to show the library contents.
NOTE Open also lets you get materials from a 3ds Max scene (a .max file).
3 In the list of materials, double-click the name of the material you want
to get.
You can also drag the name of the material to the sample slot.
The material you chose replaces the previous material in the active sample
slot.
To create a standalone map tree:
1 Activate a sample slot.
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material.
5342 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, make sure Browse From is set
to New.
4 In the Show group box, turn off Materials so only maps are displayed in
the list.
5 Double-click the name of the map type (not a material type) you want
to use, or drag the map to a sample slot.
The sample slot now contains a standalone map not associated with
material parameters.
6 Use the Material Editor to modify the map as you would any other map.
By default, the sample slots distinguish maps from materials by displaying
maps as 2D surfaces without lighting or shading.
To remove a material from an object:
1
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material.
The Material/Map Browser appears.
2 Drag the entry NONE from the top of the list in the Browser to the object.
The object now has no material applied to it.
Put Material to Scene
Material Editor > Put Material to Scene
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Put to Scene
Put Material To Scene updates a material in the scene after you edit the
material. Put Material To Scene is available only when:
■
The material in the active sample slot has the same name as a material in
a scene.
■
The material in the active sample slot is not hot.
Material Editor Tools | 5343
In other words, this command is intended to fit into the overall sequence of
handling materials:
■
You create a hot material either by applying it to objects in the scene or
by getting it from the scene.
■
You make a copy of the material.
■
You make changes to the copy of the material.
■
You update the scene by putting the changed material back into the scene.
Notes
■
If you apply a mapped material to a parametric object whose Generate
Mapping Coords option is off, the software automatically turns on mapping
coordinates at render time. In addition, if you apply a mapped material
with Show Map in Viewport active to an object, that object's Generate
Mapping Coords option is turned on if necessary.
■
The Show Map In Viewport flag is now saved with individual materials,
so you can drag mapped materials from the modeless Browser onto objects
in your scene, and the mapping appears in the viewports.
Procedures
To put a material back into a scene:
■
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Put Material To Scene.
The material in the active sample slot is now a hot material on page 8006.
Assign Material to Selection
Material Editor > Assign Material to Selection
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Assign to Selection
Assign Material to Selection applies the material in the active sample slot to
the currently selected object or objects in the scene. At the same time, the
sample slot becomes hot on page 8006.
5344 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
If you apply a mapped material to a parametric object whose Generate Mapping
Coords option is off, the software automatically turns on mapping coordinates
at render time. In addition, if you apply a mapped material with Show Map
In Viewport on page 5350 active to a parametric object, that object's Generate
Mapping Coords option is turned on if necessary.
The Show Map In Viewport flag is saved with individual materials, so when
you drag mapped materials from the modeless Browser on page 5290 onto objects
in your scene, the mapping appears in the viewports.
The Undo command works for material assignment.
Procedures
To apply a material to objects in a scene:
1 Select the sample slot that contains the material you want to apply.
2 Select the objects you want to apply the material to.
3 Do either of the following:
■
Drag from the sample slot to the objects. If more than one object is
selected, you are asked whether you want to apply to the single object
or to the whole selection.
■
Click Assign Material To Selection on page 5344 on the Material
Editor toolbar.
WARNING When you apply a material to an object or selection, that material
becomes a hot material on page 8006. When you change the material's properties,
the scene immediately updates to reflect those changes. Any object with that
material will change its appearance, not just the objects in the current selection.
When a material is hot, its sample slot is displayed with white corner brackets.
To make a material no longer hot so it doesn't change the current scene,
click Make Material Copy on page 5346.
Reset Map/Mtl to Default Settings
Material Editor > Reset Map/Mtl to Default Settings
Material Editor Tools | 5345
Reset Map/Mtl to Default Settings resets the values for the map or material in
the active sample slot.
The material colors are removed and set to shades of gray. Glossiness, opacity,
and so on are reset to their default values. Maps assigned to the material are
removed.
If you are at a map level, this button resets the map to default values.
Reset changes the name on page 5360 only when this field names a material used
in the scene.
Make Material Copy
Material Editor > Make Material Copy
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Make Material Copy
Make Material Copy "cools" on page 7943 the current hot on page 8006 sample
slot by copying the material to itself.
The sample slot is no longer hot, but the material retains its properties and
name. You can adjust the material without affecting it in the scene. Once
you've got what you want, you can click Put Material to Scene on page 5343 to
update the material in the scene and change the sample slot to hot again.
Make Unique (Material Editor)
Material Editor > Make Unique
Make Unique makes a map instance on page 8014 into a unique copy. It also
makes an instanced sub-material into a unique, standalone sub-material. It
gives the sub-material a new material name. A sub-material is a material within
a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720.
Using Make Unique prevents changes to the top-level material instance from
affecting the sub-material instance within the Multi/Sub-Object material.
You can also use Make Unique at the map level, when a map is instanced to
different components of the same material.
5346 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE If you drag an instanced map to a Material Editor sample slot, the Make
Unique button will not be available, because it is not clear from the context what
it would be unique relative to. Instead, you need to bring one of the parent maps
or materials into the Material Editor, browse down into the map, and then make
the map unique relative to that parent.
Procedures
Example: Create an instanced sub-material:
1
Create a box and a sphere.
2
Open the Material Editor.
3 Choose a sample slot, click the Material Type button, choose
Multi/Sub-Object in the Material/Map Browser, and then click OK.
4
Select the box, and then apply the new Multi/Sub-Object
material to it.
5 Drag one of the Sub-Material buttons from the Material Editor to the
sphere.
6
Choose a different sample slot, and use the Pick Material From Object
button to get the sub-material applied to the sphere.
At this point, the material applied to the sphere and the sub-material are
instances of each other.
7 Go to the parameters for the instanced sub-material by clicking its
Sub-Material button.
8
The Make Unique button is now available. Click it to make the
sub-material unique again, and assign it a new material name.
Make Unique is not available for the top-level instance of the sub-material.
Material Editor Tools | 5347
Put to Library
Material Editor > Put to Library
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Put to Library
Put to Library adds the selected material to the current library.
A Put to Library dialog on page 5372 is displayed, which lets you enter a name
for the material that’s different from the one you used in the Material Editor.
The material becomes visible in the material library display in the Material/Map
Browser on page 5290. The material is saved to the library file on disk. (You can
also save a library by using the Save button in the Material/Map Browser.)
Procedures
To save a material in a library:
1 Click to select the sample slot that has the material you want to save.
2
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Put To Library on page 5348.
3 A Put To Library dialog on page 5372 is displayed.
4 Either change the material name or leave it as is, and then click OK.
The material is saved in the currently open library. If no library is open,
a new library is created. You can save the new library as a file using the
Material/Map Browser on page 5290 file controls.
Material ID Channel
Material Editor > Material ID Channel
The buttons on the Material ID Channel flyout tag a material as a target for
a Video Post on page 6773 effect or a rendering effect on page 6583, or for storing
with a rendered image saved in RLA on page 7364 or RPF on page 7366 file format
(so that the channel value can be used in a post-processing application). The
material ID value is the counterpart of a G-buffer value on page 7991 for objects.
5348 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Zero (0), the default, indicates that no material ID channel is assigned.
A value from 1 to 15 means to apply a Video Post or rendering effect that uses
this channel ID to this material.
For example, you might want a material to glow wherever it appears in the
scene. The material is in the Material Editor and the glow comes from a
rendering effect. First, you add a Glow rendering effect on page 6599 and set it
up so that it operates on ID 1. Use Material ID Channel to give the material
an ID number of 1, then apply the material to objects in the scene in the usual
way.
To save the channel data with the rendering, use the RLA or RPF format.
WARNING The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not recognize Z-depth with
G-buffers. G-buffer data is saved on a single layer. Also, the mental ray renderer
does not support the following effects:
■
Glow lens effect on page 6599 (rendering effect)
■
Ring lens effect on page 6606 (rendering effect)
■
Lens effects Focus filter on page 6871 (Video Post)
Procedures
To assign a material ID channel to a material:
■
Choose a channel number from the Material ID Channel flyout on
page 5350.
NOTE Giving a material a nonzero ID channel number tells the renderer to
generate a material ID channel containing that value. This information is stored
in images only if you save the rendered scene in RLA or RPF format. However,
the ID channel data is available to rendering effects at render time.
Material Editor Tools | 5349
Material ID Channel Flyout
Material Editor > Tool buttons > Material ID Channel flyout
The Material ID Channel on page 5348 flyout in the Material Editor on page 5284
lets you assign a material ID to the material. The ID value can associate a Video
Post effect on page 6773 or rendering effect on page 6583 to objects assigned this
material. The channel ID can also be saved if you render to a file in the RLA
on page 7364 or RPF on page 7366 format. Saving the material ID in an image file
lets you use the channel in post-processing applications, such as Autodesk
Combustion.
Zero (0), the default, indicates that no material ID channel is assigned.
A value from 1 to 15 says that an effect that uses this material ID will be applied
to this material.
Show Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport
Material Editor > Show Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Show Materials in Viewport As on
page 173
5350 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: Map shown on sample cube
Right: Map shown in a viewport
This control lets you switch between using software and hardware (DirectX
9.0c and above) for the viewport display, and also toggles the display of
mapped materials on the surfaces of objects in shaded viewports with the
interactive renderer on page 8164. The control is actually a flyout on page 7985
with four possible states:
■
Show Standard Map in Viewport [off]: Uses the legacy software
display and disables viewport display of all maps for the active material.
■
Show Standard Map in Viewport [on]: Uses the legacy software
display and enables viewport display of all maps for the active material.
■
Show Hardware Map in Viewport [off]: Uses the hardware display
and disables viewport display of all maps for the active material.
■
Show Hardware Map in Viewport [on]: Uses the hardware display
and enables viewport display of all maps for the active material.
Material Editor Tools | 5351
Comparison of Standard and Hardware Displays
The ability to render materials in the viewports using a hardware-based display
mode lets you view and adjust certain parameters interactively without having
to generate a final render, saving time when editing materials. The hardware
display does not fully support all material parameters, however. When
considering which display mode to use for a material, take these points into
consideration:
Software Display
Hardware Display
Supports all materials
Supports only Standard and Arch & Design
materials
Supports Diffuse maps only
Supports Diffuse, Specular, and Bump
maps, as well as Anisotropy and BRDF settings
No reflection
Reflects the sky shader on page 5181
Calculates specularity on per-face basis
Calculates specularity on per-pixel basis
Faster, no special hardware requirements
Slower but more accurate, requires a DirectX9.0c-compliant video card
Renders faceted display modes correctly
Renders faceted display modes as
smoothed
The following image, taken from the 3ds Max viewport, shows two spheres
to which are applied two copies of an Arch & Design material with identical
settings, including texture-mapped diffuse color and bump mapping, a high
reflectivity level, and a Checker map applied to the Anisotropy channel. The
scene also includes a Daylight system with mr Sun and Sky, with the
Environment Map set to mr Physical Sky. The only difference is that the
material on the left-hand sphere is set to Show Standard Map in Viewport,
while the material on the right-hand sphere is set to Show Hardware Map in
Viewport. The latter shows the bump mapping, reflection of the sky, and the
checkered anisotropy in the specular highlight. The spheres render identically,
and look similar to the right-hand sphere.
5352 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Usage Notes
Please observe the following important aspects of using these controls:
■
The hardware display applies only to the Standard on page 5395 and Arch
& Design on page 5544 materials; when it’s active, 3ds Max still uses the
software display to render all other materials.
■
Choosing the alternate flyout button does not toggle its state. For example,
if Show Standard Map in Viewport is off for the active material, choosing
Show Hardware Map in Viewport simply switches the material to hardware
display mode; it does not turn on the maps. You must toggle the control
explicitly.
■
This control is also available at the map level, where it functions only as
a toggle for the option set at the material level, and applies only to the
active map. So, for example, with the hardware display you could enable
viewport display of the bump map while disabling display the diffuse map,
although both would appear in the final rendered image. Changing the
setting at the material level overrides any map-level settings.
NOTE If the toggle is unavailable at a map level, it means viewport display of
the map is unsupported. One possible reason is that the map is nested too
deep in the material tree.
Material Editor Tools | 5353
■
Hardware viewport rendering requires a DirectX9.0c-compliant video card.
Also, hardware viewport rendering is supported only by the Direct3D
display driver on page 7802.
■
These options do not apply to XRef materials on page 5765, including
materials from XRef objects on page 6936 and XRef scenes on page 6959
■
Displaying mapped materials in a viewport can slow performance. If you
don't need to view the map, turn off its viewport display.
■
You can toggle Show Standard/Hardware Map In Viewport for all materials
by choosing Views menu > Show Materials in Viewport As on page 173.
■
The state of this button is saved with the material in the library. When
you apply a mapped material while Show Map In Viewport is active, the
object's Generate Mapping Coords. check box is turned on. This means
that you can drag mapped materials from the Material Library in the
Browser over objects in your scene, and have the mapped material appear
in the viewports.
■
In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and Material/Map Navigator on
page 5357, icons of materials and maps for which Show Map in Viewport is
on are red, as shown in the following example:
Requirements
For mapped materials to display in the viewport, the following conditions
must be met:
■
Mapping coordinates on page 8034 must be applied to the object. This is
already the case with most primitive objects, which by default have
Generate Mapping Coords on at creation. If an object doesn't have mapping
coordinates, you can turn this on, or apply a mapped material to the object
5354 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
(if it has a Generate Mapping Coords check box), or apply a UVW Map
modifier on page 1931 or an Unwrap UVW modifier on page 1841.
■
A mapped material must be applied to the object.
■
Show Map In Viewport must be on, either at the level of the material that
contains the map on page 8036, or at the top level of the material.
NOTE With the software display driver on page 7794, viewports don't accurately
display a map with transparency that has UV tiling or mirroring. Also, this driver
cannot display a map on a faceted material.
3D Maps in Viewports
Show Map In Viewport works for 3D procedural maps as well as 2D maps.
3D map display in viewports is not necessarily accurate. To improve the 3D
preview, you can use the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335 to set the
3D Map Sample Scale to equal a main dimension of the object you are applying
the map to. For example, if you want to use the planet map on a sphere with
a radius of 20, change the map scale from 100 (the default) to 20.
Particle Age and Particle MBlur maps do not preview in viewports.
Multiple Maps in Viewports
Viewports can display multiple maps. For multiple map display, the display
driver must be OpenGL on page 7796 or Direct3D on page 7802. The software
display driver on page 7794 does not support multiple map display.
The composite map on page 5918 and mix map on page 5926 support multiple
map display.
In addition, turning on Show Map In Viewport at the top level of a standard
material on page 5395 lets you view maps on both the diffuse and opacity
components (though not on other mapped components).
Procedures
To view maps interactively:
1 Select an object.
2 In the object's creation parameters, make sure that Generate Mapping
Coords. is on. (If this option isn't enabled, the object can't be mapped.)
Material Editor Tools | 5355
If the object type does not have a mapping coordinates check box, apply
a UVW Map on page 1931 modifier.
3 In the Material Editor, apply the mapped material to the object.
4
Turn on Show Standard Map In Viewport, or with the
Standard or Arch & Design material, alternatively turn on Show Hardware
Map in Viewport.
The map appears on objects assigned the material in all shaded viewports.
Now when you adjust a map, the viewports update to display the
adjustments.
To turn off interactive texture display:
■
Turn off Show Map In Viewport.
The object is shaded but the map no longer appears.
Show End Result
Material Editor > Show End Result
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Show End Result
Show End Result lets you look at the material at the level you're on instead
of looking at the end result of all the other maps on page 8036 and settings.
When this button is off, the sample slot shows only the current level of the
material. This tool is useful when you are working with compound materials
on page 7938. It would be difficult to see exactly what effect you're creating on
a particular level if you didn't have the ability to turn off the display of the
other levels.
Go to Parent
Material Editor > Go to Parent
5356 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material Editor menu > Navigation menu > Go to Parent
Go To Parent moves up one level in the current material.
This button is available only when you are not at the top level of a compound
material on page 7938. You can tell you're at the top level when this button is
unavailable and the name in the edit field matches the name in the Material
Editor title bar.
A typical situation is one in which you have a material with a Diffuse map.
The Material level is the parent and the Diffuse map is the child. The Go To
Parent button becomes available at the level of the Diffuse map.
TIP You can also navigate through the levels of a material with the Material/Map
Navigator on page 5357.
Go Forward to Sibling
Material Editor > Go Forward to Sibling
Material Editor menu > Navigation menu > Go Forward to Sibling
Go Forward To Sibling moves to the next map or material at the same level
in the current material.
This button is available only when you are not at the top level of a compound
material on page 7938, and there is more than one map or material at the current
level.
A typical situation is one in which you have a material with a Diffuse map, a
Bump map, and a Glossiness map. The Material level is the parent and the
Diffuse map, Bump map, and Glossiness map are its children. Go Forward To
Sibling becomes available at the level of the children and allows you to go
from one to another.
You can also navigate through the levels of a material with the Material/Map
Navigator on page 5357.
Material/Map Navigator
Material Editor > Material/Map Navigator
Material Editor Tools | 5357
The Material/Map Navigator is a modeless dialog that provides quick navigation
through the hierarchy of maps on page 8036 in a material on page 8041, or of
sub-materials in a compound material on page 7938.
The Navigator displays the material and maps in the currently active sample
slot. You can navigate the hierarchy of the current material by clicking the
material or map listed in the Navigator. Conversely, as you navigate the
material in the Material Editor, the current level is highlighted in the Navigator.
The selected material or map becomes active in the sample slot, while the
rollouts for the selected material or map are displayed below.
You can also drag from the Navigator to any valid sample slot or button in
the user interface.
Use the view buttons at the top to change the display. The list displayed in
the Navigator is similar to the one displayed in the Track View hierarchy.
See also:
■
Material/Map Browser on page 5290
Interface
5358 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE Icons of materials and maps for which Show Standard/Hardware Map in
Viewport on page 5350 is on are red.
Also, the names of instanced on page 8014 materials and maps appear in boldface.
Both of these effects are shown in the following illustration:
The view buttons are as follows:
View List Displays the materials and maps in list format. Blue spheres
are materials. Green parallelograms are maps. The green parallelograms turn
red if Show Map in Viewport is on for a material.
View List + Icons Displays the materials and maps as small icons in a
list.
View Small Icons Displays the materials and maps as small icons. As
you move the mouse over the icons, tooltip labels show you the name of the
material or map.
View Large Icons Displays the materials and maps as large icons. As
you move the mouse over the icons, tooltip labels show you the name of the
material or map.
The large icons are labeled with the name of the material or map and are
displayed using progressive refinement. That is, samples are rendered quickly,
with large pixels, then rendered a second time in greater detail.
Material Editor Tools | 5359
Pick Material From Object (Eyedropper)
Material Editor > Pick Material From Object
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Pick from Object
Pick Material From Object lets you select a material from an object in the
scene. Click the eyedropper button, and then move the eyedropper cursor
over the objects in the scene. When the eyedropper cursor is over an object
containing a material, it fills with "ink" and a tooltip with the name of the
object pops up. Click the object. The material is placed in the active sample
slot.
If the material is already in the active sample slot, the eyedropper has no effect.
If the eyedropper cursor is over an editable mesh on page 2075 with faces selected
at the sub-object level, and the mesh has a Multi/Sub-Object material on page
5720 applied to it, then the eyedropper picks up the sub-material. However, if
the selected faces have more than one sub-material assigned to them, then
the eyedropper picks up the entire Multi/Sub-Object material.
Name Field (Materials and Maps)
Material Editor > Material Name field
The Name field displays the name of the material or map. Default material
names are "01 − Default," and so on, the number changing to reflect the
material's sample slot. Maps are named "Map #1," and so on.
You can edit this field to change the name of the material in the active sample
slot. You can also edit the names of maps and sub-materials assigned at lower
levels of the map or material hierarchy.
The name of the material is not a file name: it can contain spaces, numbers,
and special characters. It can be of any length.
This field also functions as a drop-down list. At the top level, it shows only
the material or map name. At lower levels of the hierarchy, drop the list down
to see the names of ancestors to the map or material. The top level is at the
top of the list, the current level is at the bottom, and intermediate levels appear
between them.
5360 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To give a material a different name:
■
Edit the name field that appears below the Material Editor toolbar.
The name of the active material appears in the title bar of the Material
Editor dialog.
Type Button (Materials and Maps)
Material Editor > Type button
Material Editor menu > Material menu > Change Material/Map Type
Click the Type button to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and
choose which material type or map type to use.
When changing a material's type, the original material type is replaced unless
you choose a compound material on page 7938, in which case a Replace Material
dialog on page 5376 is displayed. The Replace Material dialog lets you choose
between discarding the original material or using it as a sub-material within
the new material.
For a standalone map (a map at the top level), clicking the Type button lets
you change the map type instead of the material type. However, you can't use
this button to make a map standalone. To make a standalone map, you have
to click Get Material on page 5341 and choose a map from the Browser it displays.
When you change the type of a standalone map, a Replace Map dialog on
page 5376 is displayed. The Replace Map dialog lets you choose between
discarding the original map or using it as a sub-map within the new map.
Animating Materials
This topic provides some suggestions about how to animate materials.
Animating Basic Materials
In general, you animate a basic material by changing its parameters in different
keyframes while Auto Key is active. 3ds Max interpolates values between
keyframes, as it does when you animate transforms and modifiers.
Animating Materials | 5361
Be aware that the tracks for a material assigned to an object are distinct from
the material tracks that belong to the Material Editor: animating a material
in the Material Editor affects the scene only if the material is hot on page 8006.
Animating Mapped Materials
As with basic materials, you can create animation keys for map parameters.
The noise parameters and the Noise map on page 5886 itself provide the Phase
parameter specifically for animating the noise function.
You can also produce an animated material by applying an animated bitmap
as a map. This automated bitmap can be an AVI on page 7326 or MOV on page
7348 file, or an image sequence in the form of an IFL on page 7339 file.
Changing One Material into Another
Probably the easiest way to animate the change of one material into another
is to create a Blend material on page 5708, make the two other materials its
sub-materials, and then animate its Mix Amount parameter.
Preview and Playback
When you animate a material, or use an animated bitmap in a material, you
can create and view a preview of this material before you decide to use it in
a fully rendered animation.
See also:
■
Creating and Playing Animated Material Previews on page 5362
■
Synchronizing an Animated Bitmap with the Scene on page 5363
Creating and Playing Animated Material Previews
You can create a preview movie of an animated material. Use Make Preview
on page 5333 in the Material Editor. Clicking this button displays the Create
Material Preview dialog on page 5366, which like the Renderer has controls for
which frames to render, playback speed, and output size.
The preview movie is saved in the \previews subdirectory in a file called
_medit.avi. Each time you create a new preview, the Material Editor overwrites
this file. To keep a preview movie on hand, save it under a different name by
using the Save Preview button on the same flyout as Make Preview.
5362 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To create a preview of an animated material:
1 Choose Make Preview from the flyout.
2 In the Create Material Preview dialog, set the preview conditions you
want, and then click OK.
The Material Editor creates the preview.
To play back a preview of an animated material:
1 Choose Play Preview from the flyout.
The Material Editor starts the Windows Media Player with the active
preview movie loaded.
2 Click Play to view the preview movie.
To save a preview movie under a different name:
1 Choose Save Preview from the flyout.
The Material Editor displays a file save dialog.
2 Enter a new name for the preview, and then click OK.
Synchronizing an Animated Bitmap with the Scene
Material editor > Bitmap map > Time rollout
Bitmaps on page 5795 have a Time rollout with controls that let you synchronize
an animated bitmap with scene animation.
Animating Materials | 5363
Interface
Start Frame The frame number of the 3ds Max scene at which the bitmap
animation begins to play.
Playback Rate Sets the bitmap's playback rate. This value is a multiplier: 1.0
is one bitmap frame per scene frame, 2.0 is twice as fast, 3.33 is 1/3 as fast,
and so on. Default=1.0.
Sync Frames to Particle Age When on, the software synchronizes the frames
of a bitmap sequence to the age of particles to which the map is applied. With
this effect, each particle displays the sequence from the start when it is born,
rather than being assigned whichever frame is current. Default=off.
When using Particle Flow, assign the material containing the Bitmap map to
a Material Dynamic operator. For more details and a procedure, see Material
Dynamic Operator on page 2925.
NOTE This functionality is not supported by the mental ray renderer.
End Condition group
Determines what happens after the last frame of the bitmap animation if the
animation is shorter than the scene.
Loop Causes the animation to repeat over and over again from the beginning.
Ping-Pong Causes the animation to be played forward and then backward
repeatedly, making every animated sequence "loop smoothly."
Hold Freezes on the last frame of the bitmap animation.
5364 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material Editor Subdialogs
Copy (Instance) Map Dialog
Material Editor > Drag one map button to another.
The Copy (Instance) Map dialog is displayed when you copy a map by dragging
and dropping a map button. It gives you the choice of copying the map,
making the newly assigned map an instance of the one you dragged, or
swapping maps.
You can drag map buttons in the Maps rollout, in the Basic Parameters rollout,
or from one rollout to the other.
TIP When you use the same map for multiple parameters, such as both
self-illumination and opacity, it is usually easier to work with an instance rather
than a copy.
Interface
Instance Makes an instance of the map you dragged. The newly assigned map
is not independent. Adjusting the parameters of one map or the other changes
both of them.
Copy Copies the map you dragged. The newly assigned map is a copy whose
parameters you can adjust independently.
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5365
Swap Swaps the maps. This option isn't displayed when you drag from one
rollout to another.
Copy or Swap Colors Dialog
Material Editor > Basic Parameters rollout or Extended Parameters rollout or
both > Drag one color swatch to another.
The Copy or Swap Colors dialog is displayed when you copy a color by dragging
and dropping a color swatch. It gives you the choice of copying the color or
swapping the colors, trading one for the other.
Interface
Swap Swaps the colors.
Copy Copies the color you dragged.
Create Material Preview Dialog
Material Editor > Make/Play/Save Preview flyout > Make Preview
The Create Material Preview dialog is displayed when you click Make Preview
on page 5333 to preview an animated material. By default, the preview is saved
in the \previews subdirectory with the name _medit.avi. You can use Save
Preview to give the preview a different name so it won't be overwritten the
next time you use Make Preview.
5366 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Preview Range group
Active Time Segment Renders the active time segment on page 7898.
Custom Range Renders a custom range from the start to the end frame you
specify in the spinners below.
Frame Rate group
These controls specify the playback rate.
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5367
Every Nth Frame Renders a regular sampling of the animation. For example,
a value of 8 includes only every eighth frame in the preview. Default=1 (every
frame).
Playback FPS Specifies the playback rate in frames per second. Default=30
(full speed).
Image Size group
Percent of Output Specifies the resolution of the preview. This value is a
percentage; 100 percent has a resolution of 101 x 99 pixels (the size of a sample
slot in the 3 x 2 array). Default=100.
Duplicate Name Dialog (Material Library)
Material Editor > Get Material or Type button > Browse From group > Select
Mtl Library. > File group > Open material library. > File group > Merge > Merge
Material Library dialog > Open another material library or a 3ds Max scene.
> Merge dialog > Select materials to merge > OK
File > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog > Create XRef Record from File >
Choose a file. > Select objects to XRef. > Duplicate Name dialog
The Duplicate Name dialog is displayed if, after you click OK in the Merge
dialog on page 5370, one or more materials to merge have the same name as
materials in the open library.
If this dialog appears while you are using XRef Objects on page 6936, in the XRef
Objects dialog you can see the updated material name in the “Scene Name”
column, while the original name in the source scene appears in the “Source
Name” column.
5368 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Material name At the right, the dialog displays a duplicate material name.
You can edit the name to make it unique before you merge it with the open
(current) library by clicking the Merge button.
Apply to All Duplicates If you turn this on before you use the buttons, all
subsequent incoming materials with duplicate names are treated the same
way as the current one, and no further alert messages are displayed.
Use this option when you know that you've got several duplicate materials,
and don't need constant reminders.
This check box is unavailable if you edit the material name.
Merge Merges the material with the open, current library. This button is
unavailable unless you edit the duplicate name to be a different, unique name.
Skip Skips this material and doesn't merge it with the open, current library.
Delete Old Deletes the "old" material in the open, current library and replaces
it with the material to merge.
Auto-Rename Click to have 3ds Max automatically rename the material by
appending a sequence number to the duplicate material name.
Cancel Cancels further merging of materials with duplicate names. If you
have already merged some materials, they appear in the open, current library.
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5369
Merge Dialog (Material Library)
Material Editor > Get Material or Type button > Browse From group > Select
Mtl Library. > File group > Open material library. > File group > Merge > Merge
Material Library dialog > Open another material library or a 3ds Max scene.
The Merge dialog displays a list of materials to merge with the open library.
The materials are from a different material library or from a 3ds Max or VIZ
Render (DRF on page 7167) scene.
Procedures
To merge all materials:
■
Click All.
To select a single material to merge:
■
Click the material's name.
To select materials to merge one by one:
1 Click a material's name.
2 Hold down Ctrl, and click other material names.
To select a group of contiguous materials to merge:
1 Click a material's name.
2 Hold down Shift, and click another material's name.
The dialog selects the two materials you clicked, and all materials whose
names lie between the two.
5370 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Material list Shows the names of all materials in the library or scene.
All Selects all materials in the list.
None Deselects all materials in the list.
Merge Material Library Dialog
Material Editor > Get Material or Type button > Material/Map Browser > Browse
From group > Select Mtl Library. > File group > Open material library. > File
group > Merge
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5371
The Merge Material Library dialog lets you merge materials in the open material
library with materials in another material library or another 3ds Max or VIZ
Render (DRF on page 7167) scene.
Interface
This is a standard Windows file dialog. It lets you select either material library
(MAT) files, 3ds Max (MAX), or VIZ Render (DRF on page 7167) scene files.
When you click OK, a further Merge dialog on page 5370 is displayed. This lets
you select by name the materials you want to merge with the open library.
Put to Library Dialog
Material Editor > Put To Library
The Put To Library dialog is displayed when you want to save the material in
an active sample slot on page 5304 into a material library file. It lets you change
the material's name before you save it.
5372 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Name Shows the name of the material to save. You can edit this name to save
it under a different name.
Render Map Dialog
Material Editor > Right-click a sample slot. > Render Map > Render Map dialog
The Render Map dialog is displayed when you use Render Map on the Sample
Slots Right-Click Menu on page 5308 to render the map displayed in a sample
slot
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5373
Interface
Time Output group
These controls specify how many frames to render.
Single Renders a single frame.
Every Nth Frame Renders a regular sampling of the animation. For example,
a value of 8 includes only every eighth frame in the preview. Default=1 (every
frame).
Active Time Segment Renders the active time segment on page 7898.
Range Renders a custom range from the start to the end frame you specify in
the spinners below.
5374 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Dimensions group
These controls specify the size of the rendered frames, in pixels.
Width Specifies the frame width, in pixels.
Height Specifies the frame height, in pixels.
Output group
These controls let you save the rendered map to a file.
Files Click to display a file dialog that lets you specify where to save the
rendered map.
When you click Save in the file dialog, you might see an additional dialog
that gives you options specific to the file type you chose. These are the file
formats available for a rendered map:
AVI on page 7326
BMP on page 7328
Kodak Cineon on page 7328
Encapsulated Postscript on page 7332
JPEG on page 7347
PNG on page 7360
MOV (QuickTime) on page 7348
SGI on page 7369
RLA on page 7364
RPF on page 7366
Targa on page 7370
TIFF on page 7372
Save to File When on, the rendered map is saved to a file. When off, the map
is rendered only to a Rendered Frame Window on page 6073. This check box
is unavailable unless you use Files to specify a file name, when it defaults to
on.
File name field Displays the name of the file you chose.
Render Renders the map to a feature-reduced version of the Rendered Frame
Window on page 6073, and to a file if you chose one.
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5375
Replace Map Dialog
Material Editor > Go to a map level or a standalone map. > Type button >
Material/Map Browser > Choose a compound map.
The Replace Map dialog is displayed when you change a map type to any type
of map that can have sub-maps. It gives you the choice of replacing the original
("old") map completely, or using the original map as a sub-map of the new
map.
Interface
Discard old map Discards the old map.
Keep old map as sub-map Retains the old map as a sub-map.
Replace Material Dialog
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose a compound
material.
The Replace Material dialog is displayed when you change a material type to
one of the compound material types on page 5706. It gives you the choice of
replacing the original ("old") material completely, or using the original material
as a sub-material of the new material.
5376 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Discard old material Discards the old material.
Keep old material as sub-material Retains the old material as a sub-material.
Update Scene Materials Dialog
Material Editor > Get Material > Material/Map Browser > Update Scene Materials
from Library > Update Scene Materials dialog
The Update Scene Materials dialog lets you use a library to update materials
in the scene. It appears only when you click Update Scene Materials From
Library in the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, and the scene contains
materials that have the same name as materials in the library.
Procedures
To update a material in the scene and replace it with a material from the
library:
■
In the Update Scene Materials dialog, select the name of the material, and
then click OK.
To leave a material in the scene unchanged, do one of the following:
1 In the Update Scene Materials dialog, make sure the name of the material
is not selected, and then click OK.
Material Editor Subdialogs | 5377
2 Click Cancel.
Interface
Material name list Shows the materials that have the same name in the library
and in the scene.
All Selects all material names in the list.
None Deselects all material names in the list.
5378 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Types of Materials
Rendering menu > Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser >
In Show group, turn off Maps. > Material types are listed.
Materials create greater realism in a scene. A material describes how an object
reflects or transmits light. You assign materials to individual objects or selection
sets; a single scene can contain many different materials.
Different materials have different uses.
■
Standard material on page 5395 is the default material. This is a versatile
surface model with a large number of options.
■
Raytrace material on page 5490 can create fully raytraced reflections and
refractions. It also supports fog, color density, translucency, fluorescence,
and other special effects.
■
mental ray materials on page 5543 are provided for use with the mental ray
renderer on page 6230. Of particular importance in this category is the Arch
& Design material on page 5544.
■
Architectural material on page 5526 provides a physically accurate material.
It is especially intended for use with the default scanline renderer and
radiosity on page 6168.
■
Matte/Shadow material on page 5699 is specifically for making an object into
a matte object on page 8042 that reveals the current environment map on
page 7964. A matte object is effectively invisible in the scene, but it can
receive shadows cast onto it from other objects.
■
Shell material on page 5732 is for storing and viewing rendered textures on
page 6371.
■
Advanced Lighting Override material on page 5734 is used to fine-tune the
effects of a material on radiosity solutions on page 6168 or the Light Tracer
on page 6154. This material is not required for calculating advanced lighting,
but it can help improve the result.
NOTE The Architectural material has its own controls for adjusting advanced
lighting.
■
Lightscape material on page 5741 helps support import and export of data
from the Lightscape product.
■
Ink 'n Paint material on page 5742 gives a cartoon appearance to objects.
Types of Materials | 5379
■
The DirectX 9 Shader material on page 5758 enables you to shade objects in
viewports using DirectX 9 (DX9) shaders. To use this material, you must
have a display driver that supports DirectX 9, and you must be using the
Direct3D display driver.
■
The XRef material on page 5765 lets you externally reference a material in a
different scene file.
Other material types fall into the category of Compound materials on page
5706.
Compound Materials
Compound materials combine other materials in some way.
■
Blend on page 5708 material mixes two materials on a single side of a surface.
■
Composite on page 5711 material mixes up to 10 materials, using additive
colors, subtractive colors, or opacity mixing.
■
Double-Sided on page 5713 material lets you assign different materials to the
front and back faces of an object.
■
Morpher on page 5716 material uses the Morpher modifier on page 1545 to
manage multiple materials over time.
■
Multi/Sub-Object on page 5720 material uses the sub-object level to assign
multiple materials to a single object, based on material ID values.
■
Shellac on page 5727 material superimposes one material on another using
additive composition.
■
Top/Bottom on page 5729 material lets you assign different materials to the
top and bottom of faces of an object.
Procedures
To get a material:
1
Click Get Material on the Material Editor toolbar.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 Double-click a material type (not a map type) in the list, or drag the
material to a sample slot.
5380 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Material Editor replaces the original material.
To change a material type:
1 At the level of a material, click the Type button below the Material Editor
toolbar.
A modal Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed. If you were at a
material when you clicked Type, the Browser lists only materials (if you
were at a map, it lists only maps).
2 Choose a material from the list, and then click OK.
If you choose a compound material, a Replace Material on page 5376 dialog
is displayed. This dialog lets you choose whether to keep or discard the
original material.
The Material Editor now displays controls for the new material.
SuperSampling Rollout
Material Editor > Architectural material > SuperSampling rollout
Material Editor > Raytrace material > SuperSampling rollout
Material Editor > Standard material > SuperSampling rollout
The SuperSampling rollout is used by Architectural, Raytrace, and Standard.
It lets you choose a supersampling method on page 8141. Supersampling performs
an additional antialiasing on page 7904 pass on the material. This requires more
time but can improve image quality. Supersampling is especially helpful when
you need to render very smooth specular highlights, subtle bump mapping,
or high resolutions.
In 3ds Max the default is to apply a single supersampling method to all
materials in the scene. This feature gives you more control over your scenes,
especially larger models that make use of many materials, by letting you
control the supersampling at a global level from the Rendering dialog. You
can override this locally by turning off Use Global Settings. It also gives you
file compatibility and workflow replication with DRF files imported from VIZ
Render.
NOTE SuperSampling settings are ignored by the mental ray Renderer on page
6230, which has its own sampling method.
SuperSampling Rollout | 5381
Use supersampling when you notice artifacts in your final renderings. For
example, a thin bump map might produce scintillating, jagged bumps that
supersampling can correct. Supersampling requires considerably more time
to render, although it does not necessarily require any additional RAM.
NOTE Supersampling is not processed when you turn off Antialiasing in the
production renderer on page 6121. You can also globally disable supersampling for
all materials using the parameters for the default scanline renderer on page 6141.
Globally disabling supersampling can speed up test renderings.
Supersampling uses smaller sampling points, and returns averaged values to increase
the antialiasing effect.
Supersampling and Antialiasing
Supersampling is one of several antialiasing techniques. Textures, shadows,
highlights, and raytraced reflections and refractions all have their own
preliminary antialiasing strategies. Supersampling is an additional step that
provides a "best guess" color for each rendered pixel. The supersampler's output
is then passed on to the renderer, which performs a final antialiasing pass.
5382 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
A single rendered pixel represents an area of the scene's geometry. The pixel
can stand in for multiple colors, especially when it appears at the edge of an
object or a region of color. This is where aliasing effects occur.
When supersampling is turned off, 3ds Max simply looks at the center of the
geometry covered by the pixel, and uses that for the pixel color.
When you turn on supersampling, a supersampler performs an additional
antialiasing pass on the material. You can choose one of four supersamplers.
As the name implies, a supersampler takes additional samples of geometry
color in or near each pixel, in order to obtain a more accurate pixel color that
is less prone to aliasing error.
These are the supersampling methods:
Name
Description
Adaptive
Halton
Spaces samples along both X and Y
axes according to a scattered, "quasi
random" pattern. Depending on
Quality, the number of samples can
range from 4 to 40. This method is
adaptive, as described below.
Adaptive Uniform
Spaces samples regularly, from a
minimum quality of 4 samples to a
maximum of 36. The pattern is not
square, but skewed slightly to improve accuracy in the vertical and
horizontal axes. This method is adaptive, as described below.
Hammersley
Spaces samples regularly along the
X axis, but along the Y axis it spaces
them according to a scattered, "quasi
random" pattern. Depending on
Quality, the number of samples can
range from 4 to 40. This method is
not adaptive.
MAX 2.5 Star
The sample at the center of the pixel
is averaged with four samples surrounding it. The pattern is like the
SuperSampling Rollout | 5383
Name
Description
fives on dice. This is the supersampling method that was available
in 3ds Max 2.5.
Regular sampling, as performed by the Adaptive Uniform and MAX 2.5 Star
methods, is more prone to aliasing than the irregular patterns performed by
the Adaptive Halton and Hammersley methods.
You can set a variable Quality value for the Adaptive Halton, Adaptive Uniform,
and Hammersley methods. Quality can range from 0.0 to 1.0. A quality of 0.0
is minimal, with about four samples per pixel. A quality of 1.0 is the highest
possible, with between 36 and 40 samples per pixel. High-quality
supersampling is very time consuming.
Another setting for the Adaptive Halton and Adaptive Uniform supersamplers
is the Adaptive toggle, which works in conjunction with the Threshold spinner.
When Adaptive is on, these methods take fewer samples unless a change in
color is greater than the Threshold value. In that case, they take the full number
of samples specified by the Quality. To reduce the amount of time the
supersampler spends, leave the Adaptive check box on.
Interface
Use Global Settings When on, the material uses the supersampling options
set in the Default Scanline Renderer rollout on page 6141. Default=on.
Enable Local Supersampling When on, applies supersampling to the material.
Default=off
5384 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Sampler drop-down list Lets you choose which supersampling method to
apply. The list is not active unless Use Global Settings is turned off.
Default=Max 2.5 Star.
Supersample Maps When on, the maps applied to the material are
supersampled as well. When off, the supersampler uses pixel averages for maps.
This switch is active only when Use Global Settings is turned off. Default=on.
Quality Adjusts the quality of supersampling by controlling the number of
samples used for each pixel. At the minimum value, 0.0, four samples are
taken per pixel. At the maximum value, 1.0, about 40 samples are taken per
pixel (the value varies depending on which shader is active). Range=0.0 to
1.0. Default=0.5.
This spinner is unavailable for the Max 2.5 Star method.
Adaptive Visible only for the Adaptive Halton and Adaptive Uniform methods.
When on, these methods take fewer samples than the Quality specifies unless
samples show a change in color greater than the Threshold value. In that case,
they take all the samples specified by the Quality. Turning on Adaptive On
can reduce the amount of time required to supersample. Default=on.
Threshold Controls the Adaptive methods. Visible only for the Adaptive
Halton and Adaptive Uniform methods. A change in color greater than the
Threshold value causes the adaptive methods to take the full number of
samples specified by the Quality. If the color does not change as much, the
adaptive method takes fewer samples and does not require as much processing
time. Can range from 0.0 to 1.0. Setting Threshold to 0.0 has the same effect
as turning off Adaptive On. Default=0.1.
mental ray Connection Rollout
Material Editor > Click a sample slot that contains a material other than a
Multi/Sub-Object or a mental ray material. > mental ray Connection rollout
The mental ray Connection rollout is available for all types of materials except
the Multi/Sub-Object material and the mental ray materials themselves (for
which it would be redundant). With this rollout you can add mental ray
shading to conventional 3ds Max materials. These effects are visible only when
you use the mental ray renderer on page 6230.
mental ray Connection Rollout | 5385
IMPORTANT The mental ray Connection rollout does not appear unless you have
enabled the mental ray extensions by using the mental ray Preferences panel on
page 7787. In addition, you can't assign shaders to the options in this rollout unless
the mental ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
Interface
For each kind of shader on this rollout, there is a toggle and a button.
■
The toggle controls whether the assigned shader is active or not.
If no shader is assigned, the toggle has no effect.
5386 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
The button lets you assign a shader to the component type. Clicking it
displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290: assigning a shader is just
like assigning a map to a component of a standard material.
While a shader is assigned, its name appears on the button.
■
In addition to the toggle and button, some of the shader types have
a lock button to the right. When button is on, the component is inherited
from the base material, and you can't assign a shader. For example, by
default the Surface component is locked, and the surface is shaded using
the settings of the 3ds Max material (basic parameters, maps, and so on).
Turn off this button to replace the base material's settings with a mental
ray shader.
NOTE Using a shader for the Surface component can result in a material whose
appearance in mental ray renderings is completely different from the
appearance it has in the sample slot, viewports, and scanline renderings.
Basic Shaders group
Surface Shades the surface of objects that have this material. Default=locked
to parent material.
In addition to any of the usual 3ds Max materials, the surface component can
be assigned the following mental ray materials or shaders:
Shader
Library
Bump on page 5986
3ds Max
DGS Material on page 5615
3ds Max
Dielectric
base
Dielectric Material on
3ds Max
page 5992
Edge
lume
Facade
lume
mental ray Connection Rollout | 5387
Shader
Library
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Landscape
lume
Material to Shader on
3ds Max
page 6001
Metal
lume
Ocean
lume
Opacity
base
Reflect
base
Refract
base
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Stain
lume
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Transparency
base
Two Sided
base
UV Generator on page 6005
3ds Max
5388 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Water Surface
lume
Wet-Dry Mixer
lume
XYZ Generator on page
3ds Max
6013
NOTE Unlike a standard 3ds Max material, if you assign the Surface component
a bitmap with tiling turned off, the original surface color does not “show through.”
In renderings, you see only the untiled map, and none of the rest of the object.
Shadow Assigns a shadow shader. Default=locked to parent material.
The shadow component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Edge Shadow
lume
Facade
lume
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Shadow Transparency
base
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
mental ray Connection Rollout | 5389
Shader
Library
Water Surface Shadow
lume
Caustics and GI group
Photon Assigns a photon shader. Photon shaders affect how object surfaces
respond to photons; that is, they control how the surfaces behave when
generating caustics and global illumination. Default=locked to parent material.
The photon component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
DGS Material on page 5615
3ds Max
Dielectric Material Photon on page 5992
3ds Max
Edge
lume
Glow
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
Photon Basic
base
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Photon Volume Assigns a photon volume shader. Photon volume shaders
affect how an object's volume responds to photons; that is, they control how
the volume behaves when generating caustics and global illumination.
5390 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The photon volume component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Parti Volume Photon
physics
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Extended Shaders group
Displacement Assigns a displacement shader on page 6268. Default=locked to
parent material.
The displacement component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
3D Displacement on page 5983
3ds Max
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Ocean
lume
Volume Assigns a volume shader on page 6265.
The volume component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Beam
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Mist
lume
Parti Volume Photon
physics
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
mental ray Connection Rollout | 5391
Shader
Library
Submerge
lume
Environment Assigns an environment shader. The environment shader
provides an environment local to the material. It is visible if the material is
reflective or transparent.
The environment component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Environment on page 5995
3ds Max
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Advanced Shaders group
Contour Assigns a contour shader on page 6269.
The contour component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Combi
contour
Curvature
contour
Depth Fade
contour
Factor Color
contour
Layer Thinner
contour
Simple
contour
Width From Color
contour
5392 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Width From Light
contour
Width From Light Dir
contour
Light Map Assigns a light map shader.
WARNING No light map shaders are provided with 3ds Max. This option is for
users who have access to light map shaders via other shader libraries or custom
shader code.
Optimization group
Flag Material as Opaque When on, indicates that the material is fully opaque.
This tells the mental ray renderer that it doesn't need to process transparency
for this material, or to use the shadow shader. This can improve rendering
time. Default=off.
DirectX Manager Rollout
Material Editor > DirectX Manager rollout
Lets you select a DirectX viewport shader for viewing Direct3D hardware
shaders. DirectX shaders require the Direct3D graphics driver on page 7802,
which uses DirectX. With DirectX shading, materials in a viewport more
accurately represent how the material will appear in another application, or
on other hardware such as a game engine.
DirectX viewport shaders are especially useful for previewing texture-baked
materials on page 6371.
3ds Max provides two DirectX shaders:
■
LightMap shader on page 5760
■
Metal Bump shader on page 5761
NOTE This rollout does not appear for Multi/Sub-Object and Shell materials, which
are simply containers of other materials.
DirectX Manager Rollout | 5393
See also:
■
DirectX 9 Shader Material on page 5758
Interface
DX Display of Standard Material When on, displays the active material as
a DX shader. You can save the material as an FX file by clicking Save As .FX
File.
For full support of this feature, DX9 must be active.
WARNING Not all standard 3ds Max features can be represented by DX shaders,
and you it is possible to create a standard material that is more complex than a
DX video card can display. DX shaders do support the most commonly used
material components: diffuse color (or texture), specular highlights, opacity, bump
mapping, and reflections.
Save as .FX File Click to display a Save Effect File dialog that lets you save the
active material as an FX file on page 7990.
Enable Plugin Material Turn on to use the chosen DirectX shader in shaded
viewports. Default=off.
When not enabled, viewports continue to use the default viewport (interactive)
renderer on page 8164 (or the ActiveShade renderer on page 6102, if that has been
chosen).
This toggle is unavailable if no shader plug-in has been chosen from the
drop-down list, and when DX Display Of Standard Material is on.
Plug-in drop-down list Use the drop-down list to choose a DirectX viewport
shader.
The list is unavailable when DX Display Of Standard Material is on.
5394 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Standard Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Standard
Scooter rendered with the default standard material
The Standard material type provides a fairly straightforward way to model
surfaces. In the real world, the appearance of a surface depends on how it
reflects light. In 3ds Max, a standard material simulates a surface's reflective
properties. If you don't use maps on page 8036, a standard material gives an
object a single, uniform color.
Standard material is the default material in the Material Editor sample slots.
This topic introduces the controls for Standard material, exclusive of mapping.
TIP The Standard material supports hardware-based viewport display for improved
feedback while editing its parameters. For more infomation, see Show
Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport on page 5350.
Standard Material | 5395
Standard Color Components
A surface of a "single" color usually reflects many colors. Standard materials
typically use a four-color model to simulate this. (This can vary, depending
on which shader on page 5397 you use.)
■
Ambient color on page 7906 is the color of the object in shadow.
■
Diffuse on page 7955 is the color of the object in direct, "good" lighting.
■
Specular on page 8133 is the color of shiny highlights.
NOTE Some shaders generate the specular color procedurally, rather than
letting you choose it.
■
Filter on page 7976 is the color transmitted by light shining through the
object.
The Filter color component isn't visible unless the material's Opacity is
less than 100 percent.
NOTE The Raytrace material on page 5490 uses a different, six-color model to
simulate surfaces. Several components are similar to those in the Standard
Material, but they behave differently in Raytrace.
When we describe an object's color in conversation, usually we mean its diffuse
color. The choice of an ambient color depends on the kind of lighting. For
moderate indoor lighting, it can be a darker shade of the diffuse color, but for
bright indoor lighting and for daylight, it should be the complement of the
primary (key) light source. The specular color should be either the same color
as the key light source, or a high-value, low-saturation version of the diffuse
color.
For more tips on choosing color components, see Choosing Colors for Realism
on page 5270.
WARNING When you change the shading type of a material, you lose the settings
(including map assignments) for any parameters that the new shader does not
support. If you want to experiment with different shaders for a material with the
same general parameters, copy the material to a different sample slot on page 5304
before you change its shading type. That way, you can still use the original material
if the new shader doesn't give you the effect you want.
5396 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Other Standard Material Components
A standard material's specular color appears in highlights. You can control
the size and shape of the highlight. A polished surface has a small and strong
highlight. A matte surface has a large, weak highlight, or no highlight at all.
Standard materials also have controls for making the object appear transparent,
and for making it self-illuminating so that it appears to glow.
Along with the material's color components, components also refers to the
parameters that control highlights, transparency, self-illumination, and so
on.
See also:
■
Material Components on page 5267
■
Choosing Colors for Realism on page 5270
Interface
The interface for a standard material is organized into several rollouts:
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5408
SuperSampling Rollout on page 5381
Maps Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5414
Dynamics Properties Rollout on page 5423
DirectX Manager Rollout on page 5393
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Choose
shader from drop-down list.
The Shader Basic Parameters rollout lets you choose the type of shader to use
with a Standard on page 5395 material. Some additional controls affect how the
material appears.
Standard Material | 5397
Procedures
To set a material's shading type:
1 On the Shader Basic Parameters rollout, open the shader drop-down list.
2 Click the name of the shader type to use for the active material.
To use Wire mode:
■
On the Shader Basic Parameters rollout, turn on Wire.
The material is now shaded as a wireframe mesh. The wire portions of the
geometry do not change; color components, shininess, and so on, remain
the same.
For a wireframe material, turn on the 2-Sided option as well.
You have two choices for how wireframe materials are rendered. The
controls for tuning wireframe shading are on the Extended Parameters on
page 5408 rollout.
If you choose Pixels, the thickness of the wires maintains the same apparent
thickness regardless of the scale of the geometry or how near or far the
object is positioned. In other words, pixel wires have a constant display
size as if the wires were traced over an image.If you choose Units, the wires
behave as if they were modeled in the geometry. They appear thinner at
a distance and thicker at close range. Scaling a wireframe object does scale
wire width.
Interface
[shader drop-down list] Chooses a shader. The material's Basic Parameters
rollout can change to show the controls for the shader you choose. Default
shader=Blinn
There are seven different shaders. Some are named for what they do; others
are named for their creators. These are the basic material shaders:
■
Anisotropic on page 5424: For surfaces with elliptical, "anisotropic" highlights.
These highlights are good for modeling hair, glass, or brushed metal.
5398 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Blinn on page 5426: For rounder, softer highlights than Phong shading
■
Metal on page 5427: For metallic surfaces
■
Multi-Layer on page 5428: For surfaces with more complex highlights than
Anisotropic
■
Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429: For matte surfaces such as fabric or terra-cotta
■
Phong on page 5430: For surfaces with strong, circular highlights
■
Strauss on page 5431: For metallic and nonmetallic surfaces. The Strauss
shader has a simpler interface than other shaders.
■
Translucent on page 5434: Similar to Blinn shading, the Translucent shader
also lets you specify translucency, where light is scattered as it passes
through the material.
For more information about the shaders, including illustrations, see
Understanding Shaders on page 5399.
Wire Renders the material in wireframe mode on page 8172. You can set the
size of the wire in Extended Parameters on page 5408.
2-Sided Makes the material 2-sided on page 7893. Applies the material to both
sides of selected faces.
Face Map Applies the material to the faces of the geometry. If the material is
a mapped material, it requires no mapping coordinates on page 8034. The map
is automatically applied to each facet of the object.
Faceted Renders each face of a surface as if it were flat.
Understanding Shaders
For standard materials, a shader is an algorithm that tells 3ds Max how to
calculate surface rendering. Each shader has a unique set of characteristics in
order to serve a particular purpose. Some are named for what they do well,
such as the Metal shader. Others are named for the person who developed
them, such as the Blinn and Strauss shaders. The default shader in 3ds Max
is the Blinn shader.
NOTE In addition to the shaders listed below, 3ds Max supports plug-in shader
types.
Standard Material | 5399
The following list describes the shaders supplied with the software:
■
Anisotropic: Used for brushed metal or hair. Creates a highlight that is
stretched and angled, rather than the standard circular highlight.
■
Blinn: Has the same features as the Phong shader, but its mathematics are
more accurate. This is the default shader for Standard materials.
■
Metal: Used for making metals.
5400 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
MultiLayer: Two anisotropic shaders in one. Used to make two different
highlights with independent controls. Simulates materials such as a metal
that is covered with a shiny coat of wax.
■
Oren-Nayar-Blinn: An adaptation of the Blinn shader. It gives objects a
porous, non-plastic appearance, and is suitable for surfaces like skin.
Standard Material | 5401
■
Phong: A classic shading method that was the first to enable specular
highlights. Suitable for plastic surfaces.
■
Strauss: Suitable for metals. Allows you to control the degree of metallic
characteristics of the material.
5402 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Translucent Shader: Translucent shading is similar to Blinn shading, but
it also lets you specify translucency. A translucent object allows light to
pass through, and also scatters light within the object. You can use
translucency to simulate frosted and etched glass.
Comparing Shader Parameters
A shader is an algorithm that tells the program how to calculate surface
rendering. Each shader has a unique set of characteristics in order to serve a
particular purpose.
Compare the parameters of different shader types:
1 Open the Material Editor and click an available sample slot.
2 In the list on the Shader Basic Parameters rollout, change Blinn to
Anisotropic.
Standard Material | 5403
The Blinn Basic Parameters rollout changes to the Anisotropic Basic
Parameters rollout. Observe the differences in the available basic
parameters.
5404 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 Select each shader type from the list and compare its parameters with
the others. Some parameters are shared in common, but each shader has
its own unique combination of settings.
For more information on shader types, see Shader Basic Parameters Rollout
on page 5397.
Standard Material | 5405
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material)
Material Editor > Standard material > Basic Parameters rollout for the shader
you've chosen
The Basic Parameters rollouts for Standard materials contain controls that let
you set the color of your material, the shininess, the transparency, and so on,
and specify maps on page 8036 to use for the various components of the material.
Example: The Basic Parameters rollout for the Anisotropic shader.
Basic Parameters rollouts vary depending on which shader is chosen.
The Basic Parameters rollout changes depending on which kind of shader you
choose in the Shader Basic Parameters on page 5397.
NOTE The Strauss shader’s Basic Parameters rollout is simpler than those for other
shaders. See Strauss Shader on page 5431 for a description.
5406 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Component Controls
The first part of the Basic Parameters rollout contains controls for overall
material components. They are described in the following topics:
■
Color Controls on page 5436 let you choose the material’s color components,
or replace them with maps.
■
Self-Illumination on page 5440 makes a material appear lit from within.
Self-illumination is not available for the Strauss shader on page 5431.
■
Opacity on page 5442 controls how opaque or transparent a material is.
■
Diffuse Level on page 5444 controls the brightness of the diffuse color
component.
Diffuse Level is available only for the Anisotropic on page 5424, Multi-Layer
on page 5428, and Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429 shaders.
■
Roughness on page 5446 controls how quickly the diffuse component blends
into the ambient component.
Roughness is available only for the Multi-Layer on page 5428 and
Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429 shaders.
Highlight Controls
The second part of the Basic Parameters rollout contains controls for specular
highlights, which in some ways are the greatest difference between the various
shaders. See these topics for a description:
■
Anisotropic Highlights on page 5424
■
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong Highlights on page 5451
■
Metal Highlights on page 5452
■
Multi-Layer Highlights on page 5454
For information on highlights with the Strauss shader, see Strauss Shader on
page 5431.
Translucency Controls
For the Translucent shader on page 5434, an additional group on the Basic
Parameters rollout contains controls for translucency on page 5447.
Standard Material | 5407
Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material)
Material Editor > Standard material > Extended Parameters rollout
The Extended Parameters rollout is the same for all shading types of Standard
material. It has controls related to transparency and reflection, as well as
options for Wire mode.
This topic contains tables of the Index of Refraction for some common physical
materials. These can be used to create Standard materials with realistic
transparency.
Additive Opacity and the Alpha Channel
By default, additive opacity does not generate an alpha value. In other words,
the alpha value is zero, indicating no transparency. This gives correct results
with backgrounds in renderings, but if you want to composite objects with
additive opacity using video post on page 6773 or a different compositing
program, you might want to have additive opacity render with transparency.
To do so, add the following line to the [Renderer] section of the 3dsmax.ini
file, and then restart 3ds Max:
AlphaOutOnAdditive=1
To revert to the default method of rendering additive opacity, in the 3dsmax.ini
file, change the value of AlphaOutOnAdditive back to 0 (zero), and then restart
3ds Max.
Interface
Advanced Transparency group
These controls affect the opacity falloff on page 8068 of a transparent material.
NOTE For the Translucent shader on page 5434, these controls do not appear. They
are replaced by the Translucency controls on page 5447 on the Basic Parameters
rollout.
Falloff Chooses whether falloff is in or out, and how great it is.
■
In Increases transparency toward the inside of the object, as in a glass
bottle.
■
Out Increases transparency toward the outside of the object, as in a cloud
of smoke.
5408 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Amt (Amount) Specifies the amount of transparency at the outside or inside
extreme.
Type These controls choose how transparency is applied.
■
Filter on page 7976 computes a filter color that it multiplies by the color
behind the transparent surface. Click the color swatch to change the filter
color. Click the button to assign a map to the filter color component.
The filter, or transmissive color, is the color transmitted through transparent
or semi-transparent materials such as glass. You can use the filter color
with volumetric lighting to create effects such as colored light through a
stained-glass window. Ray-traced shadows on page 8103 cast by transparent
objects are tinted with the filter color.
A shadow's color is changed with a red filter color.
■
Subtractive on page 8140 subtracts from the color behind the transparent
surface.
■
Additive on page 7901 adds to the color behind the transparent surface.
Index of Refraction Sets the index of refraction (IOR) used by refraction maps
and raytracing. The IOR controls how severely the material refracts transmitted
Standard Material | 5409
light. Left at 1.0, the IOR of air, the object behind the transparent object does
not distort. At 1.5 the object behind distorts greatly, like a glass marble. At an
IOR slightly less than 1.0, the object reflects along its edges, like a bubble seen
from under water. Default=1.0.
Common IORs (assuming the camera is in air or a vacuum) are:
Material
IOR Value
Vacuum
1.0 (exactly)
Air
1.0003
Water
1.333
Glass
1.5 (clear glass) to 1.7
Diamond
2.417
In the physical world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through
the transparent material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically
this is related to the object's density; the higher the IOR, the denser the object.
You can also use a map to control the index of refraction. IOR maps always
interpolate between 1.0 (the IOR of air) and the setting in the IOR parameter.
For example, if the IOR is set to 3.55 and you use a black-and-white Noise
map to control IOR, the IORs rendered on the object will be set to values
between 1.0 and 3.55; the object will appear denser than air. If, on the other
hand, your IOR is set to 0.5, then the same map values will render between
0.5 and 1.0, as if the camera were under water and the object was less dense
than the water.
Here are some more IOR values for various materials:
Material
IOR Value
Carbon Dioxide, Liquid
1.200
Ice
1.309
Acetone
1.360
5410 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material
IOR Value
Ethyl Alcohol
1.360
Sugar Solution 30%
1.380
Alcohol
1.329
Flourite
1.434
Quartz, Fused
1.460
Calspar2
1.486
Sugar Solution 80%
1.490
Glass, Zinc Crown
1.517
Glass, Crown
1.520
Sodium Chloride
1.530
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 1
1.544
Polystyrene
1.550
Quartz 2
1.553
Emerald
1.570
Glass, Light Flint
1.575
Lapis Lazuli
1.610
Topaz
1.610
Standard Material | 5411
Material
IOR Value
Carbon Bisulfide
1.630
Quartz 1
1.644
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 2
1.644
Glass, Heavy Flint
1.650
Methylene Iodide
1.740
Ruby
1.770
Sapphire
1.770
Glass, Heaviest Flint
1.890
Crystal
2.000
Chromium Oxide
2.705
Copper Oxide
2.705
Amorphous Selenium
2.920
Iodine Crystal
3.340
Wire group
Size Sets the size of the wire in wireframe mode on page 8172. You can set either
pixels or current units.
In Chooses how to measure wire.
■
Pixels (The default.) Measures wire in pixels. With pixels, wires maintain
the same apparent thickness regardless of the scale of the geometry or how
near or far the object is positioned.
5412 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Units Measures wire in 3ds Max units. With units, the wires appear
thinner at a distance and thicker at close range, as if they were modeled
in the geometry.
Reflection Dimming group
These controls dim reflection maps that are in shadow.
Reflection dimming
Above: None
Below: 0.0 (100% dimming)
Apply Turn on to use reflection dimming. When off, the reflection-mapped
material is not affected by the presence or absence of direct light. Default=off.
Standard Material | 5413
Dim Level The amount of dimming that takes place in shadow. At 0.0, the
reflection map is completely dark in shadow. At 0.5, the reflection map is half
dimmed. At 1.0, the reflection map is not dimmed and the material appears
as if Apply were turned off. Default=0.0.
Refl. Level Affects the intensity of the reflection that is not in shadow. The
Reflection Level value multiplies the illumination level of the lit area of the
reflection, to compensate for dimming. In most cases, the default value of 3.0
keeps the reflection in the lit area at about the same level it would appear if
reflection dimming were not on.
Maps Rollout (Standard Material)
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout
A material's Maps rollout lets you access and assign maps on page 8036 to various
components of the material.
You can choose from a large variety of map types. To find descriptions of these
types, and how to set their parameters, see Map Types on page 5767.
Assigning the Same Map to Different Parameters
Applying the same map to different parameters is useful in some cases. For
example, using a pattern to map both self-illumination and opacity can make
the pattern appear to glow and hover in space.
Blending Map Amounts for Opacity and Other Material Components
When you map a scalar component (such as Specular Level, Glossiness,
Self-Illumination, and Opacity), the component's value in the Basic Parameters
on page 5406 rollout is blended with its associated map Amount in the Maps
rollout.
For example, when the Opacity spinner is set to 0, the map Amount spinner
completely controls Opacity. That is, reducing the Amount value increases
the transparency of the entire surface. On the other hand, when Opacity is
100, reducing the map's Amount value increases the opacity of the entire
surface. You can adjust a Checker Opacity map so that the opaque areas remain
opaque, while the transparent areas become semi-transparent.
Other scalar components behave in the same way. Setting the map's Amount
to 100 applies all of the map. Setting the Amount to 0 is the equivalent of
5414 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
turning the map off. Intermediate Amount values are blended with the value
of the scalar component.
When you load old 3ds Max files or bring earlier materials from the Browser
into the Materials Editor, the spinner values for Opacity, Specular Level,
Glossiness, and Self-Illumination are altered, where necessary, to maintain
the equivalent material effect.
Ambient and Diffuse Map Lock
In the Maps rollout, the lock button to the right of the Diffuse Color map
button locks ambient mapping to diffuse mapping. It is on by default. Usually
it makes sense to use the same map for the ambient and diffuse components.
To use different maps for ambient and diffuse, turn off the lock button. The
map button for Ambient Color becomes available.
Procedures
To assign a map:
1 In the Maps rollout, click a map button.
A modal Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 Use the Browse From buttons to choose where you want to look.
If you choose Material Library and the dialog's display area is blank, you
need to open a library file. Click the Open button and then choose the
library to browse.
3 Use the display buttons to choose how you view maps.
■
View List shows each map by name.
■
View List + Icons shows a small preview and each map's name.
■
View Small Icons shows a small preview for each map.
■
View Large Icons shows a large preview for each map, along
with the map's name.
Standard Material | 5415
TIP You can resize the Browser dialog to increase the size of the display
area. This is especially useful when you view large icons.
4 Double-click the map you want.
To use the same map for different parameters:
1 In the Maps rollout, use a map button to assign a map.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
2
Click Go To Parent to return to the material level, and then open
the Maps rollout.
3 Drag the assigned map button to another map button.
The Copy (Instance) Map dialog on page 5365 is displayed.
4 Choose Copy or Instance, and then click OK.
If you choose Swap, the Material Editor swaps the two button assignments.
To view the parent material's parameters:
■
If you are currently at the map level in the Material Editor, click Go
To Parent.
The parameters for the map's parent material are displayed. Also, the Show
End Result and Go To Parent buttons become unavailable.
To view a map's parameters:
■
If you are currently at the material level in the Material Editor, click the
button that corresponds to the map.
The parameters for the map are displayed. Also, the Show End Result on
page 5356 and Go To Parent on page 5356 buttons become available.
In the Basic Parameters rollout, if a map has been assigned to a color
component or parameter, the corresponding button displays a letter M.
In the Maps rollout, if a map has been assigned, the corresponding button
displays the map name.
5416 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To view a map's location:
Click Material/Map Navigator to view the Navigator.
The Material/Map Navigator on page 5357 displays the hierarchy of the
current material, which contains the map.
■
To go to a map using the Navigator:
In the Material/Map Navigator on page 5357, click the name of the map, or
the green or red parallelogram to the left of the map's name.
The Navigator goes to the level of the map, and the Material Editor displays
the controls for the map you clicked.
■
As the Navigator's map tree shows, maps for basic material components
and parameters are one level below the material itself.
To preview a map in a sample slot:
1 Go to the level of the map, as described in previous procedures.
The Material Editor displays the map's parameters.
2
Turn off Show End Result on page 5356.
The sample slot shows the map instead of the material. If the map
contains sub-maps, these are also visible.
By default, the sample slot displays a map with no three-dimensional
shading. You can change this in the Material Editor Options dialog on
page 5335.
To view the map interactively:
1 Select an object.
2 In the object's creation parameters, make sure that Generate Mapping
Coords is on.
If the object type does not have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle,
you need to assign mapping coordinates by applying a UVW Map modifier
on page 1931.
3 In the Material Editor, assign the mapped material to the object.
4 If you are at the material level (the top level), click the appropriate map
button to go to the map level.
Standard Material | 5417
5
Turn on Show Map In Viewport on page 5350.
The map appears on objects assigned the material in all shaded viewports.
Now when you adjust the map, the viewports update to display the
adjustments.
Turning on Show Map In Viewport for one map automatically turns this
button off for all other maps the material has.
Viewports can display 2D maps such as Checker and Bitmap.
Viewports can also display most kinds of 3D maps. The exceptions are
Particle Age and Particle MBlur. Also, the appearance of the Falloff map
in viewports give only a vague indication of how it will appear when
rendered.
Show Map In Viewport is unavailable if the active map type cannot display
in viewports.
Displaying mapped materials in a viewport can slow performance. If you
don't need to view the texture, turn off its viewport display.
To turn off interactive texture display:
1 Go to the map level.
If you are at the material level, click the appropriate map button to go
to the map level.
2
Turn off Show Map in Viewport on page 5350.
The object is shaded but the map no longer appears.
To turn a map off:
■
On the Maps rollout, turn off the map's check box.
The check box is to the left of the map's name.
When a map is off, a lowercase m appears on the corresponding map
button.
5418 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To turn a map on:
■
In the Maps rollout, turn on the map's check box.
The check box is to the left of the map's name.
When a map is on, an uppercase M appears on the corresponding map
button.
To change a map's strength:
■
In the Maps rollout, adjust the map's Amount spinner.
The material's sample slot reflects the change.
NOTE Adjusting a map's output (in the map's Output rollout) can also change
the map's strength.
To move directly to an ancestor:
1 Below the Material Editor toolbar, click the arrow to the right of the map's
name field on page 5360.
A drop-down list of ancestors is displayed.
2 Click a name in the Ancestor list.
With this list, you can skip intermediate levels in the tree.
The Ancestor drop-down list shows only part of the tree. It
does not show side branches and siblings. To view these, use the
Material/Map Navigator on page 5357 or the Go Forward To Sibling on page
5357 and Go To Parent on page 5356 buttons on the Material Editor toolbar.
To change a map type:
1 At the level of a map, click the button labeled Type below the Material
Editor toolbar.
Standard Material | 5419
A modal Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed. If you were at a
map, it lists only maps (if you were at a material when you clicked Type,
the Browser lists only materials).
2 Choose a map type from the list, and then click OK.
If you change a map type and the new map type can have component
maps, a Replace Map dialog is displayed. This dialog gives you a choice
between discarding the original map or using it as a component map.
If the new map type does not have components, it simply replaces the
original map type.
To create a standalone map tree:
1 Activate a sample slot.
2
Click Get Material on page 5341.
3 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, make sure Browse From is set
to New.
4 Double-click the name of the map type (not a material type) you want
to use, or drag the map to a sample slot.
The sample slot now contains a standalone map not associated with
material parameters.
5 Use the Material Editor to modify the map as you would any other map.
By default, the sample slot displays a map with no three-dimensional
shading. You can change this in the Material Editor Options dialog on
page 5335.
5420 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
The Maps rollout contains a wide button for each map type. Click this button
to select a bitmap file stored on disk or to select a procedural map type on
page 8097. After you select a map, its name and type appears on the button. Use
the check box to the left of the button to turn the effect of the map off and
on. When the check box is off, the map is not computed and has no effect in
the renderer.
Standard Material | 5421
The Amount spinner determines the amount that the map affects the material
expressed as a percentage of full intensity. For example, a diffuse map at 100%
is completely opaque and covers the base material. At 50%, it is
semi-transparent and the base material (the diffuse, ambient, and other colors
of the material without mapping) shows through.
Ambient Color Mapping on page 5458
Diffuse Color Mapping on page 5460
Diffuse Level Mapping on page 5462
Diffuse Roughness Mapping on page 5464
Specular Color Mapping on page 5465
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467
Glossiness and Specular Level Settings on page 7999
Self-Illumination Mapping on page 5469
Opacity Mapping on page 5470
Filter Color Mapping on page 5471
Anisotropy Mapping on page 5473
Orientation Mapping on page 5474
Metalness Mapping on page 5476
Bump Mapping on page 5478
Reflection Mapping on page 5480
Refraction Mapping on page 5483
Displacement Mapping on page 5487
The Maps rollout can have unused, disabled control rows at the bottom. This
is because the number of components that can be mapped varies depending
on the current shader on page 5397. The last four rows are always Bump,
Reflection, Refraction, and Displacement, in that order.
NOTE The sub-material and sub-map buttons for most materials and maps have
check boxes beside each button. These turn that branch of the material or map
off or on. For example, in the Top/Bottom material, the Top Material and Bottom
Material buttons each have check boxes. Similarly, the Checker map has two map
buttons, one for each color. Each button has check box beside it that lets you turn
off that color's map.
5422 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Dynamics Properties Rollout
Material Editor > Standard material > Dynamics Properties rollout
The Dynamics Properties rollout lets you specify surface properties that affect
the animation of an object upon collision with another object. If there are no
collisions in your simulation, these settings have no effect. The dynamics
properties are used by the Dynamics utility on page 3852.
Since the Dynamics Properties rollout is available at the top level of any
material (including submaterials), you can specify different surface dynamic
properties for each face in an object. There are also controls in the Dynamics
utility that let you adjust the surface properties at the object level, but only
the Materials Editor lets you alter the surface properties at the sub-object level,
through use of a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720.
As a default, the values in the Dynamics Properties rollout provide a surface
that's similar to Teflon-coated hardened steel.
Interface
Bounce Coefficient Sets how far an object bounces after hitting a surface.
The higher the value, the greater the bounce. A value of 1 represents a "perfectly
elastic collision," or a bounce in which no kinetic energy is lost. Default=1.0.
If you've seen the desktop toy with four ball bearings swinging back and forth
on strings and hitting one another, you've seen an example that comes very
close to a bounce coefficient of 1. Generally, hardened steel or a super ball
have a bounce near 1, while lead has a bounce near 0.
Static Friction Sets how difficult it is for the object to start moving along a
surface. The higher this value, the more difficult. Default=0.0.
If something weighs ten pounds and sits on Teflon (a static friction of near
0), it takes almost no force to make it move sideways. On the other hand, if
it sits on sandpaper, then the static friction might be very high, on the order
Standard Material | 5423
of 0.5 to 0.8. A static friction near 1 is very difficult to create in the real world
without adhesives or friction material.
Sliding Friction Sets how difficult it is for the object to keep moving over a
surface. The higher this value, the more difficult for the object to keep moving.
Default=0.0.
Once two objects begin to slide over one another, static friction disappears
and sliding friction takes over. Generally, sliding friction is lower than static
friction due to surface tension effects. For example, once steel starts sliding
over brass (a value of static friction that might run from 0.05 to 0.2), the
sliding friction drops to a significantly lower value, on the order of .01 to 0.1.
For some materials, such as specific friction materials like brake linings, sliding
friction is just as high as static friction because it is used in conjunction with
a nearly frictionless material such as hardened polished steel.
Basic Material Shaders
Anisotropic Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Anisotropic shader > Anisotropic Basic Parameters rollout
The Anisotropic shader creates surfaces with elliptical, "anisotropic" highlights.
These highlights are good for modeling hair, glass, or brushed metal. The basic
parameters are similar to those for Blinn or Phong shading on page 5426, except
for the Specular Highlight parameters, and Diffuse Level controls such as those
for Oren-Nayar-Blinn shading on page 5429.
5424 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Anisotropic highlights are elliptical, with differing U and V dimensions.
Anisotropy measures the difference between sizes of the highlight as seen
from two perpendicular directions. When anisotropy is 0, there is no difference
at all. The highlight is circular, as in Blinn or Phong shading. When anisotropy
is 100, the difference is at its maximum. In one direction the highlight is very
sharp; in the other direction it is controlled solely by Glossiness.
For more complex highlights, see the Multi-Layer shader on page 5428.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Anisotropic Highlights on page 5449
Standard Material | 5425
Blinn Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Blinn
shader > Blinn Basic Parameters rollout
Blinn shading is a subtle variation on Phong shading. The most noticeable
difference is that highlights appear rounder. In general, you don't need to use
the Soften parameter (described in Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong
Highlights on page 5451) as often as you do with Phong shading.
Blinn shading tends to have soft, round highlights.
With Blinn shading, you can obtain highlights produced by light glancing
off the surface at low angles. These highlights are lost when you increase the
value of Soften using Phong shading.
The Blinn and Phong shaders have the same basic parameters on page 5406.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
5426 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong Highlights on page 5451
Metal Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Metal
shader > Metal Basic Parameters rollout
Metal shading provides realistic-looking metallic surfaces and a variety of
organic-looking materials.
Metal shading has a distinct curve for specular highlights. Metal surfaces also
have glancing highlights. Metal materials calculate their own specular color,
which can vary between the material's diffuse color and the color of the light.
You can't set a metal material's specular color.
Metal shading has distinctive highlights.
Because there's no separate specular highlight, the two specular highlight
spinners behave differently than the spinners for Blinn and Phong shading
on page 5426. The Specular Level spinner still controls intensity, but the
Glossiness spinner affects both the intensity and size of the specular areas.
Standard Material | 5427
TIP When you create a metal material, make sure the backlight on page 5329 is on
in the sample slot.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Metal Highlights on page 5452
Multi-Layer Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Multi-Layer shader > Multi-Layer Basic Parameters rollout
Upper left: No highlights
Upper right: Single highlight
Lower middle: Multiple highlights from the multi-layer shader
The Multi-Layer shader is similar to the Anisotropic shader on page 5424, but it
has a set of two specular highlight controls. The highlights are layered, letting
you create complex highlights that are good for highly polished surfaces,
special effects, and so on.
5428 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Highlights in the Multi-Layer shader can be anisotropic. Anisotropy measures
the difference between sizes of the highlight as seen from two perpendicular
directions. When anisotropy is 0, there is no difference at all. The highlight
is circular, as in Blinn or Phong shading. When anisotropy is 100, the difference
is at its maximum. In one direction the highlight is very sharp; in the other
direction it is controlled solely by Glossiness.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Multi-Layer Highlights on page 5454
Oren-Nayar-Blinn Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Blinn
shader > Oren-Nayar-Blinn shader > Oren-Nayar-Blinn Basic Parameters rollout
The Oren-Nayar-Blinn shader is a variant of the Blinn shader on page 5426. It
contains additional "advanced diffuse" controls, Diffuse Level and Roughness,
that you can use to give the material a matte effect. This shader is good for
matte surfaces such as fabric, terra-cotta, and so on.
Standard Material | 5429
Oren-Nayar-Blinn shading typically has a matte appearance.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong Highlights on page 5451
Phong Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Phong
shader > Phong Basic Parameters rollout
Phong shading smoothes the edges between faces and renders highlights
realistically for shiny, regular surfaces. This shader interpolates intensities
across a face based on the averaged face normals of adjacent faces. It calculates
the normal for every pixel of the face.
5430 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Phong-shaded highlights are typically less regular than Blinn highlights.
Phong shading can accurately render bump, opacity, shininess, specular, and
reflection maps.
The Blinn and Phong shaders have the same basic parameters on page 5406.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong Highlights on page 5451
Strauss Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Strauss
shader > Strauss Basic Parameters rollout
The Strauss shader is for modeling metallic surfaces. It uses a simpler model
and has a simpler interface than the Metal shader on page 5427.
Standard Material | 5431
Sample of Strauss shading
NOTE The Strauss shader’s Basic Parameters rollout differs a great deal from the
Basic Parameters rollouts for other shaders, and is described in this topic.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
Procedures
To change the color of a Strauss material:
1 Click the Color swatch.
The Color Selector on page 391 is displayed.
Right-clicking the color swatch also displays the Color Selector.
2 In the Color Selector, change the values of the color.
As you change color values, the color also changes in the sample in the
sample slot.
5432 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To reduce a material's opacity:
■
Change Opacity to a value less than 100%.
The material becomes more transparent. A fully transparent object (0%
Opacity) is nearly invisible except for the light it reflects: the specular
highlights.
To preview transparency in the sample slots, view the sample object against
a background. Click the checkered Background on page 5329 button to the
right of the sample slots.
Transparent materials render more realistically when you turn on 2-Sided
in the material's Shader Basic Parameters on page 5397.
To increase or decrease the size and intensity of highlights:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
The width of the Highlight curve and the highlights in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curve is at its maximum width. At 100% glossiness,
the curve is extremely narrow.
Increasing Glossiness also dims the diffuse color.
To make the material appear more metallic:
1 Increase the Glossiness value.
The metallic effect requires visible highlights.
2 Increase the value of Metalness.
Highlights become more focused, and the (diffuse) color component is
dimmed.
Interface
Standard Material | 5433
Color Controls the color of the material. This corresponds to the diffuse color
on page 7955 you specify for other kinds of shaders. With the Strauss shader,
you control only this color. The shader calculates the ambient and specular
color components.
Click the map button to assign a map to the color component. See Diffuse
Mapping on page 5460. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign color
mapping in the Maps on page 5414 rollout.
Glossiness Affects the size and intensity of the specular highlight. As you
increase the value, the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier.
Default=25.
Glossiness also controls the strength of reflection maps assigned to a Strauss
material.
Click the map button to assign a map to the glossiness component. See
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
glossiness mapping in the Maps on page 5414 rollout.
Metalness Changes the metallic appearance of a material. Increasing the
Metalness value increases the metallic appearance, with glancing as well as
primary highlights. Because a metallic appearance principally depends on
highlights, the Metalness value has little effect unless you also increase the
Glossiness value. Default=0.
TIP When you create a metal material, make sure the backlight on page 5329 is on
in the sample slot.
Opacity Sets the opacity/transparency of the material as a percentage. The
effect is best previewed against a pattern background on page 5329 in the sample
slot. You can control opacity falloff on page 8068 in the Extended Parameters.
Default=100.
Click the map button to assign a map to the opacity component. See Opacity
Mapping on page 5470. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign opacity
mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Highlight graph This curve shows the effect of adjusting the value of
Glossiness. As you decrease Glossiness, the curve grows shorter; as you increase
it, the curve grows taller.
Translucent Shader
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Translucent shader > Translucent Basic Parameters rollout
5434 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The bust on the right has been made translucent.
Translucent shading is similar to Blinn shading, but it also lets you specify
translucency. A translucent object allows light to pass through, and also scatters
light within the object. You can use translucency to simulate frosted and
etched glass.
Translucency is inherently a two-sided effect: with the translucent shader,
backface illumination appears on front faces. To generate translucency, both
sides of the material receive diffuse light, though only one side is visible in
renderings and shaded viewports unless you turn on 2-Sided (in the Shader
Basic Parameters rollout).
If you use radiosity on page 6168, it will process light transmitted by translucency.
The accuracy of this depends on the mesh: the more subdivided the faces are,
the more accurate the solution will be (at a cost of processing time).
For specular highlights, you have a choice: to model materials like translucent
plastic, you can choose to have highlights on both sides; to model materials
like frosted glass, which is reflective on one side only, you can choose to have
highlights on only one side. This is controlled by the Backside Specular toggle
in the translucent highlight controls.
Standard Material | 5435
TIP To simulate frosted glass, a fine-grained bump map can also help.
The translucent effect appears only in renderings. It does not appear in shaded
viewports.
NOTE The translucent shader does not simulate the scattering of light within the
object. Because of this, it is better at simulating thin objects such as glass or paper,
than at thick objects. For thicker objects, the light passing through might saturate
excessively. To avoid this, try reducing the HSV Value of the material's Translucent
Color.
Translucent materials also capture shadows cast on the backfaces of the
material. However, because the translucent shader doesn't scatter light, for
thicker objects the effect is not an accurate simulation of real-world
translucency.
WARNING Do not use shadow maps with the translucent shader. Shadow maps
result in artifacts at the edge of translucent objects.
See also:
■
Shader Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5397
■
Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5406
■
Translucency Setting on page 5447
■
Translucent Highlights on page 5457
Basic Parameters for Standard Materials
Color Controls
Material Editor > Standard material > Anisotropic, Blinn, Metal, Multi-Layer,
Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Phong Basic Parameters rollout > First group in the
rollout (unlabeled)
Color controls set the colors for different color components. You can set the
color by clicking the color swatch to display the Color Selector on page 391.
5436 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE The Metal shader does not have a Specular component, because it generates
the specular color automatically. The Multi-Layer shader can have two different
Specular color components, so for this material the Specular color swatches are
found in the Specular Highlights group. The Strauss shader has only a single color
component, which corresponds to Diffuse.
1. Specular color
2. Diffuse color
3. Ambient color
Copying and Locking Color Components
For convenience in changing color components, the Material Editor lets you
copy one color component to another by dragging, and to lock two color
components together with the lock buttons to the left of the Ambient and
Diffuse, and Diffuse and Specular color swatches.
When you drag and drop a color swatch, the Copy or Swap Colors dialog on
page 5366 asks if you want to copy the color or swap the two colors.
In general, materials with two identical color components do not look realistic,
and except for materials that are close to solid black, you should avoid using
Standard Material | 5437
copied or locked color components in materials you use in a scene. Color
copying and locking are best used as conveniences when you design a new
basic material.
Shortcut Map Buttons
The small buttons to the right of the color swatches access the Material/Map
Browser on page 5357, where you select a map for that component. These buttons
are shortcuts: you can also use the corresponding buttons in the Maps rollout
on page 5414 If you have assigned a map to one of these color components, the
button displays the letter M. An uppercase M means that the corresponding
map is assigned and active. A lowercase m means that the map is assigned
and inactive (turned off).
The lock button to the right of the Diffuse map button locks Ambient
mapping to Diffuse mapping. It is on by default. Usually it makes sense to use
the same map for the ambient and diffuse components. To use different maps
for ambient and diffuse, turn off the lock button. A map shortcut button for
Ambient appears.
Procedures
To change a color component:
1 Click the color swatch next to the color component you want to change.
The Material Editor displays a Color Selector on page 391.
Right-clicking the color swatch also displays the Color Selector.
2 Use the Color Selector to change the values of the color component.
As you change color values, the color component also changes in the
sample slot.
To copy one color component to another:
1 Drag the color swatch of the color you want to copy to the color swatch
of the other color component.
A Copy or Swap Colors dialog on page 5366 is displayed.
2 Click Copy to replace the second color swatch with the color you dragged.
Click Swap to swap the two color components.
5438 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To lock two color components:
1
Click the lock button between Ambient and Diffuse or between
Diffuse and Specular.
The Material Editor displays an alert that asks whether you want to lock
the two color components.
2 Click Yes.
The color above replaces the color below. In other words, Ambient replaces
Diffuse and Diffuse replaces Specular.
If two colors are locked, and you lock the other two, all three component
colors are replaced by the active color.
While two colors are locked, adjustments to one color component affect
the other as well.
To unlock two color components:
■
Click the lock button to turn it off.
The two colors remain the same until you change one of them, or both.
Interface
Ambient Controls the ambient color on page 7906. The ambient color is the
color in shadow (indirect light).
Diffuse Controls the diffuse color on page 7955. The diffuse color is the color
in direct light.
Specular Controls the specular color on page 8133. The specular color is the
color of the highlight on a shiny object. You can control the size and shape
of highlights in the Specular Highlights group, described below.
Standard Material | 5439
Self-Illumination Setting
Material Editor > Standard material > Anisotropic, Blinn, Metal, Multi-Layer,
Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Phong Basic Parameters rollout > Self-Illumination group
These controls make the material self illuminated on page 8122. Self-illumination
creates the illusion of incandescence by replacing shadows on the surface with
the diffuse color. As you increase self-illumination, the self-illumination color
takes over from the ambient color. At a setting of 100, the material shows no
shaded areas, although it can show specular highlights.
The self-illumination color appears in viewports. (In releases prior to 3ds Max
5,, viewports showed the self-illumination value but not the color.)
NOTE The Strauss shader on page 5431 does not have self-illumination.
There are two ways to specify self-illumination. You can turn on the check
box and use a self-illumination color, or turn off the check box and use a
monochrome spinner, which is comparable to using a gray scale
self-illumination color.
Self-illuminated materials do not show shadows cast onto them, and they are
unaffected by the lights in the scene. The brightness (Value in the HSV color
description on page 8105) remains the same regardless of the scene's lighting.
To make a visible light source in a scene, you can combine a geometric object
with a light object, and give the geometric object a self-illuminating surface.
For example, you could create a lofted light bulb shape, assign it a
self-illuminating white or yellowish material, and place an omni light in the
same location.
To make a material both self-illuminating and transparent, use the Additive
transparency type in combination with self-illumination. See Extended
Parameters on page 5408.
5440 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
A self-illuminated object using a percentage value and a color
Procedures
To make a material self-illuminating:
1 Click the color swatch in the Self-Illumination group.
2 In the Color Selector on page 391, choose a color for self-illumination.
3 Use the color's Value parameter (in the HSV model) to increase or decrease
the amount of self-illumination on page 8122.
You can also set self-illumination with a monochrome spinner. To do
so, turn off the self-illumination check box and adjust the spinner.
The self-illumination color is mixed with the material's diffuse color. The
closer to black the self-illumination color, the more diffuse color is used.
As self-illumination increases, the sample object appears flatter and more
luminous.
Standard Material | 5441
Interface
Color check box When on, the material uses a special self-illumination color.
When off, the material uses the diffuse color for self-illumination, and displays
a spinner to control the self-illumination amount. Default=off.
Color swatch When Color is on, the color swatch shows the self-illumination
color. To change the color, click the swatch and then use the Color Selector
on page 391. Adjusting the Value (in the color's HSV description on page 8105)
adjusts the amount of self-illumination. The greater the Value, the more the
self-illumination color dominates both the ambient and diffuse color
components.
Mono spinner When Color is off, the diffuse component is used as the
self-illumination color, and this spinner lets you adjust the amount of
self-illumination. At 0, there is no self-illumination. At 100, the diffuse color
takes over from the ambient color.
Click the map button to assign a map to the self-illumination component.
See Self-Illumination Mapping on page 5469. This button is a shortcut: you can
also assign self-illumination mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Opacity
Material Editor > Standard material > Anisotropic, Blinn, Metal, Multi-Layer,
Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Phong Basic Parameters rollout > Opacity group
(unlabeled)
Opacity controls whether a material is opaque, transparent, or translucent.
(A more physically accurate way to generate translucency is to use the
Translucent shader on page 5434.)
5442 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Controlling opacity using the Opacity setting (left) or an opacity map (right).
Procedures
To reduce a material's opacity:
■
Change Opacity to a value less than 100%.
The material becomes more transparent. A fully transparent object (0%
Opacity) is nearly invisible except for the light it reflects (the specular
highlights).
To preview transparency in the sample slots, view the sample object against
a background. Click the checkered Background button on page 5329 to the
right of the sample slots.
Transparent materials render more realistically when you turn on 2-Sided
in the material's Shader Basic Parameters on page 5397.
Standard Material | 5443
Interface
Opacity Sets the opacity/transparency of the material as a percentage. The
effect is best previewed against a pattern background on page 5329 in the sample
slot. You can control opacity falloff on page 8068 in the Extended Parameters.
Click the map button to assign a map to the opacity component. See Opacity
Mapping on page 5470. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign opacity
mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Diffuse Level
Material Editor > Standard material > Anisotropic, Multi-Layer, or
Oren-Nayar-Blinn Basic Parameters rollout > Diffuse Level group (unlabeled)
or Advanced Diffuse group
Diffuse Level controls the brightness of the material's diffuse component.
5444 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE The Blinn, Metal, Phong, and Strauss shaders do not have Diffuse Level
control.
Adjusting diffuse level
Procedures
To adjust the diffuse level:
■
Change the value of Diffuse Level.
The material grows lighter or darker. Lowering the Diffuse Level dims the
material's diffuse color without affecting the specular highlight. Diffuse
Level is intended primarily so you can create a map on page 5462 that makes
portions of the material very dark.
Interface
Standard Material | 5445
Diffuse Level Increasing this value increases diffuse brightness, and decreasing
it reduces diffuse brightness without affecting the specular highlight. You can
increase the diffuse level over and above the diffuse color's Value (in its HSV
description on page 8105). This parameter can range from 0 to 400. Default=100.
Click the map button to assign a map to the diffuse level parameter. See Diffuse
Level Mapping on page 5462. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
diffuse level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Roughness
Material Editor > Standard material > Multi-Layer or Oren-Nayar-Blinn Basic
Parameters rollout > Advanced Diffuse group (unlabeled for Multi-Layer)
Roughness controls the rate at which the diffuse component blends into the
ambient component.
NOTE The Roughness parameter is available only with the Oren-Nayar-Blinn on
page 5429 and Multi-Level on page 5428 shaders, and with the Arch & Design material
(mental ray) on page 5544.
Increasing the blending area between ambient and diffuse with Roughness
5446 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To adjust the roughness:
■
Change the value of Roughness.
Increasing roughness makes the material have a flatter, more matte
appearance.
Interface
Roughness As you increase this value, the matte appearance of the material
increases. It also grows darker and appears more flat. At 0, the roughness is
the same as it is with Blinn shading on page 5426. Range (Oren-Nayar-Blinn and
Multi-Layer)=0 to 100. Range (Arch & Design material)=0.0 to 1.0. Default=0.
Click the map button to assign a map to Roughness. This button is a shortcut:
you can also assign Diffuse Roughness mapping on the Maps rollout on page
5414 (Oren-Nayar-Blinn and Multi-Layer) or General Maps rollout on page 5579
(Arch & Design material). See Diffuse Roughness Mapping on page 5464.
Translucency Setting
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Translucent shader > Translucent Basic Parameters rollout > Translucency
group
The translucency controls are available for the Translucent shader on page
5434.
WARNING Do not use shadow maps with the translucent shader. Shadow maps
result in artifacts at the edge of translucent objects.
Procedures
To make a material translucent:
■
Increase the HSV Value (V) on page 8105 of the Translucent Color.
As the Value increases, the material becomes more translucent. The Hue
of the Translucent Color tints the light that is scattered within the material.
Standard Material | 5447
Translucent materials render more realistically when you turn on 2-Sided
in the material's Shader Basic Parameters on page 5397. The translucent effect
does not appear in shaded viewports.
Example of translucency
Interface
Translucent Clr (Color) Specifies a translucency color. This is the color of
light that is scattered within the material. It does not need to be the same as
the filter color, which is light transmitted by the material. The two color values
are multiplied. Click the color swatch to change the translucent color. Click
the button to assign a map to the translucent color component.
Filter Color Specifies a filter color on page 7976 that is multiplied by the
translucent color. Click the color swatch to change the filter color. Click the
button to assign a map to the filter color component.
The filter, or transmissive color, is the color transmitted through transparent
or semi-transparent materials such as glass. You can use the filter color with
volumetric lighting to create effects such as colored light through a
stained-glass window. Ray-traced shadows on page 8103 cast by transparent
objects are tinted with the filter color.
Opacity Sets the opacity/transparency on page 5442 of the material as a
percentage. The effect is best previewed against a pattern background on page
5329 in the sample slot.
Click the map button to assign a map to the opacity component. See Opacity
Mapping on page 5470. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign opacity
mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
5448 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Specular Highlight Controls
Anisotropic Highlights
Material Editor > Standard material > Anisotropic Basic Parameters rollout >
Specular Highlight group
Material Editor > Raytrace material > Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout >
Shading: Anisotropic > Specular Highlight group
Anisotropic highlights are good for modeling hair, glass, or brushed metal.
NOTE For the Raytrace material on page 5490, the Specular Color component
appears in the Specular Highlight group. Also, highlight controls that don’t pertain
to the current shader are labeled “N / A.”
Procedures
To increase or decrease the size of a highlight:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
The width of the Highlight curves and the highlights in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curves are at their maximum width. At 100%
glossiness, both curves are extremely narrow.
To increase or decrease the strength of a highlight:
■
Change the value of Specular Level.
The intensity of the Highlight curves and the highlights in the preview
change. At 0% specular level, there is no highlight. At 100% specular level,
the curves are at their maximum height with no overloading. At values
greater than 100%, the curves are overloaded: they grow wider, and a wider
area is at the maximum highlight intensity.
The shape of the Highlight curves affects the blending between the specular
and diffuse color regions of the material. The steeper the curve, the less
blending there is and the sharper the edge of the specular highlight.
To adjust the shape (anisotropy) of the highlight:
■
Change the value of Anisotropy.
The width of the white highlight curve and the highlights in the preview
change. At 0% anisotropy, both highlight curves are the same and the
Standard Material | 5449
highlight is circular, as in Blinn and Phong shading. At 100% anisotropy,
the white highlight curve and the highlights are extremely narrow.
To adjust the orientation of the highlight:
■
Change the value of Orientation.
Highlights in the preview show the change in orientation. The display of
the highlight curve does not change.
Interface
Specular Level Affects the intensity of the specular highlight. As you increase
the value, the highlight grows brighter. Default=5.
Click the map button to assign a map to the specular level component. See
Specular Level Mapping on page 5466. This button is a shortcut: you can also
assign specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Glossiness Affects the size of the specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier. Default=25.
Click the map button to assign a map to the glossiness component. See
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Anisotropy Controls the anisotropy, or shape, of the highlight. At 0, the
highlight is round. At 100, the highlight is extremely narrow. One axis of the
Highlight graph changes to show changes in this parameter. Default=50.
Orientation Changes the orientation of the highlight. The sample slot shows
changes in orientation. This is a value in degrees that can range from 0 to
9,999. Default=0.
Highlight graph These two intersecting curves show the effect of adjusting
the values of Specular Level, Glossiness, and Anisotropy. As you decrease
Glossiness, the curves grow wider; as you increase Specular Level, the curves
5450 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
grow taller. As you adjust Anisotropy, the white curve changes to show how
wide or narrow the highlight is.
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong Highlights
Material Editor > Standard material > Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Phong Basic
Parameters rollout > Specular Highlight group
Material Editor > Raytrace material > Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout >
Shading: Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Phong > Specular Highlight group
The Blinn on page 5426, Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429, and Phong on page 5430
shaders all have circular highlights and share the same highlight controls.
Blinn and Oren-Nayar-Blinn highlights are somewhat softer and rounder than
Phong highlights.
NOTE For the Raytrace material on page 5490, the Specular Color component
appears in the Specular Highlight group. Also, highlight controls that don’t pertain
to the current shader are labeled “N/A.”
Procedures
To increase or decrease the strength of a highlight:
■
Change the value of Specular Level.
The intensity of the Highlight curve and the highlight in the preview
change. At 0% specular level, there is no highlight. At 100% specular level,
the curve is at its maximum height with no overloading. At values greater
than 100%, the curve is overloaded: it grows wider, and a wider area is at
the maximum highlight intensity.
The shape of the Highlight curve affects the blending between the specular
and diffuse color regions of the material. The steeper the curve, the less
blending there is and the sharper the edge of the specular highlight.
To increase or decrease the size of a highlight:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
The width of the Highlight curve and the highlight in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curve is at its maximum width. At 100% glossiness,
the curve is extremely narrow.
Standard Material | 5451
Interface
Specular Level Affects the intensity of the specular highlight. As you increase
the value, the highlight grows brighter. Default=5.
Click the map button to assign a map to the specular level component. See
Specular Level Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also
assign specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Glossiness Affects the size of the specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier. Default=25.
Click the map button to assign a map to the glossiness component. See
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Soften Softens the effect of specular highlights, especially those formed by
glancing light. When Specular Level is high and Glossiness is low, you can
get harsh backlights on surfaces. Increase the value of Soften to mitigate this
effect. At 0, there is no softening. At 1.0, the maximum amount of softening
is applied. Default=0.1.
NOTE The Soften control was a check box in releases prior to 3ds Max 2. When
you load a material created in an earlier version of 3ds Max, if Soften was originally
off, the new Soften value is 0.0. If Soften was originally on, the new Soften value
is 0.6.
Highlight graph This curve shows the effect of adjusting the values of Specular
Level and Glossiness. As you decrease Glossiness, the curve grows wider; as
you increase Specular Level, the curve grows taller.
Metal Highlights
Material Editor > Standard material > Metal Basic Parameters rollout > Specular
Highlight group
5452 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material Editor > Raytrace material > Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout >
Shading: Metal > Specular Highlight group
Metal-shaded materials generate their own specular color. Also, the highlight
curve for the Metal shader differs in shape from the curve for Blinn
Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong highlights on page 5451.
NOTE For the Raytrace material on page 5490, the Specular Color component
appears in the Specular Highlight group. Also, highlight controls that don’t pertain
to the current shader are labeled “N/A.”
Procedures
To increase or decrease the size and intensity of a highlight:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
The width of the Highlight curve and the highlights in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curve is at its maximum width. At 100% glossiness,
the curve is extremely narrow.
To increase or decrease the strength of a highlight:
■
Change the value of Specular Level.
The intensity of the Highlight curve and the highlight in the preview
change. At 0% specular level, there is no highlight. At 100% specular level,
the curve is at its maximum height with no overloading. At values greater
than 100%, the curve is overloaded: it grows wider, and a wider area is at
the maximum highlight intensity.
Increasing the Specular Level also dims the diffuse color.
The shape of the Highlight curve affects the blending between the specular
and diffuse color regions of the material. The steeper the curve, the less
blending there is and the sharper the edge of specular and glancing
highlights.
Standard Material | 5453
Interface
Specular Level Affects the intensity of the specular highlight. As you increase
the value, the highlight grows brighter and the diffuse color grows dimmer.
Default=5.
Click the map button to assign a map to the specular level component. See
Specular Level Mapping on page 5466. This button is a shortcut: you can also
assign specular level mapping in the Maps on page 5414 rollout.
Glossiness Affects the size of the specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight curve grows narrower and the highlight gets smaller. Default=25.
Click the map button to assign a map to the glossiness component. See
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
specular level mapping in the Maps on page 5414 rollout.
Highlight graph This curve shows the effect of adjusting the values of Specular
Level and Glossiness. As you decrease Glossiness, the curve grows wider; as
you increase Specular Level, the curve grows taller.
Multi-Layer Highlights
Material Editor > Standard material > Multi-Layer Basic Parameters rollout >
First Specular Layer/Second Specular Layer groups
Multi-layer highlights consist of two layers, each of them anisotropic. The
highlights are transparent to each other. Where they overlap, the Multi-Layer
shader blends their colors.
Procedures
To increase or decrease the size of a highlight (specular) layer:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
5454 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The width of the Highlight curves and the highlights in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curves are at their maximum width. At 100%
glossiness, both curves are extremely narrow.
To increase or decrease the strength of a highlight (specular) layer:
■
Change the value of Specular Level.
The intensity of the Highlight curves and the highlights in the preview
change. At 0% specular level, there is no highlight. At 100% specular level,
the curves are at their maximum height with no overloading. At values
greater than 100%, the curves are overloaded: they grow wider, and a wider
area is at the maximum highlight intensity.
The shape of the Highlight curves affects the blending between the specular
and diffuse color regions of the material. The steeper the curve, the less
blending there is and the sharper the edge of the specular highlight.
To adjust the shape (anisotropy) of a highlight (specular) layer:
■
Change the value of Anisotropy.
The width of the white highlight curve and the highlights in the preview
change. At 0% anisotropy, both highlight curves are the same and the
highlight is circular, as in Blinn and Phong shading. At 100% anisotropy,
the white highlight curve and the highlights are extremely narrow.
To adjust the orientation of a highlight (specular) layer:
■
Change the value of Orientation.
Highlights in the preview show the change in orientation. The display of
the highlight curve does not change.
Standard Material | 5455
Interface
The First Specular Layer and Second Specular Layer groups have identical
controls, which can have different settings.
Color Controls the specular color on page 8133 of this highlight. The specular
color is the color of the highlight on a shiny surface.
Level Affects the intensity of this specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight grows brighter. Default: First layer=5, Second layer=0.
Click the map button to assign a map to the specular level component. See
Specular Level Mapping on page 5466. This button is a shortcut: you can also
assign specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Glossiness Affects the size of this specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier. Default=25.
Click the map button to assign a map to the glossiness component. See
Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
5456 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Anisotropy Controls the anisotropy, or shape, of this highlight. At 0, the
highlight is round. At 100, the highlight is extremely narrow. One axis of the
Highlight graph changes to show changes in this parameter. Default=0.
Orientation Changes the orientation of this highlight. The sample slot shows
changes in orientation. This is a value in degrees that can range from 0 to
9,999. Default=0.
Highlight graph These two intersecting curves show the effect of adjusting
the values of Level, Glossiness, and Anisotropy. As you decrease Glossiness,
the curves grow wider; as you increase Specular Level, the curves grow taller.
As you adjust Anisotropy, the white curve changes to show how wide or narrow
the highlight is.
Translucent Highlights
Material Editor > Standard material > Translucent Basic Parameters rollout >
Specular Highlight group
Like the Blinn shader, the Translucent shader has circular highlights.
Procedures
To increase or decrease the strength of a highlight:
■
Change the value of Specular Level.
The intensity of the Highlight curve and the highlight in the preview
change. At 0% specular level, there is no highlight. At values greater than
100%, the curve is overloaded: it grows wider, and a wider area is at the
maximum highlight intensity. At 100% specular level, the curve is at its
maximum height with no overloading.
The shape of the Highlight curve affects the blending between the specular
and diffuse color regions of the material. The steeper the curve, the less
blending there is and the sharper the edge of the specular highlight.
To increase or decrease the size of a highlight:
■
Change the Glossiness value.
The width of the Highlight curve and the highlight in the preview change.
At 0% glossiness, the curve is at its maximum width. At 100% glossiness,
the curve is extremely narrow.
Standard Material | 5457
Interface
Specular Level Affects the intensity of the specular highlight. As you increase
the value, the highlight grows brighter. Default=0.
Click the map button next to the spinner to assign a map to the specular level
component. See Specular Level Mapping on page 5466. This button is a shortcut:
you can also assign specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Glossiness Affects the size of the specular highlight. As you increase the value,
the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier. Default=10.
Click the map button next to the spinner to assign a map to the glossiness
component. See Glossiness Mapping on page 5467. This button is a shortcut:
you can also assign specular level mapping in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
Backside specular When on, both sides of the material receive a specular
highlight. When off, only the front side of the material receives a highlight.
Default=on.
Leave Backside Specular on to model materials like translucent plastic. Turn
it off to model materials like frosted glass.
TIP When Backside Specular is turned off, the front side is always the one that
receives a specular highlight. You can change this by reversing the normals of
surfaces that have the translucent-shaded material.
Mapping Standard Material Components
Ambient Color Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Ambient button
5458 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mapping the ambient color
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to map an image
to the material's ambient color on page 7906. The image is painted on the shaded
parts of the object.
By default, diffuse mapping maps the ambient component as well, so you
seldom need to use a different map for diffuse and ambient components. If
you do want to apply a separate ambient map, first click to turn off the lock
button to the right of the long Map buttons in the Maps rollout on page 5414.
This unlocks ambient and diffuse mapping. The Map button for ambient color
becomes available. You can then click the ambient button to select a map.
NOTE Ambient color mapping is not visible in viewports or renderings unless the
level of ambient light is greater than default value of black. Choose Rendering >
Environment, then adjust the level of ambient light using the Environment dialog
on page 6689.
Standard Material | 5459
Procedures
To map the ambient color:
1
Make sure the ambient and diffuse components have their maps
unlocked. Click to turn off the lock button. The Map button for ambient
color becomes available.
2 Click the Map button for Ambient color.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
3 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
4 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Diffuse Color Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Diffuse button (or Color
button for the Strauss shader)
5460 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Applying a texture by mapping the diffuse color
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to assign a pattern
or texture to a material's diffuse color on page 7955. The colors of the map replace
the material's diffuse color component. This is the most common kind of
mapping.
Mapping the diffuse color is like painting an image on the surface of the object.
For example, if you want a wall to be made out of brick, you can choose a
map with an image of bricks, such as Bricks on page 5851.
By default, diffuse mapping applies the same map to the ambient color on
page 7906 as well. You seldom need to use a different map for diffuse and ambient
components.
It isn't strictly necessary to lock the ambient and diffuse maps. By turning the
lock off and using a different map for each component, you can obtain
interesting blend effects. But in general, the purpose of diffuse mapping is to
simulate a single surface that is more complex than a basic material, and for
this purpose the lock should be on.
Standard Material | 5461
Procedures
To map the diffuse color:
1 Make sure the ambient and diffuse components have their maps locked.
This button is to the right of the map shortcut buttons for Ambient and
Diffuse on the Basic Parameters rollout, and on the Maps rollout in a
similar position. It is on by default. When it is on, the map button for
the ambient color component is unavailable.
2 Click the Map button for Diffuse color.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
3 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
4 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Diffuse Level Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Anisotropic, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, or Multi-Level shader > Maps rollout > Diffuse
Level button
5462 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mapping diffuse level
Top: No mapping
Bottom: Mapping diffuse level with a bitmap
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to control the
Diffuse Level parameter. White pixels in the map leave the diffuse level
unchanged. Black pixels reduce the diffuse level to 0. Intermediate values
adjust the diffuse level accordingly.
The diffuse level parameter is available with the Anisotropic on page 5424,
Oren-Nayar-Blinn on page 5429, and Multi-Level on page 5428 shaders.
Standard Material | 5463
Reducing the Amount of the diffuse level map reduces the map's effect, and
increases the effect of the Diffuse Level value on the Basic Parameters rollout.
When the Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.
Procedures
To map the diffuse level value:
1 Click the Map button for Diffuse Level.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Diffuse Roughness Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Oren-Nayar-Blinn or Multi-Level shader > Maps rollout > Diff. Roughness
button
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to control the
Roughness parameter on the Basic Parameters rollout. White pixels in the
map increase roughness. Black pixels reduce roughness to 0. Intermediate
values adjust roughness accordingly.
NOTE The Roughness parameter is available only with the Oren-Nayar-Blinn on
page 5429 and Multi-Level on page 5428 shaders, and with the Arch & Design material
(mental ray) on page 5544.
Reducing the Amount of the Diffuse Roughness map reduces the map's effect,
and increases the effect of the Roughness value on the Basic Parameters rollout.
When the Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.
Procedures
To map the roughness value:
1 Click the Map button for Diffuse Roughness (Diff. Roughness).
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
5464 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Specular Color Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Specular button
Mapping the specular highlight
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to apply an image
to the material's specular color component on page 8133. The map's image
appears only in the specular highlight areas.
When the amount spinner is at 100, all specular color is provided by the map.
Specular mapping is used primarily for special effects such as placing an image
in a reflection. The important thing to remember is that, unlike Specular Level
or Glossiness mapping, which alter the intensity and location of specular
highlights, specular mapping alters the color of specular highlights.
Standard Material | 5465
Procedures
To map the specular color:
1 Click the Map button for Specular color.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Specular Level Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Specular Level button
Mapping the specular level: the sea reflects more than the land.
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to alter the intensity
of specular highlights, based on the intensity of the bitmap. White pixels in
5466 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the map produce full specular highlights. Black pixels remove the specular
highlights completely, and intermediate values reduce the specular highlights
accordingly.
Mapping the specular level component is different from mapping specular
color. Mapping the specular level alters the intensity of highlights, while
specular mapping alters the color of highlights.
Specular level mapping usually works best when you assign the same map to
both Specular Level and Glossiness. (In the Maps on page 5414 rollout, you can
do this by dragging from one map button to another.)
Procedures
To map the specular level value:
1 Click the Map button for the Specular Level value.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Glossiness Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Glossiness button
Standard Material | 5467
An object with glossiness mapping. The sea appears more reflective than the land.
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 that affects where
specular highlights appear. A map assigned to glossiness determines which
areas of the whole surface are more glossy and which areas are less glossy,
depending on the intensity of colors in the map. Black pixels in the map
produce full glossiness. White pixels remove glossiness completely, and
intermediate values reduce the size of the highlight.
Mapping the glossiness component is different from mapping specular color.
Mapping glossiness alters the location of highlights, while specular mapping
alters the color of highlights.
Glossiness mapping usually works best when you assign the same map to both
Glossiness and Specular Level. (In the Maps rollout, you can do this by dragging
from one map button to the other.)
Procedures
To map the glossiness value:
1 Click the Map button for the Glossiness value.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
5468 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Self-Illumination Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Self-Illumination button
Mapping self-illumination
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to map the
self-illumination on page 8122 value. This makes portions of an object appear
to glow. White areas of the map render as fully self illuminating. Black areas
render with no self-illumination. Gray areas render as partially self
illuminating, depending on the grayscale value.
Self-illumination means that the glowing area is not affected by lights in the
scene (its ambient color component goes away), and does not receive shadows.
Standard Material | 5469
Procedures
To map the self-illumination value:
1 Click the Map button for Self-Illumination.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Opacity Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Opacity button
The gray levels of an opacity map determine the amount of opacity.
5470 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to make an object
partially transparent. Lighter (higher-value) areas of the map render as opaque;
darker areas render as transparent; and values in between are semi-transparent.
Setting the opacity map's Amount to 100 applies all of the map. Transparent
areas are fully transparent. Setting the Amount to 0 is the equivalent of turning
the map off. Intermediate Amount values are blended with the Opacity value
on the Basic Parameters rollout. Transparent areas of the map become more
opaque.
Specular highlights are applied to transparent areas of the opacity map, as
well as to opaque areas, creating the effect of glass. If you want the transparent
areas to look like holes, map the specular level on page 5467 as well.
Procedures
To map the opacity value:
1 Click the Map button for Opacity.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Filter Color Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Filter Color button
Standard Material | 5471
Mapping filter color
The filter, or transmissive color, is the color transmitted through transparent
or semi-transparent materials such as glass.
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to map the filter
color component. This map applies a transparent-color effect based on the
intensity of the map's pixels.
You can combine a mapped filter color with volumetric lighting on page 6721
to create effects such as colored light through a stained-glass window.
Ray-traced shadows on page 8103 cast by transparent objects are tinted by the
filter color.
Procedures
To map the filter color:
1 Click the Map button for Filter color.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
5472 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Anisotropy Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Anisotropic or Multi-Level shader > Maps rollout > Anisotropy button
Mapping anisotropy. The stretch of the highlight depends on the level of gray in the
map.
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to control the
Anisotropy parameter. The map controls the shape of the anisotropic highlight,
roughly (but not necessarily) within the area specified by the glossiness
parameter. Black and white values have little effect. Maps with a good deal of
grayscale values, such as Noise on page 5886 or Falloff on page 5877, can be very
effective.
The anisotropy parameter is available with the Anisotropic on page 5424 and
Multi-Level on page 5428 shaders.
Standard Material | 5473
The effect of mapping anisotropy is not very apparent unless the specular
level is fairly high and glossiness is fairly low.
Reducing the Amount of the anisotropy map reduces the map's effect, and
increases the effect of the Anisotropy value on the Basic Parameters rollout.
When the Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.
Procedures
To map the anisotropy value:
1 Click the Map button for Anisotropy.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Orientation Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout >
Anisotropic or Multi-Level shader > Maps rollout > Orientation button
5474 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mapping anisotropy orientation
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to control the
Orientation parameter. Orientation controls the position of the anisotropic
highlight. Mapping orientation changes the highlight's position. Black and
white values have little effect. Maps with a good deal of grayscale values, such
as Noise on page 5886 or Falloff on page 5877, can be very effective. You can also
get a good effect using the same map for orientation mapping and bump
mapping on page 5478.
The orientation parameter is available with the Anisotropic on page 5424 and
Multi-Level on page 5428 shaders.
Reducing the Amount of the orientation map reduces the map's effect, and
increases the effect of the Orientation value on the Basic Parameters rollout.
When the Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.
The effect of mapping orientation, like anisotropy, is not very apparent unless
the specular level is fairly high and glossiness is fairly low.
TIP Using an instance of the same map to control both anisotropy and orientation
can give you good control over anisotropic highlights.
Standard Material | 5475
Procedures
To map the orientation value:
1 Click the Map button for Orientation.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Metalness Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Strauss
shader > Maps rollout > Metalness button
5476 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mapping metalness
Top: No mapping
Bottom: Mapping metalness with noise map
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to control the
Metalness parameter. White pixels in the map increase metalness. Black pixels
reduce metalness to 0. Intermediate values adjust metalness accordingly.
The metalness parameter is available with the Strauss shader on page 5431.
Reducing the Amount of the metalness map reduces the map's effect, and
increases the effect of the Metalness value on the Basic Parameters rollout.
When the Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.
Standard Material | 5477
Procedures
To map the metalness value:
1 Click the Map button for Metalness.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
Bump Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Bump button
An object with two different bump maps.
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to use for bump
mapping. Bump mapping makes an object appear to have a bumpy or irregular
5478 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
surface. When you render an object with a bump-mapped material, lighter
(whiter) areas of the map appear to be raised, and darker (blacker) areas appear
to be low.
NOTE The effect of a bump map is not previewed in viewports. You must render
the scene to see the bump effect.
Bump mapping uses the intensity of the map to affect the surface of the
material. In this case, the intensity affects the apparent bumpiness of the
surface: white areas protrude, and black areas recede.
Use bump maps when you want to take the smoothness off a surface, or to
create an embossed look. Keep in mind, however, that the depth effect of a
bump map is limited. If you want extreme depth in a surface, you should use
modeling techniques instead. For example, the Displace modifier on page 1344
pushes surfaces or faces in and out based on the intensity of a bitmap image.
(Displacement mapping on page 5487 is another way to do emboss a surface.)
Grayscale images can make effective bump maps. Maps that shade between
white and black generally work better than maps with hard edges between
the white and black areas.
The bump map Amount adjusts the degree of bumpiness. Higher values render
as higher relief; low values render as low relief.
The bumps are a simulation created by perturbing face normals before the
object is rendered. Because of this, bumps don't appear on the silhouette of
bump-mapped objects.
TIP If you render a bump-mapped material and notice aliasing in the highlights,
try turning on supersampling on page 5381 and rendering again.
NOTE Most controls on the Output rollout on page 5774 don't affect bump mapping.
Only the Invert toggle is considered; it reverses the direction of the bumps.
Procedures
To assign a bump map:
1 Click the Map button labeled Bump.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types on page 5767, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
Standard Material | 5479
(If you choose Bitmap as the map type, you first see a file dialog that lets
you choose the image file.)
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
TIP To avoid aliasing caused by a 2D bump map, go to the bump map's
Coordinates rollout. Set Blur to be in the range 0.3 to 0.6, and increase Blur
Offset to be greater than 0.0. The default Blur and Blur Offset values work
well for mapping other material components, but for bump mapping, lower
Blur and higher Blur Offset values give better results.
To remove a bump map from a material:
TIP You can disable the map without removing it. Simply turn off the toggle
immediately to the left of the map button on the Special Effects rollout.
1 If the Material Editor is displaying the map controls, click the Type button
on page 5361 to display the Material/Map Browser. If the map controls
aren't visible, click the Bump map button to display them, and then click
the Type button.
2 In the Browser, choose NONE as the map type, and then click OK.
The map is removed.
Reflection Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Reflection button
5480 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflection created by mapping
You can select a bitmap file or procedural map on page 8097 to use as a reflection
map.
You can create three kinds of reflection: basic reflection maps, automatic
reflection maps, and flat-mirror on page 7982 reflection maps.
■
A basic reflection map creates the illusion of chrome, glass, or metal by
applying a map to the geometry so that the image looks like a reflection
on the surface.
■
An automatic reflection map uses no mapping at all, but looks outward
from the center of the object, and maps what it sees onto the surface.
Another way to generate reflections automatically is to assign a Raytrace
map on page 5952 to be the reflection map.
■
A flat-mirror reflection map is applied to a series of coplanar faces and
reflects objects facing it, exactly like a real mirror.
Reflection maps don't need mapping coordinates on page 8034 because
they're locked to the world, not to the geometry. The illusion of a reflection
is created because the map doesn't move with the object, but with changes
in the view, as do real reflections.
Standard Material | 5481
The most common use of reflection maps in a realistic scene is to add just a
touch of reflection to an otherwise non-reflective surface. By default, reflection
map strength is 100 percent, as it is for other maps. For many kinds of surfaces,
however, reducing the strength gives the most realistic result. A polished table
top, for example, primarily shows a wood grain; the reflections are secondary.
Reflection maps look more realistic if you increase the Glossiness and Specular
Level values in the Basic Parameters rollout on page 5406. They are also affected
by the diffuse on page 7955 and ambient on page 7906 color values. The darker
the color, the stronger the mirror effect.
Even when the Amount spinner is at 100, the reflection map is tinted by the
ambient, diffuse, and specular on page 8133 colors.
In metal materials, the Diffuse color tints the reflection map. Specifically, the
color from the reflection map is multiplied by the diffuse color (including a
diffuse map, if one exists). The value (in the HSV on page 8105 description) of
the diffuse color controls the reflection map intensity. If the diffuse color
value is 255, the reflection is at full intensity; if the value is 0, the map is not
visible.
In non-metal materials, the Specular color multiplies only reflection maps.
The value (in the HSV on page 8105 description) of the specular color affects
the reflection intensity. If the specular color value is 255, the reflection is at
full intensity; if the value is 0, the map is not visible.
Procedures
To create an automatic reflection:
1 In the Maps rollout, click the Map button labeled Reflection.
2 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5357, choose the Reflect/Refract map
type, and then click OK.
Adjusting the map's Strength slider in the parent material's Maps rollout
controls how reflective the material is. At 100 percent, the material is
fully reflective.
To assign a bitmap as a reflection map:
1 In the Maps rollout, click the Map button labeled Reflection. In the
Material/Map Browser on page 5357, double-click Bitmap.
2 In the Bitmap Parameters rollout, click the Bitmap button.
3 Use the file dialog to choose the bitmap file.
5482 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
4 Reduce the Reflection map's Amount to get the effect you want.
Refractions are similar to reflections. Bitmaps simulate reflections, while
Reflect/Refract maps generate them based on the scene's background and
geometry.
Refraction Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Refraction button
Refractions show the scene or background through a refractive object.
You can select a bitmap file or a procedural map on page 8097 such as
Reflect/Refract on page 5964 to use for refraction mapping.
Refraction mapping is similar to reflection mapping. It maps the view onto
the surface in such a way that the image looks like you're seeing it through
the surface, rather than being reflected off it.
Like a reflection map, a refraction map's orientation is locked to the view
rather than to the object. That is, as you move or rotate the object, the position
of the refracted image remains fixed.
Standard Material | 5483
Setting the Index of Refraction
The physical properties of refractive objects often distort the image. A special
parameter adjusts this distortion. It is in the parent material's Extended
Parameters rollout on page 5408.
Index of Refraction The index of refraction (IOR) controls how severely the
material refracts transmitted light. Left at 1.0, the IOR of air, the object behind
the transparent object does not distort. At 1.5 the object behind distorts greatly
(like a glass marble). At an IOR slightly less than 1.0, the object reflects along
its edges (like a bubble seen from under water). Default=1.5 (the IOR of typical
glass).
Common IORs (assuming the camera is in air or a vacuum) are:
Material
IOR Value
Vacuum
1.0 (exactly)
Air
1.0003
Water
1.333
Glass
1.5 to 1.7
Diamond
2.419
In the physical world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through
the transparent material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically
this is related to the object's density. The higher the IOR, the denser the object.
You can also use a map to control the index of refraction. IOR maps always
interpolate between 1.0 (the IOR of air) and the setting in the IOR parameter.
For example, if you set the IOR to 3.55 and use a black-and-white Noise map
to control IOR, the IORs rendered on the object will be set to values between
1.0 and 3.55; the object will appear denser than air. If, on the other hand, you
set the IOR to 0.5, then the same map values will render between 0.5 and 1.0:
as if the camera is under water and the object is less dense than the water.
Here are some more IOR values for various materials:
Material
IOR Value
Carbon Dioxide, Liquid
1.200
5484 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material
IOR Value
Ice
1.309
Acetone
1.360
Ethyl Alcohol
1.360
Sugar Solution 30%
1.380
Alcohol
1.329
Flourite
1.434
Quartz, Fused
1.460
Calspar2
1.486
Sugar Solution 80%
1.490
Glass
1.500
Glass, Zinc Crown
1.517
Glass, Crown
1.520
Sodium Chloride
1.530
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 1
1.544
Polystyrene
1.550
Quartz 2
1.553
Emerald
1.570
Standard Material | 5485
Material
IOR Value
Glass, Light Flint
1.575
Lapis Lazuli
1.610
Topaz
1.610
Carbon Bisulfide
1.630
Quartz 1
1.644
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 2
1.644
Glass, Heavy Flint
1.650
Methylene Iodide
1.740
Ruby
1.770
Sapphire
1.770
Glass, Heaviest Flint
1.890
Crystal
2.000
Diamond
2.417
Chromium Oxide
2.705
Copper Oxide
2.705
Amorphous Selenium
2.920
Iodine Crystal
3.340
5486 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Tip: The Reflect/Refract on page 5964 map type used as a Refraction map doesn't
effectively model a material surrounding an object, such as a pencil in a glass
of water. For this effect, use either the Thin Wall Refraction on page 5971 or the
Raytrace map type on page 5952.
Procedures
To create an automatic refraction:
1 In the Maps rollout, click the Map button labeled Refraction.
2 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5357, choose the Reflect/Refract on
page 5964 map type, and then click OK.
At a Refraction Amount of 100 percent, the material is extremely
refractive, regardless of the material's Opacity setting. At a Refraction
Amount of 0 percent, the map is turned off. When the Amount is less
than 100 percent, both the Reflect/Refract map and the Opacity setting
control transparency.
To assign a bitmap as a refraction map:
1 In the Maps rollout, click the Refraction map button.
2 Use the Material/Map Browser on page 5357 to choose the Bitmap type.
3 Use the file dialog to choose the bitmap file.
For bitmapped refractions, you don't necessarily want to reduce the map
strength.
Displacement Mapping
Material Editor > Standard material > Maps rollout > Displacement button
Standard Material | 5487
Using displacement mapping to alter a surface
A displacement map displaces the geometry of surfaces. The effect is similar
to using the Displace on page 1344 modifier. Unlike bump mapping on page
5478, displacement mapping actually changes the geometry of the surface or
patch tessellation. Displacement maps apply the gray scale of the map to
generate the displacement. Lighter colors in the 2D image push outward more
strongly than darker colors, resulting in a 3D displacement of the geometry.
WARNING A displacement map generates many triangular faces per surface,
sometimes over 1M faces per surface. While displacement mapping can create
good effects, there is a large cost in terms of time and memory.
The displacement Amount is measured as a percentage of the diagonal of the
bounding box for the object that contains the patch or surface. This makes
the displacement effect consistent for all surfaces in an object, and it also
means that when you scale the object, the displacement is scaled with it.
You can apply a displacement map directly to the following kinds of objects:
■
Bezier patches on page 2067
■
Editable meshes on page 2075
■
Editable polymeshes on page 2123
5488 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
NURBS surfaces on page 2237
For other kinds of geometry such as primitives, extended primitives, compound
objects, and so on, you can't apply displacement mapping directly. To use
displacement mapping with these kinds of objects, apply a Disp Approx on
page 1340 (Displacement Approximation) modifier. This makes the object's
surface displaceable. Disp Approx works with any kind of object that you can
convert to an editable mesh.
Displacement mapping isn't visible in viewports unless you apply a modifier
to make it so.
■
For NURBS surfaces, you can make displacement mapping visible in
viewports and editable as a mesh object by using the Displace NURBS on
page 1117 world space modifier.
■
For editable meshes and objects with Disp Approx applied to them, use
the Displace Mesh on page 1115 modifier to obtain the same effect.
NOTE If you apply a UVW Map on page 1931 modifier to the surface, all maps
obtain their coordinates from the modifier except for the displacement map,
which always obtains its coordinates from the original surface or the Disp
Approx modifier.
Under certain circumstances, such as when the underlying mesh is fairly
simple, displacement mapping of an editable mesh can cause problems because
of the way the underlying mesh is tessellated. (These problems don't occur
when you apply displacement mapping to a NURBS surface.) When this
happens, smoothing does not work properly and you can see the underlying
wireframe mesh in the surface itself. To correct this problem, use these
techniques:
■
Avoid applying displacement mapping to large areas of a single color. Map
the diffuse color and use a small amount of variation, such as slight amount
of noise, in the map you use for the diffuse color.
■
Add a small amount of noise to the map you use for displacement. This
can complicate the tessellation enough to ease the problem.
■
Add detail to the mesh. The more initial faces, and the smoother the mesh
curvature, the more even the displacement mapping will be.
Standard Material | 5489
Procedures
To apply a displacement map to a NURBS surface, editable mesh, or patch:
1 In a material's Maps rollout, click the map button for Displacement.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
To apply a displacement map to other kinds of objects:
1
Select the object. Go to the Modify panel and choose Disp Approx
from the Modifiers drop-down list.
You can adjust the Disp Approx modifiers parameters, or you can leave
them at their default settings.
2
Go to the Material Editor.
3 In a material's Maps rollout, click the map button for Displacement.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5357 is displayed.
4 Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
5 Use the map controls to set up the map.
For example, if you chose Bitmap as the map type, you now need to select
the bitmap file to use.
Raytrace Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace
5490 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Balls using raytrace material to reflect each other
Raytrace material is an advanced surface shading material. It supports the
same kinds of diffuse surface shading that a standard material does. It can also
create fully raytraced reflections and refractions. It also supports fog, color
density, translucency on page 8158, fluorescence on page 7984, and other special
effects.
The reflections and refractions Raytrace material generates are more accurate
than those produced by the Reflect/Refract on page 5964 map. Rendering
raytraced objects can be slower than using Reflect/Refract. On the other hand,
Raytrace is optimized for rendering 3ds Max scenes. You can further optimize
it for your scene by excluding specific objects from raytracing.
NOTE If you want accurate, raytraced reflections or refractions in a standard
material you can use the Raytrace map on page 5952, which uses the same raytracer.
The Raytrace map and material share global parameter settings.
IMPORTANT Raytrace map and Raytrace material use a surface's normal to decide
whether a ray is entering or exiting a surface. If you flip the normals of an object,
you can get unexpected results. Making the material 2-Sided doesn't correct the
problem as it often does with reflections and refractions in Standard materials.
In some cases, the colors in the Basic Parameters rollout of Raytrace material
behave differently from colors in standard materials. Standard material has a
diffuse shading model that does an excellent job of rendering solid,
nonreflective objects such as plastic, ceramic, and so on. In effect, this model
applies color to the object. The color components in Raytrace material, on
the other hand, attempt to model their physical counterparts in nature.
Raytrace Material | 5491
In Raytrace material, the surface reflects its Diffuse color component without
specular reflection, while the Reflect color component controls the amount
of specular reflection. These two material components are layered together.
The results you see depend on the layering effect. For example, if the material
is not transparent and completely reflective, no diffuse color is visible. If the
material is not transparent and completely nonreflective, only the diffuse
color is visible.
The Dynamics Properties rollout for the Raytrace material contains the same
controls as the dynamics properties for a standard material on page 5395.
Raytrace material has a large user interface with a lot of controls. In general,
if you are using Raytrace to create reflections and refractions, the controls in
the Basic Parameters rollout are the only ones you need to adjust. The Extended
Parameters rollout for Raytrace has controls for special effects. The Raytracer
Controls rollout affects the raytracer itself. Use the Raytracer Controls to turn
the raytracer on or off, and to toggle other options. Use the Raytracer Global
Parameters rollout on page 6221 (Rendering > Raytrace Globals) to set options
globally (for all Raytrace materials and maps in the scene), including recursion
depth.
Interface
Raytrace material has the following rollouts, which are described in these
topics:
Raytrace Basic Parameters Rollout on page 5493
Raytrace Extended Parameters Rollout on page 5502
Raytracer Controls Rollout on page 5506
SuperSampling Rollout on page 5381
Raytrace Maps Rollout on page 5509
Raytrace Dynamics Properties Rollout on page 5516
The following are also part of the Raytrace material’s interface:
Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221
Raytracing Acceleration Parameters Dialog on page 5518
Raytrace Exclude/Include Dialog on page 5519
Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Fast Adaptive Antialiaser on page 5522
Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser on page 5524
5492 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Raytrace Basic Parameters Rollout
Main toolbar > Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose
Raytrace. > Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout
The Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout for a Raytrace material on page 5490
controls the material's shading, color components, reflectivity or refractivity,
and bumps.
Interface
The basic parameters in this rollout are similar to the basic parameters for
standard materials, but the color components of a Raytrace material behave
differently.
As with standard materials, you can use a map for Raytrace color components
and various other parameters. The small buttons to the right of the color
Raytrace Material | 5493
swatches and parameters take you to the Material/Map Browser on page 5290,
where you select a map of corresponding type. These are shortcuts that also
have corresponding buttons in the Maps rollout. If you have assigned a map
to one of these colors, the button displays the letter M. An uppercase M means
that the corresponding map is assigned and active. A lowercase m means that
the map is assigned and inactive (turned off).
Shading drop-down list Chooses a shader. Depending on the shader you
choose, the Specular Highlight can change to show the controls for that shader.
The alternatives are:
■
Anisotropic: on page 5449 For surfaces with elliptical, "anisotropic" highlights.
■
Blinn: on page 5451 For rounder, softer highlights than Phong shading.
■
Metal: on page 5452 For metallic highlights.
■
Oren-Nayar-Blinn: on page 5451 For matte surfaces such as fabric or
terra-cotta.
■
Phong: on page 5451 For surfaces with strong, circular highlights. Phong is
the default shading type.
2-Sided Same as for standard materials. When on, shades and raytraces both
sides of faces. By default, objects are one-sided in order to speed up rendering.
If you have a 2-sided, reflective and refractive object, and you use the raytrace
map on page 5952 rather than the material, the raytracer runs until it hits the
maximum recursion level. This can be time-consuming.
Wire Same as for standard materials. When on, renders the material in
wireframe mode on page 8172. You can specify the wire size in the Extended
Parameters rollout.
With pixels, wires maintains the same apparent thickness regardless of the
scale of the geometry or how near or far the object is positioned. With units,
the wires appear thinner at a distance and thicker at close range, as if they
were modeled in the geometry.
Face Map Applies the material to the faces of the geometry. If the material is
a mapped material, it requires no mapping coordinates on page 8034. The map
is automatically applied to each facet of the object.
Faceted Renders each face of a surface as if it were flat.
NOTE Raytrace material has the same SuperSampling on page 5381 options as a
Standard material.
5494 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Ambient This is not the same as the standard ambient color. For Raytrace
material, this controls an ambient absorption factor: that is, how much the
material absorbs ambient light. Setting Ambient to white is the same as locking
the ambient and diffuse colors in a standard material. Default=black.
■
Ambient Color check box When on, the material uses an ambient color.
When off, the material uses a spinner to set a grayscale value only.
Default=on.
■
Color swatch When on, the color swatch shows the ambient color. To
change the color, click the swatch and then use the Color Selector on page
391.
■
Mono spinner When the check box is off, the ambient component is
gray, and this spinner lets you adjust the gray value.
Click the map button to assign a map to the ambient component. See
Ambient Mapping on page 5458. This button is a shortcut: you can also
assign ambient mapping on the Raytrace Maps rollout on page 5509.
Diffuse Sets the diffuse color. This is the same as the standard diffuse color.
It is the color that the object reflects, without specular reflection. Reflection
and transparency effects are layered on top of the diffuse result. When Reflect
is 100% (pure white), the diffuse color isn't visible. (This differs from the
standard material.) Default=50% gray.
Reflect Sets the specular reflection color. This is the color that the reflected
environment (that is, the rest of the scene) is filtered through. The color's
Value controls the amount of reflection. If your reflect color is saturated and
the diffuse color is black, the effect is like colored chrome (for example, colored
Christmas tree balls). Default=black (no reflection).
If raytracing is off (on the Raytracer Controls rollout), the object still reflects
the environment, but ignores other objects in the scene. The environment
can be the background color, the environment map, or the map in the Raytrace
material's Environment component.
TIP If you turn off raytraced reflections, set the Reflect color to a color other than
black, and use a Reflect/Refract map for the local environment (see the Environment
parameter, below), you get the same effect as a reflection map in a standard
material. This can improve rendering time.
Raytrace Material | 5495
NOTE Raytrace reflects and transmits the IDs in material effects channel on page
5348 (G-buffer on page 7991), so it can create glowing reflections, and so on.
■
Reflect Color check box When on, the material uses a reflection color.
When off, the material uses a spinner to set a grayscale value only.
Default=on.
■
Color swatch When the check box is on, the color swatch shows the
reflection color. To change the color, click the swatch and then use the
Color Selector on page 391.
■
Mono spinner When the check box is off, the reflection color component
is gray, and this spinner lets you adjust the gray value.
■
Fresnel Clicking the check box a second time displays this option. When
active, applies a Fresnel effect to the reflection. This can add a bit of
refraction to the reflecting object, depending on the viewing angle of the
object.
Click the map button to assign a map to the reflect component. This button
is a shortcut: you can also assign reflect mapping in the Raytrace Maps rollout
on page 5509.
Luminosity Similar to the Standard material's self-illumination component,
except that it does not depend on the diffuse color. You can have a blue diffuse
object with red luminosity. Default=black.
NOTE When Luminosity is off, the name of this control changes to Self-Illum
(Self-Illumination).
■
Luminosity check box When on, the material uses a luminosity color.
When off, the material uses a spinner to set a grayscale value only for
self-illumination. Default=on.
■
Color swatch When the check box is on, the color swatch shows the
luminosity color. To change the color, click the swatch and then use the
Color Selector on page 391.
■
Mono spinner When the check box is off, the luminosity color
component is gray, and this spinner lets you adjust the gray value.
Click the map button to assign a map to the luminosity component. This
button is a shortcut: you can also assign reflect mapping in the Raytrace Maps
rollout on page 5509.
5496 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Transparency Similar to the standard material's filter color for transmitted
light, combined with the standard material's opacity controls. This color filters
scene elements that are behind the object with Raytrace material. Black is
opaque, white is fully transparent, and any value in between filters objects
behind the raytraced object. A fully saturated color in both the diffuse and
transparency components gives the effect of tinted glass. If you want more of
an opaque look, pick the color you want as a transparent color, copy it to the
diffuse color, make the diffuse color fully saturated, and then adjust the
transparency to get the effect you want. Default=black (no transparency).
If raytracing is turned off (in the Raytracer Controls rollout), the object still
refracts the environment mapping, but ignores other objects in the scene.
NOTE By separating the diffuse, reflect, and transparency components, Raytrace
material gives you a great deal of control over how the object reacts to its
environment. For example, an object might diffusely reflect red, specularly reflect
green, and transmit blue. This is not a real-world effect, but it can be useful.
■
Transparency Color check box When on, the material uses a transparency
color. When off, the material uses a spinner to set a grayscale value only.
Default=on.
■
Color swatch When the check box is on, the color swatch shows the
transparency color. To change the color, click the swatch and then use the
Color Selector on page 391.
■
Mono spinner When the check box is off, the transparency color
component is gray, and this spinner lets you adjust the gray value.
Click the map button to assign a map to the transparency component. See
Filter Color Mapping on page 5471. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign
reflect mapping in the Raytrace Maps rollout on page 5509.
Index of Refr. (Refraction) The index of refraction (IOR) controls how severely
the material refracts transmitted light. At 1.0, the IOR of air, the object behind
the transparent object does not distort. At 1.5, the object behind distorts
greatly, like a glass marble. At an IOR slightly less than 1.0, the object reflects
along its edges, like a bubble seen from under water. Default=1.0.
Common IORs (assuming the camera is in air or a vacuum) are:
Material
IOR Value
Vacuum
1.0 (exactly)
Raytrace Material | 5497
Material
IOR Value
Air
1.0003
Water
1.333
Glass
1.5 to 1.7
Diamond
2.419
In the physical world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through
the transparent material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically
this is related to the object's density, and the higher the IOR, the denser the
object.
You can also use a map to control the IOR. IOR maps always interpolate
between 1.0 (the IOR of air) and the setting in the IOR parameter. For example,
if the IOR is set to 3.55 and you use a black-and-white Noise map to control
IOR, the IORs rendered on the object will be set to values between 1.0 and
3.55. The object will appear denser than air. If, on the other hand, your IOR
is set to 0.5, then the same map values will render between 0.5 and 1.0, as if
the camera were under water and the object was less dense than the water.
Here are some more IOR values for various materials:
Material
IOR Value
Carbon Dioxide, Liquid
1.200
Ice
1.309
Acetone
1.360
Ethyl Alcohol
1.360
Sugar Solution 30%
1.380
Alcohol
1.329
Flourite
1.434
5498 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material
IOR Value
Quartz, Fused
1.460
Calspar2
1.486
Sugar Solution 80%
1.490
Glass
1.500
Glass, Zinc Crown
1.517
Glass, Crown
1.520
Sodium Chloride
1.530
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 1
1.544
Polystyrene
1.550
Quartz 2
1.553
Emerald
1.570
Glass, Light Flint
1.575
Lapis Lazuli
1.610
Topaz
1.610
Carbon Bisulfide
1.630
Quartz 1
1.644
Sodium Chloride (Salt) 2
1.644
Raytrace Material | 5499
Material
IOR Value
Glass, Heavy Flint
1.650
Methylene Iodide
1.740
Ruby
1.770
Sapphire
1.770
Glass, Heaviest Flint
1.890
Crystal
2.000
Diamond
2.417
Chromium Oxide
2.705
Copper Oxide
2.705
Amorphous Selenium
2.920
Iodine Crystal
3.340
Specular Highlight group
The controls in this group affect the appearance of specular highlights. Specular
highlights simulate the surface of the raytraced object reflecting the lights in
the scene. Changing the color or intensity of lights in the scene can change
the appearance of specular highlights.
As in standard materials, as you adjust the values in this group the highlight
curve at the right changes to give you an idea of the effect. The material
preview in the sample slot also updates.
Specular Color Sets the specular color on page 8133, assuming there are white
lights in the scene.
Click the color swatch to display the Color Selector on page 391 and change
the highlight color.
5500 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Click the map button to assign a map to the specular color. See Specular
Mapping on page 5465. This button is a shortcut: you can also assign specular
level mapping in the Raytrace Maps rollout on page 5509.
The remaining controls in the Specular Highlight group depend on the active
shader, as shown next to “Shading:” at the top of this rollout. These highlight
controls are the same as for the Standard material shaders.
These are the highlight controls available to Raytrace materials:
■
Anisotropic highlights on page 5449
■
Blinn, Oren-Nayar-Blinn, and Phong highlights on page 5451
■
Metal highlights on page 5452
NOTE Highlight controls that don’t pertain to the current shader are labeled
“N/A.”
Environment Specifies an environment map that overrides the global
environment map. Both Reflect and Transparency use the scene-wide
environment map unless you use this button to specify another map. With
this control, you can use different environment maps on a per-object basis,
or provide an environment to specified objects when the scene as a whole has
none.
This map overrides the scene-wide environment for both reflection and
refraction. To override for refraction alone, see the Transparency Environment
control in the Extended Parameters rollout.
Use the check box to turn this map on or off.
TIP You can use any map as the Raytrace environment, including the Reflect/Refract
on page 5964 map. Reflect/Refract map is often adequate for getting the required
look, and it usually renders more quickly than raytracing the entire scene, especially
if the Raytrace material is transparent. If you are using Raytrace material just to
get the glass to look right on a car's headlight or on a light bulb hanging in the
middle of a room, turn off the raytracer and use an environment map instead.
Lock button Locks the Environment map to the Transparency Environment
map (found on the Extended Parameters rollout on page 5502). When on, the
Transparency Environment map controls are disabled, and a map applied to
the Raytrace Environment applies to the Transparency Environment as well.
When off, the Transparency Environment map controls are enabled, and the
Transparency Environment can have a different map assigned to it. Default=on.
Changing this button’s setting here also changes it on the Extended Parameters
rollout on page 5502 and the Maps rollout on page 5509.
Raytrace Material | 5501
Bump This is the same as bump mapping on page 5478 for Standard materials.
Click the button to assign the map. Use the spinner to change the bump
Amount. Use the check box to turn the map on or off.
Raytrace Extended Parameters Rollout
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace > Extended
Parameters rollout
The Extended Parameters rollout for a Raytrace material on page 5490 controls
the material's special effects, transparency properties, and advanced reflectivity.
Interface
5502 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Except for the wireframe controls, the controls in the Extended Parameters
rollout for Raytrace material are specific to the Raytrace material.
Special Effects group
The controls in this group are special effects. They are powerful, but you might
need to experiment to use them effectively.
Object with raytrace material using translucency and fluorescence
Extra Lighting Adds light to the surface of objects with the Raytrace material.
You can view this as an ambient lighting color that you can control on a
per-material basis, but don't confuse it with the ambient absorption from the
Basic Parameters rollout.
By mapping this parameter, you can simulate radiosity: the ambient light that
results from reflected light in a scene. One effect of radiosity is color bleeding.
For example, in strong light a white shirt next to an orange wall will show a
reflected orange color.
Raytrace Material | 5503
Translucency Creates a translucent effect on page 8158. The Translucency color
is a non-directional diffuse reflection. The diffuse color on an object depends
upon the angle between the surface normal and the position of the light
source. By ignoring the surface normal alignment, this color component
simulates translucent materials.
For thin objects, the appearance can be like shining a light on the back of a
piece of rice paper. You can cast shadows onto the back of the paper and see
them projected through the paper; this works well with a projector light. On
thicker objects, you can get some good wax-like effects.
Fluorescence and Fluor. Bias Creates an effect similar to black light on a
black light poster. The light from a black light is largely ultraviolet, outside
the visible spectrum. Under black light, fluorescent on page 7984 paints flare or
glow. The fluorescence in Raytrace material takes whatever light it sees in the
scene, applies the Bias to it, and then, regardless of the color of the lights in
the scene, illuminates the fluorescent material as if it were lit by white light.
At 0.5, The Bias makes Fluorescence behave just like diffuse coloring. Bias
values higher than 0.5 increase the fluorescent effect, making the object
brighter than other objects in the scene. Bias values lower than 0.5 make the
object dimmer than other objects in the scene. You can get some chromatic
shifting effects with this.
TIP Full saturation and value for the Fluorescence color help give the effect of
commercial fluorescent paints.
TIP A slight amount of Fluorescence can add to the realism of skin and eyes.
Wire group
Size Sets the size of the wire in wireframe mode on page 8172. You can set either
pixels (the default) or current units.
In Chooses how to measure wire. With pixels, wires maintain the same
apparent thickness regardless of the scale of the geometry or how near or far
the object is positioned. With units, the wires appear thinner at a distance
and thicker at close range, as if they were modeled in the geometry.
Pixels (The default.) Measures wire in pixels.
Units Measures wire in 3ds Max units.
Advanced Transparency group
The controls in this group let you further tune transparency effects.
5504 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Transp. (Transparency Environment) Similar to the environment map in
Basic Parameters, but overrides the scene's environment map for transparency
(refraction) only. Transparent objects refract this map, while reflections still
reflect the scene (or the Basic Parameters Environment map, if one is chosen).
Click the button to choose the Transparency Environment map. Use the check
box to toggle the effect of the map.
Lock button Locks the Transparency Environment map to the Environment
map (found on the Basic Parameters rollout on page 5493). When on, the
Transparency Environment map controls are disabled, and a map applied to
the Raytrace Environment applies to the Transparency Environment as well.
When off, the Transparency Environment map controls are enabled, and the
Transparency Environment can have a different map assigned to it. Default=on.
Changing this button’s setting here also changes it on the Basic Parameters
rollout on page 5493 and the Maps rollout on page 5509.
Density The density controls are for transparent materials. If the material is
opaque (the default), they have no effect.
Color Sets a transmission color based on thickness. While filter (Transparency)
color tints objects behind the transparent object, the density color gives the
appearance of color within the object itself, like tinted glass.
To use, first make sure the object is transparent. Click the color swatch to
display the Color Selector. Choose a color, and then turn on the check box.
The Amount controls the amount of density color. Reducing this value reduces
the density color effect. Range=0 to 1.0. Default=1.0.
A thin piece of tinted glass is mainly clear, while a thick piece of the same
glass has more color. The Start and End controls help you simulate this effect.
They are expressed in world units. Start is the position in the object where
the density color begins to appear. (Default=0.0.) End is the position in the
object where the density color reaches its full Amount value. (Default=25.0)
To have a lighter effect, increase the End value. To have a heavier effect, reduce
the End value.
The object must be at least as thick as the Start value before the density color
is visible.
You can map this color component.
Fog Density fog is also a thickness-based effect. It fills the object with a fog
that is both opaque and self illuminated. The effect is like smoke trapped in
a glass, or wax at the tip of a candle. Colored fog in tubular objects can
resemble neon tubes.
To use, first make sure the object is transparent. Click the color swatch to
display the Color Selector. Choose a color, and then turn on the check box.
Raytrace Material | 5505
The Amount controls the amount of density fog. Reducing this value reduces
the density fog effect and makes the fog translucent. Range=0 to 1.0.
Default=1.0.
The Start and End controls let you adjust the fog effect based on the object's
dimensions. They are expressed in world units. Start is the position in the
object where the density fog begins to appear. (Default=0.0.) End is the position
in the object where the density fog reaches its full Amount value.
(Default=25.0) To have a lighter effect, increase the End value. To have a
heavier effect, reduce the End value.
You can map this color component.
Render objects inside raytraced objects Turns the rendering of objects inside
raytraced objects on or off. Default=on.
Render atmospherics inside raytraced objects Turns the rendering of
atmospheric effects inside raytraced objects on or off. Atmospheric effects
include fire, fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Reflections group
Controls in this group give you finer control over reflections.
Type When set to Default, reflections are layered with the Diffuse color. For
example, if the material is not transparent and completely reflective, no diffuse
color is visible. When set to Additive, reflections are added to the Diffuse color,
as in Standard materials on page 5395. The diffuse component is always visible.
Gain Controls reflection brightness. The lower the gain value, the brighter
the reflection. At a gain of 1.0, no reflection is visible. Default=0.5.
Raytracer Controls Rollout
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace material >
Raytracer Controls rollout
The Raytracer Controls rollout for a Raytrace material on page 5490 controls
affect the operation of the raytracer itself. It can help you improve rendering
performance.
5506 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Local Options group
Enable Raytracing Turns the raytracer on or off. Default=on.
Even with raytracing off, Raytrace material and Raytrace map still reflect and
refract the environment, including both the environment map for the scene,
and the environment map assigned to the Raytrace material.
Raytrace Atmospherics Turns the raytracing of atmospheric effects on or off.
Atmospheric effects include fire, fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Enable Self Reflect/Refract Turns self reflection/refraction on or off.
Default=on.
Can an object reflect itself? For example, a teapot's body reflects the teapot's
handle, but a sphere will never reflect itself. If you don't need this effect, you
can improve render time by turning off this toggle.
Raytrace Material | 5507
TIP If you have a transparent object such as glass, and Enable Self Reflect/Refract
is on, you don't have to make the object 2-sided on page 7893. The raytracer sees
back faces when exiting refractive objects.
Reflect/Refract Material IDs When on, the material reflects effects assigned
to material IDs in the renderer's G-buffer on page 7991 on or off. Default=on.
By default, Raytrace material and Raytrace map reflect effects assigned to a
material's ID, so that G-buffer effects are not lost. For example, if a raytraced
object reflects a lamp made to glow with the Video Post Glow filter (Lens
Effects Glow), the reflection glows as well.
Raytracer Enable group
These two check boxes turn raytracing of reflections or refractions on or off
for this material. If you are using the Raytrace material to create only reflections
or refractions, turn off the one you aren't using to improve rendering time.
Raytrace Reflections Turns raytracing of reflective objects on or off.
Default=on.
Raytrace Refractions Turns raytracing of transparent objects on or off.
Default=on.
Local Exclude Displays the local Exclude/Include dialog on page 5519.
An object that is excluded locally is excluded from this material only.
TIP Using exclusion lists is one of the best and simplest ways to speed up the
raytracer.
Bump Map Effect Adjusts the effect of bump maps on raytraced reflections
and refractions. Default=1.0.
Falloff End Distance group
Reflect Dims reflections to black at this distance. Default=100.0.
Refract Dims refractions to black at this distance. Default=100.0.
NOTE The toggles for Reflect Falloff and Refract Falloff aren't animatable.
Raytraced Reflection and Refraction Antialiaser group
Controls in this group let you override the global antialiasing settings for
raytraced maps and materials. They are unavailable if antialiasing is turned
5508 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
off globally. To turn on antialiasing globally, choose Rendering > Raytrace
Globals to display the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221.
On When on, uses antialiasing. Default=unavailable unless global antialiasing
is on; on if global antialiasing is turned on.
Drop-down list Chooses which antialiasing settings to use. There are three
options:
■
Use Global Antialiasing Settings (The default.) Uses the global antialiasing
settings.
Click ... to open the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221.
■
Fast Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Fast Adaptive antialiaser, regardless of
the global setting.
Click ... to open the Fast Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page 5522.
■
Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Multiresolution Adaptive
antialiaser, regardless of the global setting.
Click ... to open the Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page
5524.
When you change settings for an antialiaser locally, you don't affect the global
settings for that antialiaser.
Raytrace Maps Rollout
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace material >
Maps rollout
As with a standard material, the Maps rollout for a Raytrace material on page
5490 contains map buttons for the components of the Raytrace material that
can be mapped.
You can choose from a large variety of map types. See Map Types on page 5767
to find descriptions of these types, and how to set their parameters.
Assigning the Same Map to Different Parameters
Applying the same map to different parameters is useful in some cases. For
example, using a pattern as both a self-illumination map and an opacity map
can make the pattern appear to glow and hover in space.
Raytrace Material | 5509
Blending Map Amounts for Opacity and Other Material Components
The Specular Level, Glossiness, Self-Illumination, and Opacity values in the
four spinners in the Basic Parameters rollout are blended with their associated
map Amount values in the Maps rollout.
When the Opacity spinner is set to 0, the map Amount spinner completely
controls Opacity. That is, reducing the Amount value increases the
transparency of the entire surface. On the other hand, when Opacity is 100,
reducing the map Amount value increases the opacity of the areas where the
Opacity map is less than 1. For example, you can now adjust a Checker Opacity
map so that the solid areas remain solid, while the clear areas are
semi-transparent.
The Specular Level, Glossiness, and Self-Illumination channels all behave in
the same way. A setting of 100 applies all of the map; a setting of 0 is the
equivalent of turning the map off.
When you load old 3ds Max files or bring earlier materials from the Browser
into the Materials Editor, the spinner values for Opacity, Specular Level,
Glossiness, and Self-illumination are altered, where necessary, to maintain
the equivalent material effect.
Procedures
To assign a map:
1 Click a map button.
A modal Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 Use the Browse From buttons to choose where you want to look.
If you choose Material Library and the dialog's display area is blank, you
need to open a library file. Click the Open button and then choose the
library to browse.
3 Use the display buttons to choose how you view maps.
■
View List shows each map by name.
■
View List + Icons shows a small preview and each map's name.
■
View Small Icons shows a small preview for each map.
■
View Large Icons shows a large preview for each map, along with the
map's name.
5510 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP You can resize the Browser dialog to increase the size of the display
area. This is especially useful when you view large icons.
4 Double-click the map you want.
To use the same map for different parameters:
1 In the Maps rollout, use a map button to assign a map.
The Material Editor is now at the map level, and displays controls for the
map parameters.
2
Click Go To Parent to return to the material level, and then open
the Maps rollout.
3 Drag the assigned map button to another map button.
The Copy (Instance) Map dialog on page 5365 is displayed.
4 Choose Copy or Instance, and then click OK.
If you choose Swap, the Material Editor swaps the two button assignments.
To view the parent material's parameters:
■
If you are currently at the map level in the Material Editor, click Go
To Parent.
The parameters for the map's parent material are displayed. Also, the Show
End Result and Go to Parent buttons become unavailable.
To view a map's parameters:
■
If you are currently at the material level in the Material Editor, click the
button that corresponds to the map.
The parameters for the map are displayed. Also, the Show End Result on
page 5356 and Go to Parent on page 5356 buttons become available.
In the Basic Parameters rollout, if a map has been assigned to a color
component or parameter, the corresponding button displays a letter M.
In the Maps rollout, if a map has been assigned, the corresponding button
displays the map name.
Raytrace Material | 5511
To view a map's location:
Click Material/Map Navigator to view the Navigator.
The Material/Map Navigator on page 5357 displays the hierarchy of the
current material, which contains the map.
■
To go to a map using the Navigator:
In the Material/Map Navigator on page 5357, click the name of the map, or
the green or red parallelogram to the left of the map's name.
The Navigator goes to the level of the map, and the Material Editor displays
the controls for the map you clicked.
■
As the Navigator's map tree shows, maps for basic material components
and parameters are one level below the material itself.
To preview a map in a sample slot:
1 Go to the level of the map, as described in previous procedures.
The Material Editor displays the map's parameters.
2
Turn off Show End Result on page 5356.
The sample slot shows the map instead of the material. If the map
contains sub-maps, these are also visible.
By default, the sample slot displays a map with no three-dimensional
shading. You can change this in the Material Editor Options dialog on
page 5335.
To view the map interactively:
1 Select an object.
2 In the object's creation parameters, make sure that Generate Mapping
Coords is on.
If the object type does not have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle,
you need to assign mapping coordinates by applying a UVW Map modifier
on page 1931.
3 In the Material Editor, assign the mapped material to the object.
4 If you are at the material level (the top level), click the appropriate map
button to go to the map level.
5512 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
5
Turn on Show Map in Viewport on page 5350.
The map appears on objects assigned the material in all shaded viewports.
Now when you adjust the map, the viewports update to display the
adjustments.
Turning on Show Map In Viewport for one map automatically turns this
button off for all other maps the material has.
Viewports can display 2D maps such as Checker and Bitmap. They cannot
display other kinds of maps such as 3D maps. Show Map in Viewport is
unavailable if the active map type cannot display in viewports.
TIP Displaying mapped materials in a viewport can slow performance. If you
don't need to view the texture, turn off its viewport display.
To turn off interactive texture display:
1 Go to the map level.
If you are at the material level, click the appropriate map button to go
to the map level.
2
Turn off Show Map in Viewport on page 5350.
The object is shaded but the map no longer appears.
To turn a map off:
■
Turn off the map's check box.
The check box is to the left of the map's name on the Maps rollout.
To turn a map on:
■
Turn on the map's check box.
The check box is to the left of the map's name on the Maps rollout.
To change a map's strength:
■
Adjust the map's Amount spinner in the Maps rollout.
The material's sample slot reflects the change.
NOTE Adjusting a map's output (in the map's Output rollout) can also change
the map's strength.
Raytrace Material | 5513
To move directly to an ancestor:
1 Click the arrow to the right of the map's name on page 5360 field.
A drop-down list of ancestors is displayed.
2 Click a name in the Ancestor list.
With this list, you can skip intermediate levels in the tree.
The Ancestor drop-down list shows only part of the tree. It does not show
side branches and siblings. To view these, use the Material/Map Navigator
on page 5357.
You can also use the Go Forward to Sibling on page 5357 and
Go to Parent on page 5356 buttons.
To change a map type:
1 At the level of a map, click the button labeled Type below the Material
Editor toolbar.
A modal Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed. If you were at a
map, it lists only maps (if you were at a material when you clicked Type,
the Browser lists only materials).
2 Choose a map type from the list, and then click OK.
If you change a map type and the new map type can have component
maps, a Replace Map dialog is displayed. This dialog gives you a choice
between discarding the original map or using it as a component map.
If the new map type does not have components, it simply replaces the
original map type.
5514 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
The Maps rollout for Raytrace contains a wide button for each map type. Click
this button to select a bitmap file stored on disk or to select a procedural-map
type on page 8097. After you select a map, its name and type appears on the
button. Use the check box to the left of the button to turn the effect of the
Raytrace Material | 5515
map off and on. When the check box is off, the map is not computed and has
no effect in the renderer.
The Amount spinner determines the amount that the map affects the material,
expressed as a percentage of full intensity. For example, a diffuse map at 100%
is completely opaque and covers the base material. At 50%, it is
semi-transparent and the base material (the diffuse, ambient, and other colors
of the material without mapping) shows through.
Lock button Locks the Environment map to the Transparency Environment
map. When on, the Transparency Environment map controls are disabled,
and a map applied to the Raytrace Environment applies to the Transparency
Environment as well. When off, the Transparency Environment map controls
are enabled, and the Transparency Environment can have a different map
assigned to it. Default=on.
Changing this button’s setting here also changes it on the Basic Parameters
rollout on page 5493, and the Extended Parameters rollout on page 5502.
Diffusion Mapping
The Diffusion map component lets you apply an additional, second texture
to modify the Diffuse component. Typically, you will want to reduce the
Amount of this map to allow the main Diffuse map to show through.
For example, you might have a clean, bright image for a billboard. You use
this image as the Diffuse map, and then use a second map as a Diffusion map
to apply soot and city grime.
TIP Animating the Amount can change the appearance of the material over time,
letting the Diffusion map either conceal or reveal the underlying Diffuse map.
NOTE Show Map In Viewport does not display the Diffusion map.
Raytrace Dynamics Properties Rollout
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace material >
Dynamics Properties rollout
As with a standard material, the Dynamics Properties rollout for a Raytrace
material on page 5490 lets you specify surface properties that affect the animation
of an object upon collision with another object. If there are no collisions in
your simulation, these settings have no effect.
5516 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Since the Dynamics Properties rollout is available at the top level of any
material (including sub-materials), you can specify different surface dynamic
properties for each face in an object. There are also controls in the Dynamics
utility that let you adjust the surface properties at the object level, but only
the Materials Editor lets you alter the surface properties at the sub-object level,
through use of a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720.
As a default, the values in the Dynamics Properties rollout provide a surface
that's similar to Teflon-coated hardened steel.
Interface
Bounce Coefficient Sets how far an object bounces after hitting a surface.
The higher the value, the greater the bounce. A value of 1 represents a "perfectly
elastic collision," or a bounce in which no kinetic energy is lost. Default=1.0.
If you've seen the desktop toy with four ball bearings swinging back and forth
on strings and hitting one another, you've seen an example that comes very
close to a bounce coefficient of 1. Generally, hardened steel or a super ball
have a bounce near 1, while lead has a bounce near 0.
Static Friction Sets how difficult it is for the object to start moving along a
surface. The higher this value, the more difficult. Default=0.0.
If something weighs ten pounds and sits on Teflon (a static friction of near
0), it takes almost no force to make it move sideways. On the other hand, if
it sits on sandpaper, then the static friction might be very high, on the order
of 0.5 to 0.8. A static friction near 1 is very difficult to create in the real world
without adhesives or friction material.
Sliding Friction Sets how difficult it is for the object to keep moving over a
surface. The higher this value, the more difficult for the object to keep moving.
Default=0.0.
Once two objects begin to slide over one another, static friction disappears
and sliding friction takes over. Generally, sliding friction is lower than static
friction due to surface tension effects. For example, once steel starts sliding
Raytrace Material | 5517
over brass (a value of static friction that might run from 0.05 to 0.2), the
sliding friction drops to a significantly lower value, on the order of .01 to 0.1.
For some materials, such as specific friction materials like brake linings, sliding
friction is just as high as static friction because it is used in conjunction with
a nearly frictionless material such as hardened polished steel.
Raytracing Acceleration Parameters Dialog
Rendering menu > Raytracer Settings > Render Setup dialog > Raytracer panel
> Raytracer Global Parameters rollout > Global Raytrace Engine Options group
> Acceleration Controls button
The controls in this dialog let you override the default acceleration values and
specify your own requirements. Typically you don't need to use them, but if
you are familiar with the requirements of your scene, they can help you
optimize raytrace rendering for your specific needs and time constraints.
Raytracing subdivides the scene, organizing it into a tree for raytrace purposes.
A node in this tree is known as a "voxel." Voxel trees are dynamic, and you
can't explicitly specify the structure of the tree. (If you set Max. Divisions to
2, the tree is an octree, which is possibly a more familiar data structure.)
TIP If your scene is particularly unbalanced (for example, it has a giant planet
object and a cluster of small spacecraft objects) keep the Balance setting low.
Interface
Face Limit Sets the maximum number of faces allowed in a lattice voxel before
it is subdivided. Default=10.
Balance Determines the sensitivity of the subdivision algorithm. Increasing
this value uses more memory but can increase performance. Default=4.0.
5518 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Max. Divisions Sets the initial lattice dimension. For example, 4 is a 4 x 4 x
4 lattice. Default=30.
Max. Depth Sets the maximum number of lattice subdivisions. Default=8.
Raytrace Exclude/Include Dialog
Rendering menu > Raytrace Global Include/Exclude
Material Editor > Raytrace material > Raytracer Controls rollout > Local Exclude
button
Material Editor > Raytrace map > Raytracer Parameters rollout > Local Exclude
button
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Raytracer Settings > Render Setup dialog >
Raytracer panel > Raytracer Global Parameters rollout > Global Raytrace Engine
Options group > Exclude button
Upper left: Bottle excluded from both mirrors
Upper right: Bottle reflected by both mirrors
Lower middle: Bottle excluded from one mirror
Raytrace Material | 5519
These dialogs let you specify which objects the raytracer will and won't see.
This is a good optimization when you are working with complex scenes and
all you really need is for an object to reflect itself or some other, simpler
elements in the scene.
The global dialog affects all Raytrace materials and Raytrace maps in your
scene. The local dialog affects only the current material or map.
TIP Another good use for exclusion can be when you are working on a scene
where the world-space scale of objects is not realistic. For example, consider an
animation of a space dog-fight, with a planet and its moon in the background.
You would use a planet that was actually much smaller, relative to the fighters,
than an actual planet. (For example, the planet might be only five times bigger
than the fighters, and the moon only half as big as the fighters.) If the fighters are
reflective, the reflections of the planet and moon will be incorrect and will give
away the fact that you are using miniatures. In this case, raytrace the reflective
fighters, and laser blasts, and so on, but exclude the planet and moon props from
the raytracer. Create an environment map that represents the planet and moon
at their correct scale, and make that the Raytrace material's local environment.
When you render, the scale of the planet and moon geometry appears to be
correct, and the reflections on the fighters will behave as your eye expects.
5520 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Both the Global and the Local Exclude/Include dialogs contain the following
controls:
Exclude/Include Choose whether raytracing will exclude or include the
objects named in the list on the right.
Illumination / Shadow Casting / Both For the raytracer, this is turned off
(always set to Illumination).
Scene Objects Select objects from the Scene Objects list on the left, then use
the arrow buttons to add them to the exclusion list on the right.
The Exclude/Include dialog treats a group as an object: you can exclude or
include all objects in a group by selecting the group's name in the Scene
Objects list. If a group is nested within another group, it isn't visible in the
Scene Objects list.
Raytrace Material | 5521
Search Field The edit box above the Scene Objects list lets you search for
object names by entering names that use wildcards.
Display Subtree When on, indents the list according to the object hierarchy.
Case Sensitive When on, uses case sensitivity when searching object names.
Selection Sets Displays a list of named selection sets. Choosing a selection
set from this list selects those objects in the Scene Objects list.
Clear Clears all entries from the Exclude/Include list on the right.
OK Closes the dialog and retains the exclude or include operations you
performed.
Cancel Closes the dialog and cancels the exclude or include operations you
performed.
Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Fast Adaptive
Antialiaser
Rendering menu > Raytracer Settings > RaytracerGlobal Parameters dialog >
Global Ray Antialiaser group > Turn on global ray antialiasing. > Choose Fast
Adaptive Antialiaser from the drop-down list. > ... button
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace material >
Raytracer Controls rollout > Raytraced Reflection and Refraction Antialiaser
group (enabled only if antialiasing is globally enabled) > Choose Fast Adaptive
Antialiaser from the drop-down list. > ... button
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace map >
Raytracer Parameters rollout > Raytraced Reflection and Refraction Antialiaser
group (enabled only if antialiasing is globally enabled) > Choose Fast Adaptive
Antialiaser from the drop-down list. > ... button
The Fast Adaptive Antialiaser dialog changes settings for the Raytrace material
and maps Fast Adaptive antialiaser. You can use this dialog either globally,
from the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221, or locally, from the
Raytracer Controls rollout on page 5506. When you locally change settings for
an antialiaser, you don't affect the global settings for that antialiaser.
5522 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Blur / Defocus (Distance Blur) group
Blur Offset is similar to blur offset for Bitmaps, while defocus is based on
distance.
Blur Offset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the reflections or refractions
without regard to distance. You can use Blur Offset to soften or defocus the
details of a reflection or refraction. The value is specified in pixels. Default=0.0.
TIP The default Blur Offset setting usually produces good results. If you see aliasing
in reflections or refractions, increase its value in increments of 0.5 until the aliasing
goes away.
See Blur/Blur Offset on page 7928.
Blur Aspect This is an aspect ratio that changes the shape of the blur. Usually
you will not need to change it. Default=1.0.
Raytrace Material | 5523
TIP If you see aliasing that occurs mostly along horizontal lines, try increasing Blur
Aspect to 1.5. This changes the shape of the blurred effect. The reverse is also
true. If aliasing occurs mostly along vertical lines, try decreasing Blur Aspect to
0.5.
Defocusing Defocusing is a blur based on distance. With Defocus, objects
near the surface are not blurred, but objects farther away are blurred. The rays
cast are spread as they leave the Raytrace material object's surface. Default=0.0.
TIP Increasing the value of Defocusing can give a good distance blurring effect.
Small adjustments are usually adequate. Try starting with a value less than 0.1,
and increase or decrease it as necessary. Also try adjusting Reflect Falloff in Raytrace
material or Attenuation in Raytrace map to get the best distance blurring effect.
Defocus Aspect This is an aspect ratio that changes the shape of the
defocusing. Usually you will not need to change it. Default=1.0.
Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Multiresolution
Adaptive Antialiaser
Rendering menu > Raytracer Settings > Render Setup dialog > Raytracer panel
> Raytracer Global Parameters rollout > Raytracer Global Parameters > Global
Ray Antialiaser group > Turn on global antialiasing. > Choose Multiresolution
Adaptive Antialiaser from the drop-down list. > ... button
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Raytrace material >
Raytracer Controls rollout > Raytraced Reflection and Refraction Antialiaser
group (enabled only if antialiasing is globally enabled) > Choose
Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser from the drop-down list. > ... button
The Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser dialog changes settings for the
Raytrace material and maps Multiresolution Adaptive antialiaser. You can use
this dialog either globally, from the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on
page 6221, or locally, from the Raytracer Controls rollout on page 5506. When
you locally change settings for an antialiaser, you don't affect the global
settings for that antialiaser.
5524 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Adaptive Control group
Initial Rays Sets the initial number of rays cast per pixel. Default=4.
Threshold Determines the sensitivity of the adaptation algorithm. It can range
from 0 to 1, where 0 always casts the maximum number of rays and 1 always
casts only the minimum number of rays. Default=0.1.
Max. Rays (Maximum Rays) Sets the maximum number of rays the algorithm
will cast. Default=32.
Raytrace Material | 5525
Blur / Defocus (Distance Blur) group
Blur Offset is similar to blur offset on page 7928 for bitmaps, while Defocusing
is based on distance.
Blur Offset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the reflections or refractions
without regard to distance. You can use Blur Offset to soften or defocus the
details of a reflection or refraction. The value is specified in pixels. Default=0.0.
TIP The default Blur Offset setting usually produces good results. If you see aliasing
in reflections or refractions, increase its value in increments of 0.5 until the aliasing
goes away.
Blur Aspect This is an aspect ratio that changes the shape of the blur. Usually
you will not need to change it. Default=1.0.
TIP If you see aliasing that occurs mostly along horizontal lines, try increasing Blur
Aspect to 1.5. This changes the shape of the blurred effect. The reverse is also
true. If aliasing occurs mostly along vertical lines, try decreasing Blur Aspect to
0.5.
Defocusing Defocusing is a blur based on distance. With Defocus, objects
near the surface are not blurred, but objects farther away are blurred. The rays
cast are spread as they leave the Raytrace material object's surface. Default=0.0.
TIP Increasing the value of Defocusing can give a good distance blurring effect.
Small adjustments are usually adequate. Try starting with a value less than 0.1,
and increase or decrease it as necessary. Also try adjusting Reflect Falloff in Raytrace
material or Attenuation in Raytrace map to get the best distance blurring effect.
Defocus Aspect This is an aspect ratio that changes the shape of the
defocusing. Usually you will not need to change it. Default=1.0.
Architectural Material
The settings for an Architectural material are physical properties, so it provides
the greatest possible realism when used with photometric lights on page 5005
and radiosity on page 6168. With this combination of features, you can create
lighting studies with a high degree of accuracy.
It is not recommended that you use the Architectural material with standard
3ds Max lights in the scene, or with the Light Tracer. The point of this material
is to provide accurate modeling. Use it with photometric lights and radiosity.
5526 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The mental ray renderer, on the other hand, can render the Architectural
material, with some limitations described below.
TIP If you don't need the degree of realism that the Architectural material provides,
you can use a standard material on page 5395 or other material type.
Material Templates
When you create a new material, you can choose from a variety of templates.
A template is simply a set of preset material parameters, which approximates
the kind of material you want to create, and gives you a starting point. See
Templates Rollout on page 5528.
Rendering Architectural Materials with the mental ray Renderer
The mental ray Renderer on page 6230 can render Architectural materials. There
are some limitations, as follows:
■
Emit Energy (Based on Luminance): This setting is ignored. The
Architectural material does not contribute to the scene's lighting.
■
Sampling Parameters: These settings are ignored, as the mental ray renderer
uses its own sampling.
TIP When rendering with mental ray, instead of the Architectural material, we
highly recommend that you use the Arch & Design material on page 5544. This
material was designed especially for mental ray and provides superior flexibility,
rendering characteristics, and speed.
Interface
Templates Rollout on page 5528
Physical Qualities Rollout on page 5530
Special Effects Rollout on page 5534
Advanced Lighting Override Rollout on page 5536
SuperSampling Rollout on page 5381
mental ray Connection Rollout on page 5385
Architectural Material | 5527
Templates Rollout
Material Editor > Architectural material > Templates rollout
The Templates rollout gives you a list of material types to choose from. A
template is simply a set of preset parameters for the Physical Qualities rollout,
which approximates the kind of material you want to create, and gives you a
starting point. Once you choose a template, you can adjust its settings and
add maps on page 5767 to enhance realism and improve the material's
appearance.
The templates do not affect the Diffuse Color on the Physical Qualities rollout,
only the numeric settings.
Interface
Template drop-down list Chooses the kind of material you are designing.
Each template provides preset values for the various material parameters.
These are the material templates provided with 3ds Max. The purpose of most
templates is clear, so the table doesn't comment on all of them.
Template
Comments
Ceramic Tile - Glazed
Fabric
Glass - Clear
Glass - Translucent
Ideal Diffuse
A neutral white material
Masonry
A good base for a diffuse map
Metal
Shiny and reflective
5528 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Template
Comments
Metal - Brushed
Less shiny
Metal - Flat
Even less shiny
Metal - Polished
Highly shiny
Mirror
Completely shiny
Paint Flat
Another neutral white material
Paint Gloss
Also white, but shiny
Paint Semi-Gloss
Also white, only slightly shiny
Paper
Paper - Translucent
Plastic
Stone
A good base for a diffuse map
Stone Polished
Has a bit of shininess; also a good base for
a diffuse map
User Defined
Neutral; a good base for a diffuse map
User-Defined Metal
Somewhat shiny; also a good base for a
diffuse map
Water
Completely clear and shiny
Wood Unfinished
Neutral; a good base for a map
Architectural Material | 5529
Template
Comments
Wood Varnished
Physical Qualities Rollout
Material Editor > Architectural material > Physical Qualities rollout
When you create a new Architectural material on page 5526 or edit an existing
one, the settings on the Physical Qualities rollout are the ones you are most
likely to need to adjust.
Procedures
To match a material's luminance to a light:
WARNING Only photometric lights give correct luminance. Also, the mental ray
renderer disregards the Emit Energy setting.
■
Click to turn on Set Luminance From Light (below the
Luminance setting), then in a viewport, click the light.
After you choose the light, the button turns off once more.
TIP If you are using a radiosity solution on page 6168, make sure to turn on Emit
Energy (Based On Luminance) for any material whose luminance is greater
than zero. This control is on the Advanced Lighting Override rollout on page
5536.
5530 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Diffuse Color Controls the diffuse color on page 7955. The diffuse color is the
color this material has in direct light. Click the color swatch to display the
Color Selector on page 391 and change the diffuse color.
Set color to texture average Click to change
the diffuse color to an average of the colors in the current diffuse map. (If no
map is assigned, this button has no effect.)
This button is useful when you are going to reduce the diffuse map’s Amount.
When the diffuse map pattern appears over an average of itself, for most kinds
of materials the effect is more realistic than when the pattern appears over an
unrelated color.
WARNING This button will change the diffuse color even if the diffuse map is
turned off.
Diffuse Map These controls assign a map to the material’s diffuse component.
To assign a map, click the oblong button (labeled “None” by default). This
displays the Material/Map Browser. In the Browser, choose the map type, and
then click OK. If you choose Bitmap as the map type, an additional dialog
prompts you to choose the particular bitmap file to use.
Architectural Material | 5531
While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button’s
label.
■
Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of diffuse map
to use. This value is a percentage: at 100.0, only the map is visible; at lower
amounts, the diffuse color shows through; at 0.0, the map is not visible at
all.
■
On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an
on/off switch. When on, the map appears in the material. When off, the
map does not appear.
Shininess Sets the shininess of the material. This value is a percentage: at
100.0, the material is as shiny as possible; at lower values, it is less shiny; at
0.0, it is not shiny at all.
In general, the shinier a material is, the smaller its specular highlights appear.
Specular highlights are reflections of the lights that illuminate the material.
(The index of refraction can also affect the size of highlights.) Shininess also
controls how much the material reflects other objects in the scene.
NOTE Shininess alone is not sufficient to produce specular reflections and highlights
on a surface. You must also consider the Index Of Refraction (IOR), described
below.
The amount spinner for a shininess map scales the map. If no map is assigned,
the spinner value is used by itself.
Transparency Controls how transparent the material is. This value is a
percentage: at 100.0, the material is completely transparent; at lower values,
the material is partly opaque; and at 0.0, the material is completely opaque.
TIP The effect of transparency is best previewed against a pattern background. If
the material preview doesn’t show a pattern of colored checks, right-click the
material preview or the map preview, and choose Background from the pop-up
menu.
The amount spinner for a transparency map scales the map. If no map is
assigned, the spinner value is used by itself.
Translucency Controls how translucent the material is. A translucent object
transmits light, but also scatters it within the object. This value is a percentage:
5532 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
at 0.0, the material is completely opaque; at 100.0, the material is as translucent
as possible.
The amount spinner for a translucency map scales the map. If no map is
assigned, the spinner value is used by itself.
Index of Refraction The index of refraction (IOR) controls how severely the
material refracts transmitted light, and how reflective the material appears.
At 1.0, the IOR of air, the object behind the transparent object does not distort.
At 1.5, the object behind distorts greatly, like a glass marble. Range=1.0 to
2.5.
Common IORs (assuming the camera is in air or a vacuum) are:
Material
IOR Value
Vacuum
1.0 (exactly)
Air
1.0003
Water
1.333
Glass
1.5 to 1.7
Diamond
2.419
In the physical world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through
the transparent material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically
this is related to the object's density: the higher the IOR, the denser the object.
The IOR affects how shiny a material appears; or, in the case of transparent
materials such as water or glass, the amount of distortion. For nontransparent
materials, the higher the IOR, the more light is reflected from the material,
and the shinier the material appears.
A refractive index of 1.0 means that all light is transmitted into the material.
In this case, even if the material has a high Shininess value, the surface appears
perfectly diffuse, and shows no specular highlights.
Luminance cd/m2 When its luminance is greater than 0.0, the material
appears to glow, and if you turn on Emit Energy (see below), it contributes
energy to the radiosity solution on page 6168. Luminance is measured in candelas
per meter squared.
The amount spinner for a luminance map scales the map. If no map is assigned,
the spinner value is used by itself.
Architectural Material | 5533
Set luminance from light Obtains the material’s luminance
from a light in the scene. Click to turn on this button, then click a light in a
viewport. The material’s luminance is set to match the luminance of the light,
and the button is turned off once more.
2-Sided When on, makes the material 2-sided on page 7893. Applies the material
to both sides of selected faces.
Raw Diffuse Texture When on, excludes the material from lighting and
exposure control. This makes the material render with a completely flat look,
using the pure RGB values of the diffuse color or map. Default=off.
Special Effects Rollout
Material Editor > Architectural material > Special Effects rollout
When you create a new Architectural material on page 5526 or edit an existing
one, the settings on the Special Effects rollout let you assign maps that create
bumps or displacement, adjust light intensity, or control transparency.
Interface
Bump controls These controls assign a bump map on page 5478 to the material.
To assign a map, click the oblong button (labeled “None” by default). This
displays the Material/Map Browser. In the Browser, choose the map type, and
then click OK. If you choose Bitmap as the map type, an additional dialog
prompts you to choose the particular bitmap file to use.
While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button’s
label.
5534 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of bump mapping
to use. At 1000.0, bump mapping has its greatest effect; at lower amounts,
the bumps are less pronounced; at 0.0, the bumps are not visible at all.
Negative values reverse the direction of the bump effect. Range: –1000.0
to 1000.0.
■
On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an
on/off switch. When on, the map is used in the material. When off, the
map is not used.
Displacement controls These controls assign a displacement map on page
5487 to the material. To assign a map, click the oblong button (labeled “None”
by default). This displays the Material/Map Browser. In the Browser, choose
the map type, and then click OK. If you choose Bitmap as the map type, an
additional dialog prompts you to choose the particular bitmap file to use.
While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button’s
label.
■
Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of displacement
mapping to use. At 1000.0, displacement mapping has its greatest effect;
at lower amounts, the displacement is less pronounced; at 0.0, the
displacement are not visible at all. Negative values reverse the direction of
the displacement. Range: –1000.0 to 1000.0.
■
On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an
on/off switch. When on, the map is used in the material. When off, the
map is not used.
Intensity controls These controls assign an intensity map to the material,
modulating the material's brightness. The map is treated as a black-and-white
scale of intensity values.
TIP Applying a low-frequency Noise map on page 5886 to the intensity can help
reduce the “computer-generated” look of a texture, and add a natural feel to
surfaces such as bricks and carpets lit by daylight.
To assign a map, click the oblong button (labeled “None” by default). This
displays the Material/Map Browser. In the Browser, choose the map type, and
Architectural Material | 5535
then click OK. If you choose Bitmap as the map type, an additional dialog
prompts you to choose the particular bitmap file to use.
While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button’s
label.
■
Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of intensity
mapping to use. At 100.0, intensity mapping has its greatest effect; at lower
amounts, the effect is less pronounced; at 0.0, the map has no effect; and
at values less than 0.0, the material is dimmed. Range: –100.0 to 100.0.
■
On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an
on/off switch. When on, the map is used in the material. When off, the
map is not used.
Cutout controls These controls assign a cutout map on page 5541 to the material.
To assign a map, click the oblong button (labeled “None” by default). This
displays the Material/Map Browser. In the Browser, choose the map type, and
then click OK. If you choose Bitmap as the map type, an additional dialog
prompts you to choose the particular bitmap file to use.
While a map is assigned to the material, its name appears as the map button’s
label.
■
Amount spinner The spinner at the left sets the amount of cutout
mapping to use. This value is a percentage: at 100.0, the map has its full
effect; lower amounts have the effect of darkening the map, reducing its
effect and increasing transparency. At 0.0, the map is completely black,
making objects with this material completely transparent.
■
On/off The check box between the spinner and the map button is an
on/off switch. When on, the map is used in the material. When off, the
map is not used.
Advanced Lighting Override Rollout
Material Editor > Architectural material > Advanced Lighting Override rollout
5536 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
When you create a new Architectural material on page 5526 or edit an existing
one, the settings on the Adjust Radiosity rollout let you adjust how the material
behaves in a radiosity solution on page 6168.
Obtaining a Better Image
Materials with a bright diffuse color or high shininess can be highly reflective.
This can lead to overexposed or washed-out radiosity solutions. In general,
the best way to adjust this is to reduce the HSV Value (V) of a material's diffuse
color; or, for a material with a diffuse map, reduce the map's RGB level. In
some situations, the controls on this rollout can improve the appearance of
the radiosity solution. Examples of situations where the material's radiosity
settings can help include color bleeding and large dark areas:
■
You might want to reduce Reflectance Scale or Color Bleed Scale when a
large area of color (for example, a red carpet in a room with white walls)
creates excessive color bleeding. This might be physically accurate, but the
eye adjusts for such effects, and the radiosity result might look better with
less reflectance or less color bleeding.
Left: Excessive bleeding of the floor color onto the walls and ceiling.
Right: Reducing the floor's Reflectance Scale causes less bleeding.
■
You might want to increase Reflectance Scale when the scene includes a
large dark area (for example, a black floor). This can lead to a very dark
radiosity result. You can maintain the floor’s color but increase reflectance,
giving the solution the colors you want while increasing its brightness.
Architectural Material | 5537
The room is lit only by spotlights pointed at the floor. Increasing reflectance of the
floor brightens the entire room.
TIP Check the reflectance and transmittance display on page 5324 to get an
idea of how the current material will affect the radiosity solution.
Interface
WARNING There is no problem with reducing the default scale, but increasing it
for any of these parameters might cause colors to “burn out”: if the scale is too
great, they render as pure white, appearing overexposed.
Emit Energy (Based on Luminance) When on, the material contributes
energy to the radiosity solution, based on the material’s luminance value (see
above).
5538 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not use this setting. The
Architectural material does not contribute to the scene's lighting.
Increasing the Luminance (above 0.0) makes an object appear to glow in
ordinary renderings, but does not contribute energy to the radiosity solution.
To have radiosity processing take a self-illuminating material into account,
turn on Emit Energy (Based On Luminance).
Upper left: By default, luminous neon lights do not influence the scene light.
Right: With Emit Energy on, the radiosity solution takes luminance into account.
TIP When you increase luminance to achieve a special effect in the rendering (for
example, to make the globe surrounding a lamp appear to be glowing), probably
you shouldn't turn on Emit Energy (in the example, both the globe and lamp
would then add light to the scene). When you increase luminance because the
object really glows (for example a neon light tube), then you should turn on Emit
Energy, so that the object contributes light to the scene.
Color Bleed Scale Increases or decreases the saturation of reflected color.
Range=0.0 to 100.0. Default=100.0.
Architectural Material | 5539
Color Bleed increases or decreases the saturation of reflected color.
Indirect Bump Scale Scales the effect of the base material’s bump mapping
on page 5478 in areas lit by indirect light. When this value is zero, no bump
mapping is done for indirect light. Increasing Indirect Light Bump Scale
increases the bump effect under indirect lighting. This value does not affect
the Bump amount in areas where the base material is lit directly. Range=–999.0
to 999.0. Default=100.0.
TIP This parameter is useful because indirect bump mapping is simulated and not
always accurate. Indirect Light Bump Scale lets you adjust the effect by hand.
Reflectance Scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy the material
reflects. Range=0.0 to 100.0. Default=100.0.
Reflectance Scale increases or decreases the energy of reflected rays.
TIP Don’t use this control to increase self-illumination. Use the material's Luminance
instead. The Luminance control is on the Physical Qualities rollout on page 5530.
5540 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Transmittance Scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy the material
transmits. Range=0.1 to 5.0. Default=1.0.
Transmittance Scale increases or decreases the energy of transmitted rays.
Cutout Mapping
Material Editor > Architectural material > Special Effects rollout > Cutout map
button
Assigning a bitmap on page 5795 or procedural map on page 8097 to the Cutout
component of an Architectural material on page 5526 makes the material partially
transparent. Lighter (higher-value) areas of the map render as opaque; darker
areas render as transparent; and values in between are semi-transparent.
Setting the cutout map's Amount to 100 applies all of the map. Transparent
areas are fully transparent. Setting the Amount to 0 is the equivalent of turning
the map off. Intermediate Amount values are blended with the Transparency
value on the Physical Qualities rollout. Transparent areas of the map become
more opaque.
Architectural Material | 5541
The gray levels of a cutout map determine the amount of transparency.
Procedures
To use a cutout map:
1 Click the Cutout map button.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
2 Choose from the list of map types on page 5767, and then click OK.
The Material is now at the map level, and displays map controls.
(If you choose Bitmap as the map type, you first see a file dialog that lets
you choose the image file.)
3 Use the map controls to set up the map.
5542 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To remove a cutout map from a material:
TIP You can disable the map without removing it. Simply turn off the toggle
immediately to the left of the map button on the Special Effects rollout.
1 If the Material Editor is displaying the map controls, click the Type button
on page 5361 to display the Material/Map Browser. If the map controls
aren't visible, click the Cutout map button to display them, and then
click the Type button.
2 In the Browser, choose NONE as the map type, and then click OK.
The map is removed.
mental ray Materials
3ds Max comes with several materials created specifically for use with the
mental ray renderer on page 6230. These materials are visible in the Material/Map
Browser on page 5290 when mental ray is the active renderer.
■
Arch & Design on page 5579
The Arch & Design material is a monolithic material shader designed to
support most materials used in architectural and product-design renderings.
For most applications this is the recommended material.
■
Car Paint on page 5607
Car Paint, available as both a material and a shader, has components for
a paint layer with embedded metal flakes, a clear-coat layer, and a
Lambertian dirt layer.
■
DGS on page 5615
DGS stands for Diffuse, Glossy, and Specular. This material behaves in a
physically realistic way.
■
Glass on page 5619
The Glass material simulates both the surface properties and the
light-transmitting (photon) properties of glass.
■
Matte/Shadow/Reflection on page 5622
The Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi) material is used to create “matte
objects”; that is, objects that represent real-world objects in a photograph
used as the scene background. The material provides a wealth of options
for marrying a photographic background with the 3D scene, including
support for bump mapping, ambient occlusion, and indirect illumination.
mental ray Materials | 5543
■
mental ray on page 5638
The mental ray material has components for the surface shader, and for
the other nine optional shaders that make up a material in mental ray.
■
Subsurface Scattering Materials on page 5693
The subsurface scattering materials, supported by a shader library from
mental images, can model skin and similar organic materials.
■
ProMaterials on page 5647 model materials commonly used in
construction, design, and the environment.
■
Utility mental ray Materials on page 5695
The utility mental ray materials allow you to combine a material with
multiple maps.
NOTE When you wire the parameters of an object with a mental ray material
assigned, the names of material parameters might differ from those in the Material
Editor interface. Also, parameters not supported by 3ds Max might appear as
blanks in the wiring menu.
Arch & Design Material (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Arch & Design Material
Material Editor > any material > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Car Paint Shader
Note: The Arch & Design material appears in the Browser only if the mental
ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
The mental ray Arch (architectural) & Design material improves the image
quality of architectural renderings and improves workflow and performance
in general and for glossy surfaces such as floors in particular. Special features
include self-illumination, advanced options for reflectivity and transparency,
ambient occlusion settings, and the ability to round off sharp corners and
edges as a rendering effect.
TIP The Arch & Design material supports hardware-based viewport display for
improved feedback while editing its parameters. For more infomation, see Show
Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport on page 5350.
5544 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP The Arch & Design material interface has built-in descriptions of all of its
important parameters. To view a tooltip describing a parameter of interest, position
the mouse cursor over the control's spinner, color swatch, check box, etc.
See also:
■
Arch & Design Material (mental ray): Overview on page 5579
■
Arch & Design Material (mental ray): Tips and Tricks on page 5593
Procedures
To create a physically correct, self-illuminated surface:
An example of this application is a realistic halogen pendant luminaire with
a translucent shade, such as frosted glass.
1 Create your geometry and obtain or create a photometric file of the
luminaire. Determine the lamp color and intensity, as measured or
provided by the manufacturer; for example: 1,500 cd/m2 and 3,700
degrees Kelvin. Enable tone mapping on page 6732 and global illumination
on page 6261.
2 Create a photometric light (the halogen lamp) and set its color and
intensity.
3 Turn off the light source's Affect Specular property.
4 Create and place the light-shade geometry and apply an Arch & Design
material to it.
5 On the Self Illumination (Glow) rollout, set the same color and intensity
you applied to the light source. Also turn off the Illuminates The Scene
(When Using FG) check box in the Glow Options group.
mental ray Materials | 5545
6 Render the scene.
Interface
Main material parameters rollout on page 5547
BRDF rollout on page 5557
Self Illumination (Glow) rollout on page 5559
Special Effects rollout on page 5563
Advanced Rendering Options rollout on page 5568
Fast Glossy Interpolation rollout on page 5574
Special Purpose Maps rollout on page 5577
General Maps rollout on page 5579
Templates rollout
Provides access to Arch & Design material presets for quickly creating different
types of materials such as wood, glass, and metal. You can also use these as
starting points for generating customized materials. Choose a template from
the drop-down list; a description of the material then appears in the left-hand
pane.
NOTE The Arch & Design material works only with the mental ray renderer, so
in order to see it represented accurately in the sample slots, you must first set
mental ray to render in the Material Editor. For details, see Assign Renderer Rollout
on page 6135.
5546 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Main material parameters rollout
Diffuse group
Diffuse Level Diffuse Level on page 5444 controls the brightness of the diffuse
color component. Range=0.0 to 1.0. Default=1.0.
NOTE Because the material is energy conserving, the actual diffuse level used
depends on the reflectivity and transparency, as discussed in the introductory
section, above.
Color Controls the diffuse color on page 7955. The diffuse color is the color in
direct light. Default=50% gray.
Roughness Roughness on page 5446 controls how quickly the diffuse component
blends into the ambient component. Range=0.0 to 1.0. Default=0.0.
The diffuse component uses the Oren-Nayar shading model. When the
Roughness value is 0.0 this is identical to classical Lambertian shading, but
with higher values the surface gets a more “powdery” look, as shown in the
following illustration.
mental ray Materials | 5547
Left: Roughness=0.0; Center: 0.5; Right: 1.0
Reflection group
Reflectivity The overall level of reflectivity. Range=0.0 to 1.0. Default=0.6.
The Reflectivity and Color values combine to define the level of reflections
as well as the intensity of the traditional highlight, also known as the specular
highlight.
This value is the maximum value; the actual value also depends on the angle
of the surface and comes from the BRDF curve. This curve (see BRDF rollout
on page 5557) lets you define 0–degree reflectivity for surfaces facing the view
and 90–degree reflectivity for surfaces perpendicular to the view.
Left: No reflectivity, with a purely diffuse material
5548 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Center: Angle-dependent reflectivity, with 0–degree reflectivity of 0.1 and a 90–degree
reflectivity of 1.0
Right: Constant reflectivity, with both 0–degree reflectivity and 90–degree reflectivity
of 0.9
NOTE In the preceding illustration, the high reflectivity automatically “subtracts”
from the white diffuse color. If this didn’t happen, the material would become
unrealistically overbright, and would break the laws of physics.
Color The overall color of reflected light. Default=white.
Glossiness Defines the surface “glossiness,” ranging from 1.0 (a perfect mirror)
to 0.0 (a diffusely reflective surface). Default=1.0.
Left: Glossiness=1.0; Center, 0.5; Right, 0.25
Glossy Samples Defines the maximum number of samples (rays) that mental
ray shoots to create glossy reflections. Higher values cause slow rendering but
create a smoother result. Lower values render faster but create a grainier result.
Generally 32 is enough for most cases.
Available only when Glossiness does not equal 1.0. Because a Glossiness value
of 1.0 creates a “perfect mirror,” it is meaningless to shoot multiple rays for
this case, hence only one reflection ray is shot.
NOTE If you set Glossy Samples to 0, the reflections take the form of a “perfect
mirror” and only one ray is shot, regardless of the actual value of Glossiness . You
can use this to boost performance for surfaces with very weak reflections. The
highlight still respects the Glossiness value.
mental ray Materials | 5549
Glossy reflections need to trace multiple rays to yield a smooth result, which
can affect performance. For this reason, the material includes the following
two special features designed to enhance performance:
Fast (interpolate) When on, a smoothing algorithm allows rays to be reused
and smoothed. The result is faster and smoother glossy reflections at the
expense of accuracy. Interpolation is explained in greater detail in the section
on the Fast Glossy Interpolation rollout on page 5574.
NOTE This method works best on flat surfaces.
Highlights+FG only When on, mental ray traces no actual reflection rays.
Instead, only the highlights are shown, as well as soft reflections emulated
with the help of using Final Gathering.
The Highlights+FG Only mode takes no additional rendering time compared
to a non-glossy (diffuse) surface, yet can yield surprisingly convincing results.
While it might not be completely convincing for “hero” objects in a scene, it
can work very well for less-essential scene elements. It tends to work best on
materials with weak reflections or extremely glossy (blurred) reflections, as
shown in the following illustration:
The two cups on the left use real reflections, while those on the right use Highlights+FG
Only.
Metal material Metallic objects actually influence the color of their reflection,
whereas other materials do not. For example, a gold bar will have gold colored
reflections, but a red glass orb does not have red reflections. This is supported
through the Metal Material option:
■
When off, the Reflection Color parameter defines the color, and the
Reflectivity parameter together with the BRDF settings defines the intensity
and colors of reflections.
5550 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
When on, the Diffuse Color parameter defines the color of reflections, and
Reflectivity parameter sets the “weight” between diffuse reflections and
glossy (metallic) reflections.
Left: Non-metallic reflections (Metal Material is off). Reflections clearly contain the
color of the objects they reflect and are not influenced by the color of the materials.
Center: Metallic reflections (Metal Material is on). Now the color of reflections are
influenced by the color of the object.
Right: A variant of this with Reflectivity=0.5, creating a 50:50 mix between colored
reflections and diffuse reflections
Refraction group
Transparency Defines the level of refraction. Range=0.0 to 1.0. Default=0.0.
Due to the material's energy-conserving nature, the value set in the
Transparency parameter is the maximum value; the actual value depends on
the reflectivity as well as the BRDF curve.
Color Defines the color of refraction. While this color can be used to create
“colored glass,” a slightly more accurate method to do this is described in the
Colored Glass section on page 5595 of the Tips & Tricks topic.
Glossiness Defines the sharpness of the refraction/transparency, ranging from
1.0 (completely clear transparency) to 0.0 (extremely diffuse or blurry
transparency). Default=1.0.
mental ray Materials | 5551
Left: Refraction Glossiness=1.0; Center: 0.5; Right: 0.25
Glossy refraction needs to trace multiple rays to yield a smooth result, which
can affect performance. For this reason, the material includes the following
special feature designed to enhance performance:
Fast (interpolate) When on, a smoothing algorithm allows rays to be reused
and smoothed. The result is faster and smoother glossy refraction at the
expense of accuracy. Interpolation is explained in greater detail in the section
on the Fast Glossy Interpolation rollout on page 5574.
NOTE This method works best on flat surfaces.
Glossy Samples Defines the maximum number of samples (rays) that mental
ray shoots to create glossy refraction. Higher values cause slow rendering but
create a smoother result. Lower values render faster but create a grainier result,
like frosted glass. Generally 32 is enough for most cases.
Available only when Glossiness does not equal 1.0. Because a Glossiness value
of 1.0 creates a perfectly clear (non-blurry) transparency, it is meaningless to
shoot multiple rays for this case, hence only one refraction ray is shot.
NOTE If you set Glossy Samples to 0, the refraction takes the form of a “perfect
lens” and only one ray is shot, regardless of the actual value of Glossiness. You
can use this to boost performance for draft renderings.
IOR The Index of Refraction, which is a measurement of how much a ray of
light bends when entering a material.
The direction in which light bends depends on whether it is entering or exiting
the object. The Arch & Design material use the direction of the surface normal
5552 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
as the primary cue for figuring out whether it is entering or exiting. It is
therefore important to model transparent, refractive objects with the surface
normals pointing in the proper direction.
The IOR can also be used to define the BRDF curve, which is what happens
in the class of transparent materials known as “dielectric” materials, and is
illustrated here:
Left: IOR=1.0; Center: 1.2; Right: 1.5
The leftmost cup looks completely unrealistic and is almost invisible. Because
an IOR of 1.0, which equals that of air, is impossible in solid matter, we get
no change in reflectivity across the material and hence perceive no edges or
changes of any kind. On the other hand, the center and rightmost cups have
realistic changes in reflectivity guided by the IOR.
Instead of basing the reflectivity on the IOR, you can instead use the BRDF
mode to set it manually:
mental ray Materials | 5553
Different types of transparency
As in the previous illustration, the leftmost cup acquires its curve from the
index of refraction. The center cup has a manually defined curve, which has
been set to a 90 degree reflectivity of 1.0 and a 0 degree reflectivity of 0.2; this
looks a bit more like metallized glass. The rightmost cup uses the same BRDF
curve, but instead is set to thin-walled transparency on page 5571. Clearly, this
method is better for making non-refractive objects than simply setting IOR
to 1.0, as we tried above.
Translucency group
Translucency is handled as a special case of transparency; in order to use
translucency there must first exist some level of transparency. The
implementation of translucency in the Arch & Design material is a
simplification concerned solely with the transport of light from the back of
an object to its front faces and is not true SSS (subsurface scattering) effect.
You can create an SSS-like effect by using glossy transparency coupled with
translucency, but this is neither as fast nor as powerful as the dedicated SSS
shaders on page 5693.
Translucency When on, the remaining Translucency become available and
take effect when rendering.
Weight Determines how much of the existing transparency is used as
translucency. For example, if Weight=0.0, all of the transparency is used as
transparency. If Weight=0.3, 30 percent of the transparency is used as
translucency.
5554 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
All: Transparency=0.75. Left: Weight=0.0; Center: Weight=0.5; Right: Weight=1.0
Translucency is intended for use primarily in thin-walled mode on page 5571,
as in the example above) to model things like curtains, rice paper, and similar
effects. In thin-walled mode it simply allows the shading of the reverse side
of the object to bleed through. The shader also operates in solid mode on page
5571, but, as explained above, the SSS shaders are better suited for such purposes.
Solid translucency with: Left: Weight=0.0; Center: Weight=0.5; Right: Weight=1.0
Color The translucency color.
mental ray Materials | 5555
Anisotropy group
Anisotropy Controls the anisotropy, or shape, of the highlight. At 1.0, the
highlight is round; that is, no anisotropy. At 0.01, the highlight is elongated.
One axis of the highlight graph changes to show changes in this parameter.
Default=1.0.
Left: Anisotropy=1.0; Center: Anisotropy=4.0; Right: Anisotropy=8.0
Rotation Changes the orientation of the highlight. The sample slot shows
changes in orientation. This value can range from 0.0 to 1.0, with 1.0=360
degrees. So, for example, 0.25=90 degrees and 0.5=180 degrees. Default=0.0.
Left: Anisotropy Rotation=0.0; Center: Anisotropy Rotation=0.25; Right: Anisotropy
Rotation=[texture map]
5556 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP When using texture-mapped Anisotropy Rotation, make sure the texture is
not antialiased (filtered). You can achieve this by setting the map's Blur parameter
to 0.0. Otherwise the antialiased pixels cause local vortices in the anisotropy that
appear as seam artifacts.
Automatic/Map Channel Lets you optionally apply anisotropy to a specific
map channel.
If the Map Channel setting is Automatic, the base rotation follows the object's
local coordinate system. If it is any other value (in other words, a specific map
channel), the space that defines the stretch directions of the highlights is
derived from that channel's texture space.
WARNING Deriving the anisotropy from the texture space creates only one space
per triangle and can cause visible seams between triangles.
Also see Brushed Metal on page 5605.
BRDF rollout
BRDF stands for bidirectional reflectance distribution function. As explained in the
introduction on page 5586, this property lets the material's reflectivity be
ultimately guided by the angle from which the object surface is viewed.
mental ray Materials | 5557
0 degree (green) and 90 degree (red) view angles
[BRDF method] Lets you choose how the BRDF curve is defined:
■
By IOR (fresnel reflections) How the reflectivity depends on the angle is
guided solely by the material's index of refraction. This is known as Fresnel
reflections and follows the behavior of most dielectric materials such as
water and glass.
■
Custom Reflectivity Function When chosen, the following settings
determine reflectivity based on angle of view.
■
0 deg. refl. Defines the reflectivity for surfaces directly facing the
viewer (or incident ray).
■
90 deg. refl.
viewer.
Defines the reflectivity of surfaces perpendicular to the
■
Curve shape
Defines the falloff of the BRDF curve.
This mode is used for most hybrid materials or for metals. Most materials
exhibit strong reflections at grazing angles; hence the 90 degree reflectivity
parameter can generally be kept at 1.0, using the Reflectivity parameter to
guide the overall reflectivity instead. Metals tend to be fairly uniformly
5558 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
reflective and the 0 degree reflectivity value is high (0.8–1.0), but many other
layered materials, such as linoleum and lacquered wood have lower 0 degree
reflectivity values, in the range 0.1–0.3). For further information, see Quick
Guide to Some Common Materials on page 5593.
Reflectivity vs. Angle graph Depicts the combined Custom Reflectivity
Function settings.
Self Illumination (Glow) rollout
These parameters let you specify luminous surfaces within the Arch & Design
material, such as a translucent lamp shade. Such a surface does not actually
cast light, but it can optionally act as a source of indirect light when Final
Gather on page 6295 is in effect, and thus can have an impact on scene lighting
in the rendered image.
The optimal settings for self-illuminated surfaces depend on the lighting
conditions and desired effects. This table provides recommended initial settings
for lights and the glow options under different circumstances:
Light Object
Self-Illuminated Surface
Affect
Specular
Affect
Diffuse
Visible in
Reflections
Illuminates with
FG
Area
Lights
Off
On
On
Off
Point
Lights
On
On
Off
Off
Glowing Object
not
applicable
not
applicable
On
On
TIP The easiest way to toggle the Affect Specular and Affect Diffuse switches for
a light source is to select it in the viewport, right-click it, and then use the Tools
1 quadrant settings. This applies to only one light source at a time.
mental ray Materials | 5559
Self Illumination (Glow) When on, the material is set to be self-illuminating,
and the remaining rollout settings become available. Default=off.
Color group
To set the illumination color, choose either option and adjust its parameter:
■
Light Pick a common lamp specification to approximate the spectral
character of the desired illumination.
■
Kelvin Set the color of the self-illuminated surface by adjusting the color
temperature spinner. The color temperature is displayed in degrees Kelvin.
Filter Use a color filter to simulate the effect of a color filter placed over the
self-illuminated surface. For example, a red filter over a white luminance source
casts red light. Set the filter color by clicking the color swatch to display the
Color Selector on page 391. Default=white (RGB=255,255,255; HSV=0,0,255).
Luminance
To set the brightness of the illuminated surface, choose either option and
then adjust the numeric setting.
■
Physical Units Sets the brightness in candelas per square meter. This is a
physical value that takes the physical scale into account.
■
Unitless
Uses an arbitrary numeric value to represent the brightness.
5560 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
[numeric value spinner] When Physical Units is chosen, sets the brightness
in cd/m2. When Unitless is chosen, sets the brightness as an arbitrary value.
The following table shows some representative real-world luminance values.
Object
Brightness in cd/m2
Cathode-ray tube (CRT) television screen
250
Liquid-crystal diode (LCD) television screen
140
Bright light-emitting diode (LED) panel on
100
an electronic device such as a DVD player
Frosted lens in front of a desk lamp
10,000 (average)
Frosted lens in front of a residential re-
10,000 (average)
cessed halogen lamp
Exterior of a ceramic lamp shade on a
1300
decorative fixture
Interior of a ceramic lamp shade on a dec-
2500
orative fixture
Frosted incandescent bulb inside a decor-
210,000
ative fixture
Cloudy sky in the afternoon
8,000
White ceiling in a brightly daylit room on
140
a cloudy day, oriented north
Reflection from a cloudy sky on a varnished
875
wooden floor
Dark asphalt on a cloudy afternoon, out-
115
doors
mental ray Materials | 5561
Glow Options
Visible in Reflections When on, the illumination produced by the settings
on this rollout appears in reflections on other surfaces. When off, the object
is still reflected, but the illumination is not.
Illuminates the Scene (when using FG) When on, and Final Gather on page
6295 is in effect, the self-illuminated surface acts as an indirect light source and
contributes to the final gather lighting in the scene. When off, has no effect
on final gather.
Self-illuminated spheres not illuminating the scene
5562 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Self-illuminated spheres illuminating the scene
Special Effects rollout
mental ray Materials | 5563
Provides settings for ambient occlusion on page 5589 (AO) and round
corners/edges.
Ambient Occlusion group
Ambient occlusion helps emulate the look of global illumination by creating
darker areas where light doesn’t reach without actually generating shadows.
With the Arch & Design material, you can specify ambient occlusion on a
per-material basis.
The following illustration depicts a model helicopter that is lit almost
exclusively by indirect light. Note how the helicopter does not feel “grounded”
in the left-hand image and the shadows under the landing skids are too vague.
The right-hand image uses AO to “punch out” the details and the contact
shadows.
Left: Without AO; Right: With AO
Ambient Occlusion When on, enables ambient occlusion (AO) and makes
the remaining group controls available.
Samples The number of samples (rays) shot for creating AO. Higher values
yield smoother results but render more slowly, while lower values render faster
but look grainier. Values in the range 16–64 cover most situations.
Max Distance Defines the radius within which mental ray looks for occluding
objects. Smaller values restrict the AO effect to small crevices only but are
much faster to render. Larger values cover larger areas but render more slowly.
The following illustrations show the raw AO contribution with two different
distances:
5564 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: Higher Max Distance value; Left: Lower Max Distance value
TIP To specify an infinite radius, set Distance to 0.0.
Use Color From Other Materials (Exact AO) When on, derives the AO
coloring from surrounding materials, for more accurate overall results (also
known as color bleeding). For example, a glowing material would return a
brighter color than a dark material.
NOTE When this parameter is on, the function of the Shadow Color setting (see
following) changes to let you specify the extent of color bleeding from nearby
materials.
In the following pair of illustrations, the first image shows the problem with
the traditional AO: It applies to all indirect illumination and always makes it
darker. It is most noticable on the glowing sphere, which has a dark spot under
it, but can also be perceived on the floor in front of the cube which is
suspiciously dark, even though the cube is strongly lit on the front, as well as
between the legs of the horse and the underside of the red sphere.
In contrast, the second image has Use Color From Other Materials on for all
materials, so the floor is lit correctly by the glowing ball, there is a hint of
white bounce light on the floor from the cube, and light appears between the
legs of the horse and on the underside of the red ball.
mental ray Materials | 5565
Use Color From Other Materials is off
Use Color From Other Materials is on
If you find that using AO creates a “dirty” look with excessive darkening in
corners, or dark rims around self-illuminated objects, turn on Use Color From
Other Materials for a more accurate result.
Shadow Color When Use Color From Other Materials (see preceding) is off,
sets the darkness of the AO shadows. It is used as the multiplier value for
completely occluded surfaces. In practice, a black color makes the AO effect
very dark; a middle-gray color makes the effect less noticeable (brighter), and
so on.
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When Use Color From Other Materials is on, this setting determines the ratio
between the standard AO functionality with Shadow Color set to black and
the color bleeding from other materials. For example, at the default setting,
RGB=0.2, 20 percent of the AO shadow color is derived from black and 80
percent is derived from the color of the nearby material. If you set Shadow
Color to RGB=0.0 (black), then 100 percent of the shadow color comes from
nearby materials. If you set Shadow Color to RGB=1.0 (white), then 100 percent
of the shadow color comes from black; this is the same as turning off Use
Color From Other Materials and setting Shadow Color to black.
Custom/Global Ambient Light Color You can specify a color for the ambient
light used in AO, or use the global color specified on the Environment panel
on page 6689 > Common Parameters rollout.
This parameter is used for doing more traditional AO; that is, supplying an
imagined “ever-present ambient light” that is then attenuated by the AO effect
to create shadows.
While traditional AO is generally used when rendering without other indirect
light, you can also combine it with existing indirect light. Bear in mind that
this “ever-present ambient light” is inherently non-physical, but can possibly
help lighten some troublesome dark corners.
Round Corners group
This effect rounds off corners and straight edges as a rendering effect only; it
has no effect on geometry.
The rounding effect happens to convex corners and surfaces that actually
intersect. Concave corners that merely touch will not display the effect. To
get the effect to work in concave corners the objects must be pushed into each
other a little. The effect is intended for straight edges and is not guaranteed
to work properly for highly curved, complex intersections.
Round Corners When on, rounds off corners and straight edges at render
time.
Fillet Radius Specifies the radius of the filleted corners and/or edges.
Blend With Other Materials By default, the rounding effect happens only
between surfaces of the same material, but if you turn this on the filleting is
performed against any material.
In the following image, the molten chocolate is rounded off against the
submerged objects even though they use different materials. In actuality, the
molten chocolate is a completely flat plane.
mental ray Materials | 5567
Objects in molten chocolate
Advanced Rendering Options rollout
These parameters define performance-boosting options.
5568 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflections group
Max Distance Allows limiting reflections to a certain distance, which both
speeds up rendering and avoids pulling distant objects into extremely glossy
reflections.
Fade to end color When on, reflections fade to this color. When off, reflections
fade to the environment color. The former tends to be more useful for indoor
scenes; the latter, for outdoor scenes.
Available only when Max Distance is on.
Left: Full reflections (Max Distance=off); Center: 100mm; Right: 25mm
Max Trace Depth When this trace depth is reached, the material behaves as
if the Highlights+FG Only switch is on; that is, it shows only highlights and
“emulated” reflections created with the help of Final Gathering.
Cutoff Threshold The level at which reflections are rejected; that is, not
traced. It’s a relative value: For example, the default setting of 0.01 means that
rays that contribute less than 1 percent to the final pixel are ignored. A setting
of 0.25 means that mental ray discards rays that contribute less than a quarter
of the value of the final pixel.
Refraction group
The optimization settings for refraction (transparency) are nearly identical to
those for reflections. The exception is that of Color At Max Distance, which
behaves differently.
Max Distance Allows limiting refraction to a certain distance.
mental ray Materials | 5569
Color at Max Distance When on, the material simulates physically correct
absorption. At the distance specified by Max Distance, the refracted image
has the color given by Color At Max Distance, but the rays are not limited in
reach. At twice the distance, the influence of Color At Max Distance is double,
at half the distance half, etc.
When off, transparency rays simply fade to black. This is like smoked glass
and other highly absorbent materials. Transparency just stops at the specified
distance. This has the same performance advantage as using the Max Distance
for reflections: Tracing shorter rays is much faster.
Available only when Max Distance is on.
Left: No limit (Max Distance=off); Center: Fade to black; Right: Fade to blue
Max Trace Depth When this trace depth is reached, the material refracts
black.
Cutoff Threshold The level at which refraction is rejected; that is, not traced.
It’s a relative value: For example, the default setting of 0.01 means that rays
that contribute less than 1 percent to the final pixel are ignored. A setting of
0.25 means that mental ray discards rays that contribute less than a quarter
of the value of the final pixel.
Advanced Reflectivity Options group
Visible area lights cause no Highlights When on, mental ray area lights
(Omni on page 5070 and Spotlight on page 5073) with the Show Icon In Renderer
property on create no specular highlights. Default=on.
The Show Icon In Renderer check box is found on the light's Area Light
Parameters rollout. When on, the light is visible and reflects in any glossy,
5570 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
reflective objects. If both the reflection of the visible area light and the
highlight is rendered, the light is added twice, causing an unrealistic
brightening effect. When on, this switch causes visible area lights to lose their
highlights and instead only appear as reflections. Note that this does not apply
to the Highlights+FG Only on page 5550 mode, which doesn’t actually reflect
anything.
Skip reflections on inside (except total internal reflection) Most reflections
inside transparent objects are very faint, except in the special case that occurs
at certain angles known as total internal reflection (TIR). When on, this option
saves rendering time by ignoring the weak reflections completely but retaining
the TIRs. Default=on.
Relative Intensity of Highlights Defines the intensity of specular highlights
vs. the intensity of true reflections. When the value is 1.0, the two intensities
are equal. A lower value subdues the intensity of highlights compared to
reflections, while a higher value intensifies the highlights.
Advanced Transparency Options group
The options give you control over some of the deepest details of the Arch &
Design material.
Glass/Translucency treat objects as...
■
Solid
The object behaves as if it is made of a solid, transparent substance.
■
Thin-walled The object behaves as if made of wafer-thin sheets of a
transparent material.
For more information, see Solid versus Thin-Walled on page 5588.
mental ray Materials | 5571
Left: Solid; Right: Thin-walled
When Caustics are enabled, transparent objects: When not rendering
caustics, the Arch & Design material uses a shadow shader to create transparent
shadows. For objects such as window panes this is perfectly adequate, and
actually creates a better result than using caustics, because the direct light is
allowed to pass more or less undisturbed through the glass into a space such
as a room.
Traditionally, enabling caustics in mental ray causes all materials to stop
casting transparent shadows and instead start to generate refractive caustics.
In most architectural scenes this is undesirable; you might want a glass
decoration on a table to generate caustic effect, but still want the windows to
the room to let in normal direct light. This switch makes this possible at the
material level.
■
Refract light and generate Caustic effects
generates caustics.
The material refracts light and
■
Use Transparent Shadows No caustics are produced; the material and
object simply transmit the light, with greater shadowing in thicker areas.
In the following illustration, the left side shows the result with Use Transparent
Shadows chosen, and the right side shows the result with Refract Light And
Generate Caustic Effects chosen. You can freely mix the two modes in the
same rendering. Photons are automatically treated accordingly by the built-in
photon shader, shooting straight through as direct light in the former case,
and being refracted as caustics in the latter.
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Left: Using transparent shadows; Right: Using refractive caustics.
Back Face Culling When on, enables a special mode that makes surfaces
invisible to the camera when seen from the reverse side. You can use this to
create “magic walls” in a room. If all walls are planes with the normals facing
inwards, the Back Face Culling switch allows the room to be rendered from
“outside.” The camera can see into the room, but the walls will still exist and
cast shadows, bounce photons, etc. while being invisible when the camera
goes outside.
Left: Back Face Culling=off; Right: Back Face Culling=on
Transparency propagates Alpha channel Defines how transparent objects
treats any alpha channel information in the background. When on, refraction
and other transparency effects propagate the alpha of the background
“through” the transparent object. When off, transparent objects have an
opaque alpha.
mental ray Materials | 5573
Indirect Illumination Options
FG/GI multiplier Allows tweaking of how strongly the material responds to
indirect light.
FG Quality A local multiplier for the number of final gather rays shot by the
material.
Fast Glossy Interpolation rollout
Glossy reflections and refraction can be interpolated, which causes them to
render faster and look smoother. Interpolation works by precalculating glossy
reflection in a grid across the image. The number of samples (rays) taken at
each point is govern by the Reflection > Glossy Samples on page 5549 or
Refraction > Glossy Samples on page 5552 parameters, as in the non-interpolated
case.
Note that interpolation can cause artifacts. Because it is done on a
low-resolution grid, it can lose details. And because it blends neighbors of this
low-resolution grid, it can cause oversmoothing. For this reason it is useful
primarily with flat surfaces. Interpolation does not work well with wavy, highly
detailed surfaces or surfaces that use bump maps.
Interpolation grid density The resolution of the grid used for interpolating
glossy reflections and refraction. Choose a setting from the drop-down list.
Within the grid, data is stored and shared across the points. Using a lower
grid resolution is faster, but causes greater loss of detail information.
5574 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflective interpolation group
Neighboring points to look up Defines how many stored grid points (in an
N by N group around the currently rendered point) is looked up to smooth
out reflective glossiness. The default is 2, and higher values will “smear” the
glossiness more, but are hence prone to more oversmoothing artifacts.
In the following illustration, the reflection of the left cup in the floor does
not use interpolation, and some grain is evident (here intentionally
exaggerated). The floor tiles under the other two cups use a half-resolution
interpolation with point lookup set to 2 (center) and 4 (right), respectively.
Left: No interpolation; Center: Looking up two points; Right: Looking up four points.
The preceding image also illustrates one of the consequences of using
interpolation: The foot of the left cup, which is near the floor, is reflected
quite sharply, and only the parts of the cup far from the floor are blurry.
However, the interpolated reflections of the right cups have a base level of
blurriness, due to the smoothing of interpolation, which makes even the
closest parts somewhat blurry. In most scenes with weak glossy reflections
this discrepancy will never be noticed, but in other cases this can make things
like legs of tables and chairs feel “unconnected” with a glossy floor, if the
reflectivity is high. To resolve this, you can use the High Detail Distance setting
(see following).
High detail distance Allows tracing of a second set of detail rays to create a
“clearer” version of objects within the specified radius.
In the following illustration, all three floor tiles use interpolation but the two
on the right use different distances for the detail distance.
mental ray Materials | 5575
Left: No detail distance; Center: 25mm detail distance; Right: 150mm detail distance
This also allows an interesting trick: Set Reflection > Glossy Samples to 0,
which renders reflections as if they were mirror-perfect, but also use
interpolation to introduce blur into this reflection, and perhaps use High
Detail Distance to make nearby parts less blurry. This is a fast way to obtain
a glossy reflection.
The floor tiles in the following illustration are rendered with mirror reflections,
and the blurriness comes solely from the interpolation. This renders as fast as
or faster than pure mirror reflections, yet gives a satisfying illusion of true
glossy reflections, especially when utilizing the High Detail Distance option,
as on the right.
Left: No detail distance; Right: With detail distance
5576 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Single Sample from Environment Creating realistically blurry glossy
reflections normally requires taking multiple samples from the environment,
which can result in grainy, slow-rendering environment reflections. With this
check box on, mental ray instead takes only one sample, thus preventing the
grain. This also prevents blurring the environment, so it is best used together
with a local, “pre-blurred" environment map. You can do the pre-blurring in
an image-processing program or with the Material Editor > Coordinates rollout
on page 5782 > Blur and Blur Offset settings.
Refractive interpolation group
Neighboring points to look up Defines how many stored grid points (in an
N by N group around the currently rendered point) are looked up to smooth
out refractive glossiness. The default is 2; higher values tend to “smear” the
glossiness more, but are hence prone to more oversmoothing artifacts.
Special Purpose Maps rollout
Lets you apply bump, displacement, and other maps. Each left-justified setting
has a check box for enabling and disabling the map, and a button for defining
the map.
Bump Lets you apply a bump map and multiplier.
Do not apply bumps to the diffuse shading When off, the bumps apply to
all shading components: diffuse, highlights, reflections, refractions, etc. When
on, bumps are applied to all components except the diffuse. This means bumps
are seen in reflections, highlights, etc. but the diffuse shading shows no bumps.
It is as if the material's diffuse surface is smooth, but is covered by a bumpy
lacquer coating.
mental ray Materials | 5577
Left: Do Not Apply Bumps ...=off; Right: Do Not Apply Bumps ...=on
Displacement Lets you apply a displacement map and multiplier.
Cutout Lets you apply an opacity map to completely remove parts of objects.
A classic example is to map an image of a tree to a flat plane and use opacity
to cut away the parts of the tree that are not there.
Left: Mapped transparency; Right: Using Cutout
Environment Lets you apply an environment map and shader.
Additional Color/Self illum. Lets you apply any shader. The output of this
shader is added on top of the shading done by the Arch & Design material
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and can be used for self-illumination-type effects, as well as adding any
additional shading you want.
General Maps rollout
This rollout enables application of maps or shaders to any of the Arch & Design
material parameters. Of course, you can apply a shader to a parameter at its
standard location in the user interface by clicking its Map button, so the
principal value of this rollout is that it also lets you toggle a parameter's shader,
using the check box, without removing the map.
Arch & Design Material (mental ray): Overview
This topic serves as an introduction to the Arch & Design material for mental
ray. For a detailed reference to the material interface, see Arch & Design
Material (mental ray) on page 5544. For a variety of suggestions for using the
material to create specific effects, see Arch & Design Material (mental ray):
Tips and Tricks on page 5593.
mental ray Materials | 5579
A range of material effects available with the Arch & Design material
What Is the Arch & Design Material?
The mental ray Arch & Design material is a monolithic material shader
designed to support most materials used in architectural and product-design
renderings. It supports most hard-surface materials such as metal, wood and
glass. It is especially tuned for fast glossy reflections and refractions (replacing
the DGS material on page 5615) and high-quality glass (replacing the dielectric
material on page 5992).
The major features are:
■
Easy to use, yet flexible - controls are arranged logically in a most-used-first
fashion.
5580 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Templates - allow fast access to settings combinations for common
materials.
■
Physically accurate - the material is energy conserving, making it impossible
to create shaders that break the laws of physics.
■
Glossy performance - advanced performance boosts including interpolation,
emulated glossiness, and importance sampling.
■
Tweakable BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) - the user
can define how reflectivity depends on angle.
■
Transparency - “Solid” or “thin” materials: transparent objects such as
glass can be treated as either solid (refracting, built out of multiple faces)
or thin (nonrefracting, can use single faces).
■
Round corners - simulate fillets to allow sharp edges to still catch the light
in a realistic fashion.
■
Indirect Illumination control - set the final gather accuracy or indirect
illumination level on a per-material basis.
■
Oren-Nayar diffuse - allows “powdery” surfaces such as clay.
■
Built-in Ambient Occlusion - for contact shadows and enhancing small
details.
■
All-in-one shader - photon and shadow shader built in.
■
Waxed floors, frosted glass and brushed metals - all fast and easy to set
up.
Physics and the Display
The Arch & Design material attempts to be physically accurate, hence its
output has a high dynamic range. How visually pleasing the material looks
depends on how colors inside the renderer are mapped to colors displayed on
the screen.
When rendering with the Arch & Design material it is highly recommended
that you operate through a tone mapper/exposure control such as the mr
Photographic Exposure Control on page 6744 in conjunction with gamma
correction on page 7758, or at the very least use gamma correction.
mental ray Materials | 5581
A Note on Gamma
Describing all the details of gamma correction is beyond the scope of this
topic; this is just a brief overview.
The color space of a normal, off-the-shelf computer screen is not linear. The
color with RGB value 200 200 200 is not twice as bright as a color with RGB
value 100 100 100, as one might expect.
This is not a bug because, due to the fact that our eyes see light in a nonlinear
way, the former color is actually perceived to be about twice as bright as the
latter. This makes the color space of a normal computer screen roughly
perceptually uniform. This is a good thing, and is actually the main reason
24-bit color (with only 8 bits or 256 discrete levels for each of the red, green
and blue components) looks as good as it does to our eyes.
The problem is that physically correct computer graphics operates in a true
linear color space where a value represents actual light energy. If one simply
maps the range of colors output to the renderer naively to the 0–255 range of
each RGB color component it is incorrect.
The solution is to introduce a mapping of some sort. One of these methods
is called gamma correction.
Most computer screens have a gamma of about 2.2 (known as the sRGB color
space), but 3ds Max defaults to a gamma of 1.8, which makes everything look
too dark (especially midtones), and light does not “add up” correctly.
Using a gamma of 2.2 is the theoretically correct value, making the physically
linear light inside the renderer appear in a correct linear manner on screen.
However, because the response of photographic film isn’t linear either, users
find that this theoretically correct value looks too bright and washed out. A
common compromise is to render to the default gamma of 1.8, making things
look more photographic; that is, as if the image had been shot on photographic
film and then developed. However, when exporting and importing images
(for example, as texture maps) with external image-editing programs, for best
results set all gamma values on Preferences > Gamma and LUT Preferences on
page 7758 to 2.2.
Tone Mapping
Another method for mapping the physical energies inside the renderer to
visually pleasing pixel values is known as tone mapping. You can accomplish
this either by rendering to a floating-point file format and using external
software, or with a plug-in that allows the renderer to do it on the fly. In 3ds
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Max such plug-ins are known as exposure controls and are accessed from the
Environment dialog.
Use Final Gathering and Global Illumination
The Arch & Design material is designed to be used in a realistic lighting
environment; one that incorporates full direct and indirect illumination.
mental ray provides two basic methods for generating indirect light: Final
Gathering and Global Illumination. For best results, be sure to use at least one
of these methods.
At the very least, enable Final Gathering, or use Final Gathering combined
with Global Illumination (photons) for quality results. Performance tips for
using Final Gather and Global Illumination can be found here on page 5593.
If you use an environment for your reflections, make sure the same
environment (or a blurred copy of it) is used to light the scene through Final
Gathering. In 3ds Max this means you should include a Skylight on page 5065
in your scene set to Use Scene Environment, or use Daylight system on page
5139 with Skylight set to mr Sky.
Use Physically Correct Lights
Traditional computer-graphics light sources live in a cartoon universe where
the intensity of the light doesn’t change with the distance. The real world
doesn’t agree with that simplification. Light decays when leaving a light source
due to the fact that light rays diverge from their source and the intensity of
the light changes over distance. This decay of a point light source is 1/d2; in
other words, light intensity is proportional to the inverse of the square of the
distance to the source.
One of the reasons for this traditional oversimplification is the fact that in
the early days of computer graphics, tone mapping was not used and problems
of colors blowing out to white in the most undesirable ways was rampant.
(Raw clipping in sRGB color space is displeasing to the eye, especially if one
color channel clips earlier than the others. Tone mapping generally solves
this by “soft clipping” in a more suitable color space than sRGB.)
However, as long as only Final Gathering (FG) is used as indirect illumination
method, such traditional simplifications still work. Even light sources with
no decay still create reasonable renderings. This is because FG is concerned
only with the transport of light from one surface to the next, not with the
transport of light from the light source to the surface.
mental ray Materials | 5583
It’s when working with Global Illumination (GI) (that is, with photons) the
troubles arise.
When GI is enabled, light sources shoot photons. For the Arch & Design
material (or any other mental ray material) to be able to work properly, it is
imperative that the energy of these photons to match the direct light cast by
that same light. And since photons model light in a physical manner, decay
is built in.
Hence, when using GI:
■
Light sources must emit photons at the correct energy.
■
The direct light must decay in a physically correct way to match the decay
of the photons.
Therefore it is important to make sure the light shader and the photon emission
shader of the lights work well together.
In 3ds Max this is most easily solved by using the photometric lights on page
5005. All of these lights are guaranteed to have their photon energy in sync with
their direct light. It is built in and automatic and one does not need to worry
about it.
Features
The Shading Model
From a usage perspective, the shading model consists of three components:
■
Diffuse - diffuse channel /including Oren Nayar “roughness”).
■
Reflections - glossy anisotropic reflections (and highlights).
■
Refraction - glossy anisotropic transparency (and translucency).
5584 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Arch & Design material shading model
Direct and indirect light from the scene cause diffuse reflections as well as
translucency effects. Direct light sources also create specular highlights.
Ray tracing is used to create reflective and refractive effects, and advanced
importance-driven multi-sampling is used to create glossy reflections and
refraction.
The rendering speed of the glossy reflections/refraction can further be enhanced
by interpolation as well as “emulated” reflections with the help of Final
Gathering.
Conservation of Energy
One of the most important features of the material is that it is automatically
energy conserving. This means that it makes sure that diffuse + reflection +
refraction <= 1. In other words, no energy is magically created and the
incoming light energy is properly distributed to the diffuse, reflection and
refraction components in a way that maintains the first law of
thermodynamics.
In practice, this means, for example, that when adding reflectivity, the energy
must be taken from somewhere, and hence the diffuse level and the
transparency will be automatically reduced accordingly. Similarly, adding
transparency happens at the cost of the diffuse level.
mental ray Materials | 5585
The rules are as follows:
■
Transparency takes energy from diffuse; that is, at 100% transparency,
there is no diffuse at all.
■
Reflectivity takes energy from both diffuse and transparency; that is, at
100% reflectivity there is neither diffuse nor transparency.
■
Translucency is a type of transparency, and the Translucency Weight
parameter defines the percentage of transparency vs. translucency.
From left to right: Reflectivity=0.0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0
From left to right: Transparency=0.0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0
Conservation of energy also means that the level of highlights is linked to the
glossiness of a surface. A high Reflection Glossiness value causes a narrow,
intense highlight, while a lower value causes a wider, less intense highlight.
This is because the energy is now spread out and dissipated over a larger area.
BRDF: How Reflectivity Depends on Angle
In the real world, the reflectivity of a surface is often view-angle dependent.
A fancy term for this is bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF); that
is, a way to define how much a material reflects when seen from various angles.
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The reflectivity of the wood floor depends on the view angle.
Many materials exhibit this behavior. The most obvious examples are glass,
water, and other dielectric materials with Fresnel effects (where the angular
dependency is guided strictly by the index of refraction), but other layered
materials such as lacquered wood and plastic display similar characteristics.
The Arch & Design material allows this effect to be defined by the index of
refraction, and also allows an explicit setting for the two reflectivity values
for:
■
0 degree faces (surfaces directly facing the camera)
■
90 degree faces (surfaces 90 degrees to the camera)
For more information, see BRDF rollout on page 5557.
Reflectivity Features
The final surface reflectivity is in reality caused by the sum of three
components:
■
The diffuse effect
■
The actual reflections
■
Specular highlights that simulate the reflection of light sources
Diffuse, reflections, and highlights
mental ray Materials | 5587
In the real world, highlights are just glossy reflections of the light sources. In
computer graphics it’s more efficient to treat these separately. However, to
maintain physical accuracy the material automatically keeps highlight
intensity, glossiness, anisotropy, etc. in sync with the intensity, glossiness and
anisotropy of reflections. Thus, there are no separate controls for these as both
are driven by the reflectivity settings.
Transparency Features
The material supports full glossy anisotropic transparency and includes a
translucent component, described in detail here on page 5554.
Translucency
Solid versus Thin-Walled
The transparency/translucency property can treat objects as either solid or
thin-walled.
If all objects were treated as solids at all times, every window pane in an
architectural model would have to be modeled as two faces: an entry surface
that refracts the light slightly in one direction, and immediately following it
an exit surface, where light is refracted back into the original direction.
Not only does this entail additional modeling work, it is a waste of rendering
power to simulate refraction that has very little net effect on the image. Hence
the material allows modeling the entire window pane as a single flat plane,
foregoing any actual refraction of light.
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Solid vs. thin-walled transparency and translucency
In the preceding illustration the helicopter canopy, the window pane, the
translucent curtain, and the right-hand sphere all use thin-walled transparency
or translucency, whereas the glass goblet, the plastic horse, and the left-hand
sphere all use solid transparency or translucency.
Cutout Opacity
Beyond the “physical” transparency, which models an actual property of the
material, the material provides a completely separate, non-physical “cutout
opacity” channel to allow “billboard” objects such as trees, or to cut out objects
such as a chainlink fence with an opacity mask.
Special Effects
Built-in Ambient Occlusion
Ambient Occlusion (AO) is a method spearheaded by the film industry for
emulating the look of true global illumination by using shaders that calculate
the extent to which an area is occluded, or prevented from receiving incoming
light.
mental ray Materials | 5589
Used alone, an AO shader, such as the separate mental ray Ambient/Reflective
Occlusion shader, creates a grayscale output that is dark in areas light cannot
reach and bright in areas where it can:
The following image illustrates the main results of AO: dark crevices and areas
where light is blocked by other surfaces, and bright areas that are exposed to
the environment.
An example of AO applied to a scene
One important aspect of AO is that the user can how far it looks for occluding
geometry.
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AO looked up within a shorter radius
Using a radius creates a localized AO effect: Only surfaces within the given
radius are considered as occluders. This also speeds up rendering. The practical
result is that the AO provides nice “contact shadow” effects and makes small
crevices visible.
The Arch & Design material gives you two ways to utilize its built-in AO:
■
Traditional AO for adding an omnipresent ambient light that is then
attenuated by the AO to create details.
■
Use AO for detail enhancement together with existing indirect lighting
methods such as Final Gathering or photons.
The latter method is especially interesting when using a highly smoothed
indirect illumination solution, such as a high photon radius or an extremely
low final gather density, which could otherwise lose small details. By applying
the AO with short rays these details can be brought back.
mental ray Materials | 5591
Round Corners
Computer-generated imagery tends to look unrealistic, partly because edges
of objects are geometrically sharp, whereas most edges in the real world are
slightly rounded, chamfered, worn, or filleted in some manner. This rounded
edge tends to “catch the light” and create highlights that make edges more
visually appealing.
The Arch & Design material can create the illusion of rounded edges at render
time. This feature is intended primarily to speed up modeling, so that you
need not explicitly fillet or chamfer edges of objects such as a tabletop.
Left: No round corners; Right: Round corners
The function is not a displacement; it is merely a shading effect, like bump
mapping, and is best suited for straight edges and simple geometry, not
advanced, highly curved geometry.
Performance Features
Finally, the Arch & Design material contains a large set of built-in functions
for optimal performance, including but not limited to:
■
Advanced importance sampling with ray rejection thresholds
■
Adaptive glossy sample count
■
Interpolated glossy reflection/refraction with detail enhancements
■
Ultra-fast emulated glossy reflections (Highlights+FG Only mode)
■
The option to ignore internal reflections for glass objects
■
The choice between traditional transparent shadows, suitable for objects
such as a window pane, and refractive caustics, suitable for solid glass
objects, on a per-material basis.
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Arch & Design Material (mental ray):Tips and
Tricks
This topic contains information to help you more effectively use the Arch &
Design material on page 5544 for mental ray.
See also:
■
Arch & Design Material (mental ray): Overview on page 5579
■
Arch & Design Material (mental ray) on page 5544
Final Gather Performance
The final gather algorithm in mental ray 3.5 is vastly improved from earlier
versions, especially in its adaptiveness. This means you can often use much
lower ray counts and much lower densities than in previous versions of mental
ray.
In many cases, you can render still images with such extreme settings as 50
rays and a density of 0.1. If this causes “oversmoothing” artifacts, you can use
the built-in ambient occlusion on page 5564 to solve those problems.
When using final gather together with GI (photons), make sure the photon
solution is fairly smooth by first rendering with Final Gather disabled first. If
the photon solution is noisy, increase the photon search radius until it “calms
down,” and then enable Final Gather.
Quick Guide to Some Common Materials
Following are some quick rules of thumb for creating various materials. Each
assumes the basic default settings as a starting point.
General Rules of Thumb for Glossy Wood, Flooring, and So On
These are the kind of “hybrid” materials you might require for architectural
renderings; lacquered wood, linoleum, etc.
For these materials, set BRDF to Custom Reflectivity Function; that is, you'll
define a custom BRDF curve. Start out with 0 degree reflectivity of 0.2, 90
degree reflectivity of 1.0, and apply a suitable texture map to the Diffuse Color.
Set Reflectivity between 0.6 and 1.0.
mental ray Materials | 5593
How glossy is the material? Are reflections clear or blurry? Are they strong or
weak?
■
For clear, fairly strong reflections, keep Reflection Glossiness at 1.0.
■
For slightly blurry but strong reflections, set a lower Reflection Glossiness
value. If performance becomes an issue try turning on Fast (interpolate).
■
For slightly blurry but also very weak reflections, you can “cheat” by
applying a lower Reflection Glossiness value for broader highlights while
setting Reflection Glossy Samples to 0. This shoots only one mirror ray for
reflections, but if they are very weak, the viewer can often not really tell.
■
For moderately blurry surfaces, set an even lower Reflection Glossiness
value and maybe increase the Reflection Glossy Samples value. Again, for
improved performance turn on Fast (interpolate).
■
For extremely blurry surfaces or surfaces with very weak reflections, try
turning on Highlights+FG Only.
A typical wooden floor could use Reflection Glossiness of 0.5, Reflection Glossy
Samples of 16, Reflectivity of 0.75, a nice wood texture for Diffuse Color,
perhaps a slight bump map. If bumpiness should appear only in the lacquer
layer, turn on Special Purpose Maps rollout > Do Not Apply Bumps To The
Diffuse Shading.
Linoleum flooring could use the same settings but with a different texture
and bump map, and probably with slightly lower Reflectivity and Reflection
Glossiness values.
Ceramics
Ceramic materials are glazed; that is, they're covered by a thin layer of
transparent material. They follow rules similar to the general materials
mentioned above, but set the BRDF method on page 5557 to By IOR (fresnel
reflections) and set IOR to about 1.4 and Reflectivity to 1.0.
Set the Diffuse Color to a suitable texture or color, such as white for white
bathroom tiles.
Stone Materials
A stone object usually has a fairly matte finish, or has reflections that are so
blurry they are nearly diffuse. You can simulate the “powdery” character of
stone with the Diffuse Roughness parameter; try 0.5 as a starting point. Porous
stone such as brick would have a higher value.
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Stone would have a very low Reflection Glossiness (lower than 0.25) and one
can most likely use Highlights+FG Only to good effect for very good
performance. Use a nice stone texture for Diffuse Color, some kind of bump
map, and perhaps a map that varies the Reflection Glossiness value.
The Reflectivity would be around 0.5-0.6 with By IOR (fresnel reflections) off
and 0 degree reflectivity at 0.2 and 90 degree reflectivity at 1.0
Glass
Glass is a dielectric, so By IOR (fresnel reflections) should definitely be on.
The IOR of standard glass is 1.5. Set Diffuse Level to 0.0, Reflectivity to 1.0
and Transparency to 1.0. This is enough to create basic, completely clear
refractive glass.
If this glass is for a window pane, turn Thin-walled on. If this is a solid glass
block, turn Thin-walled off and consider if caustics are necessary or not, and
set Refractive Caustics accordingly.
If the glass is frosted, set Refraction Glossiness to a suitable value. Tune the
Refraction Samples for good quality or turn on Fast (interpolate) for
performance.
Colored Glass
For clear glass, use the tips in the preceding section. Colored glass, however,
is a different story.
Many shaders set the transparency at the surface of the glass. And indeed this
is what happens if one simply sets a Refractive Color to some value, such as
blue. For glass with Thin-walled turned on this works perfectly. But for solid
glass objects this is not an accurate representation of reality.
The scene in following illustration contains two glass blocks of different sizes,
a sphere with a spherical hole inside it, and a glass horse.
NOTE The spherical hole was created by inserting a second sphere with its normals
flipped inside the outer sphere. Don’t forget to flip the normals of such surfaces
or they will not render correctly.
mental ray Materials | 5595
With a blue refraction color: Glass with color changes at the surface
The problems are evident:
■
The two glass blocks are of different thicknesses, yet they are exactly the
same level of blue.
■
The inner sphere is darker than the outer one.
Why does this happen?
Consider a light ray that enters a glass object. If the color is located at the
surface, the ray is colored somewhat as it enters the object, retains this color
through the object, and receives a second coloration (attenuation) when it
exits the object:
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Diagram for glass with color changes at the surface
In the above illustration the ray enters from the left, and at the entry surface
it drops in level and gets slightly darker (the graph illustrates the level
schematically). It retains this color throughout its travel through the medium
and then drops in level again at the exit surface.
For simple glass objects this is quite sufficient. For any glass using Thin-walled
on page 5571it is by definition the correct thing to do, but for any complex solid
it is not. It is especially wrong for negative spaces inside the glass (like the
sphere in our example) because the light rays have to travel through four
surfaces instead of two, getting two extra steps of attenuation at the surface.
In real colored glass, light travels through the medium and is attenuated as it
goes. In the Arch & Design material this is accomplished by turning on
mental ray Materials | 5597
Advanced Rendering Options > Refraction > Max Distance, setting the Color
At Max Distance, and setting the Refraction Color to white. This is the result:
Glass with color changes within the medium
The result is clearly much more satisfactory: The thick glass block is a deeper
blue than the thin one, and the hollow sphere now looks correct. In diagram
form it looks as follows:
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d=Max Distance where attenuation is Color at Max Distance
The ray enters the medium and is attenuated throughout its travel. The
strength of the attenuation is such that precisely the Max Distance (d in the
figure) the attenuation matches that of Color At Max Distance. In other words,
at this depth the attenuation is the same as was received immediately at the
surface with the previous scene. The falloff is exponential, so at double the
Max Distance value the effect is that of Color At Max Distance squared, and
so on.
There is one minor tradeoff:
To render the shadows of a material correctly using this method, you must
either use caustics or make sure mental ray is rendering shadows in Segments
mode (see Shadows & Displacement Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page
6292).
mental ray Materials | 5599
Using caustics naturally gives the most correct-looking shadows (the above
image was rendered without caustics), but requires that the scene has caustic
photons enabled and contains a physical light source that shoots caustic
photons.
On the other hand, the mental ray Segments shadows have a slightly lower
performance than the more widely used Simple shadow mode. But if it is not
used, the shadow intensity will not take the attenuation through the media
into account properly. However, the image might still look pleasing.
Water and Liquids
Water, like glass, is a dielectric with an IOR of 1.33. Hence, the same principles
as for glass (above) apply to bodies of water, which truly need to refract their
environment. An example is water running from a tap. Colored liquids use
the same principles as colored glass.
Water into wine
To create a liquid in a container, as in the preceding image, it is important to
understand how the Arch & Design material handles refraction through
multiple surfaces vs. the real-world behavior of light in such circumstances.
What is important for refraction is the transition from one medium to another
with a different IOR. Such a transition is known as an interface.
For lemonade in a glass, imagine a ray of light travelling through the air
(IOR=1.0). When it enters the glass, it is refracted by the IOR of the glass (1.5).
The ray then leaves the glass and enters the liquid; that is, it passes through
an interface from a medium of IOR 1.5 to another medium of IOR 1.33.
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One way to model this in computer graphics is to make the glass one separate
closed surface, with the normals pointing outward from the surface of the
glass and an IOR of 1.5, and a second, closed surface for the liquid, with the
normals pointing outward and an IOR of 1.33, leaving a small air gap between
the container and the liquid.
This approach works, but can cause a problem: When light goes from a higher
IOR to a lower there is a chance of an effect known as total internal reflection
(TIR). This is the effect you see when diving into a swimming pool and then
looking up: You can see the objects above the surface only in a small circle
straight above. Anything below a certain angle shows only a reflection of the
pool and things below the surface. The larger the difference in the IOR of the
two media, the greater the chance of TIR.
So in our example, as the ray goes from glass (IOR=1.5) to air, there is a large
chance of TIR. But in reality the ray would move from a medium of IOR=1.5
to one of IOR=1.33, which is a much smaller step with a much smaller chance
of TIR. This looks different:
Left: Correct refraction; Right: the “air gap” method
The result on the left is the correct one, but how it is obtained?
The solution is to rethink the modeling, and not to think in terms of media,
but in terms of interfaces. In our example, we have three different interfaces,
where we can consider the IOR as the ratio between the IORs of the outside
and inside media:
■
air-glass interface (IOR=1.5/1.0=1.5)
■
air-liquid interface (IOR=1.33/1.0=1.33)
mental ray Materials | 5601
■
glass-liquid interface (IOR=1.33/1.5=0.8)
In the most common case of an interface with air, the IOR to use is the IOR
of the media (because the IOR of air is 1.0), whereas in an interface between
two different media, the situation is different.
To correctly model this scenario, then, we need three surfaces, each with a
different Arch & Design material applied:
■
the air-glass surface (blue), with normals pointing out of the glass, covering
the area where air directly touches the glass, having an IOR of 1.5
■
the air-liquid surface (green), with normals pointing out of the liquid,
covering the area where air directly touches the liquid, having an IOR of
1.33
■
the glass-liquid surface (red), with normals pointing out of the liquid,
covering the area where the glass touches the liquid, having an IOR of 0.8
The three interfaces for a liquid in a glass
By setting suitable Max Distance and Color At Max Distance values for the
two liquid materials (to get a colored liquid), we obtain the glass on the left
in the preceding rendered image.
Ocean and Water Surfaces
A water surface is a slightly different matter than a visibly transparent liquid.
The ocean isn’t blue; it is reflective. Not much of the light that penetrates the
surface of the ocean gets anywhere of interest. A small amount of light is
scattered back up again, doing a bit of literal subsurface scattering.
5602 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To make an ocean surface with the Arch & Design material, follow these steps:
1 Set Diffuse Level to 0.0, Reflectivity to 1.0, and Transparency to 0.0. That's
right: No refraction is necessary.
2 Set IOR to 1.33 and turn on By IOR (fresnel reflections). Apply an
interesting wobbly shader to Bump (Ocean (lume) works well here) and
your ocean is basically done.
This ocean has reflections guided only by the IOR. But this might work fine;
try it. Just make sure there is something there for it to reflect. Add a sky map,
objects, or a just a blue gradient background. There must be something or it
will be completely black.
The ocean isn’t blue; the sky is.
For a more tropical look, try setting Diffuse Color to a slightly blue-green color,
set the Diffuse Level to a fairly low number such as 0.1, and turn on Do Not
Apply Bumps To The Diffuse Shading.
Now you have a base color in the water that emulates the small amount of
scattering that occurs in the top level of the ocean.
mental ray Materials | 5603
Enjoy the tropics.
Metal
Metals are reflective, which means they need something to reflect. The best
looking metals come from having a true HDRI environment, either from a
spherically mapped HDRI photo, or something like the mental ray physical
sky.
To create classic chrome, turn off By IOR (fresnel reflections), set Reflectivity
to 1.0, 0 degree reflectivity to 0.9 and 90 degree reflectivity to 1.0. Set Diffuse
Color to white, and turn on Metal Reflections.
This creates an almost completely reflective material. Tweak the Reflection
Glossiness parameter for various levels of blurry reflections. Also consider
using the Round Corners effect on page 5567, which tends to work very well
with metallic objects.
Metals also influence the color of their reflections. Because you turned on
Metal Reflections, this is already happening; try setting the Diffuse Color to
a golden color to create gold.
Try various levels of Reflection Glossiness (with the help of Fast (interpolate)
for performance, when necessary).
You can also change the Reflectivity value. This has a slightly different meaning
when Metal Material is on; it blends between the reflections (colored by the
Diffuse Color) and normal diffuse shading. This allows a blend between the
glossy reflections and the diffuse shading, both driven by the same color. For
5604 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
example, an aluminum material would need a bit of diffuse blended in, whereas
chrome would not.
Gold, silver, and copper
Brushed Metal
Brushed metal is an interesting special case. In some cases, creating a brushed
metal requires only turning down the Reflection Glossiness to a level where
you obtain a very blurred reflection. This is sufficient when the brushing
direction is random or the brushes are too small to be visible even as an
aggregate effect.
For materials that have a clear brushing direction and/or where the actual
brush strokes are visible, creating a convincing look is slightly more involved.
The tiny grooves in a brushed metal surface all work together to cause
anisotropic reflections. This can be illustrated by the following schematic,
which simulates the brush grooves by modeling many tiny adjacent cylinders,
shaded with a simple Phong shader:
mental ray Materials | 5605
Many small adjacent cylinders
As you can see, the specular highlights in the cylinders work together to create
an aggregate effect which is the anisotropic highlight.
Also note that the highlight isn’t continuous; it is actually broken up into
small, adjacent segments. So the primary visual cues that a material is brushed
metal are:
■
Anisotropic highlights that stretch out in a direction perpendicular to the
brushing direction
■
A discontinuous highlight with breaks in the brushing direction
Many attempts to simulate brushed metals have looked only at the first effect:
the anisotropy. Another common mistake is to think that the highlight
stretches in the brushing direction. Neither is true.
Hence, to portray brushed metals, it is necessary to simulate these two visual
cues. The first is simple: Use Anisotropy and Anisotropy Rotation to make
anisotropic highlights. The second can be done in several ways:
■
with a bump map
■
with a map that varies the Anisotropy or Reflection Glossiness values
■
with a map that varies the Reflection Color
5606 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Each has advantages and disadvantages, but the one we suggest here is the
last one. The reason for choosing this method is that it works well with
interpolation.
1 Create a map for the brush streaks. The possible ways to do this include
painting a map in a paint program, or using a Noise map that has been
stretched heavily in one direction. The map should vary between
middle-gray and white.
2 Apply this map to the Reflection Color in a scale suitable for the brushing.
3 Set Diffuse Color to white (or the color of the metal) but set Diffuse Level
to 0.0 (or a small value).
4 Make sure Metal Material is on.
5 Set Reflection Glossiness to 0.75.
6 Set Anisotropy to 0.1 or a similar value. Use Anisotropy Rotation to align
the highlight properly with the map. If necessary use Anisotropy Channel
to base it on the same texture space as the map.
Brushed metal
Car Paint Material/Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Car Paint Material
Material Editor > any material > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Car Paint Shader
mental ray Materials | 5607
Note: The Car Paint material and shader appear in the Browser only if the
mental ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
Car Paint is available as both a mental ray material and shader; both have
identical parameters, and support the following unique characteristics of
real-world car paint:
■
The lowest surface, applied directly to the car body, is a thin layer of
pigment. The properties of this layer are such that the perceived color
changes depending on the viewing angle as well as the incident angle of
the incoming light.
■
Tiny metal flakes are suspended within this layer. The flakes reflect light
and can be seen glittering on a sunny day, due to individual flakes reflecting
sunlight directly at the observer.
■
On top of this is a clear-coat layer, which can be more or less reflective
and more or less glossy, depending on the quality of the layer and any
added wax coating. Most notably, this layer tends to exhibit a pronounced
Fresnel effect, reflecting more light at glancing angles.
■
An optional, topmost Lambertian dirt layer can help give an "unwashed"
look.
5608 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Diffuse coloring rollout
Ambient/Extra light The ambient light component.
NOTE This parameter is treated differently from the ambient/ambience parameter
pair of many other base shaders in that it is influenced by the additional Diffuse
Coloring parameters, and hence represents incoming light, rather than the object's
"ambient color."
Base color The base diffuse color of the material.
Edge color The color seen at glancing angles (that is, edges), which tends to
appear much darker. For deep metallic paints seen on sports cars it tends to
be almost black.
Edge bias The falloff rate of the color towards the edge. Higher values make
the edge region narrower; lower values make it wider. The useful range is 0.0
to approximately 10.0, where the value 0.0 turns the effect off.
Color shift due to view angle, shifting between a red base color and a blue edge color
(atypical colors chosen for demonstration purposes) with varying Edge Bias values
Light facing color The color of the area facing the light source.
Light facing color bias The falloff rate of the color towards the light. Higher
values make the colored region facing the light smaller/narrower; lower values
mental ray Materials | 5609
make it larger/wider. The useful range is 0.0 to approximately 10.0, where the
value 0.0 turns the effect off.
Color shift due to view angle, shifting between a red base color and a green light facing
color (atypical colors chosen for demonstration purposes) with varying Light Facing
Color Bias values
Diffuse weight Controls the overall level of the Diffuse Coloring parameters.
Diffuse bias Modifies the falloff of the diffuse shading. Higher values push
the diffuse peak towards the light source, and lower values flatten the diffuse
peak. The useful range is approximately 0.5 to 2.0, where 1.0 represents
standard Lambertian shading.
Flakes rollout
Flake color The color (reflectivity) of the flakes, which is generally white.
Flake weight A scalar multiplier for the flake color.
Flake reflections (ray traced) The amount of ray-traced reflection in the
flakes, which allows glittery reflections of, for example, an HDRI environment.
The value 0.0 turns the effect off.
This effect should generally be very subtle; a value of 0.1 is often enough. The
final intensity of reflections also depends on the Flake Color and Flake Weight
values.
Flake specular exponent The Phong specular exponent for the flakes.
5610 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Flake density The density of the flakes. The useful range is from 0.1 to
approximately 10.0, where lower values indicate sparser flakes and higher
values indicates denser flakes.
Flake decay distance The distance at which the influence of the flakes fades
out. A value of 0.0 disables fading. Any positive value causes the Flake Weight
value to be modulated so that it reaches zero at this distance.
Because flakes are relatively small, using can introduce rendering artifacts if
their visual density becomes significantly smaller than a pixel. If the
oversampling of the rendering is set high, small flakes can also potentially
trigger massive oversampling and hence overlong rendering times needlessly,
because the averaging caused by the oversampling will essentially cancel out
the flake effect. If you experience these issues, use Flake Decay Distance to
counteract them.
Flakes at different distances with no flake decay. The farthest flakes might cause flicker
in animations, or trigger unnecessary oversampling and long render times (rendered
here with low oversampling for illustrative purposes).
Using flake decay. The flake strength diminishes with distance. The same intentionally
low oversampling as in the previous image has been used.
mental ray Materials | 5611
Flake strength The difference between the orientation of the flakes. The useful
range is 0.0 to 1.0 where 0.0 means that all flakes are parallel to the surface,
while higher values vary the orientation of flakes increasingly.
Flake scale The size of the flakes. The procedural texture is calculated in object
space, and will hence follow the object. Thus, the scale is influenced by any
scale transformation on the object.
Specular reflections rollout
Specular Color #1 The color of the primary specular highlight.
Specular Weight #1 A scalar multiplier applied to Specular Color #1.
Specular exponent #1 The Phong exponent of Specular Color #1.
Specular Color #2 The color of the secondary specular highlight.
Specular Weight #2 A scalar multiplier applied to Specular Color #2.
Specular exponent #2 The Phong exponent of Specular Color #2.
Glazed specularity #1 Enables a special mode on the primary specular
highlight called glazing. By applying a threshold to the specular highlight, it
makes the surface appear more polished and shiny. For a new sports car with
a lot of wax, turn this on. For a beat-up car in the junkyard, turn it off.
Left to right: Flake specularity only; standard specularity; "glazed" mode enabled;
"glazed" mode specularity with flakes
5612 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflectivity rollout
Reflection color The color of the reflections in the clear-coat layer. This is
generally white.
Edge factor Clear coat tends to reflect more at glancing angles (edges). This
parameter defines the "narrowness" of this edge.
Edge reflections weight The reflective strength at the edge (generally 1.0).
Facing reflections weight The reflective strength at facing angles (generally
low: 0.1 - 0.3).
Glossy reflection samples Enables a glossy clear coat. This parameter sets the
number of glossy reflection rays traced. A value of 0 disables glossiness.
Glossy reflections spread Sets the amount of glossiness. Cars are generally
near-mirrors so this value should be kept small.
Max distance Limits the reach of reflective rays.
Single environment sampling Optimizes lookup of environment maps.
mental ray Materials | 5613
Dirty layer (lambertian) rollout
Real cars are rarely clean. This shows the dirt layer (hand-painted dirt-placement map),
including a bump map applied in the dirty regions.
A simple Lambertian dirt layer covers the underlaying paint and clear-coat
layers.
Dirt color The color of the dirt.
Dirt weight The amount of dirt in the layer. This is typically connected to a
texture shader to obtain variations in the dirt across the surface. If the value
is 0.0, no dirt is added.
Advanced options rollout
5614 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Irradiance weight (indirect illumination) The influence of indirect light
(photons and final gathering) on the surface. It is internally divided by pi
(3.14159); for example, a value of 1.0 means the standard 1.0/pi weight.
Global weight A global tuning parameter that affects the entire diffuse, flake,
and specular subsystems. It does not affect reflections or dirt.
Shaders rollout
This rollout enables application of maps or shaders to any of the Car Paint
parameters. Of course, you can apply a shader to a parameter by clicking its
Map button, so the principal value of this rollout is that it also lets you toggle
a parameter's shader, using the check box, without removing the map.
DGS Material (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > DGS Material
(physics_phen)
Note: The DGS material appears in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer
is the currently active renderer.
DGS stands for Diffuse, Glossy, Specular. This material is a mental ray
phenomenon (a scripted shader tree) that provides a physically accurate
simulation of a surface. Using DGS materials with the mental ray renderer is
comparable to using the Architectural material on page 5526 with the default
scanline renderer.
The DGS material's basic components appear on the Parameters rollout. You
can assign shaders to these components, creating a material of greater
complexity. Buttons for assigning shaders are on both the Parameters rollout
and the Shaders rollout.
mental ray Materials | 5615
Interface
Parameters rollout
NOTE The button to the right of each control is a shortcut shader button. Clicking
one of these buttons displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so you can
assign a shader to this component. When a map or a shader has been assigned
to a component, this button displays the letter “M,” and the comparable button
on the Shaders rollout displays the map or shader name.
Diffuse Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391 and
change the material's diffuse color.
Glossy Highlights Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector and
change the color of glossy highlights.
Specular Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector and change the
color of mirror reflections. When the specular color is white, the material is
100 percent reflective, like a mirror. When the specular color is black, the
material does not reflect any of its surroundings.
Shiny Sets the width of glossy highlights. The larger this value, the smaller
the highlights. Default=30.0.
Transparency Specifies the transparency. The effective range of Transparency
is from 0.0 to 1.0. At 0.0 the material is fully opaque. At 1.0 it is fully
transparent. Default=0.0.
5616 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
WARNING You can set the value of Transparency to be greater than 1.0, but this
has no effect. An anomaly of the user interface for shaders in the mental ray and
lume libraries is that spinner values are not “clamped” to lie within their effective
ranges, as they are for controls in 3ds Max.
The value of Transparency also indirectly specifies the reflectivity of the
material, which is calculated as 1.0 minus the Transparency value.
Index Of Refraction Specifies the IOR. In the physical world, the IOR results
from the relative speeds of light through the transparent material and the
medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically this is related to the object's
density. The higher the IOR, the denser the object. Default=1.5.
See Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5408 for a list of
IOR values for commonly encountered materials.
NOTE When the IOR equals 1.0, there is no refraction, and calculating the
transparency can take less time than when the material is refractive.
Shaders rollout
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to one of the basic
parameters of the DGS material. This is comparable to mapping a component
of a standard material; by adding shaders, you can create a shader tree that
generates complex effects.
Click the button for a component to display the Material/Map Browser on
page 5290 and assign the map or shader. Use the toggle at the left to turn the
effect of the map off or on.
mental ray Materials | 5617
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
For all the DGS material components, the available mental ray shaders are the
same:
Shader
Library
Bump on page 5986
3ds Max
DGS Material on page 5987
3ds Max
Dielectric
base
Dielectric Material on page 5992
3ds Max
Edge
lume
Facade
lume
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Landscape
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
5618 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Ocean
lume
Opacity
base
Reflect
base
Refract
base
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Stain
lume
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Transparency
base
Two Sided
base
UV Generator on page 6005
3ds Max
Water Surface
lume
Wet-Dry Mixer
lume
XYZ Generator on page 6013
3ds Max
Glass Material (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Glass (physics_phen)
Note: The Glass material appears in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer
is the currently active renderer.
mental ray Materials | 5619
The Glass material simulates both the surface properties and the
light-transmitting (photon) properties of glass. It is a mental ray phenomenon
(a scripted shader tree) that is equivalent to a mental ray material on page 5638
with a Dielectric Material shader on page 5992 assigned to both its Surface and
Photon components, with the parameter settings identical for both. A dielectric
material, such as glass, is a material whose surface transmits most light that
strikes it at angles close to perpendicular (90 degrees), but reflects most light
that strikes at glancing angles (close to zero degrees).
NOTE This material does not use a shadow shader, so shadows will always be
opaque unless you generate caustics.
Adjacent Refractive Materials
Two controls, Outside Light Persistence and Index Of Refraction (Out), are
for situations where you are modeling two adjacent refractive materials.
Consider a drink in a martini glass. The glass has an index of refraction (IOR)
of 1.5, while the alcohol in the glass has an IOR of about 1.3. To create a
physically accurate model of this situation, use three glass materials: one for
the glass itself, one for the alcohol, and a third material for the surfaces where
they touch each other. For this third material, set the “inside” IOR to 1.3, and
the outside IOR to 1.5.
5620 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Light Persistence In conjunction with the Persistence Distance, controls the
percentage of light that the volume transmits. For example, if the color is set
to R=G=B=0.5 and the Persistence Distance is set to 2.0, then objects with a
thickness of 2.0 units will appear 50 per cent transparent. Default=white
(R=G=B=1.0).
Because transparency depends on the thickness of the object, objects with
varying thickness show different transparency depending on the angle from
which they are viewed.
Index Of Refraction Specifies the Index Of Refraction (IOR). In the physical
world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through the transparent
material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically this is related
to the object's density. The higher the IOR, the denser the object. Default=1.5.
See Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5408 for a list of
IOR values for commonly encountered materials.
Outside Light Persistence In conjunction with the Persistence Distance,
controls the percentage of light transmitted on the other side of a surface.
When set to the default of black, this control has no effect. See the section
“Adjacent Refractive Materials,” above. Default=black (R=G=B=0.0).
mental ray Materials | 5621
Index Of Refraction (out) Sets the IOR on the other side of a surface. When
set to the default of zero, this control has no effect. See the section “Adjacent
Refractive Materials,” above. Default=0.0.
Persistence Distance In conjunction with the Light Persistence color, controls
the percentage of light that the volume transmits. It is the distance at which
light transmission is reduced to the percentage specified by the Light
Persistence RGB values. Default=1.0.
If you specify an Outside Light Persistence color, that setting also uses the
Persistence Distance.
Ignore Normals When on, the renderer does not use normals to decide
whether a light ray is entering or leaving the object. Normally, the material
uses normals to decide whether a ray is entering or leaving an object. (It is
entering if the normal points toward the ray, leaving if the normal points
away from the ray.) This can present a problem for rendering objects whose
normals are not unified. When Ignore Normals is on, the material determines
whether a ray is entering or leaving the object by counting the number of
times the ray has intersected the object. Default=off.
Opaque Alpha When on, refracted rays that touch the environment don't
generate a transparent alpha value. (This is how 3ds Max usually treats the
environment.) When off, refracted rays that touch the environment render a
transparent alpha value, which can help if you plan to use the rendering as
part of a composite. Default=off.
Phong Coefficient When greater than zero, generates Phong highlights on
the material. The highlights appear in the sample slot. In general this value
must be greater than 10 for highlights to be apparent. Default=0.0.
Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi) Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser >
Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi)
Note: The Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi) material appears in the Browser only
if the mental ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
The Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi) material, part of the Production Shaders
on page 6017 library, is used to create “matte objects”; that is, objects that
represent real-world objects in a photograph used as the scene background
(also known as the plate). The material provides a wealth of options for
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marrying a photographic background with the 3D scene, including support
for bump mapping, ambient occlusion, and indirect illumination.
Applications include:
■
Blocking another 3D object from the camera view, thus allowing the 3D
object to appear to be behind the object in the photo.
■
Allowing 3D objects to cast shadows and occlusion on and receive shadows
from objects in the photo.
■
Adding reflections of 3D objects to objects in the photo.
■
Allowing the interplay of indirect light between 3D objects and objects in
the photo.
In all these cases the material is applied to a matte object that represents an
object in the background plate, and the 3D object uses a traditional material.
For additional information, see Help menu > Additional Help > mr Production
Shader Library > Matte/Shadow Objects and CameraMaps, as well as the Tech
Note (following).
Tech Note
The Matte/Shadow/Reflection shader works by doing a form of differential
shading. In other words, it determines the amount of light a point would
receive if it were not in shadow, compares it to the amount of light the point
actually receives, and shades it by the relative difference.
This means that any point that is fully lit, unshadowed by any object, returns
the same color it already had, completely disregarding the actual intensity of
that light. If half of the incoming light is blocked, the point will be shaded at
50 percent intensity, regardless of the full-intensity amount in an absolute
sense.
An important feature of the Matte/Shadow/Reflection material is that it is
non-self-shadowing, non-self-occluding, non-self- reflecting, and does not
cast indirect light onto itself. Because it is designed to act as a stand-in for
objects present in a photographic plate, which already contains self-shadowing,
self-reflection, and so on, the material automatically excludes these effects.
However, it is still able to cast shadows on other objects, receive shadows from
other objects, reflect other objects, and so on, withouth creating unwanted
double shadows or double reflections for such effects already present in the
plate.
mental ray Materials | 5623
Procedure
This multi-part procedure provides step-by-step instructions for a simple case
of combining a 3D object with a photograph using the
Matte/Shadow/Reflection material, the Environment/Background Camera
Map shader, and the Environment Probe/Chrome Ball shader.
Prerequisites:
■
A photo of a background
■
A photo of a chrome ball, also known as a light probe, shot from the same
camera angle and cropped so the edges touch the image.
5624 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Ideally, these should be HDR photos, but non-HDR images can also work well.
To use the production shaders to marry a 3D scene with a photographic
background:
1 First set up the viewport:
1 Make sure mental ray is the active renderer.
2 Activate a Perspective viewport.
3 Use Viewport Background on page 148 to set the background image
(see the procedure introduction, above) .
4 On the Viewport Background dialog, make sure both Display
Background and Match Rendering Output are on.
mental ray Materials | 5625
5 Click OK to continue.
2 Open the Environment And Effects dialog to the Environment panel
(press 8).
3 On the Common Parameters rollout, click the Environment Map button
(reads “None”).
4 From the list that opens, choose Environment/Background Switcher (mi)
5 Open the Material Editor.
6 Drag the Environment Map button from the Environment And Effects
dialog to a sample slot in the Material Editor. Use the Instance option.
7 On the Material Editor > Environment/Background Switcher (mi)
Parameters rollout, click the Background map button (all the way to the
right of the parameter).
8 From the list that opens, choose Environment/Background Camera Map
(mi).
9 On the Environment/Background Camera Map (mi) Parameters rollout,
click the Browse button and again open the background image.
10
In the Material Editor, click the Go To Parent button to return
to the Switcher map.
11 Click the map button to the right of Environment/Reflections.
12 From the list that appears, choose Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi).
13 On the Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi) Parameters rollout, click
the Browse button and open the image containing the cropped photo of
the chrome ball.
If the two photos have different exposures, use the Multiplier setting for
either or both maps to match them.
Next you’ll make a rudimentary model that represents objects already
present in the background. At the very least you need a simple plane for
the "ground" to place things on.
NOTE It is easier to see if you maximize the viewport and use wireframe
display mode.
5626 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
14 Align the viewport so it matches the angle of the photograph as closely
as possible.
15 From the Create menu, choose Lights > Standard Lights > Skylight and
then click in the Perspective viewport to add a Skylight to the scene.
16 On the Skylight Parameters rollout for the light, set Sky Color to Use
Scene Environment.
This retrieves the appropriate ambient color from the chrome ball photo.
17 Create some geometry. For this example, add a plane to represent the
ground.
18 Add a teapot on top of the plane. You’ll use this temporarily to tune the
shadows.
19 In the Material Editor, create an Arch & Design material, change the color
to white, and apply it to the teapot.
20 Select the ground plane.
Next you’ll set up the Matte/Shadow/Reflection material.
21 In the Material Editor, activate the existing Environment/Background
Switcher map.
22 Right-click the Background map button and choose Copy.
23 Activate an unused sample sphere and create a new
Matte/Shadow/Reflection material.
24 On the Matte/Shadow/Reflection Parameters rollout, right-click the
Camera Mapped Background map button and choose Paste (Instance).
This places the same background map that is used in the environment
switcher into the background map in the material as an instance.
This completes the basic setup. If you render now, you should see the
teapot superimposed over the background image. The teapot should have
a soft shadow underneath, which comes from the ambient occlusion.
mental ray Materials | 5627
Part 2: Marrying 3D with a photo:
Now you’ll tune the lighting in the scene. Generally you need at least one key
light to cast a directional shadow.
1 Add a light source such as mr Area Omni and place it in a location similar
to where the main light seems to be coming from in the photo.
2 Tune the light so that the lighting direction and intensity on the teapot
seems reasonable compared to the objects in the photo, and so the shadow
directions seem to match. For now, ignore the shadow intensity; just
consider the lighting on the teapot itself.
5628 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 Now tune the overall intensity of the shadow with the Ambient/Shadow
Intensity parameter to match existing shadows in the photo. If the shadow
needs tinting, use the Ambient/Shadow Color setting. You might also
need to modify the AO Max Distance value to make contact shadows
more or less pronounced.
4 You can adjust the shadow softness with the mr Area Omni light’s Radius
setting, on the Area Light Parameters rollout.
mental ray Materials | 5629
The scene is now set up, although further tuning might be necessary.
5 Delete the teapot.
6 Add any objects you want to use to the scene.
7 Add any additional stand-in matte objects that you can use to occlude
objects, receive and cast shadows, etc., to the scene, and apply the same
Matte/Shadow/Reflection material to them.
5630 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Part 3: Prepare for compositing:
So far the rendered 3D content has been added on top of the background
directly in the renderer. Generally, you want to do this in an external
compositing program, as follows:
1 Open the Material Editor.
2 Activate the Environment/Background Switcher shader (the one you
instanced from the Environment panel).
3 Right-click the Background map button and choose Cut.
4 Click the color swatch next to Background and make sure the color is
transparent black; in other words, Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha all equal
0.0. These are the default values, so no changes should be necessary. Close
the Color Selector dialog.
5 Activate the Matte/Shadow/Reflection material and cut the Camera
Mapped Background map.
6 To the Matte/Shadow/Reflection material > Camera Mapped Background
map, apply a new Environment/Background Switcher shader.
mental ray Materials | 5631
7 Right click the Environment/Reflection map button (not the Background
map button) and choose Paste (Instance) to apply the previously used
map.
8 Click the Background color swatch and make sure the color is transparent
black as well.
The scene now contains two Switcher nodes: one used in the environment
(switching between transparent black and the chrome ball) and one in
the material (switching between transparent black and the camera map).
If you render now, the resulting image still properly contains all the
reflections, light, etc., from the background, but not the background
itself. Shadows exist in the alpha channel, so the image is suitable for
compositing directly on top of the background image.
A Note on Gamma
The preceding procedure did not mention gamma.
If you use a gamma-correct workflow, which yields a superior result, with
literal mental ray textures (that is, you use the big Browse button to reffer
directly to a bitmap file, rather than inseriting a Bitmap map), you must set
5632 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the gamma of this bitmap explicitly in the appropriate Reverse Gamma
Correction parameters.
NOTE Intentionally exaggerating the Reverse Gamma Correction setting on the
chrome ball photo can turn a low-dynamic-range photo into a “faux” HDR image
by artificially exaggerating its contrast.
Interface
Matte/Shadow/Reflection Parameters rollout
Camera Mapped Background Sets the color or map for the matte material.
To use the scene background, click the map button, browse from the scene,
and choose the background map.
NOTE Unlike the standard Matte/Shadow material on page 5699, this material does
not automatically pick the background (that is, the scene environment) as its color;
rather, it’s necessary to provide the background explicitly. There are several ways
to do this:
■
The most common method is to use a screen-projected map. However,
using a Bitmap map with Screen environment mapping will not work
correctly, because it does not handle reflections correctly. Instead, for this
purpose, we recommed using the Environment/Background Camera Map
shader on page 6020. This shader projects the texture back from the current
rendering camera.
■
Alternatively, you can apply the color in any applicable UV texture space,
perhaps if you previously projected the texture into that texture space.
■
A third option is to project the background at render time with the Camera
Map Per Pixel map on page 6035.
Mask/Opacity The opacity of the material.
mental ray Materials | 5633
TIP One use case for the Mask/Opacity setting on page 5633 is to refine a rough
stand-in object. For example, the plate might contain a person’s arm, and you
want to put in a CG object that goes behind the person’s arm and/or has shadows
thrown onto it by the person’s arm. You could create simple stand-in geometry
(maybe even a cylinder) and then use a screen-projected opacity map that defines
the exact edges of the arm. Also, if the arm in the plate is motion-blurred or out
of focus, you can feather the opacity mask accordingly.
Bump Specifies a bump map for the material.
Bump Amount The multiplier for the bump map.
Shadows rollout
Receive Shadows When on, the surface can receive shadows. If Shadow
Casting Lights List is off, all lights cast shadows on the surface.
Ambient/Shadow Intensity The amount of environmental light in the scene,
which in a practical sense is how dark the shadows are. The
Matte/Shadow/Reflection material does not use Skylights to generate shadows;
any such shadows must come from the ambient occlusion feature. So when
the shader is used together with a Skylight, this value should be similar to the
level of light the Skylight provides.
The units value for this setting depends on the lighting unit. If you use the
mr Photographic Exposure Control on page 6744, and set Physical Scale to
Physical Units (cd/m2), this value will be in physical values, and might need
to be in the hundreds (or thousands for an outdoor shot lit by mental ray Sun
5634 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
and Sky on page 5161). However, if you don’t use the exposure control, or set
it Physical Scale to Unitless, this parameter is in a "traditional" unit space
where 0 is black and 1 is white.
NOTE This "ambient" light is affected by ambient occlusion, so it is darkened by
the occlusion at contact points and in areas hidden under objects.
Ambient/Shadow Color Setting a color or map here tints the shadows. For
accurate shadow tint, use a neutral color.
Shadow Casting Lights List When on, you can use the Add/Replace/Delete
buttons to edit the list, specifying lights that are to cast shadows on the surface.
For the lights list to be in effect, Receive Shadows must also be on.
When off, and Receive Shadows is on, all lights in the scene cast shadows on
the surface.
NOTE Shadow-casting lights act as representations of any real-world lights in the
background plate, such as the sun or any artificial light sources. For further
information, see Direct Illumination rollout on page 5637, following.
Ambient Occlusion rollout
Use Ambient Occlusion (AO) When on, ambient occlusion affects the surface.
AO Samples The number of ambient-occlusion rays that are shot.
AO Max Distance The reach of ambient-occlusion rays. At 0, the ray distance
is not limited. Using short rays increases performance but localizes the
ambient-occlusion effect.
AO Shadow Strength The darkness of shadows the ambient occlusion causes.
The default value is black, but you can cause a less-pronounced shading effect
by using a lighter color.
mental ray Materials | 5635
Reflections rollout
Receive Reflections When on, the surface reflects its surroundings.
Reflection Color Reflections are tinted this color. For accurate reflections, use
a neutral color.
Reflections (Subtractive Color) The subtractive color for reflections. This
amount is removed from the plate before reflections are added. If black,
nothing is removed, and reflections are added purely additively on top of the
plate. If 50% gray, the plate pixels are attenuated to 50% of their intensity,
and the reflections are added on top of that, and so on.
Use this setting is used if the plate contains an area with many reflections that
need to be removed before the new, synthetic reflection is added.
Glossiness The glossiness of reflections.
Glossy Samples The number of glossy-reflection samples.
Max Distance At values other than 0, limits the distance from which
reflections are cast.
Max Distance Falloff The falloff curve for reflections at Max Distance. Lower
values cause more rapid falloff.
5636 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Indirect Illumination rollout
Receive Indirect Illumination When on, indirect light (final gather and
global illumination) is gathered and scaled by the Indirect Illumination
Multiplier value (see following).
Indirect Ilumination Multiplier The multiplier for gathered indirect light.
Direct Illumination rollout
NOTE The lights specified on this rollout actually illuminate the background, unlike
shadow-casting lights on page 5635. Thus, for the effect to be correct, make sure
no light source exists in both lists.
Receive Direct Illumination When on, the surface renders where struck by
direct illumination. If Illuminating Lights List is off, all lights in the scene
illuminate the surface.
Illuminating Lights List When on, you can use the Add/Replace/Delete
buttons to edit the list, specifying lights that are to illuminate the surface. For
the lights list to be in effect, Receive Direct Illumination must also be on.
mental ray Materials | 5637
Maps Rollout
This rollout enables application of maps or shaders to the applicable material
parameters. Of course, you can apply a shader to a parameter at its standard
location in the user interface by clicking its map button (square button at the
right side of the parameter), so the principal value of this rollout is that it also
lets you toggle a parameter's shader, using the check box, without removing
the map.
mental ray Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > mental ray
Note: The mental ray material appears in the Browser only if the mental ray
renderer is the currently active renderer.
The mental ray material lets you create a material exclusively for use by the
mental ray renderer on page 6230. A mental ray material consists, at the top
level, of from one to 10 kinds of shaders, or shading components.
IMPORTANT You must assign a shader to the material's Surface component.
Otherwise, the mental ray material will not be visible when you render.
Interface
The interface to the mental ray material consists of two rollouts:
■
Material Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5638
■
Advanced Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5646
Material Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > mental ray > Material
Shaders rollout
Note: The mental ray material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
The mental ray material lets you create a material exclusively for use by the
mental ray renderer on page 6230. The Material Shaders rollout provides controls
for the main kinds of component shaders you are likely to assign.
5638 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
IMPORTANT You must assign a shader to the material's Surface component.
Otherwise, the mental ray material will not be visible when you render.
See also:
■
Advanced Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5646
Interface
Each shader component has a toggle at the left of its name. When the toggle
is on, the shader is used in rendering. When the toggle is off, the shader is
not used, even if it has been assigned. Clicking the button to the right of the
component name displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so you can
assign a particular shader to the component.
mental ray Materials | 5639
Basic Shaders group
Surface Shades the surface of objects that have this material.
In addition to any of the usual 3ds Max materials, the surface component can
be assigned the following mental ray materials or shaders:
Shader
Library
Ambient/Reflective Occlu-
base1 (see note, below)
sion
Bump on page 5986
3ds Max
Car Paint Shader (mi) on
3ds Max
page 5607
DGS Material on page 5615
3ds Max
Dielectric
base
Dielectric Material on
3ds Max
page 5992
Edge
lume
Facade
lume
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Landscape
lume
Material to Shader on
3ds Max
page 6001
Metal
lume
5640 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
mr Physical Sky on page
3ds Max
5181
Ocean
lume
Opacity
base
Reflect
base
Refract
base
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
SSS Physical Material
subsurface scattering
Stain
lume
Texture Wave
base
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Transparency
base
Two Sided
base
UV Generator on page
3ds Max
6005
Water Surface
lume
Wet-Dry Mixer
lume
mental ray Materials | 5641
Shader
Library
XYZ Generator on page
3ds Max
6013
NOTE As of the current version of 3ds Max, the Ambient/Reflective Occlusion
shader has been updated to support certain capabilities for texture baking (see
this note on page 6381). If you load a file containing a material that uses the older
version of the shader, that same version is still used in the scene, and the shader
is renamed "Ambient/Reflective Occlusion (base) (old)". The old version of the
shader continues to be used in the scene until you reapply it in the Material Editor.
NOTE Unlike a standard 3ds Max material, if you assign the Surface component
a bitmap with tiling turned off, the original surface color does not “show through.”
In renderings, you see only the untiled map, and none of the rest of the object.
Shadow Assigns a shadow shader.
The shadow component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Edge Shadow
lume
Facade
lume
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Shadow Transparency
base
Translucency
lume
5642 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Transmat
physics
Water Surface Shadow
lume
Caustics and GI group
Photon Assigns a photon shader. Photon shaders modify the appearance of
caustics and global illumination. They modify light energy (luminous flux)
rather than color (radiance).
The photon component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
DGS Material on page 5615
3ds Max
Dielectric Material Photon on page 5992
3ds Max
Edge
lume
Glow
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
Photon Basic
base
SSS Physical Material
subsurface scattering
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Photon Volume Assigns a photon volume shader. Like a photon shader, a
photon volume shader modifies caustics and global illumination, but it affects
mental ray Materials | 5643
photons that pass through the inside of the object, rather than photons that
collide with its surface.
The photon volume component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Parti Volume Photon
physics
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Extended Shaders group
Bump Assigns a bump shader. Bump shading for mental ray materials is similar
to bump mapping on page 5478 for standard materials.
The bump component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Bump on page 5986
3ds Max
Ocean
lume
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Displacement Assigns a displacement shader on page 6268.
The displacement component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
3D Displacement on page 5983
3ds Max
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Ocean
lume
Volume Assigns a volume shader on page 6265.
5644 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The volume component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Beam
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Mist
lume
Parti Volume Photon
physics
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Submerge
lume
Environment Assigns an environment shader. Like an environment you
assign using the Render Setup dialog, the environment shader changes the
scene background.
The environment component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Environment on page 5995
3ds Max
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
Optimization group
Flag Material as Opaque When on, indicates that the material is fully opaque.
This tells the mental ray renderer that it doesn't need to process transparency
for this material, or to use the shadow shader (if one has been assigned). This
can improve rendering time. Default=off.
mental ray Materials | 5645
Advanced Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > mental ray > Advanced
Shaders rollout
Note: The mental ray material appears in the Browser only if the mental ray
renderer is the currently active renderer.
The mental ray material lets you create a material exclusively for use by the
mental ray renderer on page 6230. The Advanced Shaders rollout provides
controls for two component shaders that aren't always used.
Interface
Each shader component has a toggle at the left of its name. When the toggle
is on, the shader is used in rendering. When the toggle is off, the shader is
not used, even if it has been assigned. Clicking the button to the right of the
component name displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so you can
assign a particular shader to the component.
Contour Assigns a contour shader on page 6269 to the material.
The contour component can be assigned the following shaders:
Shader
Library
Combi
contour
Curvature
contour
Depth Fade
contour
Factor Color
contour
Layer Thinner
contour
5646 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Simple
contour
Width From Color
contour
Width From Light
contour
Width From Light Dir
contour
NOTE Contours don't render unless you have also enabled them on the Render
Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout on page 6283.
Light Map Assigns a light map shader to the material.
WARNING No light map shaders are provided with 3ds Max. This option is for
users who have access to light map shaders via other shader libraries or custom
shader code.
ProMaterials
ProMaterials™ are mental ray materials that model materials commonly used
in construction, design, and the environment. They correspond to Autodesk
Revit materials, so they provide a way to share surface and material information
if you also use that application.
ProMaterials are based on the Arch & Design material on page 5544. Like that
material, they work best when used with physically accurate (photometric)
lights, and geometry that is modeled in real-world units. On the other hand,
the interface of each ProMaterial is much simpler than the Arch & Design
material interface, and lets you achieve realistic, physically correct results with
comparitively little effort.
mental ray Materials | 5647
NOTE The ProMaterials library is a set of mental ray material libraries based on
manufacturing-supplied data and professional images. This includes building and
design materials such as professional wall paint with glossy or matte finishes, solid
glass, and concrete. These materials provide a convenient way of creating realistic
textures. There is actually one library (MAT) file that corresponds to each
ProMaterial: when you use the Material/Map Browser to browse library files, you
see library names such as autodesk.max.promaterials.ceramic.mat,
autodesk.max.profmaterials.concrete.mat, and so on.
Ceramic ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Ceramic, and then click OK.
Note: The Ceramic material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of glazed ceramic, including porcelain.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Type The type of ceramic material (Ceramic or Porcelain). Default=Ceramic.
5648 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Color (Reflectance) The color of the rendered appearance of the material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
TIP To specify a grout color, use an image file that shows both the tile color and
the grout color.
Surface Finish The texture of the finished surface (High Gloss, Satin, or Matte).
Default=High Gloss.
Surface Bumps Bump pattern to use on the finished surface (for example, to
represent the surface roughness). Can be None, Wavy, or Custom.
Default=None.
To define bumps using an image, select Custom and then assigna map.
■
Custom Map Click to assign a bump map.
■
Amount Adjusts the amount of mapping. Default=0.05.
Tiling Pattern An additional bump pattern, superimposed on the Finish
Bumps pattern (for example, to define grout lines). To define bumps using an
image, select Surface Bumps > Custom.
■
Custom Map Click to assign a tiling pattern map.
■
Height Adjusts the height of the tiling. Default=0.25.
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
mental ray Materials | 5649
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Ceramic Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a map
to the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map is
active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
5650 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Concrete ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Concrete, and then click OK.
Note: The Concrete material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of concrete.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Color (Reflectance) The color of the rendered appearance of the material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface: Straight Broom, Curved Broom,
Smooth, Polished, or Custom. Default = Straight Broom.
To define the finish using an image, select Surface Finish > Custom, and then
assign a texture map.
■
Custom Map Click to assign a bump map.
■
Amount Adjusts the amount of bump mapping. Default=0.3.
Sealant The substance used to seal the surface: None, Epoxy, or Acrylic.
Default=None.
mental ray Materials | 5651
Brightness Variations Simulates discoloration due to weather: None,
Automatic, or Custom. Default=None.
To define a weathering pattern using an image, select Brightness Variations
> Custom, and then assign a map.
■
Custom Map Click to assign a brightness map.
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
(Texture) Coordinates for Built-In Textures rollout
Specifies how to map the Surface Finish texture.
UV Channel Specifies the map channel ID to use. Default=1.
Tiling Scales the built-in texture to the geometry. The default value of 1.0 is
a one-to-one mapping. Larger values tile the texture. Default=1.0.
5652 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Concrete Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a map
to the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map is
active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
mental ray Materials | 5653
Generic ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Generic, and then click OK.
Note: The Generic material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material is a generic interface for creating a custom appearance.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Diffuse Color (Reflectance) The color of the rendered appearance of the
material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Reflectivity Perpendicular to Surface Measurement of how much the material
reflects when the surface is directly facing the camera. Enter a value between
0 (no reflections) and 1 (maximum reflections). Default=0.2.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Reflectivity Parallel to Surface Measurement of how much the material
reflects when the surface is at an angle to the camera. Enter a value between
0 (no reflections) and 1 (maximum reflections). Default=1.0.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
5654 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Surface Glossiness Measurement of the glossy quality of the surface, which
affects the size and intensityof highlights. Enter a value between 0 (dull) and
1.0 (a perfect mirror). Default=1.0.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Surface Imperfections Click to assign a bump map to the surface.
Surface Imperfections (Bump) Amount Adjusts the amount of bump
mapping. Default=0.3.
Transparency rollout
Transparency Measurement of how much light passes through the material.
Enter a value between 0 (completely opaque) and 1 (completely transparent).
When Transparency is 0, Translucency and Index Of Refraction are ignored.
Default=0.0.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Translucency Measurement of how much light is scattered by the material,
so that objects behindthe material cannot be seen clearly. Enter a value
between 0 (not translucent) and 1 (completely translucent). Default=0.0.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Index of Refraction Measurement of how much a ray of light bends when
entering the material. Enter a value between 0 (no refraction) and 5 (the most
refraction). Default=1.52 (a typical value for transparent glass).
Cutout Opacity Specifies shapes cut into the surface of the material. Click
the map button to specify cut-outs using an image. The value is the amount
mental ray Materials | 5655
of transparency of the cutouts. Range: 0.0 to 1.0. Default=1.0 (completely
transparent).
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Backface Cull When on, faces whose normal points away from the camera
are ignored when creating cutouts. Default=off.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Self Illumination rollout
Luminance (cd/m^2) Light emitted by the surface, measured in candelas per
square meter. Default=0.0.
Color Temperature (Kelvin) The color of the self-illumination, described in
terms of degrees Kelvin (K). This is useful for describing color values that are
close to white. Default=6500.0 (close to overcast daylight).
Filter Color The color transmitted through the material if it is transparent or
translucent.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Ambient Occlusion rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685.
5656 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Round Corners rollout
See Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
mental ray Materials | 5657
Maps rollout
Simple Generic Material Parameters group
Diffuse Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a map to the Color component.
The toggle at the left controls whether the map is active; when you assign a
map, it turns on by default.
Reflectivity Perpendicular Lets you assign a map to the Reflectivity
Perpendicular To Surface component.
Reflectivity Parallel Lets you assign a map to the Reflectivity Parallel To
Surface component.
Surface Glossiness Lets you assign a map to the Surface Glossiness component.
Transparency group
Transparency Lets you assign a map to the Transparency component.
Translucency Lets you assign a map to the Translucency component.
5658 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Cutout Opacity Lets you assign a map to the Cutout Opacity component
Backface Cull Lets you assign a map to the Backface Cull component.
Self Illumination group
Filter Color Lets you assign a map to the Filter Color component.
Round Corners group
Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Glazing ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Glazing, and then click OK.
Note: The Glazing material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has a glazed appearance. It is more general purpose than the
Ceramic material.
mental ray Materials | 5659
Interface
Parameters rollout
Color (Transmittance) The color of the glass. Can be Clear, Green, Gray,
Blue, Blue-Green, or Custom Color. Default=Clear.
Custom Color When you set Color (Transmittance) to Custom Color, you
can use this color swatch to assign a color other than one of the predefined
choices.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Refraction Levels (N. Poly to Traverse) The number of layers in the glazing.
Range: 1 to 6. Default=2.
Reflectance The normalized percentage of light striking the glass that bounces
off again (like a reflection) rather than being absorbed or passing through
(transmittance). Enter a value between 0.001 and 1.0 (100 per cent).
Default=0.1.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
5660 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Maps rollout
Glazing Material Parameters > Custom Color When you set Color
(Transmittance) to Custom Color, you can assign a map to the color
component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map is active; when
you assign a map, it turns on by default.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Hardwood ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Hardwood, and then click OK.
Note: The Hardwood material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
The Hardwood material has the appearance of wood.
NOTE In Revit, this material is simply called “Wood.”
mental ray Materials | 5661
Interface
Parameters rollout
Base Hardwood Click to select an image used to represent the surface of the
wood.
Stain Application Specifies whether the wood is stained: can be either None
or Enabled. Default=None.
■
Color Shows the color of the stain used when Stain Application = Enabled.
Click the color swatch to change the stain color.
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Glossy, Semi-Glossy,
Satin, or Unfinished. Default=Glossy.
Application Type The purpose of the wood (what it is used for): either Flooring
or Furniture. Default=Flooring.
Surface Imperfections Bump pattern to use on the finished surface. Can be
None, Automatic, or Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Surface Imperfections = Custom, click to choose the
bump map.
■
Amount The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.2.
5662 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
mental ray Materials | 5663
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Masonry/CMU ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Masonry/CMU, and then click OK.
Note: The Masonry/CMU material appears in the Browser only if mental ray
is the active renderer.
This material has the appearance of concrete masonry units (CMUs) or
masonry.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Type The type of masonry material: CMU or Masonry. Default=CMU.
Color (Reflectance) The color of the rendered appearance of the material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
5664 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Glossy, Matte, or
Unfinished. Default=Glossy.
Pattern Bump pattern to use on the finished surface. Can be None or Custom.
Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Pattern = Custom, click to choose the bump map.
■
Height The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.25.
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
mental ray Materials | 5665
Maps rollout
Masonry/CMU Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign
a map to the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the
map is active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Metal ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Metal, and then click OK.
Note: The Metal material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of metal.
5666 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Parameters rollout
Type The type of metal: Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Chrome, Copper,
Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, or Zinc. Default=Aluminum.
Color (Reflectance) The color of the metal when Type equals Anodized
Aluminum.
Patina For Copper or Bronze, the degree of discoloration due to oxidation or
the application of a chemical compound. Enter a value between 0.0 (none)
and 1.0 (full). Default=0.0.
NOTE The Patina renders correctly only on curved surfaces.
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Polished, Semi-Polished,
Satin, or Brushed. Default=Polished.
Relief Pattern Decorative design pressed onto the surface of the metal (in
effect, a bump map). Select a pattern, or select Custom to define the relief
pattern using an image. Can be None, Knurl, Diamond Plate, Checker Plate,
or Custom. Default=None.
■
Pattern Height Height of the relief pattern. Enter 0.0 to make the surface
flat. Enter a value up to 2.0 to increase the depth of the relief pattern.
Default=0.3.
mental ray Materials | 5667
■
Custom Map When Relief Pattern = Custom, click to choose the bump
map.
Cutouts/Perforations Shapes cut into the surface of the metal. Can be None,
Round Holes, Square Holes, or Custom. Select a shape, or select Custom to
define cut-outs using an image. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Cutouts/Perforations = Custom, click to choose the
map that specifies holes in the metal.
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
5668 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
(Texture) Coordinates for Built-In Textures rollout
Specifies how to map the Surface Finish, Relief Pattern, and Cutout textures.
UV Channel Specifies the map channel ID to use. Default=1.
Tiling Scales the built-in textures to the geometry. The default value of 1.0 is
a one-to-one mapping. Larger values tile the textures. Default=1.0.
Maps rollout
Round Corners > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Metallic Paint ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Metallic Paint, and then click OK.
mental ray Materials | 5669
Note: The Metallic Paint material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is
the active renderer.
This material has the appearance of metallic paint, as on an automobile.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Color (Reflectance) Color of the metallic paint.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Glazed, Glossy, or Satin.
Default=Glazed.
Flakes When set to Enable, adds flakes or flecks to the paint. Default=None.
Flakes Color Color of the flakes, when Flakes equals Enabled.
Special Effects rollout
5670 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Metallic Paint Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a
map to the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map
is active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Round Corners > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
mental ray Materials | 5671
Mirror ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Mirror, and then click OK.
Note: The Mirror material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material acts as a mirror.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Tint Color (Reflectance) Color of the mirror surface.
Special Effects rollout
See Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
5672 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Maps rollout
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Plastic/Vinyl ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Plastic/Vinyl, and then click OK.
Note: The Plastic/Vinyl material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is
the active renderer.
This material has a synthetic appearance, as of plastic or vinyl.
mental ray Materials | 5673
Interface
Parameters rollout
Color (Reflectance) The color of the rendered appearance of the material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Type The type of material. Can be Plastic (Solid), Plastic (Transparent), or
Vinyl. Default=Plastic (Solid).
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Polished, Glossy, or
Matte. Default=Polished.
Surface Bumps Bump pattern to use on the finished surface. Can be None or
Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Surface Bumps = Custom, click to choose the bump
map.
■
Amount The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.05.
Pattern An additional bump pattern, superimposed on the Finish Bumps
pattern. Can be None or Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Pattern = Custom, click to choose the bump map.
■
Height The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.05.
5674 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
mental ray Materials | 5675
Plastic/Vinyl Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a
map to the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map
is active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Solid Glass ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Solid Glass, and then click OK.
Note: The Solid Glass material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of glass.
5676 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Parameters rollout
CColor (Transmittance) The color of the glass. Can be Clear, Green, Gray,
Blue, Blue-Green, Bronze, or Custom Color. Default=Clear.
■
Custom Map When Color (Transmittance) equals Custom Color, you can
either click the color swatch to assign the glass material a custom color,
or click the map button to assign a map to this component.
Reflectance Sets the reflectivity of the glass. Default=0.05.
Index of Refraction Sets the Index Of Refraction (IOR). Default=1.52 (a typical
value for glass).
Reference Thickness Sets the apparent thickness of the glass: this value is
independent of the geometry to which the material is applied. Default=6.0.
Surface Roughness Sets the roughness of the glass surface. Default=0.0.
Surface Imperfections Sets a surface pattern for the glass. Can be None,
Rippled, Wavy, or Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Surface Imperfections = Custom, click to choose the
bump map.
■
Amount The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.3.
mental ray Materials | 5677
Special Effects rollout
See Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Solid Glass Material Parameters > Custom Map Lets you assign a map to
the Color (Transmittance) component. The toggle at the left controls whether
the map is active; when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
5678 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Stone ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Stone, and then click OK.
Note: The Stone material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the active
renderer.
This material has the appearance of stone.
Interface
Parameters rollout
mental ray Materials | 5679
Color (Reflectance) The color of the material.
■
Map button Click to assign a map to this component.
Surface Finish Texture of the finished surface. Can be Polished, Glossy, Matte,
or Unfinished. Default=Polished.
Surface Bumps Bump pattern to use on the finished surface. Can be None ,
Polished Granite, Stone Wall, Glossy Marble, or Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Surface Bumps = Custom, click to choose the bump
map.
■
Amount The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.5.
Pattern An additional bump pattern, superimposed on the Surface Bumps
pattern. Can be None or Custom. Default=None.
■
Custom Map When Pattern = Custom, click to choose the bump map.
■
Height The amount of bump mapping. Default=0.25.
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
5680 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
(Texture) Coordinates for Built-In Textures rollout
Specifies how to map the Surface Finish, Surface Bumps, and Pattern textures.
UV Channel Specifies the map channel ID to use. Default=1.
Tiling Scales the built-in textures to the geometry. The default value of 1.0 is
a one-to-one mapping. Larger values tile the textures. Default=1.0.
Maps rollout
Stone Material Parameters > Color (Reflectance) Lets you assign a map to
the Color component. The toggle at the left controls whether the map is active;
when you assign a map, it turns on by default.
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
mental ray Materials | 5681
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Wall Paint ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Wall Paint, and then click OK.
Note: The Wall Paint material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of a painted surface.
NOTE In Revit, this material is simply called “Paint.”
Interface
Parameters rollout
Color (Reflectance) Color of the paint.
Surface Finish Texture of the paint. Can be Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Pearl, Platinum,
Eggshell, or Flat. Default=Flat.
Application Method The method used to apply the paint to the surface. Can
be Roller, Brush, or Spray. Default=Roller.
5682 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Special Effects rollout
See Ambient Occlusion Controls on page 5685 and Round Corners on page 5690.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Maps rollout
Special Effects > Fillet Radius See Round Corners on page 5690.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
mental ray Materials | 5683
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Water ProMaterial (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose ProMaterials:
Water, and then click OK.
Note: The Water material appears in the Browser only if mental ray is the
active renderer.
This material has the appearance of water.
Interface
Parameters rollout
Type Type of water source. Can be Swimming Pool, Reflecting Pool,
Stream/River, Pond/Lake, or Sea/Ocean. Default = Swimming Pool.
Color Color of the water (ignored when the Type equals Swimming Pool).
Select a predefined water color, or select Custom to specify a color. Can be
Tropical, Algae/Green, Murky/Brown, Reflecting Pool, Stream/River, Pond/Lake,
Sea/Ocean, or Custom Color. Default=Tropical.
■
Custom Color When Color equals Custom_Color, click to change the water
color.
5684 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Wave Height Relative height of waves in the water. Enter a value between 0
(no waves) and 5 (big waves). Default=0.5.
Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
See Performance Tuning Controls on page 5692.
Common ProMaterials Controls
These topics describe controls that are common to all or most of the materials
in the ProMaterials library.
Ambient Occlusion Controls
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose a ProMaterials
material, and then click OK. > Special Effects rollout or Ambient Occlusion
rollout > Ambient Occlusion controls
Note: ProMaterials (marked “adsk”) appear in the Browser only if mental ray
is the active renderer. Not all ProMaterials support ambient occlusion.
Ambient Occlusion (AO) is a method spearheaded by the film industry for
emulating the look of true global illumination by using shaders that calculate
the extent to which an area is occluded, or prevented from receiving incoming
light.
Used alone, an AO shader, such as the separate mental ray Ambient/Reflective
Occlusion shader, creates a grayscale output that is dark in areas light cannot
reach and bright in areas where it can.
mental ray Materials | 5685
The following image illustrates the main results of AO: dark crevices and areas
where light is blocked by other surfaces, and bright areas that are exposed to
the environment.
An example of AO applied to a scene
One important aspect of AO is that the user can see how far it looks for
occluding geometry.
5686 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
AO looked up within a shorter radius
Using a radius creates a localized AO effect: only surfaces within the given
radius are considered as occluders. This also speeds up rendering. The practical
result is that the AO provides nice “contact shadow” effects and makes small
crevices visible.
Interface
Depending on the material, the ambient occlusion controls appear either on
the Special Effects rollout or the Ambient Occlusion rollout. Not all
ProMaterials support ambient occlusion.
The following illustration depicts a model helicopter that is lit almost
exclusively by indirect light. Note how the helicopter does not feel “grounded”
in the left-hand image and the shadows under the landing skids are too vague.
The right-hand image uses AO to “punch out” the details and the contact
shadows.
mental ray Materials | 5687
Left: Without AO
Right: With AO
There are four controls for ambient occlusion:
Ambient Occlusion When on, enables ambient occlusion (AO) and makes
the remaining group controls available. Default=off.
Samples The number of samples (rays) shot for creating AO. Higher values
yield smoother results but render more slowly, while lower values render faster
but look grainier. Values in the range 16–64 cover most situations. Default=16.
Max Distance Defines the radius within which mental ray looks for occluding
objects. Smaller values restrict the AO effect to small crevices only but are
much faster to render. Larger values cover larger areas but render more slowly.
Default=4.0.
The following illustrations show the raw AO contribution with two different
distances:
Left: Higher Max Distance value
Right: Lower Max Distance value
5688 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP To specify an infinite radius, set Distance to 0.0.
Use Color from Other Mats (Exact AO) When on, derives the AO coloring
from surrounding materials, for more accurate overall results (also known as
color bleeding). For example, a glowing material would return a brighter color
than a dark material.
In the following pair of illustrations, the first image shows the problem with
the traditional AO: it applies to all indirect illumination and always makes it
darker. It is most noticable on the glowing sphere, which has a dark spot under
it, but can also be perceived on the floor in front of the cube which is
suspiciously dark, even though the cube is strongly lit on the front, as well as
between the legs of the horse and the underside of the red sphere.
In contrast, the second image has Use Color From Other Mats on for all
materials, so the floor is lit correctly by the glowing ball, there is a hint of
white bounce light on the floor from the cube, and light appears between the
legs of the horse and on the underside of the red ball.
Use Color From Other Mats is off
mental ray Materials | 5689
Use Color From Other Mats is on
If you find that using AO creates a “dirty” look with excessive darkening in
corners, or dark rims around self-illuminated objects, turn on Use Color From
Other Mats for a more accurate result.
Round Corners
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose a ProMaterials
material, and then click OK. > Special Effects rollout or Round Corners rollout
> Round Corners controls
Note: ProMaterials (marked “adsk”) appear in the Browser only if mental ray
is the active renderer. Not all ProMaterials support round corners.
Computer-generated imagery tends to look unrealistic, partly because edges
of objects are geometrically sharp, whereas most edges in the real world are
slightly rounded, chamfered, worn, or filleted in some manner. This rounded
edge tends to “catch the light” and create highlights that make edges more
visually appealing.
Many ProMaterials can create the illusion of rounded edges at render time.
This feature is intended primarily to speed up modeling, so that you need not
explicitly fillet or chamfer edges of an object such as a tabletop.
5690 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: No round corners
Right: Round corners
The function is not a displacement; it is merely a shading effect, such as bump
mapping, and it is best suited for straight edges and simple geometry, not for
advanced, highly curved geometry.
Interface
Depending on the material, the round corner controls appear either on the
Special Effects rollout or the Round Corners rollout. Not all ProMaterials
support round corners.
This effect rounds off corners and straight edges as a rendering effect only; it
has no effect on geometry.
The rounding effect happens to convex corners and surfaces that actually
intersect. Concave corners that merely touch will not display the effect. To
get the effect to work in concave corners the objects must be pushed into each
other a little. The effect is intended for straight edges and is not guaranteed
to work properly for highly curved, complex intersections.
There are three controls for round corners:
Round Corners When on, rounds off corners and straight edges at render
time. Default=off.
NOTE For some ProMaterials, there is no Round Corners toggle. In this case, the
Fillet Radius defaults to 0.0. To enable rendering with round corners, increase the
Fillet Radius value.
Fillet Radius Specifies the radius of the filleted corners and/or edges.
Default=0.25.
mental ray Materials | 5691
You can apply a map to this parameter, to create variations in the amount of
corner rounding.
Blend With Other Materials By default, the rounding effect happens only
between surfaces of the same material, but if you turn this on the filleting is
performed against any material. Default=off.
In the following image, the melted chocolate is rounded off against the
submerged objects even though they use different materials. In actuality, the
melted chocolate is a completely flat plane.
Objects in melted chocolate
Performance Tuning Controls
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose a ProMaterials
material, and then click OK. > Performance Tuning Parameters rollout
Note: ProMaterials (marked “adsk”) appear in the Browser only if mental ray
is the active renderer.
The performance tuning parameters let you tune performance by limiting the
amount of calculation a ProMaterial has to perform. There are four parameters,
but for each material, only the relevant settings appear in the interface.
Reflection Glossy Samples Defines the maximum number of samples (rays)
that mental ray shoots to create glossy reflections. Higher values cause slow
rendering but create a smoother result. Lower values render faster but create
5692 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
a grainier result. Generally 32 is enough for most cases. Default=8 for most
ProMaterials, 0 for Mirror.
NOTE When Reflection Glossy Samples equals 0, the reflections take the form of
a “perfect mirror” and only one ray is shot, regardless of the actual value of
Glossiness . You can use this to boost performance for surfaces with very weak
reflections.
Refraction Glossy Samples Defines the maximum number of samples (rays)
that mental ray shoots to create glossy refraction. Higher values cause slow
rendering but create a smoother result. Lower values render faster but create
a grainier result, like frosted glass. Generally 32 is enough for most cases.
Default=8.
NOTE When Refraction Glossy Samples equals 0, the refraction takes the form of
a “perfect lens” and only one ray is shot. You can use this to boost performance
for draft renderings.
Reflection Max Trace Depth When this trace depth is reached, mental ray
stops calculating reflections. Default=0.
Refraction Max Trace Depth When this trace depth is reached, mental ray
stops calculating refractions. Default=0.
Subsurface Scattering (SSS) Materials
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Choose SSS Fast
Material (mi), SSS Fast Skin Material (mi), SSS Fast Skin Material+Displace (mi),
or SSS Physical Material (mi), and then click OK.
Note: The SSS materials appear in the Browser only if mental ray is the active
renderer.
The subsurface scattering (SSS) materials are provided especially to model skin
and other organic materials whose appearance depends on more than one
layer of light scattering. 3ds Max provides four of these materials. Each material
is a top-level wrapper (a “phenomenon”) for shaders whose controls are
documented in the Standard mental ray Shader Libraries document. Click a link
to see the mental images documentation for the shader.
mental ray Materials | 5693
TIP When you follow a link to the documentation for mental images library shaders,
scroll up a bit in your browser. The links tend to go past the title of the section,
and there might be introductory content above the link location. If the link goes
to the beginning of a section, scroll down instead.
Material Name
mi Library Shader Name
SSS Fast Material (mi)
misss_fast_simple_phen
SSS Fast Skin Material (mi)
misss_fast_skin_phen
SSS Fast Skin Material+Displace (mi)
misss_fast_skin_phen_d
SSS Physical Material (mi)
misss_physical
Also see Subsurface Scattering Shaders and the topics that follow it for more
general information. See Physically Correct Subsurface Scattering for background
information and tips about the Physical material.
NOTE The SSS Physical Material can also be used as a shader for the Surface and
Photon components of a mental ray material on page 5638.
For a downloadable tutorial offering a practical demonstration of using the
SSS Fast Skin material, see
http://www.autodesk.com/3dsmax-mentalray-sssskin-tutorialthis Web page.
Light Controls for the SSS Physical Material
The SSS Physical material includes light controls that correspond to the lights
array in the parameters for the misss_physical shader.
Lights When on, the material is illuminated only by those lights specified in
the list. When Lights is turned off, all lights in the scene affect the material.
Default=off.
The remaining light controls are available only when Lights is on.
■
List of lights
material.
Displays the lights you have chosen to illuminate this
■
Add Adds a light to the list. Click Add to turn it on, then click the light
object in a viewport.
5694 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Replace Replaces a light in the list. Highlight a light's name in the list,
click Replace to turn it on, then click the replacement light object in a
viewport.
■
Delete Deletes a light from the list. Highlight a light's name in the list,
then click Delete.
Utility mental ray Materials
The utility mental ray materials allow you to combine a material with multiple
maps.
Utility Bump Combiner Material (mental ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Utility Bump
Combiner (adsk)
Note: The Bump Combiner material appears in the Browser only if the mental
ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
The Bump Combiner lets you combine a material with up to three separate
bump maps.
mental ray Materials | 5695
Interface
Parameters rollout
Shading Click the button to specify a base material. This can be any material
that mental ray supports.
Global Multiplier Adjusts the strength of bump mapping for the material as
a whole. This value overrides the individual bump map multiplier values. Can
range from 0.0 to 20.0. Default=1.0.
Map button Click to apply a map to the Global Multiplier value.
Bump 1, Bump 2, and Bump 3 Click to add a bump map to the material.
Multiplier Adjusts the strength of the bump map. Can range from 0.0 to 20.0.
Default=1.0.
Map button Click to apply a map to the Multiplier value.
Maps rollout
5696 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Global Multiplier Lets you assign a map to the Global Multiplier. The toggle
at the left controls whether the map is active; when you assign a map, it turns
on by default.
Multiplier 1, Multiplier 2, and Multiplier 3 Let you assign maps to the three
bump map Multiplier values.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
Utility Displace Combiner Material (mental
ray)
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Utility Displace
Combiner (adsk)
Note: The Displace Combiner material appears in the Browser only if the
mental ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
The Displace Combiner lets you combine a material with up to three separate
displacement maps.
mental ray Materials | 5697
Interface
Parameters rollout
Shading Click the button to specify a base material. This can be any material
that mental ray supports.
Global Multiplier Adjusts the strength of displacement mapping for the material
as a whole. This value overrides the individual displacement shader multiplier
values. Can range from 0.0 to 20.0. Default=1.0.
Map button Click to apply a map to the Global Multiplier value.
Displace Shader 1, Displace Shader 2, and Displace Shader 3 Click to add
a displacement map to the material.
Multiplier Adjusts the strength of the displacement map. Can range from 0.0
to 20.0. Default=1.0.
Map button Click to apply a map to the Multiplier value.
Maps rollout
5698 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Global Multiplier Lets you assign a map to the Global Multiplier. The toggle
at the left controls whether the map is active; when you assign a map, it turns
on by default.
Multiplier 1, Multiplier 2, and Multiplier 3 Let you assign maps to the three
displacement shader Multiplier values.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
Matte/Shadow Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Matte/Shadow
The Matte/Shadow material allows you to make whole objects (or any subsets
of faces) into matte objects on page 8042 that reveal the current background
color or environment map on page 7964.
Matte/Shadow Material | 5699
Simply rendering the framed photo against a background shows the photo in front of
the background.
5700 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
A matte object hides parts of the photo, revealing the background to make it appear
the photo is behind the goblets.
It can also receive shadows cast on it from non-matte objects in the scene.
Using this technique, you can cast shadows on backgrounds by building matte
proxy objects and placing them in front of similarly shaped objects in the
background.
Matte/Shadow Material | 5701
Creating a matte object for casting shadows against a background image
Matte/Shadow materials can also have reflections.
NOTE The Matte/Shadow effect is visible only when you render the scene. It isn't
visible in viewports.
TIP When rendering with mental ray, for best results and greater flexibility use
the Matte/Shadow/Reflection (mi) material on page 5622 instead of this one. Because
of the availability of the mental ray-specific material, the Matte/Shadow material
is designated Incompatible on page 5299 when mental ray is active.
5702 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To render objects seamlessly against a background environment:
There are three ways you can render objects to blend seamlessly into a
background environment:
■
Assign a Matte/Shadow Material.
■
Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture to an object using Camera
Mapping.
■
Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture using Environment/Screen
projection.
Use the Plate Match/MAX R2.5 antialiasing whenever you are trying to match
foreground objects with an unfiltered background, or trying to match the
antialiasing qualities of the 3ds Max 2.5 renderer. See the description of
Antialiasing Filter in the description of the Default Scanline Renderer on page
6141.
Example: To see the effect of Affect Alpha and Matte Reflection:
1 Create a scene with one or more objects on a box platform, and one or
more shadow-casting spotlights.
TIP If you use only one spotlight, increase its Multiplier value.
2 Assign a Matte/Shadow material to the box, and render the scene with
default Matte/Shadow parameters (Opaque Alpha is on, and Affect Alpha
is off).
3
On the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073 that opens, turn on
Display Alpha Channel.
The objects all appear as white silhouettes, including the platform.
4 On the Matte/Shadow Basic Parameters rollout, turn off Opaque Alpha,
and turn on Receive Shadows and Affect Alpha.
5 Press F9 (Render Last on page 6117).
The silhouette of the box no longer appears, but the other objects and
their shadows appear.
Matte/Shadow Material | 5703
6 On the Matte/Shadow Basic Parameters rollout, click the Map button in
the Reflection group, and use the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 to
assign a Flat Mirror on page 5946 map to the box's material. On the Flat
Mirror Parameters rollout, turn on Render group > Assign To Faces With
ID and leave the value set to 1.
7 Press F9 (Render Last on page 6117).
8 On the Rendered Frame Window, turn off Display Alpha Channel.
The reflections of the objects appear on the box, even though the box
itself is invisible.
Interface
5704 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Matte group
Opaque Alpha Determines whether or not the matte material appears in the
alpha channel. If you turn off Opaque Alpha, the matte object will not make
an alpha channel, and the image can be used for compositing, just as if there
are no matte objects in the scene. Default=off.
Atmosphere group
These options determine whether fog effects are applied to the matte surfaces,
and how they are applied.
Apply Atmosphere Turns the fogging of matte objects on and off.
When applying fog, you can choose between two different methods. You can
either apply fog as if the matte surface is at an infinite distance from the
camera or you can apply it as if the matte surface is actually at that point on
the object being shaded. In other words, you can apply the fog to the matte
surface in either 2D or 3D. The following controls determine how this is
applied:
At Background Depth This is the 2D method. The scanline renderer on page
8116 fogs the scene, and then renders its shadows. In this case, the shadows
won't be lightened by the fog. If you want to lighten the shadows, you need
to turn up the shadow brightness.
At Object Depth This is the 3D method. The renderer first renders the shadows,
and then fogs the scene. Since this varies the amount of fog over the 3D matte
surface, the generated matte/alpha channels don't blend perfectly into the
background. Use At Object Depth when the matte object is meant to be a 3D
object in the scene that the 2D background represents.
Shadow group
This group determines whether the matte surfaces receive shadows that are
cast upon them, and how they receive them.
Receive Shadows Renders shadows on the matte surfaces. Default=on.
Affect Alpha When on, shadows cast on a matte material are applied to the
alpha channel. This lets you render bitmaps with alpha channels that you can
composite later. Default=on.
Affect Alpha is available only when Opaque Alpha (in the Matte group box)
is turned off.
Matte/Shadow Material | 5705
When Affect Alpha is on, the higher the Shadow Brightness value, the more
transparent the shadow, allowing the background to show through more, and
making the shadow appear brighter.
Shadow Brightness Sets shadow brightness. At 0.5, the shadows will not be
attenuated on the matte surface; at 1.0, the shadows are brightened to the
color of the matte surface; and at 0.0 they are darkened to completely obliterate
the matte surface.
Color Displays a Color Selector on page 391 to let you choose the color of the
shadow. Default=black.
Setting shadow color is especially useful when you're using a Matte/Shadow
material to composite your shadows against a background image, such as
video. It lets you tint your shadows to match pre-existing shadows in the
image.
Reflection group
Controls in this group determine whether the matte surfaces can have
reflections. You create matte reflections using a shadow map.
TIP Matte reflections don't successfully create an alpha channel unless you render
them against a black background.
Amount Controls the amount of reflection to use. This is a percentage that
can range from 0 to 100. This control is unavailable unless you have assigned
a map. Default=50.
You can animate this parameter.
Map Displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so you can assign a map
to use for reflections. The reflection is independent of the environment unless
you choose a Reflect/Refract on page 5946 or Flat Mirror map on page 5946.
Compound Materials
Compound materials combine two or more sub-materials. Compound materials
are similar to compositor maps on page 5918, but they exist at the material level.
Applying a compound material to an object creates a compound effect that
often uses mapping. You load or create compound materials using the
Material/Map Browser.
Using a filter control, you can choose whether the Browser lists maps or
materials or both.
5706 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Different types of materials create different effects, behave in particular ways,
or are provided as ways to combine multiple materials.
NOTE The sub-material buttons and sub-map buttons for most materials and
maps have check boxes beside each button. These let you turn that branch of the
material or map on or off. For example, in the Top/Bottom material, the Top
Material and Bottom Material buttons each have check boxes. Similarly, the Checker
map has two map buttons, one for each color. Each button has a check box beside
it that lets you disable that color's map.
These are the different types of compound materials:
Blend on page 5708: Combines two materials by mixing their pixel colors, as
Mix maps do.
Composite on page 5711: Mixes up to 10 materials, using additive colors,
subtractive colors, or opacity mixing.
Double-Sided on page 5713: Stores two materials. One material is rendered on
the object's outer faces (the usual side for one-sided materials, as determined
by face normals), and the other is rendered on the object's inner faces.
Morpher Material on page 5716: Morpher materials use the Morpher modifier
on page 1545 to manage multiple materials over time.
Multi/Sub-Object on page 5720: Lets you assign more than one material to the
same object. Stores two or more sub-materials, which you assign at the
sub-object level by using the Mesh Select on page 1527 modifier. You can also
assign the sub-materials to whole objects by using the Material modifier on
page 1517.
Shellac on page 5727: Superimposes one material on another.
Top/Bottom on page 5729: Stores two materials. One material is rendered on an
object's top faces and the other is rendered on the object's bottom faces,
depending on whether a face normal points up or down.
Procedures
To have the Browser list only materials:
■
At the top of the Show group, leave Materials on and turn off Maps.
NOTE This option is available only at the material level in the Material Editor.
Compound Materials | 5707
Blend Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Blend
Blend material combines bricks and stucco.
The Blend material lets you mix two materials on a single side of the surface.
Blend has an animatable Mix Amount parameter that lets you draw material
morphing on page 8049 function curves to control the way that the two materials
are blended over time.
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
Procedures
To create a Blend material:
1 Activate a sample slot in the Material Editor.
2 Click the Type button.
3 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, choose Blend and then click
OK.
5708 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
A Replace Map on page 5376 dialog is displayed. This dialog asks whether
you want to discard the original material in the slot, or retain it as a
sub-material.
Blend materials have similar controls to Mix maps.
To specify a component material:
■
In the Blend Basic Parameters rollout, click one of the two material buttons.
The parameters for the sub-material are displayed. By default, a sub-material
is a Standard material with Blinn shading.
To control the mix amount:
■
In the Basic Parameters rollout, adjust the Mix Amount value.
You can also control the mix amount by using a map.
Map used to reveal brick beneath stucco
To control the mix amount using a map:
■
In the Basic Parameters rollout, click the map button next to Mask.
The Browser is displayed so you can select a map type.
The intensity of pixels in this mixing map controls the mix. When the
intensity is close to zero, one of the component colors or maps is visible;
when it is close to full intensity, the other component is visible.
Compound Materials | 5709
TIP Using a Noise map for the mixing map can give good effects that have a
natural appearance.
Mix Amount is unavailable while a map is assigned to this parameter. If
Use Curve is turned off, the mixing map is used as is. If Use Curve is on,
you can shift the effect of the mixing map's gradient ramp to reveal more
of one material and less of the other.
Interface
Material 1/Material 2 Set the two materials to be blended. Use the check
boxes to turn the materials on and off.
Interactive Chooses which of the two materials is displayed on object surfaces
in viewports by the interactive renderer.
If one material has Show Map in Viewport on page 5350 on, this takes precedence
over the Interactive setting. Only one map at a time can be displayed in
viewports.
5710 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mask Sets a map to use as a mask. The degree of blending between the two
materials depends on the intensity of the mask map. Lighter (whiter) areas of
the mask show more of Material 1, while darker (blacker) areas of the mask
show more of Material 2. Use the check box to turn the mask map on or off.
Mix Amount Determines the proportion of the blend (percentage). 0 means
only Material 1 is visible on the surface; 100 means only Material 2 is visible.
Unavailable if you have assigned a mask map and the mask's check box is on.
You can animate this parameter. Create Material Preview on page 5333 is useful
for testing the effect.
Mixing Curve group
The mixing curve affects how gradual or how sharp the transition between
the two colors being blended will be. It affects the blend only when a mask
map is assigned.
TIP For mottled effects, blend two standard materials using a noise map as a mask.
Use Curve Determines whether the Mixing Curve affects the mix. This control
is available only when a mask is assigned and active.
Transition Zone These values adjust the level of the Upper and Lower limits.
If the two values are the same, the two materials meet at a definite edge. Wider
ranges give more gradual blending from one sub-material to the other. The
mixing curve displays the effect of changing these values.
Composite Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Composite
Composite material composites on page 7937 up to 10 materials. The materials
are superimposed from top to bottom, as listed in the rollout. Materials are
combined using additive opacity on page 7901, subtractive opacity on page 8140,
or mixed using an Amount value.
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
See also:
■
Composite Map on page 5918
Compound Materials | 5711
Interface
Base Material Displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, where you
assign the base material. By default, the base material is a Standard material.
5712 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The other materials are composited by superimposing them on top of this
material, in order from top to bottom.
Mat 1 through Mat 9 Each of these nine groups contains controls for a
material to composite. By default, no materials are assigned.
Check box When on, uses the material in the composite. When off, doesn't
use it. Default=on.
Button Displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, where you assign a
material to composite.
ASM buttons These buttons control how the material is composited.
Default=A.
■
A This material uses additive opacity on page 7901. Colors in the material
are summed based on their opacity.
■
S This material uses subtractive opacity on page 8140. Colors in the material
are subtracted based on their opacity.
■
M This material mixes materials based on the Amount value (see
following). Both color and opacity are blended as they are when you use
a Blend material on page 5708 with no mask.
Amount Controls the amount of mixing. Default=100.0.
For additive (A) and subtractive (S) compositing, the Amount value can range
from 0 to 200. When the Amount is 0.0, no compositing happens, and the
material below is not visible. When the Amount is 100.0, the composite is
complete. When the amount is greater than 100.0, compositing is "overloaded":
transparent portions of the material become more opaque, until the material
below is no longer visible.
For mix (M) compositing, the Amount can range from 0.0 to 100.0. When
the Amount is 0.0, no compositing happens, and the material below is not
visible. When the amount is 100.0, compositing is complete, and only the
material below is visible.
Double-Sided Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Double-Sided
Compound Materials | 5713
On the right, a double-sided material creates a pattern for the inside of the trash can.
The Double-Sided material lets you assign two different materials to the front
and back faces of an object.
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
Procedures
To create a double-sided material:
1 Activate a sample slot in the Material Editor.
2 Click the Type button.
3 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Double-Sided and then click OK.
A Replace Map dialog on page 5376 is displayed. This dialog asks whether
you want to discard the original material in the slot, or retain it as a
sub-material.
5714 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Double-Sided material controls let you choose the two materials, and
the translucency of the material overall.
To choose the outer material:
■
Click the button labeled Facing Material.
The parameters for the sub-material are displayed. By default, a sub-material
is a Standard material with Blinn shading.
To choose the inner material:
1 Go back to the parent material (parameters for the Double-Sided material).
2 On the Double-Sided Basic Parameters rollout, click the button labeled
Back Material.
The parameters for the sub-material are displayed. By default, a
sub-material is a Standard material with Blinn shading.
To make the material translucent:
■
Set Translucency to a value greater than 0.
The Translucency control affects the blending of the two materials. When
Translucency is 0, there is no blend. When Translucency is 100.0 percent,
the outer material is visible on inner faces and the inner material is visible
on outer faces. At intermediate values, the specified percentage of the inner
material "bleeds through" and is visible on outer faces.
Interface
Translucency Sets the amount that one material shows through the other.
This is a percentage that can range from 0.0 to 100.0. At 100 percent, the outer
material is visible on inner faces and the inner material is visible on outer
Compound Materials | 5715
faces. At intermediate values, the specified percentage of the inner material
"bleeds through" and is visible on outer faces. Default=0.0.
You can animate this parameter.
Facing Material and Back Material Click to display the Material/Map Browser
on page 5290 and choose a material for one side or the other.
Use the check boxes to turn the materials on or off.
Morpher Material
Material Editor > Type button (labeled Standard by default) > Material/Map
Browser > Morpher material
Procedures on page 5717 Interface on page 5718
The Morpher material works hand-in-hand with the Morpher modifier. You
can use it to make the cheeks of a character blush, or to wrinkle a character's
forehead when the eyebrows are raised. With the Morpher modifier's channel
spinners, you can blend materials the same way you morph the geometry.
The Morpher material has 100 material channels that map directly to the 100
channels in the Morpher modifier. After you apply the Morpher material to
an object and bind it to the Morpher modifier, you use the channel spinners
in the Morpher modifier to morph materials and geometry. Empty channels
in the Morpher modifier, with no geometry morph data, can be used to morph
materials only.
NOTE The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the Morpher material.
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
See also:
■
Morpher Modifier on page 1545
5716 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Applying the Morpher Material
An object must have at least one Morpher modifier in its modifier stack. You
can assign the material to an object and bind it to the object's Morpher
modifier in either of two ways.
■
After the Morpher modifier is applied to an object, use the Assign New
Material command in the Global Parameter rollout of the Morpher modifier.
This is the simplest way, and applies the Morpher Material to the object
and binds the material to the Morpher modifier at the same time.
■
Open the Material Editor, select the Morpher material, and click Choose
Morph Object in the Parameters rollout, then click the object in the
viewports. After clicking the object, a dialog displays in the viewports,
select the Morpher modifier from the dialog (an object may have multiple
Morpher modifiers). This binds the Morpher material to the Morpher
modifier.
NOTE You can bind a Morpher material to only one Morpher modifier.
Procedures
Example: To apply and use the Morpher material:
1 Create a sphere in the Perspective viewport.
2
On the Modify panel, right-click the sphere's entry in the modifier
stack display, and choose Convert To: Editable Mesh.
3 From the Modifier List, choose Morpher.
This applies the Morpher modifier to the sphere.
4 On the Morpher modifier's Global Parameters rollout, click Assign New
Material.
The Morpher material is now applied to the object and bound to the
Morpher modifier.
5
Open the Material Editor, and click Pick Material from Object
(the eyedropper), then click the sphere in the viewports.
The Material Editor displays the Morpher material parameters.
6 On the Morpher Material Parameters rollout, click the Mat 1 slot.
Compound Materials | 5717
7 On the Material/Map Browser choose Standard.
8 On the Basic Parameters rollout, click the Diffuse color swatch.
9 On the Color Selector, choose a bright yellow, and close the color selector.
Leave the Material Editor open.
10
Turn on the Auto Key button, then move the time slider to
frame 50.
11
Select the sphere, and then open the Modify panel.
12 On the Morpher modifier's Channel List rollout, set the channel 1 spinner
to 100.
In the Material Editor, the color of the sample sphere changes to yellow.
13 On the main toolbar, click Render.
The sphere is yellow. If you render an animation the sphere changes from
a grey color to yellow.
Interface
The Morpher material interface is on a Parameters rollout in the Material
Editor.
5718 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Modifier Connection group
Choose Morph Object Click this option, then select an object in the viewports
that has a Morpher modifier applied to it. Clicking an object in the viewports
displays the Choose Morpher modifier dialog. Choose a Morpher modifier,
and click Bind.
Name Field Displays the name of object to which the Morpher material is
applied. If no object has been specified, the field displays "No Target".
Refresh Updates the channel data.
Marker List This list is identical to the marker list in the Morpher modifier.
Markers you save in the Morpher modifier appear here.
Base Material group
Base material button Click to apply a base material to the object. The base
material represents what the model looks like before any channel blending
takes place.
Channel Material Setup group
Map # 100 material channels are available. The scroll bar allows you to scroll
through all the channels. Double-click a channel to jump to the material
parameters for that channel.
Compound Materials | 5719
There is a one-to-one correspondence between the channels in the Morpher
material and the Morpher modifier. A material in channel 1 of the Morpher
material is controlled by the channel 1 spinner in the Morpher modifier.
Material on/off toggle Turns a channel on and off. Channels that are off do
not affect the morph result.
Mixing Calculation Options group
The system can slow down if there are many active materials being blended.
Options in this group allow you to control when the morph result will be
computed.
Constantly Choose to compute the material morph result all the time.
When Rendering Choose to compute the material morph result at render
time.
Never Calculate Choose to bypass material blending.
Multi/Sub-Object Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Multi/Sub-Object
5720 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Figure mapped using a Multi/Sub-Object material
The Multi/Sub-Object material lets you assign different materials at the
sub-object level of your geometry. You create a multi-material, assign it to an
object, and then use the Mesh Select modifier on page 1527 to select faces and
choose which of the sub-materials in the multi-material are assigned to the
selected faces.
If the object is an editable mesh on page 2075, you can drag and drop materials
to different selections of faces, building a Multi/Sub-Object material on the
fly. See Drag and Drop Sub-Object Material Assignment on page 5312.
You can also create a new Multi/Sub-Object material by dragging to faces
selected with the Edit Mesh modifier on page 1353.
Sub-material IDs do not depend on the order of the list, and you can enter
new ID values.
The Make Unique button on page 5346 in the Material Editor lets you make an
instanced sub-material into a unique copy.
At the Multi/Sub-Object material level, the sample slot's sample object shows
a patchwork of the sub-materials. When you edit a sub-material, the sample
Compound Materials | 5721
slot display depends on the setting of the Simple Multi Display Below Top
Level toggle in the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335.
Using Multi/Sub-Object Materials
Here are some usage tips with regards to mesh editing and managing
sub-materials.
■
When working at sub-object levels of Editable Meshes, Polys, Patches and
Splines, or with objects that have Edit Mesh, Spline or Patch modifiers
applied to them, you can browse by sub-material names if the object has
a multi-sub-object material applied to it.
■
Sub-materials that are not assigned to an object, or surface of an object,
can be 'cleaned' from the Multi-Sub-Object material by using the Clean
MultiMaterial utility on page 6052.
■
Duplicate maps, assigned to materials, can be changed to instances by
using the Instance Duplicate Maps utility on page 6058.
Procedures
To create a Multi/Sub-Object material:
1 Activate a sample slot in the Material Editor.
2 Click the Type button.
3 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, choose Multi/Sub-Object and
then click OK.
A Replace Map dialog on page 5376 is displayed. This dialog asks whether
you want to discard the original material in the slot, or retain it as a
sub-material.
The controls for a Multi/Sub-Object material are essentially a list of the
sub-materials it contains.
To assign a sub-material:
■
On the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click a sub-material
button.
The parameters for the sub-material appear. By default, a sub-material is a
Standard material with Blinn shading.
5722 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To make one of the sub-materials a solid color:
On the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click the color swatch
next to the sub-material button.
In the Color Selector on page 391, choose a color.
■
The color swatches for sub-materials are shortcuts. They assign the color
you choose to the sub-material's Diffuse component.
To assign one of the sub-materials to a sub-object selection:
1 Select the object, and assign a Multi/Sub-Object material to it.
2
On the Modify panel on page 7633, apply Mesh Select on page 1527
to the object.
3 Click Sub-Object and choose Face as the sub-object category.
4 Select the faces to which you will assign a sub-material.
5 Apply a Material modifier on page 1517, and set the material ID value to
the number of the sub-material you want to assign.
The viewport updates to show the sub-material assigned to the selected
faces.
The material ID values in the Multi/Sub-Object material and the material
ID numbers in the Select Face rollout correspond. If you set the ID to a
number that doesn't correspond to a material contained in the
Multi/Sub-Object material, the faces render as black.
WARNING Some geometric primitives do not use 1 as the default material ID,
and some, such as hedra or box, have multiple material IDs by default.
TIP You can also use the Edit Mesh modifier on page 1353 to assign a contained
material to selected faces. Apply Edit Mesh to the object, go to the Face sub-object
level, and select the faces to assign. Then on the Edit Surface rollout, set the material
ID value to the ID of the sub-material. (You can drag and drop on page 5312 a
Multi/Sub-Object material to an Edit Mesh modifier as you can to an editable mesh
object.)
To add a new sub-material:
■
Click Add.
Compound Materials | 5723
A new sub-material is added to the end of the list. By default, the new
sub-material's ID number is one greater than the highest material ID already
in use.
To remove a sub-material:
1 Select the sub-material by clicking its small sample sphere in the
Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout.
The small sample sphere is surrounded by a black and white border to
show the sub-material is selected.
If the list of sub-materials is longer than the rollout will hold, you can
use the scroll bar at the right to display other parts of the list.
2 Click Delete.
The sub-material is removed.
Deleting a sub-material is an undoable operation.
5724 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Number This field displays the number of sub-materials contained in the
Multi/Sub-Object material.
Set Number Sets the number of sub-materials make up the material. At the
Multi/Sub-Object material level, the sample slot's sample object shows a
patchwork of the sub-materials. (When you edit a sub-material, the sample
slot display depends on the setting of the Simple Multi Display Below Top
Level toggle on the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335.)
Compound Materials | 5725
Reducing the number of sub-materials removes sub-materials from the end of
the list. You can undo Set Number when you have used it to delete materials.
Add Click to add a new sub-material to the list. By default, the new
sub-material's ID number is one greater than the highest material ID already
in use.
Delete Click to delete the currently chosen sub-material from the list. You
can undo deleting a sub-material.
Sort list controls
These buttons appear above three of the columns in the sub-materials list.
ID Click to sort the list so it begins with the sub-material that has the lowest
material ID, and ends with the sub-material that has the highest material ID.
Name Click to sort the list by the names you have entered in the Name
column.
Sub-Material Click to sort the list by the sub-material names that appear on
the Sub-Material buttons.
List of sub-materials
Each sub-material has a single entry in this list. The rollout displays up to 10
sub-materials at a time. If the Multi/Sub-Object material contains more than
10 sub-materials, you can scroll the list using the scrollbar at the right.
Each sub-material in the list has the following controls:
Small sample sphere The small sample sphere is a "mini-preview" of the
sub-material. Click it to select this sub-material. You must select a sub-material
before you delete it.
ID Shows the ID number assigned to this sub-material. You can edit this field
to change the ID number. If you assign two sub-materials the same ID, a
warning message appears at the top of the rollout.
When the Multi/Sub-Object material is applied to an object, faces in the object
assigned the same material ID number render with this sub-material.
You can click Sort by ID to sort the sub-material list by this value, from lowest
to highest.
NOTE Sometimes the Sub-Material button shows a material number. This is not
the sub-material ID.
5726 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Name Lets you enter a custom name for the material. A sub-material name
appears in the Name on page 5360 field when you're at the level of the
sub-material. It also appears in the Browser and the Navigator.
Sub-Material button Click the sub-material button to create or edit one of
the sub-materials. Each of the sub-materials is a complete material in its own
right, with as many maps on page 8036 and levels as you want.
By default, each sub-material is a Standard material on page 5395 with Blinn
shading on page 5426.
Color swatch Click the color swatch to the right of the Sub-Material button
to display the Color Selector on page 391 and choose a diffuse color for the
sub-material.
On/Off toggle Turns the sub-material on or off. When a sub-material is off,
it appears black in the sample slot and on objects in the scene. Default=on.
Shellac Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Shellac
Shellac material mixes two materials by superimposing one over the other.
Colors in the superimposed material, called the "shellac" material, are added
to colors in the base material. A Shellac Color Blend parameter controls the
amount of color mixing.
Compound Materials | 5727
Top: Base material
Middle: Shellac material
Bottom: Materials combined with a shellac color blend value of 50%
5728 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
Interface
Base Material Goes to the level of the base sub-material. By default, the base
material is a Standard material with Blinn shading.
Shellac Material Goes to the level of the shellac material. By default, the
shellac material is a Standard material with Blinn shading.
Shellac Color Blend Controls the amount of color mixing. At 0.0, the shellac
material has no effect. Increasing the Shellac Color Blend value increases the
amount of shellac material color blended into the base material color. There
is no upper limit on this parameter. Large values "overload" the shellac material
colors. Default=0.0.
You can animate this parameter.
Top/Bottom Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Top/Bottom
Compound Materials | 5729
Top/bottom material gives the pot a charred bottom.
The Top/Bottom material lets you assign two different materials to the top
and bottom portions of an object. You can blend the materials into one
another.
The object's top faces are those whose normals point up. The bottom faces
have normals that point down. You can choose whether "up" and "down"
refer to the scene's world coordinates or to the object's local coordinates.
NOTE If even one sub-material has its shading set to Wire (see Shader Basic
Parameters Rollout on page 5397), the entire material displays and renders as a wire
material.
Procedures
To create a top/bottom material:
1 Activate a sample slot in the Material Editor.
2 Click the Type button.
5730 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 In the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, choose Top/Bottom and then
click OK.
A Replace Map on page 5376 dialog is displayed. This dialog asks whether
you want to discard the original material in the slot, or retain it as a
sub-material.
The Top/Bottom material controls let you choose the two materials, and
also the transition between them.
To choose the top or bottom material:
■
On the Top/Bottom Basic Parameters rollout, click the Top Material button
or the Bottom Material button.
The parameters for the sub-material appear. By default, a sub-material is a
Standard material with Blinn shading.
To swap the two component materials:
■
In the Basic Parameters rollout, click Swap.
The remaining controls, described in the "Interface" section, affect the
transition between top and bottom.
Interface
Compound Materials | 5731
Top Material and Bottom Material Click to display the parameters for the
top or bottom sub-material. By default, a sub-material is a Standard material
with Blinn shading.
The check box to the right of each button lets you turn off that material,
making it invisible in the scene and in the sample slot.
Swap Swaps the position of the top and bottom materials
Coordinates group
Controls in this group let you choose how the software determines the
boundary between top and bottom.
World Faces point up or down according to the scene's world coordinates.
When you rotate the object, the boundary between top and bottom faces
remains in place.
Local Faces point up or down according to the object's local coordinates.
When you rotate the object, the material rotates with it.
Blend Blends the edge between the top and bottom sub-materials. This is a
percentage that can range from 0 to 100. At 0, there is a sharp line between
the top and bottom sub-materials. At 100, the top and bottom sub-materials
tint each other. Default=0.
You can animate this parameter.
Position Determines where the division between the two materials lies on an
object. This is a percentage that can range from 0 to 100. 0 is at the bottom
of the object, and displays only the top material. 100 is at the top of the object,
and displays only the bottom material. Default=50.
You can animate this parameter.
Shell Material
Render to a texture. > Material Editor > Pick Material from Object > Click
object with “baked” material.
The Shell material is for use with texture baking on page 6371. When you use
Render To Texture to bake a texture, it creates a Shell material that contains
two materials: the original material used in the rendering, and the baked
material. The baked material is a bitmap that is saved to disk by Render To
Texture. It is “baked,” or attached to an object in the scene.
5732 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Shell material is a container for other materials, like Multi/Sub-Object. It
also lets you control which material is used in which renderings.
NOTE The Material/Map Browser lists the Shell material when you assign a new
material. You can apply two materials to a single object this way, but changing a
material's type to Shell does not generate a baked texture that is saved to disk.
Procedures
To load a shell material into a sample slot:
1 Click an unused sample slot.
2
Click Pick Material From Object.
3 In a viewport, click an object that has a baked material.
The sample slot now contains the baked material, and the Shell Material
Parameters rollout is displayed.
Interface
Original Material Displays the name of the original material. Click the button
to view that material and adjust its settings.
Baked Material Displays the name of the baked material. Click the button to
view that material and adjust its settings.
In addition to the color and mapping of the original material, the baked
material can include shadows from lighting, and other information. Also, a
baked material has a fixed resolution.
Shell Material | 5733
Viewport Use these buttons to choose which material appears in shaded
viewports: the original material (upper button) or the baked material (lower
button).
Render Use these buttons to choose which material appears in renderings:
the original material (upper button) or the baked material (lower button).
Advanced Lighting Override Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Advanced Lighting
Override
This material lets you directly control the radiosity properties of a material.
Advanced Lighting Override is always a supplement to a base material, which
can be any renderable material. The Advanced Lighting Override material has
no effect on ordinary renderings. It affects the radiosity solution on page 6168
or light tracing on page 6154. Advanced Lighting Override has two main uses:
■
Adjusting the material properties used in a radiosity solution or light tracing
■
Creating special effects such as having self-illuminating objects contribute
energy to the radiosity solution
As the rollout for the Advanced Lighting Override material states, you don’t
have to apply this material to obtain a radiosity solution, and most models
will never require it.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the Advanced
Lighting Override material.
Obtaining a Better Image
Materials that use default settings can be highly reflective. This can lead to
overexposed or washed-out radiosity solutions. In general, the best way to
adjust this is to reduce the HSV Value (V) of a material color; or, for a
bitmapped material, reduce the RGB Level. In some situations, Radiosity
Override can improve the appearance of the radiosity solution. Examples of
situations where Radiosity Override can help include color bleeding and large
dark areas:
■
You might want to reduce Reflectance Scale or Color Bleed when a large
area of color (for example, a red carpet in a room with white walls) creates
excessive color bleeding. This might be physically accurate, but the eye
5734 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
adjusts for such effects, and the radiosity result might look better with less
reflectance or less color bleeding.
Left: Excessive bleeding of the floor color onto the walls and ceiling.
Right: Radiosity Override material reduces the floor’s reflectance, causing less
bleeding.
■
You might want to increase Reflectance Scale when the scene includes a
large dark area (for example, a black floor). This can lead to a very dark
radiosity result. You can maintain the floor’s color but increase reflectance,
giving the solution the colors you want while increasing its brightness.
The room is lit only by spotlights pointed at the floor. Increasing reflectance of the
floor brightens the entire room.
Advanced Lighting Override Material | 5735
TIP Check the reflectance and transmittance display on page 5324 to get an
idea of how the current material will affect the radiosity solution or light-traced
rendering.
Creating Special Effects
Self-illumination on page 5440 makes an object appear to glow in ordinary
renderings, but does not contribute energy to the radiosity solution. To have
radiosity processing take a self-illuminating material into account, make this
material the base material of Advanced Lighting Override, then increase the
value of Luminance Scale.
Upper left: By default, self-illuminated neon lights do not influence the scene light.
Right: Advanced Lighting Override material scales the neon lights’ Luminance so the
radiosity solution can take it into account.
Luminance scale takes self-illumination mapping on page 5469 into account.
You can use this to model effects such as a computer monitor in a darkened
room.
5736 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Special Effects group of the Advanced Lighting Override material also has
a control for adjusting the quality of bump mapping on page 5478 in areas of
indirect lighting.
Procedures
To adjust a material’s reflectance and transmittance:
1 Create a material for your scene.
2 Click the Type button and choose Advanced Lighting Override.
3 In the Replace Material dialog on page 5376, choose Keep Old Material As
Sub-Material, and click OK.
4 Adjust the Reflectance Scale and Transmittance Scale parameters. As you
do, watch the Reflectance and Transmittance display, and make sure the
values are good for a radiosity solution. For example, 85 percent
reflectance is about the highest that will work with radiosity. Most
real-world materials have much lower reflectance.
See Reflectance and Transmittance Display on page 5324 for some reflectance
properties of real-world materials.
To make a self-illuminating material emit radiosity energy:
1 Create a material that is self-illuminating.
2 Click the Type button and choose Advanced Lighting Override.
3 In the Replace Material dialog on page 5376, choose Keep Old Material As
Sub-Material, and click OK.
4 Increase the value of Luminance Scale to have the material emit energy
for radiosity processing.
Advanced Lighting Override Material | 5737
Interface
Override Material Physical Properties group
These parameters directly control the base material’s advanced lighting
properties.
WARNING There is no problem with reducing the default scale, but increasing it
for any of these parameters might cause colors to “burn out”: if the scale is too
great, they render as pure white, appearing overexposed.
Reflectance Scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy the material
reflects. Range=0.1 to 5.0. Default=1.0.
5738 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflectance Scale increases or decreases the energy of reflected rays.
TIP Don’t use this control to increase self-illumination. Use the Luminance Scale
instead. Luminance Scale is in the Special Effects group (below).
Color Bleed Increases or decreases the saturation of reflected color. Range=0.0
to 1.0. Default=1.0.
Color Bleed increases or decreases the saturation of reflected color.
Transmittance Scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy the material
transmits. Range=0.1 to 5.0. Default=1.0.
Advanced Lighting Override Material | 5739
Transmittance Scale increases or decreases the energy of transmitted rays.
NOTE This parameter affects only radiosity. It has no effect on light tracing.
Special Effects group
These parameters relate to specific components in the base material.
Luminance Scale (cd/m^2) When greater than zero, scales the
self-illumination component on page 5440 of the base material. Use this
parameter to have self-illuminating objects contribute energy to the radiosity
or light-traced solution. Cannot be less than zero. Default=0.0.
Typically, a value of 500 or more will give good results.
Indirect Light Bump Scale Scales the effect of the base material’s bump
mapping on page 5478 in areas lit by indirect light. When this value is zero, no
bump mapping is done for indirect light. Increasing Indirect Light Bump Scale
increases the bump effect under indirect lighting. This value does not affect
the Bump amount in areas where the base material is lit directly. Cannot be
less than zero. Default=1.0.
TIP This parameter is useful because indirect bump mapping is simulated and not
always accurate. Indirect Light Bump Scale lets you adjust the effect by hand.
Base Material Click to go to the base material and adjust its components. You
can also replace the base material with a different material type.
To return from the base material to the Advanced Lighting Override
level, click Go To Parent.
5740 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Lightscape Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Lightscape Mtl
The Lightscape material lets you set radiosity behavior for 3ds Max materials
you want to use in existing Lightscape radiosity meshes.
NOTE This material is for use with Lightscape. It is not meant for use with the
advanced lighting solution in 3ds Max. For adjusting a material's radiosity properties
in 3ds Max, use the Advanced Lighting Override material on page 5734.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the Lightscape
material.
Interface
Radiosity Mapping group
Brightness Controls the brightness of the displayed image on your monitor.
The setting of this control does not affect the actual lighting levels in the
model. Note: The default value is exactly the same as the values set in the
Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Lightscape Material | 5741
Contrast Controls the contrast between light and dark regions in the model.
Note: The default value is exactly the same as the values set in the Import
Lightscape Solution dialog.
Ambient Light Controls the amount of 3ds Max ambient light that will be
mixed in with the radiosity calculations. If the value is 0, none of the 3ds Max
ambient light is used. If the value is 1, the 3ds Max ambient light value is
added into the radiosity calculations. Default=0.0.
Bump Amount This value controls the strength of the bump map that is
applied to the lighting from Lightscape, as opposed to lighting done by 3ds
Max. It can be separately controlled from the bump amount in the 3ds Max
material, so you can adjust the bumps in Lightscape lighting to match the
bumps in 3ds Max lighting. Default=5.0.
Daylight Determines whether you want natural daylight to be used in the
calculation. Note: The default value is exactly the same as the values set in
the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Exterior Scene Used for exterior daylight simulations. Note: The default value
is exactly the same as the values set in the Import Lightscape Solution dialog.
Apply Changes to All Lightscape Materials Determines whether or not the
changes you make in this dialog are applied to every Lightscape Radiosity
material. Default=off.
Disable Radiosity Determines whether or not the radiosity is calculated. This
option provides a quick way to see the effect of the Lightscape-specific
illumination. Default-off.
Base Material Displays the base 3ds Max material to which the radiosity
illumination is applied. (The base material displays on the object while the
Lightscape Radiosity material adds radiosity effects.) Use this button to change
the base material on the object.
Ink 'n Paint Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > Ink 'n Paint
The Ink 'n Paint material creates cartoon effects. Rather than the
three-dimensional, realistic effect most other materials provide, Ink 'n Paint
provides flat shading with “inked” borders.
5742 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Snake rendered with ink 'n paint
Because Ink 'n Paint is a material, you can create a scene that combines
3D-shaded objects with flat-shaded cartoon objects.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5743
Rendering that combines realistic shading with cartoon shading
In the Ink 'n Paint material, ink and paint are two separate components, with
customizable settings.
5744 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: The paint component only
Right: The ink component only
TIP Ink 'n Paint uses the raytracer settings on page 6221, so adjusting raytrace
acceleration can have an effect on the speed of Ink 'n Paint. Also, while you work
with Ink 'n Paint, disabling antialiasing can speed up the material, until you're
ready to create final renderings. (Turning off Ink really speeds it up.)
NOTE Motion blur does not work with Ink 'n Paint. (Typically, hand-drawn cartoons
are not motion blurred.)
NOTE Shadows don't appear on objects shaded with Ink 'n Paint unless the value
of Paint Levels is 4 or greater.
WARNING Ink 'n paint will only give correct results when rendered from a camera
or perspective view. It does not work in orthographic views.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5745
Using Ink 'n Paint
You can use Ink 'n Paint on multiple objects, but in general, it tends to work
best if you do the following:
1 Collect the objects for cartoon rendering into a single surface model such
as an Editable Mesh.
2 Assign different material ID values on page 8038 to portions of the model
you want to color differently.
Typically, you would do this at the Element sub-object level, although
you can certainly apply different material IDs to faces and polygons as
well.
3 Create a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720. In it, create a sub-material
for each of the colors in the model. Make each sub-material an Ink 'n
Paint material, then assign colors and maps using each sub-material's
Paint controls.
If necessary, adjust the Ink controls as well.
TIP ActiveShade on page 6102 works with the Ink 'n Paint material, and can be a
good way to preview the material's effect.
Troubleshooting
Here are some commonly encountered problems, and potential solutions:
■
Internal ink lines are missing.
The Overlap bias is probably too high. Decrease it. If Underlap is turned
on, this might also have too high a bias.
Another possible reason is that you have a self-intersecting object, or an
object built by attaching smaller objects, thus creating intersecting faces.
In this case, set up the objects to use the Mat ID or SmGroup ink
components. If elements already have differing material IDs, try turning
off Only Adjacent Faces.
■
Ink looks sloppy on sloping parts of the object.
The Overlap or Underlap bias might be too low. Try increasing it.
■
Ink looks sloppy between interpenetrating objects.
Find out which ink component is the sloppy one. Then adjust its bias
control.
■
Ink lines disappear or are too narrow when Variable Width is on.
5746 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Turn on Clamp. You can also try to see if reducing the lighting level helps.
Or, you can try turning off Variable Width, then assigning a Falloff map
on page 5877 to the Ink Width component.
TIP To isolate which ink component is causing a problem, you can try assigning
each component a different, distinctive (and easy to read) color, then rendering
the image.
WARNING Ink 'n paint will only give correct results when rendered from a camera
or perspective view. It does not work in orthographic views.
Interface
Basic Material Extensions rollout
2-Sided Makes the material 2-sided on page 7893. Applies the material to both
sides of selected faces.
Face Map Applies the material to the faces of the geometry. If the material is
a mapped material, it requires no mapping coordinates on page 8034. The map
is automatically applied to each facet of the object.
Faceted Renders each face of a surface as if it were flat.
Fog BG when not painting When paint is turned off, the painted areas of
the material color are the same as the background. This toggle, when on, lets
the background in paint areas be affected by fog between the camera and the
object. Default=off.
Opaque alpha When on, the alpha channel is opaque even if ink or paint is
turned off. Default=off.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5747
Bump Adds bump mapping to the material.
■
Toggle
When on, enables the bump map.
■
Spinner
Controls the bump map amount.
■
Map button
Click to assign a map to use for bump mapping.
Displacement Adds displacement mapping to the material.
■
Toggle
When on, enables the displacement map.
■
Spinner
Controls the displacement map amount.
■
Map button
Click to assign a map to use for displacement mapping.
Paint Controls rollout
Paint is the main color of the material.
There are three main components of the “paint” of Ink 'n Paint. Each has
several associated controls, most of which are documented toward the end of
this section.
Lighted The fill color for the lighted side of objects. Default=light blue.
Turning off this component makes the object invisible, except for the ink.
Default=on.
5748 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: A lighted character
Right: Lighted and Highlight both turned off to render only the ink
■
Paint Levels The number of shades of color that are rendered, from light
to dark. Lower values make objects look flatter. Range=1 to 255. Default=2.
Increasing the value of Levels increases the number of shades of the basic color
seen in the lighted area.
Shaded The value in the spinner at the left is the percent of the Lighted color
that appears on the unlighted side of objects. Default=70.0.
Turning off this component displays a color swatch, which you can use to
assign a distinct color to shaded areas. Default=on.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5749
Increasing the value of Shaded increases the saturation of the shaded area. You can
also use Shaded to assign a distinct color for shading.
Highlight The color of the specular highlight. Default=white.
When this component is off, there is no specular highlight. Default=off.
TIP A specular highlight can destroy the illusion of 2D. Use this component
sparingly.
Left: No highlights
5750 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Right: Highlight on
■
Glossiness The size of the specular highlight. The greater the Glossiness,
the smaller the highlight. Default=50.0.
Increasing glossiness decreases the size of the highlight.
Color component controls:
These are the controls that are duplicated for each of the paint components.
Each has an on/off toggle, a main control, and then on the right, a set of map
controls.
■
Check box The check box at the left of the rollout enables or disables
that particular component. In the case of Shaded, it toggles between a
percentage value (of the Lighted color) or a distinct Shaded color.
■
Color swatch or spinner The main control for each component. Click a
color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391 and set the color of
the component. In the case of Shaded, this control can also be a percentage
spinner.
■
Map spinner The spinner to the right of the main control is the
percentage of the map to use. Default=100.0.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5751
Mapping the Lighted component
Right rear: The original, unmapped material
Left: Lighted component with a falloff map applied
Right front: Lighted component with a bitmap applied
■
Map check box The check box between the spinner and the button
enables or disables the map. Default=off until a map is assigned, then on.
■
Map button Click the button to assign a map to this component.
While a map is assigned and enabled, at 100 percent it completely overrides
the main color component. At lower percentages, the map is blended with
the color.
Ink Controls rollout
Ink is the linework, the outlines, in the material.
5752 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Except for Ink Width, each of the ink components has an on/off toggle and
a color swatch. Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391
and change the ink component's color. Each ink component, Ink Width
included, also has a set of map controls.
Ink When on, the rendering is “inked.” When off, no ink lines appear.
Default=on.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5753
Left: Rendering with ink
Right: Ink turned off
Ink Quality Affects the shape of the brush and the number of samples it uses.
When Quality equals 1, the brush is a “+” shape, and samples are taken over
an area of 5 pixels. When Quality equals 2, the brush is octagonal and the
samples are taken over an area of 9 to 15 pixels. When Quality equals 3, the
brush is nearly circular, and samples are taken over an area of 30 pixels.
Range=1 to 3. Default=1.
TIP For most models, increasing the Quality value introduces only a very subtle
change, and can take considerably longer to render. Do so only when a sub-object's
ink shows too many artifacts in the finished rendering, using the default Ink Quality.
(Don't rely on the ActiveShade preview, which will tend to be aliased.)
Ink Width The width of the ink, in pixels. This is specified by the spinner
labeled Min (minimum) unless Variable Width is on. When Variable Width
is on, the Max (maximum) spinner is also enabled, and the ink width can vary
between the minimum and maximum values. Default: Min=2.0, Max=4.0.
5754 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Left: One-pixel ink width
Middle: Five-pixel ink width
Right: Ink width varies from one to five pixels.
Variable Width When on, the ink's width can vary between the minimum
and maximum Ink Width values. Ink with Variable Width looks a bit more
streamlined than ink with a constant width. Default=off.
The thickness of ink can be mapped.
Left: Thickness mapped with a gradient map
Right: Thickness mapped with a noise map
Clamp When Variable Width is on, sometimes the scene lighting causes some
ink lines to become so thin they nearly disappear. If this happens, turn on
Clamp, which forces the ink width to always remain between the Min and
Max values, regardless of the lighting. Default=off.
Outline The ink where the outer edges of the object appear against the
background or in front of a different object. Default=on.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5755
Left: Rendering the outline only
Right: Rendering only the overlap and underlap
■
Intersection Bias Use this to adjust artifacts that might appear when two
objects intersect each other. In effect, this moves the inked object closer
to the rendering point of view, or farther away, so Ink 'n Paint can decide
which object is in front. Positive values push the object away from the
point of view, negative values pull it closer. Default=0.0.
Overlap The ink used when a portion of an object overlaps itself. Default=on.
■
Overlap Bias Use this to adjust artifacts that might appear in ink that
traces the overlap. It says how far the overlap has to be in front of the rear
surface for Overlap ink to turn on. Positive values push the object away
from the point of view, negative values pull it closer. Default=10.0.
Underlap Similar to Overlap, but applies ink to the farther surface rather than
the nearer one. Default=off.
■
Underlap Bias Use this to adjust artifacts that might appear in ink that
traces the underlap. It says how far the underlap has to be behind the front
surface for Underlap ink to turn on. Positive values push the object away
from the point of view, negative values pull it closer. Default=0.0.
SmGroup The ink drawn between the boundaries of smoothing groups on
page 8130. In other words, it inks the edges of the object that have not been
smoothed. Default=on.
5756 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mat ID The ink drawn between different material ID values on page 8038.
Default=on.
TIP If two Ink 'n Paint materials overlap in the viewport, and both have Mat ID
on, you will often get a doubly thick ink line where they overlap. To correct this,
turn off the Mat ID component for one of these materials.
Inking the edges between sub-materials
■
Only Adjacent Faces When on, inks the material ID edge between adjacent
faces, but not between one object and another. When off, inks the material
ID edge between two objects or other non-adjacent faces. Default=on.
■
Intersection Bias When Only Adjacent Faces is turned off, use this to
adjust any artifacts that appear at the boundary between two objects with
different material IDs. Default=0.0.
Map controls There are map controls for each of the ink components: Width,
Outline, Overlap, Underlap, SmGroup, and Mat ID. These work the same as
they do for the material's paint components, as described above.
Ink 'n Paint Material | 5757
Mapping the outline and overlap components to simulate the look of drawing on paper
DirectX 9 Shader Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > DirectX 9 Shader
Note: Typically, this material is visible in the Browser only if DirectX 9 is
available on your system, and you are using the Direct3D display driver with
DirectX 9.0 chosen as the Direct3D version. If this material is not visible, you
can see it (in gray) by turning on Incompatible in the Show group.
The DirectX 9 Shader material enables you to shade objects in viewports using
DirectX 9 (DX9) shaders. With DirectX shading, materials in a viewport more
accurately represent how the material will appear in another application, or
on other hardware such as a game engine. You can use this material only
5758 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
when you are using the Direct3D Display driver on page 7802 and DirectX 9.0
is chosen as the Direct3D version.
DX9 shaders are FX files. Several sample FX files are provided in the \fx folder
in the 3ds Max program directory.
See also:
■
DirectX Shader group on page 5339
■
FX File on page 7990
Interface
DirectX 9 Shader rollout
Shader button Click to display a file dialog that lets you select a DX9 FX effect
(FX) file. By default, the default.fx file is chosen.
Reload Click to reload the active FX file. To update an FX file, you can edit
it and then click Reload. You don't have to restart 3ds Max to see the effect
of the changes to the shader.
Shader-specific rollouts
The rollouts that appear below the DirectX 9 Shader rollout and above the
Software Rendering rollout are the interface to the shader you chose. These
rollouts are specific to each shader.
Software Rendering rollout
Specifies a material that controls software shading and rendering of objects
to which the DirectX 9 Shader material is applied. Viewports use DX9 shading
DirectX 9 Shader Material | 5759
unless the Software or OpenGL driver is active. Renderings always use software
shading.
Usually you will want to choose a material that clearly identifies which objects
in your scene have the DirectX 9 Shader material applied.
NOTE The DirectX 9 Shader material has no specific settings for software shading.
Any type of 3ds Max material will do. Scenes from previous versions that used
DX9-specific settings are assigned a Standard material with equivalent rendering
properties.
NOTE If DirectX 9 is not available on your system, but you assign the DirectX 9
Shader material anyway (by using the Material/Map Browser's Incompatible option),
this is the only rollout that appears in the Material Editor.
DirectX Viewport Shaders
LightMap Shader Rollout
Material Editor > Viewport Manager rollout > Choose LightMap from the
drop-down list. > LightMap Shader rollout appears.
When you have chosen LightMap as the DirectX viewport shader on page 5393,
this rollout appears. The LightMap shader can display both a base texture and
a lighting map. Typically both these maps come from rendering to textures
(texture baking) on page 6371 The base texture typically would be a completed
map, a blend map, or a diffuse map. You can choose these map types, as well
as lighting map, to render as elements of a baked texture on page 6376.
NOTE In order to use the LightMap shader, you must have 3ds Max configured
to use the Direct3D graphics driver. To change the graphics driver configuration,
refer to the Viewport Preferences on page 7753 topic.
5760 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Base Texture group
Button Shows the name of the base texture. Click the button to display that
material's parameters, and adjust them if necessary.
Toggle When on, shaded viewports display the base texture. When off, it is
not displayed.
If both the Base Texture and Light Map toggles are off, the material appears
black in viewports.
Mapping Channel Shows the map channel on page 8032 this texture uses.
Light Map group
Button Shows the name of the lighting map.
Toggle When on, shaded viewports display the lighting map. When off, it is
not displayed.
If both the Base Texture and Light Map toggles are off, the material appears
black in viewports.
Mapping Channel Shows the map channel this texture uses.
Metal Bump Shader Rollout
Material Editor > Viewport Manager rollout > Choose LightMap from the
drop-down list. > Metal Bump Shader rollout appears.
DirectX Viewport Shaders | 5761
When you have chosen Metal Bump as the DirectX viewport shader on page
5393, this rollout appears. The Metal Bump shader can display a variety of
texture-baked maps on page 6371, including normal maps for an embossed
effect. It is good for displaying shiny surfaces.
NOTE In order to use the Metal Bump shader, you must have 3ds Max configured
to use the Direct3D graphics driver. To change the graphics driver configuration,
refer to the Viewport Preferences on page 7753 topic.
The Metal Bump shader's results are alway visible in viewports, regardless of
the object type.
WARNING The Metal Bump shader lets you adjust settings to get various effects
in shaded viewports. These settings will not necessarily apply when you display
the texture-baked object on other Direct3D devices.
See also:
■
Baked Texture Elements on page 6376
5762 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
DirectX Viewport Shaders | 5763
Ambient & Diffuse group
Ambient Color When not black, tints the object's ambient color. Click the
color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391 and choose the ambient
color. Default=black.
Diffuse Color When not white, tints the diffuse color. Click the color swatch
to display a Color Selector and choose the diffuse color. Default=white.
Texture 1 Displays a texture map for the diffuse color. Typically this would
be a texture-baked diffuse map, completed map, or blend map.
See the section “Map Controls,” below, for a description of the individual
controls.
Texture 2 Displays a second texture map for the diffuse color. Typically this
would be a texture-baked lighting map or shadows map.
See the section “Map Controls,” below, for a description of the individual
controls.
Use Alpha When on, displays the alpha channel. When off, does not.
Default=off.
Mix Amount Adjusts the mixing of the two texture maps in shaded viewports.
Specular group
Enable When on, enables specular highlights for the object. Default=off.
Specular Color Specifies a specular color for the object. Click the color swatch
to display a Color Selector and choose a color. Default=white.
Texture Displays a specular map for the object. Typically this would be a
texture-baked specular map.
See the section “Map Controls,” below, for a description of the individual
controls.
Bump group
Normal Displays a normal map for the object. Typically this would be a
texture-baked normals map.
See the section “Map Controls,” below, for a description of the individual
controls.
Bump Displays a bump map for the object. Typically this would be a bump
map used for the original material.
5764 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
See the section “Map Controls,” below, for a description of the individual
controls.
Bump Intensity Adjusts the intensity of the bumps in shaded viewports.
Reflection group
Cubemap Displays a reflection map projected cubically (around the scene).
Typically this would be an environment map.
Reflection Intensity Adjusts the intensity of reflections in shaded viewports.
Pick object and create Click to choose an object and have the program
generate the reflections used in the viewport.
Sync Standard Material
When on, adjustments you make to the Metal Bump shader update settings
in the active standard material, letting you save the changes you made. When
off, the standard material is unchanged. Default=off.
Map Controls
In this rollout, all texture maps have the same general controls. The rollout
appears only when you are using the DirectX viewport shader.
Toggle When on, the map is used in viewports. When off, it is not used.
Default=on if a map is assigned, off otherwise.
Map button Click to choose the texture map to use for this component of
the object.
Map Channel Specifies the map channel on page 8032 used by this map.
This control is not present for the cubic reflection map.
XRef Material
Material Editor > Type button > Material/Map Browser > XRef Material
The XRef material lets you externally reference a material applied to an object
in another scene file. As with XRef objects on page 6936, the material resides in
a separate source file. You can set the material properties only in the source
file. When you change them in the source file and then save it, the material's
appearance can change in the master file that contains the XRef.
XRef Material | 5765
NOTE If an XRef object has a material applied to it in the original source file (and
Merge Materials is turned off when you reference the source file), then that material
is automatically externally referenced in the scene, and can be loaded in the
Material Editor if you browse from the scene. When you explicitly use the Material
Editor to create an XRef material, you don't have to have any XRef objects from
that particular source file. However, the record's source file and material do appear
in the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941.
The Show Map In Viewport button works for an XRef material only if the
same button is turned on in the source file. Otherwise, it is disabled.
Interface
Highlight Corresponding XRef Record in the XRef Objects
Dialog Click to open the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941 that highlights the
source file's current record with its object displayed in the XRef Entities list.
If no file and object have yet been selected for the material, the XRef Objects
dialog is displayed, and lets you browse for the file and material to use.
File name field Displays the path and file name of the scene file containing
the source of the XRef material. You can edit this to point to a different path
and file.
5766 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
File name display Displays the file name only, without the path.
Path button Click to display the Open File dialog from which you can
specify a different path and file name for the source file. After you choose the
file, 3ds Max displays the XRef Merge dialog on page 6956 that lets you choose
the object whose material you want to reference.
Object name field Displays the name of the source object pointed to in the
source file.
Object name and material Displays the name of the source object followed
by the material name in parentheses. For example, “Shaker ( Chrome ).”
Path button Click to display the XRef Merge dialog on page 6956 pointing
to the scene in the XRef File Name field. Here, you can specifiy a different
object whose material you want to reference.
Status line Displays the status of the material. For example, if the file and
object are both found, this field says “Status: XRef Resolved.”
Types of Maps
The most common use for maps on page 8036 is to improve the appearance and
realism of Materials on page 8041. You can also use maps to create environments
on page 6689 or projections from lights (see Advanced Effects Rollout on page
5108 ).
Maps can simulate textures, applied designs, reflections, refractions, and other
effects. Used with materials, maps add details without adding complexity to
the geometry of an object. (Displacement mapping on page 5487 can add
complexity.)
Accessing Map Types
You use the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 to load a map or create a map
of a particular type. The Browser groups maps into categories according to
their type. You can choose whether the Browser lists maps, materials, or both;
you can choose which map types.
Types of Maps | 5767
To list map types by category:
1
2
Open the Material Editor.
Click Get Material to display the Material/Map Browser.
3 On the left side of the Material/Map Browser, in the Show group, turn
off Materials. Leave Maps turned on.
4 In the lower set of buttons, choose the category you want listed, or choose
All to show all map types.
The list is displayed in the right panel of the Browser.
To open the Browser from the Material Editor:
As you work with materials, you can open the Material/Map Browser from the
Material Editor.
1
2
Open the Material Editor.
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Get Material to display the
Material/Map Browser.
Understanding Map Types
Different types of maps create different effects and behave in particular ways.
■
2D maps on page 5782 are two-dimensional images that are typically mapped
onto the surface of geometric objects, or used as environment maps to
create a background for the scene. The simplest 2D maps are bitmaps; other
kinds of 2D maps are generated procedurally.
■
3D maps on page 5860 are patterns generated procedurally in three
dimensions. For example, Marble has a grain that goes through the assigned
geometry. If you cut away part of an object with Marble assigned as its
texture, the interior matches the exterior.
■
Compositors on page 5918 are for compositing other colors or maps.
■
Color Modifiers on page 5933 alter the colors of pixels in a material.
5768 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
The "Other" category includes maps that create reflections and refractions
on page 5946. It also includes mental ray shaders on page 5974, Normal Bump
maps on page 6033, and Camera Per-Pixel Projection maps on page 6035.
Maps and mental ray Shaders
When the mental ray renderer on page 6230 is active, the Material/Map Browser
also lists mental ray shaders. Shaders are similar to maps, but use yellow icons.
You assign them the way you do maps. The mental ray shaders don't fit into
the map categories described in the previous section, and aren't described in
this topic. See mental ray Shaders on page 5974 for links to shader descriptions.
mental ray maps in the browser's list are shown with yellow icons.
TIP When the default scanline renderer is active, you can view mental ray shaders
in the Browser list, and assign them, by turning on Incompatible in the Show
group. Incompatible shaders in the list are displayed in gray.
Maps and Mapping Coordinates
Maps have a spatial orientation. When you apply a material with maps in it
to an object, the object must have mapping coordinates. These are specified
in terms of UVW axes local to the object.
Most objects have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle. You can turn this
on to provide default mapping coordinates. If the object has this toggle, it is
Types of Maps | 5769
also turned on automatically when you render the scene, or use Show Map
In Viewport on page 5350.
Some objects, such as editable meshes, don't have automatic mapping
coordinates. For these types of objects, you can assign coordinates by applying
a UVW Map modifier on page 1931. If you assign a map that uses a mapping
channel, but don't apply a UVW Map modifier to the object, the renderer
displays a warning that lists objects that require mapping coordinates. You
can also use UVW Map to change an object's default mapping.
See Mapping Coordinates on page 5279.
UVW Mapping Coordinate Channels
Each object can have from 1 to 99 UVWmapping coordinate channels. The
default mapping (from the Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle) is always
UVW 1. The UVW Map modifier can send coordinates to any of these channels.
Each map in a material can use any UVW channel (if present), or other type
of mapping that depends on whether the map is 2D or 3D.
You can set the mapping channel used by NURBS surface on page 2275
sub-objects in their creation or modification parameters.
Mapping for 2D Maps
You can position a 2D map on the surface of an object by using a map channel,
any assigned vertex color, or the local or world coordinate systems. You can
also choose different environment mappings. See Coordinates Rollout (2D)
on page 5782.
Mapping for 3D Maps
You can position a 3D map within the volume of an object by using a map
channel, any assigned vertex color, or the local or world coordinate systems.
See Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861.
Noise for Maps
Random noise values increase the complexity of maps and can give them a
more natural look. For 2D maps, see Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793. For 3D
maps, you can assign a separate Noise map. See Noise Map on page 5886.
5770 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Real-World Mapping
Real-world mapping is an alternative mapping paradigm in 3ds Max that is
off by default. The idea behind real-world mapping is to simplify the correct
scaling of texture-mapped materials applied to geometry in the scene. This
feature lets you create a material and specify the actual width and height of
a 2D texture map in the Material Editor. When you assign that material to an
object in the scene, the texture map appears in the scene with correct scaling.
For real-world mapping to work, two requirements must be met. First, the
correct style of UV texture coordinates must be assigned to the geometry.
Essentially, the size of the UV space needs to correspond to the size of the
geometry. To this end, a new option called Real-World Map Size has been
added to many of the dialogs and rollouts that let you generate texture
coordinates (see list at the end of this topic). Any dialog or rollout that lets
you turn on Generate Mapping Coords also lets you enable Real-World Map
Size. Also, you can toggle this option globally on the Preferences dialog >
General panel on page 7744.
Most object parameters settings now include a Real-World Map Size toggle.
The second requirement is available in the Material Editor. All 2D texture
maps, such as Bitmap, provide a Use Real-World Scale check box on the
Coordinates rollout on page 5782. Like Real-World Map Size, this check box is
off by default, but when on, the U/V parameter names change to Width/Height
Real-World Mapping | 5771
and the Tiling label changes to Size. You can then specify the
horizontal/vertical offsets and size of the texture map in current system units
on page 7812.
2D map coordinates settings now include a Use Real-World Scale toggle.
Following is a list of affected features (note links to topics with more extensive
information):
■
Bevel Modifier
■
Bevel Profile Modifier
■
Box Primitive
■
Capsule Extended Primitive
■
C-Ext Extended Primitive
■
ChamferBox Extended Primitive Create panel > Geometry button
■
ChamferCyl Extended Primitive
■
Cone Primitive
■
CV Curve
■
Cylinder Primitive Create panel
■
Doors
5772 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Editable Spline
■
Extrude Modifier
■
Gengon Extended Primitive
■
GeoSphere Primitive
■
Importing AutoCAD Drawing
■
Importing DXF Files
■
Lathe Modifier
■
L-Ext Extended Primitive
■
L-Type Stair
■
Loft > Surface Parameters Rollout
■
Material Editor Coordinates Rollout
■
Material Editor Options on page 5335
■
OilTank Extended Primitive
■
Plane Primitive
■
Point Curve
■
Pyramid Primitive
■
Railing
■
Renderable Spline Modifier
■
Sphere Primitive
■
Spindle Extended Primitive
■
Spline Rendering File Link Settings
■
Splines and Extended Splines
■
Stairs
■
Sweep Modifier
■
Teapot Primitive
■
Torus Primitive
■
Tube Primitive
Real-World Mapping | 5773
■
UVW Map Modifier on page 1931
■
Wall
■
Windows
Output Rollout
Material Editor > Select sample slot. > Get Material > Material/Map Browser >
Turn on 2D Maps and 3D Maps. > Choose a map type (Bitmap, Cellular, Falloff,
Gradient, Gradient Ramp, Mix, Noise, or Output). > Double-click a map type
to apply it to sample slot. > Output rollout (displayed near the bottom of the
Material Editor)
After applying a map and setting its internal parameters, you can adjust its
output parameters to determine the final appearance of the map.
NOTE Most controls on the Output rollout are for color output, and don't affect
bump mapping on page 5478. Only the Invert toggle is considered; it reverses the
direction of the bumps.
5774 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
These controls appear on the Output rollout for a number of 2D and 3D maps:
Invert Reverses the hues of the map, like a negative color photo. Default=off.
Output Rollout | 5775
Clamp When on, this parameter limits the values of the colors to no greater
than 1.0. Turn this on when you're increasing the RGB Level, but don't want
the map to appear self-illuminated. Default=off.
NOTE If you set the RGB Offset to a value greater than 1.0 while Clamp is on, all
colors become white.
Alpha from RGB Intensity When on, an alpha channel is generated based
on the intensity of the RGB channels in the map. Black becomes transparent
and white becomes opaque. Intermediate values are translucent according to
their intensity. Default=off.
Enable Color Map Turn on to use the Color Map. See “Color Map group.”
Default=off.
Output Amount Controls the amount of the map being mixed into a
composite material. Affects the saturation and alpha value of the map.
Default=1.0.
RGB Offset Adds to the RGB values of the map colors by the amount set by
the spinner, which affects the tonal value of the colors. Eventually the map
becomes white and self-illuminated. Lowering the value decreases the tonal
value toward black. Default=0.0.
RGB Level Multiplies the RGB values of the map colors by the amount set by
the spinner, which affects the saturation of the color. Eventually the map
becomes fully saturated and self-illuminated on page 8122. Lowering the value
decreases the saturation and makes the map colors grayer. Default=1.0.
Bump Amount Adjusts the amount of bumpiness. This value has an effect
only when the map is used as a bump map. Default=1.0.
For example, suppose you have a map instanced for both the Diffuse and the
Bump components. If you want to adjust the amount of bumpiness without
affecting the Diffuse colors, adjust this value, which changes the amount of
bumpiness without affecting the map's use in other material components.
Color Map group
At the bottom of the Output rollout, the Color Map group is inactive until
you turn on Enable Color Map.
5776 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Color Map graph lets you adjust the tonal range of an image. The point
at 1,1 controls highlights, the point at 0.5,0.5 controls midtones, and the
point at 0,0 controls shadows.
You adjust the shape of the graph by adding points to the line and moving
or scaling them. You can add Corner, Bezier-Smooth, or Bezier-Corner points.
When a move or scale option is active, points can be selected much like objects
in a viewport, by clicking a point, dragging a region around one or more
points, and holding down Ctrl to add or subtract from the selection.
When you select an individual point, its exact coordinates are displayed in
the two fields below the graph at the lower left. You can enter values directly
in these fields, but the values are automatically constrained as they are when
you manually move or scale a point.
You can zoom into the graph to make detailed adjustments. As you zoom in,
the graph updates to show decimal measurements along the left vertical axis.
Output Rollout | 5777
You can pan anywhere on the graph with the horizontal and vertical scroll
bars, use a button option, or the middle mouse button. Points can be deleted,
and you can reset the graph to its default at any time.
RGB/Mono Specifies a map curve to either filter the RGB channels separately
(RGB) or in combination (Mono).
Copy CurvePoints When turned on, points added to a Mono graph are copied
when you switch to an RGB graph. If you start with an RGB graph, the points
are copied to a Mono graph. You can animate the control points but not the
Bezier handles.
IMPORTANT When Copy CurvePoints is on, animation created in Mono mode
is carried over to RGB mode and you can switch channels. The reverse doesn’t
work.
The following controls affect the points on the graph:
Move flyout
Moves a selected point in any direction, limited by the unselected points
on either side.
Constrains movement to the horizontal.
Constrains movement to the vertical.
On a Bezier smooth point, you can move the point or either handle.
Scale Point Changes the output amount of control points while
maintaining their relative position. On a Bezier corner point, this control is
effectively the same as a vertical move. On a Bezier smooth point, you can
scale the point itself or either handle. As with the move controls, scale is
limited by the unselected points on either side.
Add Point flyout
Adds a Bezier corner point anywhere on the graph line. The point makes
a sharp angle when moved.
5778 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Adds a Bezier smooth point anywhere on the graph line. Handles attached
to the point create smooth curves when moved.
When either Add Point button is active, you can use Ctrl+click to create the
other type of point. This eliminates the need to switch between buttons.
Delete Point Removes selected points.
Reset Curves Returns graph to its default, a straight line between 0,0
and 1,1.
The following controls affect the view of the graph. The change in view does
not affect the graph’s results.
Pan Drags the graph in any direction within the viewing window.
Zoom Extents Shows the entire graph.
Zoom Horizontal Extents Shows the entire horizontal range of the
graph. The scale of the curve will be distorted.
Zoom Vertical Extents Shows the entire vertical range of the graph.
The scale of the curve will be distorted.
Zoom Horizontally Compresses or expands the graph in a horizontal
direction.
Zoom Vertically Compresses or expands the view of the graph in a
vertical direction.
Zoom Zooms in or out around the cursor.
Zoom Region Draws a rectangular region around any area of the graph,
then zooms to that view.
Output Rollout | 5779
Missing Map Coordinates Dialog
Material Editor > Assign a mapped material to an object that has no UVW
Map modifier. > Map level > Coordinates rollout > Change Map Channel to
a value other than 1. > Render
Menu bar > File menu > Open > One or more maps in MAX file can’t be found.
The Missing Map Coordinates dialog is displayed when you attempt to render
one or more objects with materials whose maps use a map channel on page
8032 other than channel 1. (Channel 1 is an exception because channel 1
mapping coordinates are automatically turned on when you assign a mapped
material to an object.) Only maps with Show Map In Viewport toggled on are
listed as missing.
To use other map channels, you must assign a UVW Map modifier on page
1931 to the object. In UVW Map, set Map Channel to match the value used in
the material.
If the material has multiple maps that use multiple channels, you must assign
a separate UVW Map modifier for each channel besides channel 1.
If the object is a NURBS surface sub-object on page 2423, you don't need to use
UVW Map. Instead, set the map channel on the surface sub-object's Material
Properties rollout on page 2364.
The Missing Map Coordinates dialog is also displayed when you open a MAX
file that references bitmaps that can’t be found in their original location, or
are at a location not specified via the Configure User Paths dialog on page 7729.
To open the MAX file, click the Browse button on the Missing Map Coordinates
dialog. This opens the Configure User Paths dialog so you can assign one or
more paths for the MAX file to access. These settings are then stored with the
MAX file.
NOTE When you open a MAX file that references bitmaps that can’t be found,
you might also see a Missing Map/Photometric Files dialog on page 7130, which
lets you browse for the missing files.
5780 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
The list shows the map channel followed by the name of the object.
Continue Proceeds with the rendering. The objects listed will not show maps
in the material assigned to them, and might not be visible at all.
Cancel Cancels rendering.
Missing Map Coordinates Dialog | 5781
2D Maps
2D Maps are two-dimensional images that are typically mapped onto the
surface of geometric objects, or used as environment maps to create a
background for the scene. The simplest 2D maps are bitmaps; other kinds of
2D maps are generated procedurally.
Bitmap on page 5795: An image saved as an array of pixels in one of a number
of still-image file formats, such as .tga, .bmp, and so on, or an animation file
such as .avi, .mov, or .ifl. (An animation is essentially a sequence of still images.)
You can use any bitmap (or animation) file type that 3ds Max supports as a
bitmap in a material.
Checker on page 5808: Combines two colors in a checker pattern. You can replace
either color with a map.
Combustion on page 5811: Works in conjunction with the Autodesk Combustion
product. You can paint directly on a bitmap or object and have the result
update in the Material Editor and viewports. The map can include other
Combustion effects. Painting and other effects can be animated.
Gradient on page 5835: Creates a linear or radial ramp of three colors.
Gradient Ramp on page 5840: Creates a great variety of ramps, using as many
colors, maps, and blends as you choose.
Swirl on page 5848: Creates swirled (spiraling) patterns of two colors or maps.
Tiles on page 5851: Creates bricks or other tiled materials with colors or material
mappings. Includes commonly defined architectural brick patterns, but you
can also customize patterns.
Coordinates Rollout (2D)
Material Editor > Select sample slot. > Get Material > Material/Map Browser >
Turn on 2D Maps. > Double-click a map type to apply it to sample slot. >
Coordinates rollout is displayed on the Material Editor.
In the Coordinates rollout, by adjusting coordinate parameters, you can move
a map relative to the surface of the object to which it is applied and achieve
other effects.
5782 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Tiling
Often when you apply a bitmap, especially as a texture pattern, you want the
pattern to repeat. This effect is known as tiling, as in a tiled floor or fountain.
You control tiling directly from the Coordinates rollout for any 2D map.
Tiling a map
In default mapping, tiling is active, but because the map is scaled to fit the
object, you don't see the effect of tiling unless you offset the UV coordinates
or rotate the map. In this case, the portions of the surface from which the
bitmap has moved away are filled by other portions of the map. Tiling wraps
the object with the map image.
Mirroring
Mirroring a map is an effect related to tiling. It repeats the map and flips the
repeated copy.
As with tiling, you can mirror in the U dimension, the V dimension, or both.
The Tiling parameter for each dimension specifies how many copies of the
map are shown. Each copy is flipped relative to its neighbors.
2D Maps | 5783
Mirroring a map
Tiling and Mirroring Combined
Because mirroring defaults to two reflected images of the map, the meaning
of the Tiling value differs when Mirror is set.
In a single mapping dimension (U or V), a value of 1.0, the default, shows
two copies of the bitmap; a value of 2.0 shows four copies; a value of 1.5 shows
three copies; and so on. Mirroring in both dimensions multiplies the effect.
5784 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mirroring and tiling a map
Decals
Decals are useful for mapping single designs, small elements such as stickers,
or light switches.
A 2D map used as a decal appears only once and is not repeated as with tiling.
Wherever the decal doesn't appear on the surface, the surface is rendered as
a basic material, with the component colors specified at the material level.
With map trees, a decal might appear on top of a different bitmap or other
map type.
2D Maps | 5785
Decal mapping
Procedures
To set tiling:
1 In the Coordinates rollout, make sure Use Real-World Scale is turned off
and Tile is turned on for the U or V coordinate, or for both.
2 In the Coordinates rollout, make sure Tile is turned on for the U or V
coordinate, or for both.
3 Set the Tiling value for the corresponding coordinates.
In the Material Editor, the sample slot changes to show the tiling value
you chose.
■
The Tiling value is 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.
■
Tiling values less than one increase the size of the map relative to the
object. For example, a value of 0.5 maps half of the bitmap.
■
Tiling is uniform if both the U and V dimensions are tiled by the same
amount.
5786 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To preview the effect of tiling:
■
In the Material Editor, use the Tiling flyout to choose a 1x, 2x, 3x,
or 4x tiling preview.
The button you choose changes tiling in the active sample slot to 1.0, 2.0,
3.0, or 4.0 in both U and V.
The flyout setting has no effect on the material or its mapping. It does not
change the Tiling value or the check box setting. It only helps you preview
the effect of changing these settings.
To set mirroring:
1 On the Coordinates rollout, make sure Mirror is turned on for the U or
V coordinate, or both.
Mirror and Tile are exclusive settings: if one is set when you choose the
other, the original setting turns off.
2 Set the Mirror value for the corresponding coordinate or coordinates.
The material preview changes to show the Mirror value you chose.
To create a decal:
1 In the Material Editor, choose a bitmap as a diffuse map.
2 On the map's Coordinates rollout, turn off both Mirror and Tile for both
the U and V coordinates. Change the mapping to Planar from Object
XYZ.
3 Adjust the U and V Tiling parameters to scale the decal.
Changing the Tiling value changes the size of the mapped bitmap as it
does when you tile the map, but with Mirror and Tile turned off, the
bitmap appears only once.
4 Adjust the U and V Offset parameters to position the decal.
NOTE You can also use the Parameters rollout's Cropping and Placement
controls to achieve a decal effect.
To offset the position of a map:
1 In the Coordinates rollout, make sure Use Real-World Scale is turned on.
2D Maps | 5787
2 On the Coordinates rollout, set the U and V values to be between 0.0 and
100, or between -100 and 0.0.
3 Set the Offset Width and Height values to be between 0.0 and 100, or
between -100 and 0.0.
On the surface of the object, the map shifts in the directions you chose.
UV offsets are especially useful when you have turned tiling off and want the
bitmap to appear in a single location.
To rotate the map:
■
On the Coordinates rollout, set the Angle U, V, and W spinners.
Positive angles rotate the map in the clockwise direction; negative angles
rotate it counterclockwise.
The angle can be up to 360 degrees, which rotates the map completely and
has no visible effect unless you are animating the map's rotation.
You can also click Rotate to use the Rotate Mapping Coordinates dialog,
which lets you change the rotation by dragging the mouse.
To increase or decrease antialiasing:
■
On the map's Coordinates rollout, increase or decrease the Blur value.
For diffuse maps and other maps besides bump maps, the Blur value is
most effective in the 0.5-20 range. Lower values decrease antialiasing;
higher values increase it.
The Blur Offset parameter adjusts the image before antialiasing Blur is
applied. If all you need is antialiasing, leave Blur Offset at its default of
0.0.
To make a map image fuzzier:
■
On the map's Coordinate's rollout, increase the Blur Offset value.
Blur Offset is a very strong parameter. The Blur Offset spinner has
increments of 0.001 Values greater than 0.1 are likely to be too high.
To make a map image sharper:
■
On the map's Coordinates rollout, decrease the Blur Offset value to a value
below 0.0.
The negative Blur Offset value sharpens the image.
5788 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
These controls appear on the Coordinates rollout for many 2D maps:
Texture Applies the map as a texture map to a surface. Select the type of
coordinates from the Mapping list:
Environ Uses the map as an environment map on page 7964. Select the type of
coordinates from the Mapping list:
Mapping list Options vary depending on choice of Texture or Environ
mapping:
■
Explicit Map Channel Uses any map channel. When selected, the Map
Channel field becomes active, and you can choose any channel from 1 to
99.
■
Vertex Color Channel Uses assigned vertex colors as a channel. See
Editable Mesh on page 2075 for details on assigning vertex color.
See also Vertex Color Map on page 5943 and Assign Vertex Colors Utility on
page 6038.
■
Planar from Object XYZ Uses planar mapping based on the object's local
coordinates (disregarding the pivot point location). For rendering purposes,
planar mapping doesn't project through to the back of the object unless
you turn on Show Map On Back.
■
Planar from World XYZ Uses planar mapping based on the scene’s world
coordinates (disregarding the object’s bounding box). For rendering
2D Maps | 5789
purposes, planar mapping doesn't project through to the back of the object
unless you turn on Show Map On Back.
■
Spherical Environment, Cylindrical Environment, Shrink-wrap
Environment Project the map into the scene as though it were mapped
to an invisible object in the background. See Environment Map on page
7964.
■
Screen
Projects as a flat backdrop in the scene.
Show Map on Back When on, planar mapping (Planar from Object XYZ, or
with the UVW Map modifier) projects through to render on the back of the
object. When off, planar mapping doesn't render on the object's back.
Default=on.
This toggle is available only when Tiling is off in both dimensions. Its effect
is visible only when you render the scene.
NOTE In viewports, planar mapping always projects to the back of the object,
whether Show Map On Back is turned on or not. To override this, turn off Tiling.
Use Real-World Scale When turned on, applies the map to objects using the
real-world Width and Height values instead of UV values. Default=on.
When Real-World Scale is on, the texture placement is relative to the corner
of the texture map so alignment with architectural objects likes walls is more
efficient. When off, the texture placement is relative to the center of the
texture map.
Offset Changes the position of the map in UV coordinates on page 8161. The
map moves in relation to its size. For example, if you want to shift the map
its full width to the left, and half its width downward from its original position,
you enter -1 in the U Offset field and 0.5 in the V offset field.
UV/VW/WU Changes the mapping coordinate on page 8034 system used for
the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a
slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is
perpendicular to the surface.
Tiling Determines the number of times the map is tiled on page 8148 (repeated)
along each axis.
Mirror Mirrors on page 8148 the map left-to-right (U axis) and/or top-to-bottom
(V axis).
Tile Turns tiling on or off in the U or V axis.
5790 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
When Use Real-World Scale is off
Offset (UV) Changes the position of the map in UV coordinates on page 8161.
The map moves in relation to its size. For example, if you want to shift the
map its full width to the left, and half its width downward from its original
position, you enter -1 in the U Offset field and 0.5 in the V offset field.
UV/VW/WU Changes the mapping coordinate on page 8034 system used for
the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a
slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is
perpendicular to the surface.
Tiling Determines the number of times the map is tiled on page 8148 (repeated)
along each axis.
Mirror Mirrors on page 8148 the map left-to-right (U axis) and/or top-to-bottom
(V axis).
Tile Turns tiling on or off in the U or V axis.
2D Maps | 5791
When Use Real-World Scale is on
Offset (Width/Height) Move the map horizontally or vertically along the
width or height of the object to which the material is applied. The offset
distance is relative to the lower-left corner of the map.
UV/VW/WU Changes the mapping coordinate on page 8034 system used for
the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a
slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is
perpendicular to the surface.
Size Determines the real world width and height of the map.
For example, if you scan a piece of marble that is 12” x 8” and then assign
this image as the Diffuse Map, you can type 12” (or 1') and 8” as the Width
and Height. This ensures that the scale of the marble is correct in the rendered
scene.
NOTE The default setting for the texture size can be set using the Default Texture
Size option in the Material Editor Options Dialog on page 5335.
Mirror Mirrors on page 8148 the map horizontally and/or vertically.
Tile Turns horizontal and/or vertical tiling on or off.
5792 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE If the Use Real-World Size switch is turned off in the Material Editor, the
Real-World Map Size settings in modifiers like UVW Map or for primitives like Box
will not work. Likewise, moving vertices at a sub-object level or scaling an object,
in general, will not honor the Use Real-World Scale settings.
Angle U/V/W Rotates the map about the U, V, or W axis (in degrees).
Rotate Displays a schematic Rotate Mapping Coordinates dialog that lets you
rotate the map by dragging on an arcball diagram (similar to the arcball used
to rotate viewports, although dragging inside the circle rotates along all three
axes, and dragging outside it rotates about the W axis only). The Angle UVW
values change as you drag in the dialog.
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map based on its distance from
the view. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring. The Blur value
blurs maps in world space. Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904.
Blur Offset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to
its distance from the view. Blur Offset blurs the image itself in object space.
Use this option when you want to soften or defocus the details in a map to
achieve the effect of a blurred image.
See Blur/Blur Offset on page 7928.
Noise Rollout (2D)
Material Editor > Select sample slot. > Get Material > Material/Map Browser >
Turn on 2D Maps. > Select a map type. > Drag map from Browser thumbnail
to sample slot. > Noise rollout is displayed in the Material Editor.
You can add a random noise to the appearance of your material. Noise perturbs
the UV mapping of pixels by applying a fractal noise function.
Noise patterns can be very complex and are a versatile way to create apparently
random patterns. They are also good for simulating surfaces found in nature,
as is characteristic of fractal images.
Noise parameters interact closely with each other. Slight variations in each
can create noticeably different effects.
NOTE Noise settings aren't displayed in viewports.
2D Maps | 5793
Above: A checker map and a bitmap
Below: The same maps with noise applied
Procedures
To add noise to a material:
1 In the Noise rollout, select On.
2 Adjust the three noise parameters to get an effect you like.
To remove noise from a material:
■
In the Noise rollout, turn off On.
Noise is no longer applied to the map.
To animate the noise effect:
1 Turn on the Auto Key button.
2 Move to a non-zero frame.
3 In the Noise rollout, turn on Animate.
5794 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
By default, animation keys are set at either end of the active frame range.
4 Change the Phase value at different keyframes.
Interface
These controls appear on the Noise rollout for many 2D maps:
On Determines whether the Noise parameters affect the map.
Amount Sets the strength of the fractal function, expressed as a percentage.
If the amount is 0 there is no noise. If the amount is 100 the map becomes
pure noise. Default=1.0.
Levels Or iterations: the number of times the function is applied. The effect
of the level is dependent on the Amount value. The stronger the amount, the
greater the effect of increasing the Levels value. Range=1 to 10; Default=1.
Size Sets the scale of the noise function relative to geometry. At very small
values, the noise effect becomes white noise. At large values, the scale can
exceed the scale of the geometry, in which case it has little or no effect.
Range=0.001 to 100; Default=1.0.
Animate Determines whether animation is on the noise effect. This parameter
must be turned on if you intend to animate the noise.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function.
Bitmap 2D Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Bitmap
2D Maps | 5795
Bitmaps shown in Material Editor sample slots
A bitmap is an image produced by a fixed matrix of colored pixels, like a mosaic.
Bitmaps are useful for creating many kinds of materials, from wood grains
and wall surfaces to skin and feathers. You can also use an animation or video
file instead of a bitmap to create an animated material.
When you assign the Bitmap map, the Select Bitmap Image File dialog on
page 5804 opens automatically. Use this dialog to specify a file or sequence as
the bitmap image.
The Bitmap map can synchronize the frames of a bitmap sequence to the age
of particles to which the map is applied. With this effect, each particle displays
the sequence from the start when it is born, rather than being assigned
whichever frame is current. This is achieved by turning on the Sync Frames
To Particle Age check box on page 5364. Also, when using Particle Flow, assign
the material containing the Bitmap map to a Material Dynamic operator. For
more details and a procedure, see Material Dynamic Operator on page 2925.
NOTE To save loading time, if a map with the same name is in two different
locations (in two different paths), it is loaded only once. This poses a problem only
if your scene includes two maps that have different content but the same name.
In this case, only the first map encountered will appear in the scene.
5796 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Supported File Types
The Material Editor supports the following file formats:
AVI files on page 7326
BMP files on page 7328
CIN files (Kodak Cineon) on page 7328
DDS files on page 7330
GIF files on page 7334
IFL files on page 7339
JPEG files on page 7347
MOV files (QuickTime Movies) on page 7348
MPEG files on page 7348
PNG files on page 7360
PSD files on page 7361
RGB files (SGI format) on page 7369
RLA files on page 7364
RPF files on page 7366
TGA files (Targa) on page 7370
TIFF files on page 7372
YUV files on page 7374
NOTE If your scene includes animated bitmaps with materials, projector lights,
or environments, the animation file is reloaded once per frame. If your scene uses
multiple animations, or if the animations are large files, rendering will be slower.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
2D Maps | 5797
Procedures
To crop an image:
1 On the Bitmap Parameters rollout, click the Bitmap button and assign a
bitmap.
2 In the Cropping/Placement group, turn on Apply to see the results of
cropping in the sample slot (and in shaded viewports, if Show Map In
Viewport is active).
3 Turn on Crop.
4 Click View Image to display the bitmap.
A frame window appears, displaying the image surrounded by a region
outline (a dashed line at the outer edges of the image, with handles on
the sides and corners).
5 Specify a cropping region by adjusting the spinners at the top of the
window, or by dragging the region outline.
To place an image:
1 On the Bitmap Parameters rollout, click the Bitmap button and assign a
bitmap.
2 In the Cropping/Placement group, turn on Apply to see the results of
cropping in the sample slot (and in shaded viewports if Show Map In
Viewport is active).
3 Turn on Place.
4 Click View Image.
A frame window appears, displaying the image surrounded by a region
outline (a dashed line at the outer edges of the image, with handles on
the sides and corners).
5 Move the image by adjusting the spinners at the top of the window, or
by dragging the region outline.
The reduced image "decals" on the sample sphere. The diffuse color is
visible around the image.
To use the alpha channel that is part of the bitmap:
1 On the Maps rollout, assign the map to the Opacity component.
5798 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
(You can assign a copy or instance of this map to other components,
such as Diffuse, as well.)
2 Click the map button for the Opacity component.
This lets you adjust the settings for the Opacity map.
3 In the Bitmap Parameters rollout > Alpha Source group, choose Image
Alpha.
This option is not available if the bitmap does not have an alpha channel.
4 In the Bitmap Parameters rollout > Mono Channel Output group, choose
Alpha.
This option is not available if the bitmap does not have an alpha channel.
The bitmapped material will now have the transparency specified by the
alpha channel. This will appear in renderings. Transparency does not
appear in viewports or ActiveShade renderings.
To create an alpha channel based on intensity:
■
In Bitmap Parameters rollout > Alpha Source group, turn on RGB Intensity.
The software creates an alpha channel. Full-intensity areas of the image
are opaque, zero-intensity areas are transparent, and intermediate colors
become partially transparent.
To use a completely opaque bitmap:
■
In Bitmap Parameters rollout > Alpha Source group, turn on None (opaque).
The software ignores the bitmap's alpha channel, if present, and does not
create a new one.
2D Maps | 5799
Interface
Bitmap Parameters rollout
Bitmap Selects the bitmap using the standard file browser. After selection,
the full path name appears on this button.
Reload Reloads the bitmap file using the same name and path. You don’t
need to use the file browser to reload the bitmap after you've updated it in
your paint program.
Clicking reload for any instance of the map updates the map in all sample
slots and in the scene.
Filtering group
Filtering on page 7977 options let you select the method of pixel averaging used
in antialiasing on page 7904 the bitmap.
5800 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Pyramidal Requires less memory and is adequate for most purposes.
Summed Area Requires much more memory, but yields generally superior
results.
None Turns off filtering.
Mono Channel Output group
Some parameters, such as opacity or specular level are a single value as opposed
to a material's three-value color components. Controls in this group determine
the source of the Output mono channel in terms of the input bitmap.
RGB Intensity Uses the intensity of the red, green, and blue channels for
mapping. The color of the pixels is ignored and only the value or luminance
of the pixels is used. The colors are computed as gray values in the range
between 0 (black) and 255 (white).
Alpha Uses the intensity of the alpha channel on page 7905 for mapping.
RGB Channel Output group
The RGB Channel Output determines where the output RGB part comes from.
The controls in this group affect only maps for material components that
display color: Ambient, Diffuse, Specular, Filter Color, Reflection, and
Refraction.
RGB Displays the full color values of the pixels. (Default)
Alpha as Gray Displays tones of gray based on the levels of the alpha channel.
Cropping/Placement group
The controls in this group let you crop the bitmap or reduce its size for custom
placement. Cropping a bitmap means to reduce it to a smaller rectangular
area than it originally had. Cropping doesn't change the scale of the bitmap.
Placing a bitmap lets you scale the map and place it anywhere within its tile.
Placing can change the bitmap's scale, but shows the entire bitmap. The four
values that specify the placement and size of the cropping or placement region
are all animatable.
Cropping and placement settings affect the bitmap only as it's used for this
map and any instances of the map. They have no effect on the bitmap file
itself.
Apply Turn on to use the cropping or placements settings.
2D Maps | 5801
View Image Opens a window that shows the bitmap surrounded by a region
outline with handles at its sides and corners. To change the size of the crop
area, drag the handles. To move the region, position the mouse cursor inside
it and drag.
To see the results of editing the region, turn on Apply (see preceding). This
shows changes in the region as you make them.
The bitmap window has U/V and W/H (width/height) controls on its toolbar.
Use these to adjust the location and size the image or crop area.
When Place is chosen, dragging the region area handles changes the scale of
the bitmap (hold down Ctrl to preserve the bitmap's aspect ratio), and dragging
the image changes its location within the tile area.
The UV/XY button at the right of the window toolbar lets you switch between
using UV or XY coordinates in the toolbar spinners (Default=UV). .
Crop Makes cropping active.
Place Makes placement active.
U/V Adjusts the bitmap location.
W/H Adjusts the width and height of the bitmap or crop area.
Jitter Placement Specifies the amount of random offset. At 0, there is no
random offset. Range = 0.0 to 1.0
When Place is turned on, the size and position specified by the spinners or
editing window are ignored. The software then chooses a random size and
tile position for the image.
Alpha Source group
Controls in this group determine the source of the Output alpha channel in
terms of the input bitmap.
Image Alpha Uses the image's alpha channel (disabled if the image has no
alpha channel).
RGB Intensity Converts the colors in the bitmap to grayscale tonal values
and uses them for transparency. Black is transparent and white is opaque.
None (Opaque) Does not use transparency.
Premultiplied Alpha Determines how alpha is treated in the bitmap. When
turned on, the default, premultiplied alpha on page 8096 is expected in the file.
When turned off, the alpha is treated as non-premultiplied, and any RGB
values are ignored.
5802 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP If you apply an alpha image as a Diffuse map, for example, and it doesn't
decal correctly, the bitmap file probably contains non-premultiplied alpha; the
RGB values are maintained separately from the alpha values. To correct this, turn
off Premultiplied Alpha.
Time rollout
These controls let you change the start time and speed of animation (AVI on
page 7326 or MOV on page 7348) files used as animated texture maps. They make
it easier to use sequences of images as maps in scenes, because you can control
the timing very precisely
Start Frame Specifies the frame where the playback of the animated map will
begin.
Playback Rate Lets you speed up and slow down the rate that the animation
is applied to the map (for example, 1.0 is normal speed, 2.0 is twice as fast,
.333 is 1/3 as fast).
Sync Frames to Particle Age When on, the software synchronizes the frames
of a bitmap sequence to the age of particles to which the map is applied. With
this effect, each particle displays the sequence from the start when it is born,
rather than being assigned whichever frame is current. Default=off.
When using Particle Flow, assign the material containing the Bitmap map to
a Material Dynamic operator. For more details and a procedure, see Material
Dynamic Operator on page 2925.
NOTE This functionality is not supported by the mental ray renderer.
2D Maps | 5803
End Condition group
Determines what happens after the last frame of the bitmap animation if the
animation is shorter than the scene.
Loop Causes the animation to repeat over and over again from the beginning.
Ping-Pong Causes the animation to be played forward and then backward
repeatedly, making every animated sequence "loop smoothly."
Hold Freezes on the last frame of the bitmap animation.
Select Bitmap Image File Dialog
Material Editor > Maps Rollout > Click any map selector button. > Material/Map
Browser > Double-click Bitmap. > Select Bitmap Image.
Material Editor > Bitmap map > Bitmap Parameters rollout > Bitmap button
The Select Bitmap Image dialog allows you to choose a file or sequence of files
for a map. If a sequence of files is selected by turning on Sequence, the Image
File List Control dialog on page 7342 is opened when you click Setup or Open.
Procedures
To select a bitmap image for a map:
1 In the Material Editor, open the Maps rollout.
2 Click any button in the Map column.
This adds a map into the channel you've selected. For example, clicking
in the Map column of the Diffuse channel creates a diffuse or texture
map.
The Material Map Browser is displayed.
3 In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Bitmap.
The Select Bitmap Image dialog is displayed.
4 In the Select Bitmap Image dialog, navigate the Look In field to select
the appropriate directory.
NOTE The Select Bitmap Image File dialog uses the last location where a
bitmap was chosen, rather than the default bitmap path defined in Customize
> Configure User Paths.
5804 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
5 Highlight the file name in the file list window.
6 Click Open to close the dialog.
To select a set of still images as a bitmap sequence:
1 In the Material Editor, open the Maps rollout.
2 Click any button in the Map column.
This adds a map into the channel you've selected. For example, clicking
in the Map column of the Diffuse channel creates a diffuse or texture
map.
The Material Map Browser is displayed.
3 In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Bitmap.
The Select Bitmap Image dialog is displayed.
4 In the Select Bitmap Image dialog, navigate the Look in field to select the
directory containing the sequence of files.
5 If necessary, change file type to match the file extension of the sequence,
or choose All Formats.
6 Turn on Sequence, and choose the name of the first sequential file.
7 Click the Setup button.
The Image File List Control Dialog opens.
8 Click the Browse button and set the Target path to a writable directory
on your hard disk. Do not set the path to a CD-ROM drive.
9 Choose the options you want and click OK.
The IFL file is written to the target directory.
Interface
TIP You can resize the dialog by dragging an edge or a corner.
2D Maps | 5805
History Displays a list of the most recent directories searched. Whenever an
image is selected, the path used is added to the top of the history list as the
most recently used path. The history information is saved in the 3dsmax.ini
on page 83 file.
Look In Opens a navigation window to browse other directories or drives.
Up One Level Moves you up a level in the directory structure.
Create New Folder Lets you create a new folder while in this dialog.
5806 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
List Displays the contents of a directory without the details.
Details Displays the contents of a directory with all the details.
List Window When details are turned on, the contents of the directory are
displayed with Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and Attributes. You can sort
based on each of these columns by clicking the column label.
File Name Displays the file name of the file selected in the list.
Files of Type Displays all the file types that can be displayed. This serves as
a filter for the list.
Open Selects the highlighted file and closes the dialog.
Cancel Cancels the selection and closes the dialog.
Devices Lets you choose the hardware output device, for example, a digital
video recorder. The device, its driver, and its 3ds Max plug-in must all be
installed on your system to use the device.
Setup When Sequence is turned on, and there are sequential files in the
directory displayed, this Setup displays an Image File List Control dialog on
page 7342 to create an IFL file.
Info Displays expanded information about the file, such as frame rate,
compression quality, file size, and resolution. The information here depends
on the type of information that is saved with the file type.
View Displays the file at its actual resolution. If the file is a movie, the Media
Player is opened so the file can be played.
Gamma Group
These controls are unavailable unless Enable Gamma Correction is turned on
in the Gamma panel on page 7758 of the Preferences dialog.
Gamma Selects the type of gamma to be used for the selected file.
Use Image’s Own Gamma Uses the gamma of the incoming bitmap.
Use System Default Gamma Ignores the image’s own gamma and uses the
system default gamma instead, as set in the Gamma panel of the Preferences
dialog.
2D Maps | 5807
Override Defines a new gamma for the bitmap that is neither the image’s
own, nor the system default.
NOTE In general, it is less confusing to use the System Default Gamma for
incoming bitmaps. But if you are using bitmaps created (or edited) by a variety
of other programs, and need to adjust gamma differently for each program, then
use Override.
Sequence Creates an "Image File List " using the given information. Note that
each time an image is selected, an evaluation is done to see if an IFL sequence
can be created. If the selected image does not yield a list, this option box is
unavailable. In the past, it was necessary to enter a wild card in order to create
a list. Now it is possible to use wild card to filter files in the file selector.
Preview Displays the image as a thumbnail in the image window.
Image Window Displays a thumbnail of the selected file.
Statistics Displays the resolution, color depth, file type, and number of frames
of the selected file.
Location Displays the full path for the file. With this information at the
bottom of the dialog, you always know exactly where you are.
Checker Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Checker
5808 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Checker map used for the tablecloth and (in a composite) for the floor of the ice-cream
shop
The Checker map applies a two-color checkerboard pattern to the material.
The default checker map is a pattern of black and white squares. Checker maps
are 2D procedural maps. The component checkers can be either colors or
maps.
TIP Turning on Noise for a Checker map can be an effective way to create irregular
patterns with a natural appearance.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
Procedures
To create a Checker map:
1 Click a map button to assign a map.
2D Maps | 5809
2 Choose Checker in the Material/Map browser, and then click OK.
To change the color of one set of squares:
1 In the Checker Parameters rollout, click a color swatch to display the
Color Selector on page 391.
2 Adjust the color.
3 Click Close.
To use a map for one set of squares:
■
In the Checker Parameters rollout, click a map button to assign a map to
a color.
To soften the edge between the two checker colors:
■
In the Checker Parameters rollout, increase the value of Soften.
When Soften equals 0.0, there is a hard edge between the checker colors.
Low positive values soften or blur the checker boundary. Larger Soften
values can blur the entire material.
To swap the two checker components:
■
In the Checker Parameters rollout, click Swap.
Interface
Soften Blurs the edges between the checkers. A little blurs a lot.
Swap Switches the position of the two checkers.
5810 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Color #1 Sets the color of one of the checkers. Click to display the Color
Selector on page 391.
Color #2 Sets the color of one of the checkers. Click to display the Color
Selector on page 391.
Maps Selects a map to use within the area of the checker color. For example,
you could put an additional checkerboard within one of the checker colors.
The check boxes enable or disable their associated map.
Combustion Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Combustion
With the Combustion map, you can create maps interactively using the
Autodesk Combustion software and 3ds Max at the same time. You use
Combustion to paint on a bitmap, and the material updates automatically in
the Material Editor and in shaded viewports.
IMPORTANT The Combustion map works only if Autodesk Combustion is installed
on your system.
Only Combustion 2.1 and later formats are supported. Maps in the Combustion
1 format are not supported in 3ds Max.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the
Combustion map.
See also:
■
CWS (Combustion Workspace) Files on page 7329
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
About the 3ds Max and Combustion Integration
You can use Combustion as a material map in 3ds Max. With a Combustion
map, you can create a material from a Paint or composite operator, and in
turn apply that material to objects in a 3ds Max scene. The Combustion map
can include Combustion effects, and it can be animated.
2D Maps | 5811
In addition, with Combustion you can import 3ds Max scenes that have been
rendered to a rich pixel file on page 7366 (RPF on page 7366 or RLA on page 7364
file). The imported rich pixel rendering becomes an element of your composite.
You can adjust its 3D position relative to video elements of the composite,
and you can apply Combustion 3D Post effects to objects within it. See the
Combustion User’s Guide for more information.
NOTE Because 3ds Max runs only on Windows, you cannot use Combustion to
create material maps on a Macintosh.
3ds Max Materials and the Combustion Map
In 3ds Max, a material on page 8041 is data that you assign to the surface or
faces of an object so that it appears a certain way when rendered. Materials
affect the color of objects, their shininess, their opacity, and so on.
The Material Editor on page 5284 is the portion of 3ds Max that creates and
manages materials. In the Material Editor, you can assign maps to a material's
color components and to its numeric components such as opacity. Maps add
images, patterns, color adjustments, and other effects to the visual properties
of the material.
In the 3ds Max Material Editor, you assign a map by clicking the map button
for a component color or other component. This displays the Material/Map
Browser, which lets you choose the map type.
3ds Max provides several types of maps on page 8036. The most basic is a 2D
map, a two-dimensional image that is typically mapped onto the surface of
geometric objects.
Other uses of 2D maps are as environments to create a background for the
scene, as projections from lights, and as displacements to "emboss" geometry.
A Combustion map is a 2D map on page 5782. It is a Combustion project used
by the 3ds Max Material Editor, so like any Combustion project, it is
vector-based, animatable, and fully editable. From within the Material Editor,
you can have Combustion create a new project from scratch, or use an existing
composite or Paint branch. You can synchronize the Combustion Timeline
with the 3ds Max time slider so animated materials synchronize with your
3D scene.
With a Combustion map, you can paint in either program: that is, you can
paint either in the Combustion viewport or on 3ds Max objects. Both programs
update the paint display. You also have the option of using Combustion to
paint on an "unwrapped" projection of 3ds Max object geometry.
5812 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
In addition, with Combustion effects that require you to pick a point, such
as Lens Flare or Ripple, you can use either program, Combustion or 3ds Max,
to pick the point.
Tips for Working with a Combustion Map in 3ds Max
■
If you have a dual-screen configuration, you can set it up so you can see
both the 3ds Max and the Combustion windows at the same time.
Otherwise, you need to use Alt+Tab to switch between the two windows.
■
To work with Combustion, the 3ds Max object must have mapping
coordinates on page 8034. Primitive objects have a Generate Mapping
Coordinates toggle, which is automatically enabled when you assign a
mapped material to the object. Some objects, such as editable meshes, do
not have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle. For these kinds of objects,
go to the Modify panel and apply a UVW Map modifier on page 1931.
■
Sometimes it can be hard to see how the Combustion operator is oriented
to the 3ds Max object's mapping coordinates. It can help to paint some
temporary strokes in Combustionto see how they are aligned in 3ds Max
viewports. Displaying the mapping coordinates in Combustion can help.
See the procedure, "To display an unwrapped mesh." It can also help to
paint directly on the object in a 3ds Max viewport. See the procedure, "To
paint directly on the 3D object."
Procedures
To create a new Combustion map:
1 Open the Material Editor.
2 Drag an unused sample slot from the Material Editor to the object you
want to paint.
3 In the Material Editor, click the map button for the Diffuse Color
component. This button is on the material’s Basic Parameters rollout.
2D Maps | 5813
All standard materials have a Basic Parameters rollout, whose controls
vary depending on the chosen shader. The Strauss shader has only one
color component, labeled Color.
The Material/Map Browser appears.
4 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Combustion, and click OK.
A Combustion map is assigned to the Diffuse Color, and a black material
map appears in the active sample slot.
5
Click to turn on Show Map In Viewport.
In the scene, the object turns black in shaded viewports.
6 In the Parameters rollout, click Edit.
This launches Combustion, which displays the New Workspace dialog.
7 Set up the new project.
5814 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The composite or Paint branch that you create in Combustion appears
on the object in 3ds Max viewports, as well as in the sample slot for the
material with the Combustion map. The workspace name and path are
assigned to the material, and appear on the Project button in the material’s
Combustion Parameters rollout.
For example, you can use the Paint operator in Combustion. When you release
the mouse, the stroke appears on the 3ds Max object.
Paint operator in Combustion
2D Maps | 5815
Painted object in 3ds Max
To display an unwrapped mesh:
In the 3ds Max Material Editor, you can use the Unwrap Mesh feature to
display your 3D object as a 2D mesh in Combustion. You can adjust the color
and size of the mesh.
The mesh display is only an overlay to help you orient paint strokes and other
Combustion effects. It is displayed in Combustion but is not a part of the
composite or the map.
1 Create a Combustion map.
2 In the 3ds Max Material Editor, enable Unwrap Selected in the Live Edit
group.
5816 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
In Combustion, a mesh appears. This is an "unwrapped" projection of
the 3D object.
3D object in 3ds Max
Corresponding mesh in Combustion
2D Maps | 5817
To set the mesh parameters:
■
In Combustion, choose File > Preferences > Mesh.
Use
To
Anti-Alias Mesh
Remove jaggies from the mesh.
Display During Playback
Display the mesh when you play back the
animation.
Color
Click the color box to set the color of the
mesh using a color picker.
To paint directly on the 3D object:
1 Create a Combustion map.
2 In Combustion, select one of the following drawing tools:
■
Freehand
■
Straight Line
■
Rectangle
■
Ellipse
3 In the 3ds Max Material Editor, enable Paint in the Live Edit group of the
Combustion Parameters rollout.
5818 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
In the 3ds Max viewport, a pen cursor appears. Drag the cursor over the
object to paint on it.
When you release the cursor, the Paint object also appears in Combustion.
To animate Combustion Paint strokes:
1 Create a Combustion map.
2 In Combustion, set the time scale to start at frame number 0. Choose File
> Preferences. In the Preferences dialog select General, set Display Time
As to Frames (From 0), and then click OK.
3 In the 3ds Max Material Editor, enable Track Time in the Live Edit group
of the Combustion Parameters rollout.
Now the time slider in 3ds Max controls the Timeline indicator in
Combustion.
4 In 3ds Max, move the time slider to a frame and create a Paint object.
The Paint object appears on that frame in both Combustion and 3ds Max.
5 Move to another frame and use Combustion to modify the Paint object.
Combustion uses interpolation to determine the appearance of the Paint
object between keyframes. If you add a new Paint object, that object
simply appears, starting on the frame where you created it.
2D Maps | 5819
6 Continue advancing in the clip, adding and modifying Paint strokes and
effects to create your animated material. For more information on
animating objects in Combustion, refer to the Combustion User’s Guide.
You can add Paint strokes in either program, but to modify them you
must use Combustion.
NOTE Remember, Combustion tracks the time slider in 3ds Max, but 3ds
Max does not track the Timeline indicator in Combustion. If the 3ds Max
viewport does not appear to be updating as you paint in Combustion, you
might be painting on a different frame than the one displayed in 3ds Max.
To find your Paint objects, move to the correct frame in 3ds Max.
To use an existing Combustion workspace as a material map in 3ds Max:
1 Open the Material Editor and select an unused sample slot.
2 In the Material Editor, expand the Maps rollout, and click the Map button
next to the Diffuse Color component.
5820 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The Material/Map Browser appears.
3 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Combustion, and click OK.
A Combustion map is assigned to the Diffuse Color, and a black material
map appears in the active sample slot.
4 In the Combustion Parameters rollout, click the Project bar.
2D Maps | 5821
The Open Project dialog appears.
5 Browse for the workspace file (.cws) that you want to use as a map, and
click the Open button.
The Combustion workspace name and path appear in the Project button.
To apply the map to an object, drag the sample slot from the Material
Editor to the object in a 3ds Max viewport.
To edit the map, click the Edit button in the Parameters rollout. In
Combustion, the workspace corresponding to the selected map opens,
and you can edit the image.
To paint geometry with a bitmapped material already assigned to it:
1 In 3ds Max, select the object that you want to paint.
2 In the Material Editor, select an unused sample slot.
3 Click the Pick Material From Object button, then click the object in the
viewport to put the object's material in the selected sample slot.
4 Open the Maps rollout and note the name of the bitmap file. Click Map
to go to the bitmap level of the material.
5 Click the map's Type button.
The Material/Map Browser appears.
6 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Combustion to change the type
from Bitmap to a Combustion map.
7 On the Paint Parameters rollout, click the blank Project button, and then
choose the same bitmap.
8 Click Edit.
5822 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Combustion is launched and the Import Footage dialog appears. Import
the same bitmap.
To paint on the bitmap, select Paint. You can also key or color correct
the bitmap, or use it to build a composite. For more information, see the
Combustion User's Guide.
9
In the 3ds Max Material Editor, click Show Map In Viewport.
In the scene, the object is mapped in shaded viewports.
Object with original bitmap
Object with painted bitmap
2D Maps | 5823
To paint selected faces:
Use a Multi/Sub-Object material to control the location of your painting. Any
sub-material can have a Combustion map, so you can use Combustion to
affect only the selected faces.
1 In 3ds Max, select the object you want to paint.
2 In the Modify panel, apply an Edit Mesh modifier to the object. (Choose
Edit Mesh from the Modifier drop-down list.)
If you are working with an editable mesh object, or a patch or NURBS
surface, skip step 2. For geometry primitives, an option is to convert the
object to a mesh, patch, or NURBS surface before step 3. However, you
then lose the ability to adjust object parameters (for example, the radius
of a sphere, the height of a box).
3 Choose Face as the sub-object selection level. Select the faces on which
you want to paint.
4 Drag a material from a sample slot in the Material Editor onto the selected
faces.
5824 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
5 In the modifier stack display, choose the object again, to disable sub-object
selection.
6 In the Material Editor, use Pick Material From Object to grab the material
from the geometry.
You now have a new Multi/Sub-Object material. The original material
appears as a sub-material applied to the selected faces.
7 In the Multi/Sub-Object material, go to the material assigned to the faces
you want to paint.
A Multi/Sub-Object material is simply a container for multiple
sub-materials assigned to different faces of the same object. Click a
Sub-Material button to go to a sub-material.
2D Maps | 5825
8 Assign a Combustion map to the Diffuse component of the sub-material
applied to the selected faces.
9 Click Edit to launch Combustion.
10 Use the tools in Combustion to modify the material.
To modify a Combustion map:
1 In the Material Editor, select the material you want to modify.
5826 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material maps created in Combustion are vector-based and fully
modifiable.
2 In the Combustion Parameters rollout, click the Edit button.
The workspace corresponding to the Combustion map opens in
Combustion. As you modify the workspace in Combustion the map is
updated in 3ds Max.
3 In Combustion, save the workspace before you disable the Edit button
in 3ds Max.
To create a displacement map:
In 3ds Max, the Displace modifier on page 1344 acts as a force field to push and
reshape an object's geometry. You can apply its variable force directly from
the modifier gizmo, from a bitmap image, or from a Combustion workspace.
The grayscale component of the image is used to generate the displacement.
Lighter colors in the image push outward more strongly than darker colors,
resulting in a 3D displacement of the geometry.
1 In 3ds Max, select the object to which you want to apply the displacement
map.
In this example, the displacement is applied to a box primitive.
In the object's Parameters rollout, increase the number of Length and
Width Segments. The closer the number of segments approaches the
resolution of the displacement map, the more accurate is the result.
In the example, 150 by 150 gives good results.
2 Apply a Displace modifier: in the Modify panel, choose Displace from
the Modifier drop-down list.
2D Maps | 5827
3 In the Parameters rollout, Image group, click the Map button.
4 The Material/Map Browser appears. Select Combustion and click OK.
The Map button now reads Map #1 (Combustion).
5 Open the Material Editor, and then click and drag the Map #1
(Combustion) button to an unused sample slot in the Material Editor.
An Instance (Copy) Map dialog is displayed.
5828 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
6 Select Instance and click OK.
7 In the Material Editor, Combustion Parameters rollout, click Edit.
This launches Combustion. In the New dialog, set the Type To Paint, and
create a grayscale image to use as a displacement map. For more
information, see the Combustion User's Guide.
8 In 3ds Max, increase the Displacement strength in the modifier Parameters
rollout.
As you increase the strength, you can see the result of the displacement
map on the selected object.
2D Maps | 5829
9 In Combustion, save your project, then in 3ds Max, disable Edit in the
Combustion Parameters rollout to exit Edit mode.
Interface
2D Mapping Coordinates
Like any 2D map in 3ds Max, mapping coordinates control how a Combustion
map is positioned on objects.
For geometric primitives, mapping coordinates are usually provided
automatically. For some kinds of geometry, such as meshes on page 2075, patches
on page 2067, and NURBS surfaces on page 2237, you must apply a UVW Map
modifier on page 1931 to provide mapping coordinates.
Controls in a 2D map's Coordinates rollout on page 5782 affect how the map is
positioned.
5830 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
When you work with a Combustion map, these are the important points to
remember:
■
When you apply a Combustion map to an object, leave mapping set to
the default values of Texture and Explicit Map Channel.
■
When you use a Combustion map as an environment map, set mapping
to Environ and then choose the mapping shape from the Mapping
drop-down list.
■
The offset, tiling, mirror, and angle controls are useful especially when the
size of the projected Combustion map is smaller than the geometry.
■
You can choose between UV, VW, and WU projections. (You can also do
this from the Combustion Parameters rollout, as described below.) UV
projects onto the surface of geometry like a slide projector. VW and WU
project the map at right angles to the geometry. With a Combustion map,
UV is almost always the most useful choice.
Combustion Parameters rollout
The Combustion Parameters rollout appears when you assign a Combustion
map to a material.
2D Maps | 5831
Project Loads the file to use in Combustion. You can load only file types
supported by Autodesk Combustion, such as Combustion workspace files
(cws), or footage and image file formats supported by Combustion (see the
Combustion User's Guide for information on supported footage formats).
Edit Launches Combustion from the 3ds Max Material Editor. If a project is
loaded, it is opened in Combustion. If no project is loaded, Combustion
displays the New dialog. This dialog lets you specify a project type, name,
video format, duration, and background color.
Live Edit group
These controls affect how you use Combustion with 3ds Max.
Operator Switches control to Combustion, where you can select an operator.
The results of the operator appear as the image in the Combustion map. The
operator does not have to be the last operator in the pipe.
While Combustion is active, you can also adjust the operator. The Combustion
map updates to show the results.
5832 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Unwrap Selected Takes the current UVW mapping coordinates of the currently
selected 3D object (or the current Face sub-object selection), and displays them
in Combustion. This can help you coordinate the map and the mesh as you
paint. The Unwrap display is only an overlay. It is displayed in Combustion
but is not a part of the composite or the map.
UV List Changes the mapping coordinate system (the direction in which the
map is projected) from UV to VW or UW. UV projects onto the surface of
geometry like a slide projector. VW and WU project the map at right angles
to the geometry. With a Combustion map, UV is almost always the most
useful choice.
UV Specifies which mapping channel to unwrap and paint. Range=1 to 99.
Track Time Links the Timeline in Combustion to the time slider in 3ds Max.
When Track Time is enabled, you can use the time slider in 3ds Max to navigate
between frames in Combustion.
NOTE This control is not bidirectional; changing the frame in Combustion does
not change the frame in 3ds Max.
Paint When enabled, displays a paint cursor in 3ds Max viewports. You can
then paint directly on the 3D geometry. Dragging the cursor in the viewport
over the geometry in 3ds Max creates paint strokes inside Combustion.
Constrain To UV When enabled, constrains paint strokes to remain within
the edges of the UV mapping coordinates. When paint strokes are
unconstrained on an object such as a box, they can jump to the other side of
the map when you cross a map’s edge. This can give erratic results. To prevent
this, enable Constrain To UV.
In general, use the Constrain To UV option when you paint on boxes and
other objects with planar maps. Disable this option when you want to paint
on spherical maps or anywhere else the mapping has a singularity (where the
edges of the map converge to a single point).
Selected Faces Constrains the Combustion image to only the faces selected.
This gives additional control or masking based on faces rather than UV
mapping.
Project Info group
These readouts display the format of the Combustion Paint or composite
operator. They are active when a Combustion workspace is loaded or Edit
mode is active.
Width Sets horizontal resolution of the frame in pixels.
2D Maps | 5833
Height Sets vertical resolution of the frame in pixels.
Frames Sets number of frames in the Combustion workspace.
Rate Sets playback speed in frames per second.
Custom Resolution group
With these controls, you can customize the resolution of the Combustion
map.
Enable Enables the Width and Height controls.
Width and Height Width changes the horizontal resolution of the map.
Height changes the vertical resolution of the map.
Time group
These controls relate frames in the Combustion workspace to frames in the
Combustion map. See the controls under "End Condition Group" for how to
handle the map when it contains fewer frames than the 3ds Max scene.
Start Frame Determines which frame of the Combustion sequence is used as
the first frame of the Combustion map in 3ds Max.
Duration Sets how many frames of the Combustion file sequence are used
by the Combustion map in 3ds Max.
Filtering group
These controls determine the method for calculating antialiasing on page 7904:
Pyramidal Sets the default antialiasing method. This method is faster than
Summed Area filtering.
Summed Area Implements a better method of antialiasing. Summed Area
filtering uses more memory than Pyramidal. If it has to use virtual memory,
it can dramatically increase rendering time.
None Performs no antialiasing. This option takes the least time to render, but
yields the lowest quality results.
End Condition group
These controls define what the 3ds Max renderer should do when the duration
of the Combustion project (or the range of frames used in the Combustion
map) is shorter than the rendering sequence in 3ds Max.
5834 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Loop Plays the Combustion project animation repeatedly until the rendering
sequence ends.
Ping Pong Plays the animation forward, then backward, and repeatedly plays
forward and backward until the rendering sequence is completed.
Hold Plays the animation once, then repeatedly displays the last frame of the
project until the rendering sequence is completed.
Gradient Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Gradient
Gradient maps used for the stoplight lamps, and for the background of the scene
Gradients shade from one color to another. You specify two or three colors
for the gradient; the software interpolates intermediate values. Gradient maps
are 2D maps.
2D Maps | 5835
TIP You can swap colors by dragging one color swatch over another, then clicking
Swap in the Copy or Swap Colors dialog. To reverse the overall direction of the
gradient, swap the first and third colors.
Gradient-mapped material tiled (left) and with noise (right)
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
Procedures
To create a Gradient map:
1 Click a map button to assign a map.
2 Choose Gradient in the Material/Map Browser, and then click OK.
To change a gradient color:
1 In the Gradient Parameters rollout, click a color swatch to display the
Color Selector on page 391.
2 Adjust the color.
3 Click one of the other color swatches.
4 Adjust the color.
5836 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To choose the kind of gradient:
■
Choose either Linear or Radial.
A linear gradient shades from one color to another along a line. A radial
gradient has one color on the inside and another on the outside, shading
in a circular pattern.
To use a map for a color in the gradient:
■
In the Gradient Parameters rollout, click a map button to assign a map to
a color.
To adjust the position of the second color:
■
Change the Color 2 Position value.
At the default value of 0.5, the second color is between the first and third
colors. For a linear gradient, the second color's position ranges from the
bottom at 0.0 to the top at 1.0. For a radial gradient, the second color's
position ranges from the inside at 0.0 to the outside at 1.0.
2D Maps | 5837
Interface
Color #1-3 Sets the three colors that the gradient interpolates between.
Displays the Color Selector on page 391. You can drag and drop the colors from
one swatch to another.
Maps Displays a map on page 8036 instead of the color. Maps are blended into
the gradient in the same way that the gradient colors are blended. You can
add nested procedural gradients in each window to make 5-, 7-, 9-color
gradients, or more.
The check boxes enable or disable their associated maps.
Color 2 Position Controls the center point of the middle color. The position
ranges from 0 to 1. When it is 0, color 2 replaces color 3. When it is 1, color
2 replaces color 1.
Gradient Type Linear interpolates the color based on the vertical position (V
coordinate) while radial interpolates based on the distance from the center of
5838 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the map (center is: U=0.5,V=0.5). With both of these, you can rotate the
gradient using the angle parameter under Coordinates, which is animatable.
Noise group
Amount When nonzero (ranges from 0 to 1), applies a noise effect. This
perturbs the color interpolation parameter using a 3D noise function based
on U, V, and Phase. For example, a given pixel is halfway between the first
and second color (the interpolation parameter is 0.5). If noise is added, the
interpolation parameter would be perturbed by some amount so that it may
become less or more than 0.5.
Regular Generates plain noise. This is the same as Fractal noise with the Levels
setting at 1. When the noise type is set to Regular, the Levels spinner becomes
disabled (because Regular is not a fractal function).
Fractal Generates noise using a fractal algorithm. The Levels option sets the
number of iterations for the fractal noise.
Turbulence Generates fractal noise with an absolute value function applied
to it to make fault lines. The noise amount must be greater than 0 to see any
effects of turbulence.
Size Scales the noise function. Smaller values give smaller chunks of noise.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function. A 3D noise
function is used for the noise. The first two parameters are U and V and the
third is phase.
Levels Sets the number of fractal iterations or turbulence (as a continuous
function).
Noise Threshold group
When the noise value is above the Low threshold and below the High
threshold, the dynamic range is stretched to fill 0–1. This produces a smaller
discontinuity at the threshold transition and thus causes less potential aliasing.
Low Sets the low threshold.
High Sets the high threshold.
Smooth Helps make a smoother transition from the threshold value to the
noise value. When smooth is 0, no smoothing is applied. When it is 1, the
maximum amount of smoothing is applied.
2D Maps | 5839
Gradient Ramp Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Gradient Ramp
Gradient ramp used for the layers of the cake
Gradient Ramp is a 2D map similar to the Gradient map. It shades from one
color to another. In this map, however, you can specify any number of colors
or maps for the gradient. There are a variety of controls, making highly
customized gradients possible. Almost any parameter of Gradient Ramp can
be animated.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
5840 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
To create a material with a Gradient Ramp map:
1 Open the Material Editor, and choose an unused sample slot.
2 Close the Basic Parameters rollout, and open the Maps rollout.
3 Click the Map button for Diffuse to display the Material/Map Browser.
4 In the Browser list, click Gradient Ramp. The map appears in the upper-left
of the Browser window. Click OK.
Gradient Ramp map is applied to the sample slot as the Browser closes.
5 In the Material Editor, under its toolbar, give the material a name to
identify its use in your scene.
When you replace an existing map with a gradient ramp map, choosing
to Keep Old Map as Submap in the Replace Map dialog, the old map
becomes assigned to the first flag as a texture.
2D Maps | 5841
Gradient Ramp-mapped material with a colored gradient
5842 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Gradient bar shows default gradient and interpolation types
Gradient bar Presents an editable representation of the gradient being created.
The effect of the gradient moves from left (start point) to right (end point).
By default, three flags appear along the bottom edge of a red/green/blue
gradient. Each flag controls a color (or map). The currently selected flag is
green, and its RGB value and its position in the gradient (in the range 0 to
100) appear above the gradient bar. Each gradient can have any number of
flags.
The gradient bar has the following features:
■
Click anywhere along the bottom edge to create additional flags.
■
Drag any flag to adjust the position of its color (or map) within the
gradient. The start and end flags (Flag #1 at 0 and Flag #2 at 100) cannot
be moved. However, other flags can occupy these positions and still be
moved.
2D Maps | 5843
■
More than one flag can occupy a given position. If two flags are at the
same position, a slight edge appears between the colors. With three or
more flags at the same position, the edge is a hard line.
Right-click options for gradient bar Right-click in the gradient bar to display
a menu with these options:
Reset Returns gradient bar to defaults.
Load Gradient Loads an existing gradient (DGR) file into the gradient bar.
Save Gradient Loads your current gradient bar as a DGR file.
Copy, Paste Copies a gradient and pastes it into another Gradient Ramp map.
Load UV Map Selects a UV map.
Load Bitmap Selects a bitmap.
Flag Mode Toggles flag display.
Right-click options for flags Right-click any flag to display a menu with the
following options:
Copy and Paste Lets you copy the current key and paste it to replace another
key. The other key could be in another Gradient Ramp as well as the current
one.
Edit Properties Choose this option to display the Flag Properties dialog on
page 5846.
Delete Deletes the flag.
Gradient Type Chooses the type of gradient. The following Gradient types
are available. These affect the entire gradient.
■
4 Corner
An asymmetrical linear transition of colors.
■
Box
■
Diagonal
■
Lighting Based on the light intensity value. No light=far left; brightest
light=far right.
■
Linear
■
Mapped Lets you assign a map to use as the gradient. Enables the Source
Map controls for specifying the map and turning it on and off.
A box.
A linear diagonal transition of colors.
A smooth, linear transition of colors.
5844 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Normal Based on the angle between the vector from the camera to the
object and the surface normal vector at the sample point. The leftmost
flag of the gradient is 0 degrees; the rightmost flag is 90 degrees.
■
Pong
■
Radial
A radial transition of colors.
■
Spiral
A smooth, circular transition of colors.
■
Sweep
A linear sweep transition of colors.
■
Tartan
A plaid.
A diagonal sweep that repeats in the middle.
Interpolation Chooses the type of interpolation. The following Interpolation
types are available. These affect the entire gradient.
NOTE Gradients are ordered from left to right. The “next” flag is to the right of
the current flag; the “previous” flag is to the left.
Custom Sets an individual interpolation type for each flag. Right-click the
flag to display the Flag Properties dialog on page 5846 and set the interpolation.
Ease In Weighted more toward the next flag than the current flag.
Ease In Out Weighted more toward the current flag than the next flag.
Ease Out Weighted more toward the previous flag than the next flag.
Linear Constant from one flag to the next. (Default.)
Solid No interpolation. Transitions are a sharp line.
Source Map Click to assign a map to a mapped gradient. The check box turns
the map on or off.
The Source Map controls are available only when Mapped is the chosen
gradient type.
Noise group
Amount When nonzero, a random noise effect is applied to the gradient,
based on the interaction of the gradient ramp colors (and maps, if present).
The higher this value, the greater the effect. Range=0 to 1.
Regular Generates plain noise. Basically the same as fractal noise with levels
disabled (because Regular is not a fractal function).
2D Maps | 5845
Fractal Generates noise using a fractal algorithm. The Levels option sets the
number of iterations for the fractal noise.
Turbulence Generates fractal noise with an absolute value function applied
to it to make fault lines. Note that the noise amount must be greater than 0
to see any effects of turbulence.
Size Sets the scale of the noise function. Smaller values give smaller chunks
of noise.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function. A 3D noise
function is used for the noise; the first two parameters are U and V and the
third is phase.
Levels Sets the number of fractal iterations or turbulence (as a continuous
function).
Noise Threshold group
When the noise value is above the Low threshold and below the High
threshold, the dynamic range is stretched to fill 0 to 1. This causes a smaller
discontinuity at the threshold transition and produces less potential aliasing.
High Sets the high threshold.
Low Sets the low threshold.
Smooth Helps make a smoother transition from the threshold value to the
noise value. When Smooth is 0, no smoothing is applied. When Smooth is 1,
the maximum amount of smoothing is applied.
Flag Properties Dialog
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Gradient Ramp > Gradient Ramp Parameters rollout > Right-click a flag at
the bottom of the gradient bar. > Edit Properties > Flag Properties dialog
By setting parameters on the Flag Properties dialog, you can customize the
effect of each flag on the Gradient Ramp map. You have access to all flags
from this dialog.
See also:
■
Gradient Ramp Map on page 5840
5846 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Name field Select any flag with the spinners. The selected flag turns green on
the gradient bar. Use this field to rename a flag to represent its use in the
gradient.
Interpolation Disabled unless the Interpolation type for the Gradient Ramp
map is set to Custom. The available interpolation types for flags are similar
to the corresponding ones in the Gradient Ramp map:
NOTE Gradients are ordered from left to right. The “next” flag is to the right of
the current flag; the “previous” flag is to the left.
Ease In Weighted more toward the next flag than the current flag.
Ease In Out Weighted more toward the current flag than the next flag.
Ease Out Weighted more toward the previous flag than the next flag.
Linear Constant from one flag to the next. (Default.)
Solid No interpolation. Transitions are a sharp line.
Texture Assigns a map in place of a color. When unselected, the flag turns
blue to indicate a map assignment.
2D Maps | 5847
Color Click the color swatch to change the color controlled by the selected
flag.
Position Shows the current position of the selected flag. Use the spinners to
reposition the flag, or enter a value directly. Position is not available for the
start and end flags, because these flags can’t be moved.
Animation keys Animation keys are created by default for Color and
Position, and the keys are active, indicated by the green triangles next to the
Color and Position labels. You can turn these keys off if you don’t intend to
animate the gradient.
Swirl Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Swirl
Swirl used to create the whirlpool
5848 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Swirl is a 2D procedural map that generates patterns similar to the swirls in
two-flavor ice creams. Like other two-color maps, either color can be replaced
with other maps, so it’s possible to swirl marble with wood, for example.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
Procedures
To create a Swirl-mapped material:
1 Open the Material Editor, and choose an unused sample slot.
2 Close the Basic Parameters rollout, and open the Maps rollout.
3 Turn on Diffuse Color. Click its Map button to display the Material/Map
Browser.
4 In the Browser list, click Swirl. The map appears in the upper-left of the
Browser window. Click OK.
Swirl map is applied to the sample slot as the Material/Map broswer closes.
5 In the Material Editor, under its toolbar, give the material a name to
identify its use in your scene.
2D Maps | 5849
Interface
Swirl Color Setup group
Base The underlying layer for the swirl effect. Click the color swatch to change.
Click None to assign a map in place of a color. The check box enables or
disables the map.
Swirl Mixed with the Base color or map, produces the swirl effect. Click the
color swatch to change this color. Click None to assign a map in place of a
color.
Swap Reverses the color or map assignments for Base and Swirl.
Color Contrast Controls the contrast between Base and Swirl. At 0, the swirl
is blurred. Higher values increase the contrast until all colors become black
and white, even if Swirl Intensity and Swirl Amount are very high. Range=0
to 4.0; Default=0.4.
5850 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Swirl Intensity Controls the intensity of the swirl color. Higher values create
a more vibrant mix of colors. At 0, the swirl effect disappears. Range=-10 to
10.0; Default=2.0.
Swirl Amount Controls the quantity of the Swirl color that gets mixed into
the Base color. If set to 0, only the base color is used. Range=0 to 3.0;
Default=1.0.
Swirl Appearance group
Twist Changes the number of spirals in the swirl effect. Higher values increase
the number of spirals. Negative values change the direction of the twist. At
0, the colors are randomly distributed, not swirled. Range=-20.0 to 20.0;
Default=1.0.
Constant Detail Changes the level of detail within a swirl. Lower values
minimize the level of detail within the swirl. At 0, all detail is lost. Higher
values increase detail until the swirl effect disappears. Values are in whole
numbers. Range=0 to 10; Default=4.
Swirl Location group
Center Position X and Y Adjusts the location of the swirl’s center on the
object.
Lock X and Y values remain identical as you adjust them. By turning off Lock
and adjusting either the X or Y position, you can “slide” the swirl effect across
the object. Default=on.
Configuration group
Random Seed Sets a new starting point for the swirl effect. Changes the swirl
pattern while maintaining other parameters. Range=0 to 65,535; No default.
Tiles Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Tiles
2D Maps | 5851
Tiles used for the walls of a house
Using the Tiles procedural map, you can create brick or stacked tiling of colors
or material mappings. There are commonly defined architectural brick patterns
available, or you can design custom patterns. With the Tiles map, you can:
■
Assign many of the maps available through the Material Editor.
■
Load textures and use colors in the pattern.
■
Control the number of tiles in columns and rows.
■
Control the size of the grout gap and its roughness.
■
Apply random variance in the pattern.
■
Control the stacking layout by shifting how the tiles line up.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782
■
Noise Rollout (2D) on page 5793
5852 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedures
Example: To create a brick wall:
1 Create a wall using a Box primitive, or use an existing surface in one of
your scenes.
2
Open the Material Editor on page 5284. Select an unused sample slot.
3 Click the Maps rollout to open it. Click the Map button for Diffuse to
display the Material/Map Browser.
4 In the map list, select Tiles, then click OK.
The Tiles map is now assigned to the sample slot. On the Material Editor,
you see new rollouts appear for this map.
5 On the Standard Controls rollout, use Preset Type to select the type of
tiles for the wall. Stack Bond is the default.
6
On the Material Editor toolbar, click Assign Material To
Selection to apply the tile map to the wall. Then click Show Map In
Viewport to see the applied map.
7 Open the Advanced Controls rollout. Under Tiles Setup, adjust Horizontal
and Vertical Count. The default is eight rows high, with three repeats of
the pattern in each row. Visually scale the size of the tiles to your scene.
Also adjust Texture as well as Color and Fade Variance to fine-tune the
appearance of the tiles.
8 Under Grout Setup, adjust parameters for the texture of the grout, gap
spacing between tiles, and roughness of the grout. You can also create
missing bricks in the map by setting % Holes to a value above 0.
9 Under Miscellaneous, you can vary the color of the tiles by using the
Random Seed option.
Example: To match the tiles on the top and side of a wall:
1 Select a wall mapped with tile.
2 On the Modify panel, choose Editable Mesh.
3 Turn on Sub-Object > Face.
4 Select the top face of the wall.
2D Maps | 5853
5 Open the Material Editor. Drag the wall’s tile material to an unused sample
slot to duplicate the material.
6 Under Tiles Setup, adjust the horizontal and vertical count of the new
material to match the side of the wall.
7 Apply the new tile material to the selected faces on the top of the wall.
8 Under Stacking Layout, align the tiles by using the Line Shift option.
Interface
Standard Controls rollout
Preset Type Lists the commonly defined architectural tile bonds, or patterns,
plus a custom pattern, which you design by selecting options under the
Advanced Controls and Stacking Layout rollouts. The following illustrations
show some of the different bonds:
Common Flemish
5854 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Fine Running
Fine Stack
1/2 Running
2D Maps | 5855
Running
Stack
5856 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Advanced Controls rollout
Show Texture Swatches Updates to show the texture assigned by a map for
Tiles or Grout.
2D Maps | 5857
Tiles Setup group
Texture Controls the display of the current texture map for the tiles. When
on, the texture is used as the tile pattern instead of the color swatch. When
turned off, the color of the tiles is displayed; clicking the color swatch displays
the Color Selector on page 391.
None Acts as a target where you drag and drop maps for the tiles. When you
click this button with a map assigned, the software displays the rollout for
the map. You return this button to None (removing the assigned map) by
dragging and dropping a None map from the Map/Material Browser.
Horiz. Count Controls the number of tiles in a row.
Vert. Count Controls the number of tiles in a column.
Color Variance Controls the color variation among the tiles.
Fade Variance Controls the fading variation among the tiles.
Grout Setup group
Texture Controls the display of the current texture map for the grout. When
on, the texture is used as the grout pattern instead of the color swatch. When
off, the color of the grout is displayed, and clicking the color swatch displays
the Color Selector on page 391.
None Acts as a target where you drag and drop maps for the grout. When you
click this button with a map assigned, the software displays the rollout for
the map. You return this button to None (removing the assigned map) by
dragging and dropping a None map from the Map/Material Browser.
Horizontal Gap Controls the horizontal size of the grout between the tiles.
This value is locked by default to the vertical gap, so that both values change
as you edit one or the other. To unlock them, click the lock icon.
Vertical Gap Controls the vertical size of the grout between the tiles. This
value is locked by default to the horizontal gap, so that both values change
as you edit one or the other. To unlock them, click the lock icon.
% Holes Sets the percentage of holes in the tiled surface caused by missing
tiles. The grout shows through the holes.
Rough Controls the roughness of the edges of the grout.
5858 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Miscellaneous group
Random Seed Randomly applies patterns of color variation to the tiles. Does
not require any other setting to generate completely different patterns.
Swap Texture Entries Swaps the texture maps or colors between the tiles and
the grout.
Stacking Layout group
NOTE This group of controls is active only when Custom Tiles is selected in
Standard Controls rollout > Pattern Setup > Preset Type.
Line Shift Shifts every second row of tiles a distance of one unit.
Random Shift Randomly shifts all rows of tiles a distance of one unit.
Row and Column Editing group
NOTE This group of controls is enabled only when Custom Tiles is selected in
Standard Controls rollout > Pattern Setup > Preset Type.
Row Modify When on, creates a custom pattern for rows, based on the values
of Per Row and Change. Default=off.
■
Per Row Specifies which rows to change. When Per Row equals 0, no
rows change. When Per Row equals 1, every row changes. When Per Row
is a value greater than 1, the change appears every N rows: a value of 2
changes every second row, a value of three changes every third row, and
so on. Default=2.
■
Change Changes the width of tiles in the affected rows. A value of 1.0
is the default tile width. Values greater than 1.0 increase the width of tiles,
and values less than 1.0 decrease it. Range=0.0 to 5.0. Default=1.0.
A value of 0.0 is a special case: When the Change value is 0.0, no tiles
appears in that row, and the underlying material shows through.
Column Modify When on, creates a custom pattern for columns, based on
the values of Per Column and Change. Default=off.
■
Per Column Specifies which columns to change. When Per Column
equals 0, no columns change. When Per Column equals 1, every column
changes. When Per Column is a value greater than 1, the change appears
every N columns: a value of 2 changes every second column, a value of
three changes every third column and so on. Default=2.
2D Maps | 5859
■
Change Changes the height of tiles in the affected columns. A value of
1.0 is the default tile height. Values greater than 1.0 increase the height
of tiles, and values less than 1.0 decrease it. Range=0.0 to 5.0. Default=1.0.
A value of 0.0 is a special case: When the Change value is 0.0, no tile
appears in that column, and the underlying material shows through.
3D Maps
3D maps are patterns generated procedurally in three dimensions. For example,
Marble has a grain that goes through the assigned geometry. If you cut away
part of an object with marble assigned as its texture, the grain in the cutaway
portion matches the grain on the object's exterior. The following 3D maps
are available in 3ds Max:
Cellular on page 5862: Generates a cellular pattern that's useful for a variety of
visual effects, including mosaic tiling, pebbled surfaces, and ocean surfaces.
Dent on page 5869: Generates three-dimensional bumps over a surface.
Falloff on page 5877: Generates a value from white to black based on the angular
falloff of the face normals on the surface of the geometry. The Falloff map
provides greater flexibility when creating opacity falloff effects. Other effects
include Shadow/Light, Distance Blend, and Fresnel.
Marble on page 5883: Simulates the grain of marble with two explicit colors and
a third intermediate color.
Noise on page 5886: Noise is a turbulence pattern in three dimensions. Like
Checker in 2D, it is based on two colors, either of which can be mapped.
Particle Age on page 5889: Alters the color (or map) of a particle based on the
particle's life.
Particle MBlur on page 5891: (MBlur is short for Motion Blur.) Alters the opacity
of the leading and trailing ends of particles based on their rate of movement.
Perlin Marble on page 5893: An alternative, procedural marble map with a
turbulence pattern.
Planet on page 5896: Simulates the contours of a planet as seen from space.
Smoke on page 5898: Generates fractal-based turbulence patterns to simulate
the effects of smoke in a beam of light, or other cloudy, flowing mapping
effects.
Speckle on page 5901: Generates a speckled surface for creating patterned surfaces
that can simulate granite and similar materials.
5860 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Splat on page 5902: Generates a fractal pattern similar to splattered paint.
Stucco on page 5904: Generates a fractal pattern similar to stucco.
Waves on page 5907: Creates watery or wavy effects by generating a number of
spherical wave centers and randomly distributing them.
Wood on page 5909: Creates a 3D wood grain pattern.
Coordinates Rollout (3D)
Material Editor > Select sample slot. > Get Material > Material/Map Browser >
Turn on 3D Maps. > Double-click a map type to apply it to sample slot. >
Coordinates rollout is displayed in Material Editor.
By adjusting coordinate parameters, you can move a map relative to the volume
of the object to which it is applied.
Interface
Source Chooses the coordinate system to use. There are four options:
■
Object XYZ
Uses the object’s local coordinate system.
■
World XYZ
Uses the scene’s world coordinate system.
■
Explicit Map Channel Activates the Map Channel field. You can choose
any channel from 1 to 99.
3D Maps | 5861
■
Vertex Color Channel Assigns vertex colors as a channel. See Editable
Mesh on page 2075 for details on assigning vertex color.
See also Vertex Color Map on page 5943.
When one of the map channels is set, it locks the map into position on the
vertices of the object so that the map "sticks" to the object as it deforms during
animation.
When an object is deforming through its own local space (for example, when
it is bending or twisting), the object appears to move through the map, because
it passes through the XYZ coordinates of the 3D texture.
Map Channel Unavailable unless the source is Explicit Map Channel. When
available, you can choose any channel from 1 to 99.
Offset Moves the map pattern along the specified axis.
Tiling Tiles on page 8148 the map pattern along the specified axis and makes
the pattern narrower.
Angle Rotates the map pattern along the specified axis.
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map based on its distance from
the view. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring. The Blur value
blurs maps in world space. Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904.
Blur Offset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to
its distance from the view. Blur Offset blurs the image itself in object space.
Use when you want to soften or defocus the details in a map to achieve the
effect of a blurred image.
Cellular Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Cellular
5862 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Cellular maps create the goblet textures.
The Cellular procedural map generates a pattern that's useful for a variety of
visual effects, including mosaic tiling, pebbled surfaces, and even ocean
surfaces.
TIP The Material Editor sample slot doesn't show the cellular effect very clearly.
For a better visual aid to getting the effect you want, assign the map to geometry
and render the scene.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
Procedures
Example: To create confetti:
1 Assign the Cellular map as a Diffuse map.
2 Set the parameters as follows:
3D Maps | 5863
Cell Color (use RGB values after clicking color swatch): 202, 75, 171
Variation: 55
Division Colors (use RGB values after clicking the color swatch):
■
First: 127, 150, 197
■
Second: 0, 119, 163
Cell Characteristics:
■
Circular
■
Size: 2.4
■
Spread: 0.43
■
Fractal: off
Thresholds:
■
Low: 0.19
■
Mid: 0.65
■
High: 0.86
Example: To create alien skin:
1 Assign the Cellular map as a Diffuse map.
2 Set the parameters as follows:
Cell Color (use RGB values after clicking the color swatch): 52, 107, 58
Variation: 0.0
Division Colors (use RGB values after clicking the color swatch):
■
First: 112, 119, 64
■
Second: 143, 137, 112
Cell Characteristics:
■
Circular
■
Size: 7.9
■
Spread: 0.61
■
Fractal: on
5864 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Iterations: 2.0
Thresholds:
■
Low: 0.17
■
Mid: 0.64
■
High: 1.0
3 Copy the Diffuse map to the Bump map.
If you increase the Bump amount, increase the Cellular bump map's
Bump Smoothing value as well.
Example: To create a tile mosaic:
1 Assign the Cellular map as a Diffuse map.
2 Set the parameters as follows:
Cell Color (use RGB values after clicking the color swatch): 141, 120, 87
Variation: 54
Division Colors (use RGB values after clicking the color swatch):
■
First: 128, 128, 128
■
Second: 221, 221, 221
Cell Characteristics:
■
Chips
■
Size: 7.0
■
Spread: 0.35
■
Fractal: off
Thresholds:
■
Low: 0.42
■
Mid: 0.76
■
High: 1.0
3 Assign a Mix map as the Bump map.
3D Maps | 5865
4 Click Material/Map Navigator to display the Navigator. Copy the Cellular
Diffuse map by dragging it from the Navigator to the Color #2 map
window of the Mix map.
5 A dialog is displayed. You are asked if this should be an instance or a
copy. Select Copy and click OK.
6 Assign a Noise map to the Color #1 map window of the Mix map.
7 Set the Noise parameters as follows:
Noise Type: Fractal
Levels: 6.0
Size: 9.3
8 In the Mix Parameters rollout of the Mix map, set the Mix Amount to
0.5.
9 Go to top level of the material. In the Maps rollout, set Bump Amount
to 82.
5866 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Cell Color group
These controls specify the color of the cells.
Color swatch Displays the Color Selector on page 391. Choose a color for the
cells.
Map button Assigns a map to the cells, rather than a solid color.
3D Maps | 5867
Check box When on, enables the map. When off, disables the map (cell color
reverts to the color swatch).
Variation Varies the color of the cells by randomly altering RGB values. The
higher the variation, the greater the random effect. This percentage value can
range from 0 to 100. At 0, the color swatch or the map completely determines
the cell color. Default=0.
Division Colors group
These controls specify the color of the divisions between cells. Cell divisions
are a ramp between two colors or two maps.
Color swatches Display the Color Selector for choosing a cell division color.
Map buttons Assigns a map to one of the cell division colors.
Check boxes When on, enables the associated map. When off, disables the
associated map (the division color reverts to the color swatch).
Cell Characteristics group
These controls change the shape and size of the cells.
Circular/Chips Lets you choose how cell edges look. With Circular, the cells
are circular. This gives a more organic, or bubbly look. With Chips, the cells
have linear edges. This gives a more chipped or mosaic appearance.
Default=Circular.
Size Alters the overall scale of the map. Adjust this value to fit the map to
your geometry. Default=5.0.
Spread Alters the size of individual cells. Default=0.5.
Bump Smoothing When you use a cellular map as a bump map on page 5478,
you might encounter aliasing or jagginess at the boundaries of the cells. If
this occurs, increase this value. Default=0.1.
Fractal Defines the cellular pattern as a fractal, thus enabling the three
following additional parameters. Default=off.
Iterations Sets the number of times the fractal function is applied. Caution:
Increasing this value increases rendering time. Default=3.0.
Adaptive When on, the number of fractal iterations is set adaptively. That is,
the number of iterations increases the closer the geometry is to the scene's
point of view, and decreases in the distance. This reduces aliasing and also
saves time while rendering. Default=on.
5868 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Roughness When you use the Cellular map as a bump map on page 5478, this
parameter controls how rough the bumps are. When Roughness is zero, each
iteration is half the strength of the previous iteration, and half the size. As
Roughness increases, each iteration is closer in strength and size to the previous
iteration. When Roughness is at its maximum value of 1.0, each iteration is
the same size and strength as the previous. In effect, this turns off the
fractalization. Roughness has no effect unless Iterations is greater than 1.0.
Default=0.0.
Thresholds group
These controls affect the relative size of cells and divisions. They are expressed
as normalized percentages (0 to 1) of the sizes specified by the default
algorithm.
Low Adjusts the size of the cells. Default=0.0.
Mid Adjusts the size of the first division color, relative to the second.
Default=0.5.
High Adjusts the overall size of divisions. Default=1.0.
Dent Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Dent
3D Maps | 5869
Dent map gives texture to the cup on the left; cup on the right has same pattern, but
without dents.
Dent is a 3D procedural map. During scanline rendering, Dent creates a random
pattern based on fractal noise. The effect of the pattern depends on the map
type.
Effect of default parameters
Defaults: Iterations=2, Size=200, Strength=20
Dent was designed to be used primarily as a bump map, and its default
parameters are optimized for this usage. As a bump map, Dent renders
three-dimensional dents over the surface of an object. Editable parameters
control the size, depth, and complexity of the denting effect.
5870 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Dent can also be used with other maps. With a diffuse color map, for example,
the two colors assigned to Dent mix in random swirls over the surface of the
object. Either of the colors can be replaced by other maps.
Dent bump maps
At left, default parameters produce fairly uniform dents over surface.
At right, increased Strength parameter creates a deeper and more irregular pitting
effect.
Dent diffuse maps
At left, Dent as a two-color diffuse map.
At right, colors replaced with Dent and Marble maps.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
Procedures
To make a Dent map:
1 In the Material Editor, click a sample slot to make it active.
2 Open the Maps rollout.
3 Click Bump or other map button to display the Material/Map Browser.
4 Double-click Dent in the list of map types.
The Material Editor displays the Coordinates and Dent Parameters rollouts.
5 Set parameters on the Dent Parameters rollout.
3D Maps | 5871
The active sample slot updates to show the Dent effect.
To replace a color:
1 Click a color swatch labeled Color #1 or Color #2.
2 In the standard Color Selector on page 391, choose a replacement color.
The color updates in the color box and sample slot.
To swap a color:
■
Click Swap.
The position of the two colors is reversed in the color boxes and sample
slot.
To replace a color with a map:
1 Click a Map bar marked None next to one of the color swatches.
The Material/Map Browser is displayed.
2 Select a map from the list.
The sample slot updates to show the map in place of the color.
Interface
Size Sets the relative size of dents. As the size increases, the number of dents
decreases when other settings are the same. Default=200.
Decreasing Size creates the appearance of tiny dents spaced fairly evenly. The
effect can resemble a "sand-covered" surface.
5872 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Increasing Size creates the appearance of distinct grooves and gouges on a
surface. The effect sometimes has a "hardened lava" look.
Size=10, 500, and 1000
Iterations=1, Strength=20 (default)
Size=10, 500, and 1000
Iterations=3, Strength=20 (default)
Each set of three spheres uses the same size range, but varies the number of
iterations. Strength is held constant in both sets.
Strength Determines the relative coverage of the two colors. Higher values
increase the coverage of Color #2, while lower values increase the coverage of
Color #1. Default=20.
When using Dent as a bump map, increasing the Strength value typically
makes the dents look deeper.
In the following illustrations, each set of three spheres uses the same Strength
range, but varies the Size value between the two sets. The Iterations value is
the same in both sets.
3D Maps | 5873
Size=10, Iterations=3
Strength=5, 20 (default), and 100
Size=1000, Iterations=3
Strength=5, 20 (default), and 100
Iterations Sets the number of calculations used to create the dents. Default=2.
Dent is based on a fractal-noise equation. During rendering, a dented surface
is calculated one or more times to produce the finished effect. Each calculation
pass is an iteration.
As a surface is calculated, each iteration adds to the number of dents and the
complexity and randomness of the final surface (dents become dented).
The Dent texture requires heavy calculation, especially at higher iterations.
This can slow down rendering time considerably.
Iterations=1, 3, and 6
Size=500, Strength=20
5874 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The three spheres have uniform settings for size and strength. Only the number
of iterations varies.
Swap Reverses the position of colors or maps.
Colors Allows choice of two colors where appropriate for a color component
(such as Diffuse). Defaults=black for Color #1 and white for Color #2.
Dent can create patterns in an object's color as well as its surface. By using
Dent as a diffuse color map, the entire surface is affected.
Size=500, Strength=60
Iterations=2
Two colors are mixed to produce a random pattern, governed by size, strength,
and iteration settings. The default colors are black and white, but either can
be replaced or swapped.
Left sphere: Sets the color to black and white.
Middle sphere: Replaces white with red.
Right sphere: Swap black and red.
By adjusting Strength, Size, and Iterations parameters, you vary the Dent
patterns on a diffuse color map.
■
Size sets the density of the dent pattern. At low settings, the pattern is
dense. As Size increases with other settings held constant, the pattern
becomes increasingly sparse.
■
Strength sets the color strength in the dent pattern. At low settings, Color
#1 (black) dominates the pattern. As Strength increases, Color #2 (white)
replaces Color #1.
■
Iterations sets the color iterations in the dent pattern. At low settings,
Color #1 is dominant. As iterations increase, Color #2 gradually increases
in the pattern.
Dent is applied as a diffuse map in the following examples. Colors are default
black and white.
3D Maps | 5875
Size=100, 500, and 1000
Strength=20, Iterations=2
Color #1, #2=black, white (defaults)
Strength=20, 50, and 100
Size=500, Iterations=2
Iterations=2, 4, and 8
Size=500, Strength=20
Maps Replaces colors with maps in the dent pattern. The check boxes enable
or disable their associated map.
You can assign maps to one or both of the Dent color slots. Any kind of map
can be used, including Dent. The map overrides the assigned color, which has
no effect.
In the three spheres below, the assigned colors are progressively replaced with
maps. Parameters of the original Dent map are the same for all spheres.
5876 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Size=500, Strength=60, Iterations=2
Left sphere: Applies Dent as a diffuse map. Color #1 is black; Color #2 is red.
Middle sphere: Replaces black with Dent map (all defaults).
Right sphere: Replaces red with Marble map (all defaults).
Falloff Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Falloff
Falloff map creates the appearance of translucency.
3D Maps | 5877
The Falloff map generates a value from white to black, based on the angular
falloff of the face normals on the surface of the geometry. The direction used
to specify the angular falloff varies, depending on the methods you choose.
However, with the default settings, the map generates white on faces whose
normals point outward from the current view, and black on faces whose
normals are parallel to the current view.
Falloff map provides a greater variety of opacity falloff effects than those in
the Falloff settings in a standard material's Extended Parameters rollout on
page 5408. You assign the Falloff map as an opacity map on page 5470. However,
you can also use Falloff for special effects, such as an iridescent look.
NOTE When old files that use Falloff maps are brought into 3ds Max, the old
Falloff interface is displayed, replacing the new Falloff interface.
See also:
■
For functionality shared with other 3D maps, see Output Rollout on page
5774
Procedure
To control opacity using a Falloff map:
1 Assign the Falloff map as an opacity map.
2 Render to see the effect.
3 Adjust the falloff parameters to vary the effect.
5878 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Falloff Parameters rollout
Front : Side By default, "Front : Side" is the name of the group at the top of
this rollout. Front : Side indicates Perpendicular/Parallel falloff. This name
changes depending on the falloff type selected. In all cases, the name on the
left refers to the top set of controls, and the name on the right to the bottom
set.
The controls are as follows:
■
Click the color swatches to assign colors.
■
Use the numeric fields and spinners to adjust the relative strength of the
colors.
3D Maps | 5879
■
Click the buttons marked None to assign maps.
■
Turn on the check boxes to activate the maps; otherwise the colors are
used. These are on by default.
■
Click Swap Colors/Maps (the curved arrow) to exchange the
assignments.
Falloff Type Chooses the kind of falloff. Five options are available:
■
Perpendicular/Parallel Sets the angular falloff ranges between face normals
that are perpendicular to the falloff direction and normals that are parallel
to the falloff direction. The falloff range is based on a 90-degree change in
face normal direction. (Default.)
■
Towards/Away Sets the angular falloff ranges between face normals that
face toward (parallel to) the falloff direction and normals that face away
from the falloff direction. The falloff range is based on a 180-degree change
in face normal direction.
■
Fresnel Based on adjustments to the Index of Refraction (IOR). Results
in dim reflections on surfaces facing the view, with much brighter
reflections on angled faces, creating highlights like those on the sides of
a glass.
■
Shadow/Light Adjusts between two subtextures based on how much
light is falling on the object.
■
Distance Blend Adjusts between two subtextures based on Near Distance
and Far Distance values. Uses include reducing aliasing on large terrain
objects and controlling the shading in non-photorealistic environments.
Falloff Direction Chooses the direction of falloff. Five options are available:
■
Viewing Direction (Camera Z-Axis) Sets the falloff direction relative to
the camera (or screen). Changing object orientation doesn't affect the
falloff map. (Default.)
■
Camera X/Y Axis Similar to Camera Z-Axis. For example, using Camera
X-Axis with the Toward/Away falloff type runs the gradient from left
(Toward) to right (Away).
■
Object Uses an object whose position determines the falloff direction.
Click the wide button next to Object in the Mode Specific Parameters
group, and then pick an object in the scene. The falloff direction is the
direction from the point being shaded toward the object's center. Points
5880 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
on the side toward the object center get the Towards value, and those away
from the object get the Away value.
■
Local X/Y/Z Axis Sets the falloff direction to one of the object's local axes.
Changing the orientation of the object changes the falloff direction.
■
World X/Y/Z Axis Sets the falloff direction to one of the world coordinate
system axes. Changing object orientation doesn't affect the falloff map.
When no object is chosen, the falloff direction uses the local X, Y, or Z axis
of the object being shaded.
Mode Specific Parameters group
The first parameter applies and is available only when you set Falloff Direction
on page 5880 to Object:
Object Picks object from scene and puts its name on the button.
The following are parameters for the Fresnel falloff type:
Override Material IOR Allows change to the Index of Refraction set by the
material.
Index of Refraction Sets a new Index of Refraction. This option is unavailable
unless Override Material IOR is turned on.
The following are parameters for the Distance Blend falloff type:
Near Distance Sets the distance at which the blend effect begins.
Far Distance Sets the distance at which the blend effect ends.
Extrapolate When on, the effect continues beyond the Near and Far distances.
3D Maps | 5881
Mix Curve rollout
Using the graph on the Mix Curve rollout, you can precisely control the
gradient produced by any falloff type. You see the resulting gradient in the
bar below the graph.
Move flyout
Moves a selected point in any direction, limited by the unselected points
on either side.
Constrains movement to the horizontal.
Constrains movement to the vertical.
Scale Point Scales the selected point within the range of its gradient.
On a Bezier corner point, this control is effectively the same as a vertical move.
On a Bezier smooth point, you can scale the point itself or either handle. As
with the move controls, scale is limited by the unselected points on either
side.
5882 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Add Point flyout
Adds a Bezier corner point anywhere on the graph line. The point makes
a sharp angle when moved.
Adds a Bezier smooth point anywhere on the graph line. Handles attached
to the point create smooth curves when moved. On a Bezier smooth point,
you can move the point or either handle.
Delete Point Removes selected points.
Reset Curves Returns graph to its default, a straight line between 0 and
1.
Marble Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Marble
3D Maps | 5883
Marble map used for the balusters
The Marble map produces a marbled surface with colored veins against a
colored background. A third color is automatically generated.
NOTE Another way to create marble is to use the Perlin Marble Map on page 5893.
See also:
■
For functionality shared with other 3D maps, see Coordinates Rollout (3D)
on page 5861.
Procedures
To create a Marble map:
1 Click a map button to assign a map.
2 Choose Marble in the Material/Map Browser, and then click OK.
5884 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To adjust the size of Marble veins:
■
In the Marble Parameters rollout, change the Size value to change the
overall scale of the vein pattern, and change Vein Width to change the
width of veins relative to the overall scale.
The larger the Size value, the wider the veins. The larger the Vein Width
value, the more veins appear relative to the overall pattern.
To change vein color:
1 In the Marble Parameters rollout, click a color swatch to display the Color
Selector on page 391.
2 Adjust the color.
3 Click Close to dismiss the dialog.
To use a map for a vein:
■
In the Marble Parameters rollout, click a map button to assign a map to a
color.
To swap the two vein colors:
■
In the Marble Parameters rollout, click Swap.
To adjust mapping coordinates:
■
In the Coordinates rollout, adjust Offset, Tiling, or Angle.
Interface
Size Sets the spacing between the veins.
3D Maps | 5885
Vein Width Sets the width of the veins.
Swap Switches the position of the two colors or maps.
Color # 1 and Color # 2 Displays the Color Selector on page 391. Select one
color for the veins (color 1) and another for the background (color 2). A third
color is generated from the two colors you select.
Maps Selects the bitmaps or procedural maps on page 8097 to appear in the
veins or in the background color.
Turn on the check boxes to make the maps active.
Noise Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Noise
Noise map used for the edges of the street
The Noise map creates random perturbation of a surface based on the
interaction of two colors or materials.
5886 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
Procedures
To change a component color:
1 In the Noise Parameters rollout, click a color swatch to display the Color
Selector on page 391.
2 Adjust the color.
3 Click OK to dismiss the dialog.
To use a map for a component:
■
In the Noise Parameters rollout, click a map button to assign a map to a
color.
To swap the two component colors:
■
In the Noise Parameters rollout, click Swap.
To adjust mapping coordinates:
■
In the Coordinates rollout, adjust Offset, Tiling, or Angle.
Interface
NOTE For the Noise map, the tiling and mirroring controls are disabled in the
Texture Tiling And Output rollout.
3D Maps | 5887
Noise Type
■
Regular (The default.) Generates plain noise. Basically the same as fractal
noise with the Levels setting at 1. When the noise type is set to Regular,
the Levels spinner is inactive (because Regular is not a fractal function).
■
Fractal Generates noise using a fractal algorithm. The Levels option sets
the number of iterations for the fractal noise.
■
Turbulence Generates fractal noise with an absolute value function
applied to it to make fault lines.
Regular, Fractal, Turbulence
Size Sets the scale of the noise function, in 3ds Max units. Default=25.0.
Noise Threshold When the noise value is above the Low threshold and below
the High threshold, the dynamic range is stretched to fill 0 to 1. This creates
5888 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
a smaller discontinuity (technically, 1st order instead of 0 order) at the
threshold transition and produces less potential aliasing on page 7904.
■
High
■
Low
Sets the high threshold. Default=1.0.
Sets the low threshold. Default=0.0.
Levels Determines how much fractal energy is used for the Fractal and
Turbulence noise functions. You can set the exact amount of turbulence you
want, and also animate the number of fractal levels. Default=3.0.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function. Use this
option to animate the noise function. Default=0.0.
Swap Switches the position of the two colors or maps.
Color # 1 and Color # 2 Display the Color Selector on page 391 so you can
choose one or the other of the two principal noise colors. Intermediate color
values are generated from the two colors you select.
Maps Select the bitmaps or procedural maps to appear in one or the other
noise color.
Turn on the check boxes to make the maps active.
Particle Age Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Particle Age
3D Maps | 5889
Particle age changes the appearance of particles over time.
The Particle Age map is for use with particle systems on page 8083. Typically
you assign the Particle Age map as a Diffuse map on page 5460, or in Particle
Flow with the Material Dynamic operator on page 2925. It alters the color (or
map) of a particle based on the particle's life. The particles in a system begin
as one color. At a specified age, they begin changing (by interpolation) to a
second color, and then they change again to a third color before they die out.
TIP This map works well with the Particle MBlur map on page 5891. For example,
you could assign Particle Age as a diffuse map on page 5460 and Particle MBlur as
an Opacity map on page 5470. Another way to use Particle Age is in the mask channel
of a Blend on page 5708 material. In this case, you could set up two of the colors to
white, and one to black, which would make the particles change materials over
their age. In addition, you could set up one of the two materials with an effects
channel on page 7991 and use a Glow on page 6857 filter on it through Video Post.
See also:
■
For functionality shared with other 3D maps, see Output Rollout on page
5774.
5890 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Color #1 Sets the color of a particle at its birth.
Click the button to the right of the color swatch to assign a map instead of a
solid color. The check box turns the map on or off.
Age #1 Sets the age where a particle starts changing from Color #1 to Color
#2, expressed as a percentage of the particle's entire life.
Color #2 Sets the color of a particle in mid-life. You can also assign a map to
this color.
Age #2 Sets the age where a particle's color equals Color #2, expressed as a
percentage of the particle's entire life.
Color #3 Sets the color of a particle at its death. You can also assign a map to
this color.
Age #3 Sets the age where a particle changes to Color #3, expressed as a
percentage of the particle's entire life.
Particle MBlur Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Particle MBlur
3D Maps | 5891
Particle MBlur makes particles blur as they move.
The Particle MBlur (Motion Blur) map is for use with particle systems on page
8083. The map alters the opacity of the leading and trailing ends of particles
based on their rate of motion. The map is usually applied as an opacity map,
but you can use it as a diffuse map for special effects.
The following conditions must be in effect to achieve particle motion blur:
■
The Particle MBlur map must be in the same material that is assigned to
the particles. For best results, it should be assigned as an opacity map
■
The particle system must support the Particle MBlur map. Particle systems
that support Particle MBlur include PArray, PCloud, Super Spray, and Spray.
■
In the particle system's Particle Rotation rollout, in the Spin Axis Controls
group, the Direction of Travel/MBlur option must be on.
■
In this same group, the Stretch spinner must be greater than 0 to stretch
the particles as a percent of their length based on the particle Speed setting.
■
The correct type of particle must be used. MBlur works on all particle types
except Constant, Facing, Metaparticles, and PArray Object Fragments. Also,
5892 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
in the Standard Particles category, MBlur does not support the Triangle
and SixPoint particle types.
■
The material assigned to the particle system must not be a Multi/Sub-Object
material.
Interface
Color #1 A particle approaches this color as it reaches its slowest speed. By
default, this color is white to provide the opaque end of the range for an
opacity map.
Color #2 A particle approaches this color as it speeds up. As a default, this
color is black to provide transparency in an opacity map.
Typically, you don't need to change either of these two colors.
Sharpness Controls the transparency, relative to the speed. If Sharpness is set
to 0, the entire particle is blurry and transparent, no matter how slow it is
traveling. The default works well in many cases. Default=2.0.
Perlin Marble Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Perlin Marble
3D Maps | 5893
Perlin marble used for the texture of the goblet
The Perlin Marble map generates a marble pattern using the Perline Turbulence
algorithm. This map is an alternative to Marble on page 5883, which is also a
3D material.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
5894 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Size Sets the size of the marble pattern. Change this to change the scale of
marble, relative to the object's geometry. Default=50.
Levels Sets the number of times the turbulence algorithm is applied. Can
range from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the value, the more complicated the marble
pattern. Default=8.0.
Color 1 and Color 2 groups
The controls in these groups are identical. They determine the two main colors
of the marble.
Color swatch Click to display the Color Selector on page 391. and change the
color.
Map Click to assign a map instead of a solid color. The check box turns the
map on or off.
Saturation Controls the saturation of the color in the map, without altering
the color displayed in the color swatch. Lower values darken the color, and
3D Maps | 5895
higher values lighten it. Range=1 to 100; Default=85 for Color 1, 70 for Color
2.
Swap Click to swap Color 1 and Color 2.
Planet Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Planet
Planet map used to create another world
Planet is a 3D map that uses fractal math to simulate the colors on the surfaces
of a planet. You can control the size of continents, percent of ocean coverage,
and so on. This map is meant to be used as a diffuse map. It does not work
well as a bump map.
5896 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP The Material Editor's sample slot doesn't show the planet effect very clearly.
To help get the effect you want, double-click the sample slot to get a larger sample
slot, or assign the map to geometry and render the scene. Another way to preview
the planet map is to use the Material Editor Options dialog on page 5335 to set the
3D Map Sample Scale to equal a main dimension of the object you are applying
the map to. For example, if you want to use the planet map on a sphere with a
radius of 20, change the map scale from 100 (the default) to 20.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
Interface
Continent Size Sets the size of the fractal noise pattern used to generate the
continents. The higher the value, the larger the continents. Default=40.
Island Factor Sets the size of the fractal noise pattern used to generate islands
and mountains. Can range from 0 to 100. At 0, the geography is very low.
Higher settings create a more rugged landscape. Default=0.5.
3D Maps | 5897
Ocean % Sets the percentage of the planet's surface that is covered by water.
Default=60.0.
Random Seed Sets the seed for pseudo-random generation of the pattern.
Changing this number can change the pattern completely, even if other
settings remain the same. On the other hand, a different Planet map with the
same settings including the same Random Seed will appear the same.
Water Colors group
The colors in these three swatches are applied to the water areas of the planet
surface.
Water colors Click a swatch to display the Color Selector on page 391 and
change the color. Color #1 is the "center" area of the water mass, Color #2
surrounds Color #1, and Color #3 surrounds Color #2, meeting the land.
Land Colors group
The colors in these five swatches are applied to the land areas of the planet
surface. Their arrangement continues that of the water colors.
Land colors Click a swatch to display the Color Selector on page 391 and
change the color. Color #4 is the shoreline of the land, meeting the water;
Color #5 comes next, working toward the center of the land mass. Color # 8
is at the center of the land mass.
Blend Water/Land When on, the boundary between water and land is
blended, giving a hazy appearance. When off, the boundary between water
and land is sharp.
Smoke Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Smoke
5898 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Smoke map used to create clouds in the sky
Smoke is a 3D map that generates amorphous, fractal-based turbulent patterns.
It's primarily designed for animated opacity mapping on page 5470 to simulate
the effects of smoke in a beam of light, or other cloudy, flowing mapping
effects.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
3D Maps | 5899
Interface
Size Changes the scale of the smoke "clumps." Default=40.
# Iterations Sets the number of times the fractal function is applied. The
higher the value, the more detail within the smoke, but the longer the
calculation time. Default=5.
Phase Shifts the turbulence within the smoke pattern. Animate this parameter
to animate the movement of the smoke. Default=0.0.
Exponent Makes color #2, representing the smoke, sharper and more wispy.
As this value increases, the smoke "tendrils" become smaller within the pattern.
Default=1.5.
Swap Exchanges the colors.
Color #1 Represents the smokeless portion of the effect.
Color #2 Represents the smoke.
Because this map is usually used as an opacity map, you can adjust the
luminance of the color values to alter the contrast of the smoke effect.
■
Click a color swatch to change the color. Usually you only need to do this
to adjust luminance.
■
Click a map button to assign a map instead of a solid color. Turn on the
check box to activate the map.
5900 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Speckle Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Speckle
Speckle map used for rocks
Speckle is a 3D map that generates a speckled surface pattern that's useful for
diffuse mapping on page 5460 and bump mapping on page 5478 to create
granite-like and other patterned surfaces.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
3D Maps | 5901
Interface
Size Adjusts the size of the speckles. Use this to make the speckles match your
geometry. Default=60.
Swap Exchanges the two color components.
Color #1 Represents the color of the speckles.
Color #2 Represents the color of the background.
Click one of the swatches to display the Color Selector on page 391 and change
one of these component colors.
Maps Click a button to assign a map that replaces one of the color
components. Turning off the check box turns off the associated map (the
Speckle map reverts to the associated color component).
Splat Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Splat
5902 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Splat map used for the patterns in ice cream
Splat is a 3D map that generates a fractal surface pattern that is useful as a
Diffuse map on page 5460 for creating a pattern similar to splattered paint.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
3D Maps | 5903
Interface
Size Adjusts the size of the splats. Use this to make the splats match your
geometry. Default=40.
# Iterations Sets the number of times the fractal function is evaluated. The
higher the number, the more detailed the splats, but the longer the calculation
time. Default=4.
Threshold Determines how much of Color #1 is mixed with Color #2. At 0,
only Color #1 is displayed; at 1, only Color #2 is displayed. Default=0.2.
Swap Exchanges the two color components.
Color #1 Represents the color of the background.
Color #2 Represents the color of the splats.
Click one of the swatches to display the Color Selector on page 391 and change
one of these colors.
Maps Assigns a map to replace one of the color components. Turning off the
check box turns off the associated map (the Splat map reverts to the associated
color component).
Stucco Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Stucco
5904 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Stucco map used for a plaster wall
Stucco is a 3D map that generates a surface pattern that is useful for bump
mapping on page 5478 for creating the effect of a stuccoed surface.
See also:
■
Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861
3D Maps | 5905
Interface
Size Adjusts the size of the indentations. Use this to make the scale of the
stucco match your geometry. Default=20.
Thickness Blurs the border between the two colors. At 0, the borders are sharp.
The higher the Thickness, the more the borders are blurred and the less distinct
the indentations are. When you use Stucco as a bump map, the indentations
are very faint at 0.5 and disappear at values not much greater. Default=0.15.
Threshold Determines how much of Color #1 is mixed with Color #2. At 0,
only Color #2 is displayed; at 1, only Color #1 is displayed. Default=0.57.
Swap Exchanges the two color components.
Color #1 Represents the color of the indentations.
Color #2 Represents the background stucco color.
Click one of the swatches to display the Color Selector on page 391 and change
one of these component colors.
TIP Because the Stucco map is meant to be used as a bump map, usually you
don't need to adjust the default colors.
Maps Assigns a map to replace one of the color components. Turning off the
check box turns off the associated map (the Stucco map reverts to the
associated color component).
5906 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Waves Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Waves
Waves map used for the pool in the fountain
Waves is a 3D map that creates watery or wavy effects. It generates a number
of spherical wave centers and randomly distributes them over a sphere. You
can control the number of wave sets, the amplitude, and the speed of the
waves. This map works effectively as both a diffuse and bump map at the same
time. It can also be useful in combination with an opacity map.
3D Maps | 5907
Interface
Num Wave Sets Specifies how many wave sets are used in the pattern. Wave
sets are groups of radially symmetrical waves that originate from randomly
computed points along the surface of an imaginary sphere inside the object
(a circle, in the case of 2D wave distribution). For calm water, set this to a low
number. Use a high number for choppy water. Range= 1 to 50; Default=10.
Wave Radius Specifies the radius, in 3ds Max units, of the imaginary sphere
(3D distribution) or circle (2D distribution) whose surface is the origin of each
wave set. A large radius produces large circular wave patterns, while a small
radius produces dense, smaller waves. Default=800.
Wave Len Max and Wave Len Min Define the interval used to randomly
chose each wave center. If these two values are close together, the water appears
more regular. If they're farther apart, the water is less regular. Default Max=50.0;
Default Min=5.0.
Amplitude Adjusts the strength and the depth of the waves by increasing the
contrast between the two colors. Default=1.0.
Phase Shifts the wave pattern. Animate this parameter to animate the motion
of the pattern.
Distribution 3D/2D 3D distributes the wave centers on the surface of an
imaginary sphere, affecting all sides of a 3D object. 2D distributes the wave
in circles centered on the XY plane, which is more appropriate for flat water
surfaces such as oceans and lakes.
5908 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Random Number Seed Provides a seed number to generate the water pattern.
The pattern changes with each seed, but all other settings are maintained.
Swap Exchanges the colors.
Color #1 and #2 Click the color swatches to change the colors used in the
pattern. Use one color for the wave troughs and the other for the wave peaks.
You can also click the map buttons to replace one or both colors with a mapped
pattern. The check box enables or disables the map.
Wood Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Wood
Wood map used for the seat of the bench
Wood is a 3D procedural map that renders a wavy grain-like pattern throughout
the volume of an object. You can control the direction, thickness, and
complexity of the grain.
3D Maps | 5909
Wood is primarily intended as a diffuse color map. Two colors assigned to
Wood mix to form the grain pattern. Either of the colors can be replaced by
other maps.
Wood can also be applied to other map types. When used as a bump map,
Wood renders the grain pattern as a three-dimensional engraving of the surface.
Wood mapped to a box and cylinder
Wood used as a bump map
Procedures
To replace a color:
1 Click a color swatch labeled Color #1 or Color #2.
2 In the standard Color Selector on page 391, choose a replacement color.
The color updates in the color box and sample slot.
To exchange colors:
■
Click Swap.
5910 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
The position of the two colors is reversed in the color boxes and sample
slot.
To replace a color with a map:
1 Click a Map bar marked None next to one of the color swatches. This
displays the Material/Map Browser.
2 Select a map from the list.
The sample slot updates to show the map in place of the color.
Interface
Coordinates rollout
Tiling Controls grain complexity or "distortion." By increasing this parameter
along a given axis, the grain becomes increasingly compressed and wavy along
that axis. Default=1.0 (X, Y, and Z axes).
Box A shows the default on all three axes. Boxes B and C show progressively
higher Tile settings for the X axis. Increasing Tile on other axes produces
similar effects.
3D Maps | 5911
A: Tile, X axis=1.0 (default)
B: Tile, X axis=4.0
C: Tile, X axis=8.0
Grain Thickness=3
Tile, X axis=4.0 for both
Axial Noise=1 (left), 4 (right)
Grain Thickness=3
By combining Tile with Axial Noise, even greater distortion is possible. The
bottom left box is the same as B, with Tile at 4.0 on the X axis. The bottom
right box adds Axial Noise at 4.0.
Angle Controls grain direction.
Default Grain: Wood is rendered with the grain running along the X axis of
the object. This is illustrated by the left cube below. The default angle is 0 for
X, Y, and Z axes.
Rotated Grain: By rotating the direction of the grain around an axis, you
change the rendered effect. In the right cube, the Y axis is set to 90. This rotates
5912 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the grain direction 90 degrees around the Y axis so that the grain is now
running along the Z axis.
Other Angle Effects: Varying a single angle can create distorted grain effects
(cylinder at left). Varying the three angles by a uniform amount keeps the
grain running parallel through an object (cylinder at right).
Angle=0,0,0 (defaults) and 0,90,0
Radial, Axial Noise=1 (defaults)
Grain Thickness=3
Angle=0,30,0 and 30,30,30
Radial, Axial Noise=1 (defaults)
Grain Thickness=3
(See Coordinates Rollout (3D) on page 5861 for a description of the other
parameters in this rollout.)
3D Maps | 5913
Wood Parameters rollout
Defaults: Grain Thickness=7, Radial Noise=1.0, Axial Noise=1.0
Grain Thickness Sets the relative thickness of the color bands that make up
the grain. Default=7.
The effect of thickness is relative to the context of the object. A grain that
appears unrealistically wide on a small table might be acceptable on a large
overhead beam.
Decreasing Grain Thickness creates grain lines that are closer together. The
effect can resemble the fine grain of slow-growth hardwoods. At 0, grain
disappears, resulting in what can look like composition board made from
sawdust.
Increasing Grain Thickness creates grain lines that are farther apart. The effect
can resemble tropical woods that grow continuously.
Grain thickness is shown increasing with identical noise settings.
5914 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Grain Thickness=1, 3
Radial, Axial Noise=1 (defaults)
Grain Thickness=7 (default), 14
Radial, Axial Noise=1 (defaults)
Radial Noise Sets the relative randomness of the pattern on a plane
perpendicular to the grain, the circular ring structure (cylinder B). Default=1.0.
Axial Noise Sets the relative randomness of the pattern on a plane parallel
with the grain, along the length of the grain (cylinder A). Default=1.0.
Noise settings let you set the randomness or "irregularity" of the grain pattern
in two directions. Without any noise, rings and grain are uniform and look
inorganic (upper-left cylinder). The defaults for both parameters produce
moderate irregularities (upper-right cylinder).
Radial, Axial Noise=0,0 and 1,1
Angle Y=90, Grain Thickness=3
3D Maps | 5915
A: Radial, Axial Noise=0,2
B: Radial, Axial Noise=2,0
C: Radial, Axial Noise=2,2
Angle Y=90, Grain Thickness=3
Cylinders A and B show each parameter acting alone. Cylinder C shows the
combination of the same settings.
Swap Exchanges the position of the colors.
Colors Selects any two colors for the grain pattern. Defaults=brownish yellow
for Color #1 and dark brown for Color #2. Either color can be replaced or
swapped.
The choice of colors, along with grain pattern, is the primary way to represent
different types of wood. In fairly uniform woods like yellow pine or redwood,
the two colors are often near the same settings (examples B and C). Lighting
also makes a difference in the apparent colors.
5916 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
A: Default colors
B: Color #1=RGB 160,125,50
Color #2=RGB 170,135,25
C: Color #1=RGB 140,90,0
Color #2=RGB 130,80,50
Grain Thickness=3
Other settings at defaults
Maps Replace colors with maps. The check boxes enable or disable their
associated maps.
You can assign maps to one or both of the Wood color slots. Any kind of map
can be used, including Wood. The map overrides the assigned color, which
has no effect.
The left box uses defaults. The right box is the same, except that Color #1 has
been replaced with a Checker map, whose colors have been changed to wood
tones.
Left: Default
Right: Color #1 replaced with Checker map
3D Maps | 5917
Grain Thickness=3
Other settings at defaults
Compositor Maps
Compositors are meant specifically for compositing other colors or maps. In
image processing, compositing images refers to superimposing two or more
images to combine them.
The following compositor maps are supplied with the software:
Composite on page 5918: Composites multiple maps. Unlike Mix, Composite
doesn't have explicit controls for the amount of mixing. Instead, it bases the
mix amount on the maps' alpha channel.
Mask on page 5925: A mask is a map itself, used in this case to control where a
second map is applied to the surface.
Mix on page 5926: Mix mixes two colors or two maps. You can adjust the amount
of mixing using a blend level you specify. The blend level can be mapped.
RGB Multiply on page 5930: Combines two maps by multiplying their RGB and
alpha values.
Composite Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Composite
5918 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Composite map combines stars, moon, and a glow into the sky.
The Composite map type is made up of other maps on page 8036, which you
layer atop each other using the alpha channel on page 7905 and other methods.
For this type of map, you can use overlay images that already contain an alpha
channel, or employ built-in masking tools for overlaying only certain parts
of a map.
The controls for a Composite map include the list of the maps it combines
along with a blend mode, opacity setting, and mask for each.
Viewports can display the multiple maps in a composite map. For multiple
map display, the display driver must be OpenGL on page 7796 or Direct3D on
page 7802. The software display driver on page 7794 does not support multiple
map display.
Compositor Maps | 5919
NOTE
The Composite map in Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 is a completely
revamped version of the previous Composite map, and contains additional
functionality including the ability to apply masks and use color correction on both
maps and masks, and to use blend modes for different methods of combining the
layers.
Procedures
To assign a map or mask:
1 On a Layer rollout, click an empty map or mask button. These are the
large, square buttons labeled “None.” The map button is on the left side;
the mask button is on the right.
The Material/Map Browser opens.
2 Choose a map type either by double-clicking its name in the list, or by
highlighting its name and then clicking OK. Make any further changes
as necessary for the map type, such as assigning an image file for a Bitmap
map.
To change the number of map layers:
■
To increase the number of layers, on the Composite Layers rollout, click
the
button.
The read-only Total Layers numeric field displays the current number of
layers.
■
To decrease the number of layers, find the layer to delete and click its
(Delete this layer) button.
To change the order of layers:
■
Drag a layer by its title bar to a new location. As you drag the layer, a blue
line appears where it will be repositioned. This works the same way as
reordering any rollouts.
After you move a layer, the layers are renumbered to remain in order. For
example, if there are four layers, and you move Layer 4 above Layer 1,
Layer 4 becomes Layer 2, Layer 2 becomes Layer 3, and Layer 3 becomes
Layer 4.
5920 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Composite Layers rollout
Total Layers The numeric field shows the number of map layers. To add a
layer at the top of the stack of layers, click the
button.
Layer rollout
The Composite map uses a separate rollout for each layer’s controls, with as
many rollouts as there are layers. Each layer rollout is titled with the optional
name first, followed by “Layer” and then the layer number.
The layers are applied in order of increasing number; the layering in the
material reflects the order of layers in the interface. Layer 1 is lowest; layer 2
is immediately above layer 1, and so on.
The map composites layers in the same order. Layer 2 modifies the output of
Layer 1; Layer 3 modifies the output of Layer 2, and so on.
Compositor Maps | 5921
Hide this layer When on, the layer is hidden and has no effect on the
output. When a layer is hidden, the button looks like this:
Color Correct This Texture Applies a Color Correction map on page
5933 to the map and opens the Color Correction map interface. You can use its
controls to modify the map colors.
To return to the Composite map interface, click
the Material Editor toolbar.
(Go To Parent) on
After the Color Correction map is assigned, you can return to it from the
Composite map interface by clicking this button again.
[map] To assign a map to the layer, click this button and then use the
Material/Map Browser.
Before assigning a map, the button reads “None.” When a map is assigned,
the button image is a thumbnail of the map, and clicking it takes you to the
parameters for the map.
Delete this layer Deletes the layer. This function is undoable.
Available only when the map contains more than one layer.
Rename this layer Opens a small dialog for naming or renaming the
layer.
By default, each layer is named “Layer #” where # is the layer number. If you
name a layer, the text you enter precedes this default name; for example,
“Decal Layer 3.” The space between the custom name and the default name
is inserted automatically. If you’ve already named a layer, that name appears
in the renaming dialog when you open it.
Duplicate this layer Creates an exact copy of the layer and inserts it
immediately adjacent to the layer.
Opacity The relative transparency of the unmasked portions of the layer. At
100, the layer is completely opaque. As you lower the Opacity value, more of
the underlying layers show through.
5922 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
[mask map] To assign a mask map to the layer, click this button and then
use the Material/Map Browser. The mask works the same as the Mask map on
page 5925: Black areas are transparent; white areas are opaque; and gray areas
allow degrees of transparency. So, for example, if the layer is to be a decal, the
decal image area would be white and the rest of the image map would be
black, so underlying layers can show through.
After a mask map is assigned, the button image is a thumbnail of the map,
and clicking it takes you to the parameters for the map.
Hide the mask of this layer To turn off the mask temporarily, click
this button. When a mask is hidden, the button looks like this:
Color Correct This Mask Applies a Color Correction map on page 5933
to the mask map and opens the Color Correction map interface. You can use
its controls to modify the map colors.
To return to the Composite map interface, click
the Material Editor toolbar.
(Go To Parent) on
After the Color Correction map is assigned, you can return to it from the
Composite map interface by clicking this button again.
[blend mode] Use the drop-down list to choose how the layer pixels interact
with those in underlying layers. In the following descriptions, A refers to the
current (front) layer and B refers to the result or output of underlying layers.
NOTE Because Layer 1 has no underlying layers, its blend mode setting has no
effect.
■
Normal
Displays A without any blending. This is the default setting.
■
Average
Adds A and B and then divides by 2.
■
Addition
Adds each A and B pixel.
■
Subtract
Subtracts A from B.
■
Darken Compares the values of A and B, and, for each pixel, uses the
darker of the two.
Compositor Maps | 5923
■
Multiply Multiplies the color values of each A and B pixel. Because
non-white color channels have values of less than 1.0 (using a range of
0.0 to 1.0), multiplying them tends to darken colors.
■
Color Burn
■
Linear Burn
■
Lighten Compares the A and B pixels at each location and uses the lighter
of the two.
■
Screen Makes the light areas much lighter, and the darker areas somewhat
lighter.
■
Color Dodge
Colorizes lighter pixels from B with the A color.
■
Linear Dodge
Same as Color Dodge but with lower contrast.
■
Spotlight
■
Spotlight Blend
to B.
■
Overlay
■
Soft Light If the A color is lighter than mid-gray, the image is lightened.
If the A color is darker than mid-gray, the image is darkened.
■
Hard Light If a pixel color is lighter than mid-gray, screen mode is applied.
If a pixel color is darker than mid-gray, multiply mode is applied.
■
Pinlight Replaces the B colors depending on the brightness of the A color.
If the A color is lighter than mid-gray, B colors darker than the A color are
replaced. And vice-versa: If the A color is darker than mid-gray, B colors
lighter than the A color are replaced.
■
Hard Mix Produces either white or black, depending on similarities
between A and B.
■
Difference
one.
■
Exclusion
■
Hue
B.
■
Saturation
Colorizes darker pixels from B with the color from A.
Same as Color Burn but with less contrast.
Like Multiply but with twice the brightness.
Same as Spotlight but also adds ambient illumination
Darkens or lightens the pixels depending on the B color.
For each pixel pair, subtracts the darker one from the brighter
Similar to Difference but with lower contrast.
Uses the color from A; the value (brightness) and saturation from
Uses the saturation from A; the value and hue from B.
5924 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Color
Uses the hue and saturation from A; the value from B.
■
Value
Uses the value from A; the hue and saturation from B.
Mask Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Mask
Mask map applies labels to the fire extinguisher.
With the Mask map, you can view one material through another on the surface.
The mask controls where a second map is applied to the surface.
By default, lighter (whiter) areas of the mask are opaque, showing the map.
Darker (blacker) areas of the mask are transparent, showing the underlying
material. You can use Invert Mask to reverse the mask's effect.
Compositor Maps | 5925
Interface
These are the controls for the Mask map:
Map Selects or creates the map to be viewed through the mask.
Mask Selects or creates the map to use as a mask.
Invert Mask Inverts the effect of the mask.
Mix Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Mix
5926 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mix map blends skull and crossbones with the reflected scene.
With the Mix map, you can combine two colors or materials on a single side
of the surface. You can also animate the Mix Amount parameter, and draw
map morphing on page 8049 function curves to control how the two maps are
blended over time.
Viewports can display both maps in a mix map. For multiple map display, the
display driver must be OpenGL on page 7796 or Direct3D on page 7802. The
software display driver on page 7794 does not support multiple map display.
See also:
■
Output Rollout on page 5774
Procedures
To change a component color:
1 In the Mix Parameters rollout, click one of the two color swatches to
display the Color Selector on page 391.
2 Adjust the color.
Compositor Maps | 5927
To use a map as a component:
1 In the Mix Parameters rollout, click a map button next to one of the two
color swatches.
The Material/Map Browser is displayed.
2 Select a map type.
To exchange the two component colors:
■
In the Mix Parameters rollout, click Swap.
To control the mix amount:
■
In the Mix Parameters rollout, adjust the Mix Amount value.
Mix Amount is the percentage of Color #2 used in the mix.
You can also control the mix amount by using a map.
To control the mix amount using a map:
1 In the Mix Parameters rollout, click the map button next to Mix Amount.
The Browser appears so you can
2 Select a map type.
The intensity of pixels in this mixing map controls the mix. When the
intensity is close to 0, one of the component colors or maps is visible;
when it is close to full intensity, the other component is visible.
TIP Using a Noise map for the mixing map can give good effects that have
a natural appearance.
In the Mix Parameters rollout, Mix Amount is inactive while a map is
assigned to this parameter. If Use Curve is off, the mixing map is used as
is. If Use Curve is on, you can shift the effect of the mixing map's gradient
ramp, offsetting it one way or the other and revealing more or less of the
mix components.
To control the mix amount using the mix curve:
1 In the Mixing Curve group, turn on Use Curve.
2 Change the shape of the curve by adjusting the Transition Zone values.
5928 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Swap Exchanges the two colors or maps.
Color # 1, Color # 2 Displays the Color Selector on page 391 to select the two
colors to be mixed.
Maps Select or create the bitmaps or procedural maps to be mixed instead of
each color.
The check boxes enable or disable their associated maps.
Black areas of the map reveal color #1, and white areas of the map reveal color
#2. Gray values reveal intermediate mixes.
Mix Amount Determines the proportion of the mix. 0 means only Color 1 is
visible on the surface, 1 means only Color 2 is visible. You can also use a map
instead of the mix amount. The two colors will mix in greater or lesser degree
according to the intensity of the map.
Compositor Maps | 5929
Mixing Curve group
These parameters control how gradual or how sharp the transition between
the two colors being mixed will be. (This really only has meaning when you
have a map applied to Mix Amount.)
TIP Try mixing two standard materials using a noise map as a mask for some
interesting mottled effects.
Use Curve Determines whether the Mixing Curve effects the mix.
Transition Zone Adjusts the level of the upper and lower limits. If the two
values are the same, the two materials will meet at a definite edge. Wider
ranges give more gradual mixing.
RGB Multiply Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> RGB Multiply
5930 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
RGB Multiply enhances the texture of the ashtray.
The RGB Multiply map is typically used for bump maps on page 5478, where
you might want to combine two maps to achieve the correct result.
This map combines two maps by multiplying their RGB values. For each pixel,
the red of one map is multiplied times the red of the second map, the blue
times the blue, and the green times the green.
If the maps have alpha channels, RGB Multiply can output either map's alpha
channel, or a new alpha channel created by multiplying the alpha channel
values of the two maps.
You can also make one of the maps a solid color. This tints the other map.
Compositor Maps | 5931
Interface
Color #1, Color #2 Click a map button to assign one of the maps. The check
box disables or enables the map. To tint one of the maps, turn off the other
map and click its color swatch to choose the tint color, using the Color Selector
on page 391.
Alpha From group
The buttons in this group let you determine how to generate alpha for the
map. If neither map has an alpha channel, these options have no effect.
Map #1 Uses the first map's alpha channel.
Map #2 Uses the second map's alpha channel.
Multiply Alphas Generates a new alpha channel by multiplying the alpha
channels of the two maps.
5932 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Color Modifier Maps
Color Modifier maps alter the colors of pixels in a material. Each of the
following maps uses a specific method to modify the color:
Color Correction on page 5933: Adjusts colors with a variety of manipulation
methods, using a stack-based approach.
Output on page 5939: Applies bitmap output functions to parametric maps, such
as Checker, that don't have these settings. These functions adjust the colors
of the map.
RGB Tint on page 5942: Tints the color of a map based on red, green, and blue
values.
Vertex Color on page 5943: Displays the effects of assigned vertex colors in the
rendered scene. You assign vertex colors from the editable mesh.
Color Correction Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Color Correction
The Color Correction map provides an assortment of tools for modifying the
colors of an incorporated, underlying map, using a stack-based method. Tools
for correcting color include monochrome, inversion, custom rewiring of color
channels, hue shift, and adjustment of saturation and lightness.
Color-adjustment controls in many cases mirror those found in Autodesk
Toxik and Autodesk Combustion.
Color Modifier Maps | 5933
Interface
IMPORTANT The Color Correction map uses a stack-based approach, with
modifications applied per rollout, starting at the top of the interface and ending
at the bottom. Settings from the Texture rollout are applied first, then the Channels
rollout settings are applied to the output of the Texture rollout, and so on. The
order is:
1 Texture rollout
2 Channels rollout
3 Color rollout
4 Lightness rollout
Because of this enforced order, it is not possible to reorder the rollouts for this
map.
5934 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Texture rollout
[color swatch] The software uses this color if no map is specified. To change
the color, click the swatch and use the Color Selector on page 391 controls.
[map button] To specify a map, click this button, initially labeled “None.”
After you specify a map using the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, the button
label shows the name and type of the map.
Color Modifier Maps | 5935
TIP If you replace an existing map with the Color Correction map, the software
prompts you to choose whether to keep the old map as a sub-map. If you do so,
the old map is placed in this slot.
Channels rollout
[channel operation] Choose the initial operation to be performed on the
map color channels:
■
Normal
Passes the color channels unaltered to the Color rollout controls.
■
Monochrome
■
Invert Replaces the red, green, and blue color channels with their inverses.
The inverse for each channel is calculated by subtracting the value from
the maximum value: 1.0 in the case of floating-point colors, or 255 for
eight-bit channels. So, for example, red changes to cyan (green + blue);
green changes to magenta (red +blue); and blue changes to yellow (red +
green).
■
Custom Lets you apply different settings to each channel using the
remaining controls on the rollout.
Converts all color channels to shades of gray.
TIP You can use one of the preset channel operations
(Normal/Monochrome/Invert) as a starting point for customization. Choose the
preset, and then choose Custom. The previous settings remain active and available
for changing.
Red/Green/Blue/Alpha Lets you specify channel operations on a per-channel
basis. Available only when Custom is the active choice. Otherwise these fields
show the current setting, such as Monochrome for the RGB channels.
Use the drop-down list to choose an replacement value or channel for each
channel:
■
Red/Green/Blue/Alpha Replaces the channel with the channel you
choose. For example, if you set Blue=Red, the blue component of each
pixel takes on the current value of the red component of that pixel.
■
Red (Inverse)/Green (Inverse)/Blue (Inverse)/Alpha (Inverse) Replaces
the channel with the inverse of the channel you choose. For example, if
you set Blue=Red (Inverse), the blue component of each pixel takes on the
inverse of the current value of the red component of that pixel.
The inverse for each channel is calculated by subtracting the value from
the maximum value: 1.0 in the case of floating-point colors, or 255 for
eight-bit channels. So, for example, red changes to cyan (green + blue);
5936 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
green changes to magenta (red + blue); and blue changes to yellow (red +
green).
■
Monochrome Converts the color channel to grayscale. To determine the
grayscale value for a channel, the software adds the values of of the red,
green, and blue channels for each pixel and then divides by three. For
example, if the RGB values are 0.5, 0.4, and 0.0, then the monochrome
value for any channel of that pixel would be 0.3.
■
One Sets the channel to the highest possible value; in effect, turns it all
the way on. For example, if the original color of a pixel in a 24-bit or 32-bit
map is R=50; G=75; and B=100, then the result of setting Green=One would
be R=50; G=255; and B=100.
■
Zero Sets the channel to the lowest possible value; in effect, turns it off.
For example, if the original color of a pixel is R=50; G=75; and B=100, then
the result of setting Green=Zero would be R=50; G=0; and B=100.
Color rollout
This rollout gives you three controls for overall color conversion. These controls
work on the output of the Channels rollout. To use the original map, make
sure the Channels rollout is set to Normal.
Hue Shift Lets you change colors using a standard Hue spectrum. Use the
slider or the numeric control to determine how to remap colors in the map.
To reset to 0, right-click the slider. Range=-180 to 180.
This control works the same as the Hue Shift control in Autodesk Combustion
and Autodesk Toxik.
Saturation The intensity or purity of the map colors. Lowering the Saturation
value removes color, causing the image to tend toward grayscale, while raising
it intensifies the color. To modify the value, use the slider or the numeric
control. To reset to 0, right-click the slider. Range=-100 to 100.
This control works the same as the Saturation control in Autodesk Combustion
and Autodesk Toxik.
Hue Tint Colorizes all non-white map pixels according to the color swatch
value. Grayscale values, including black and white, have no effect.
Strength The degree to which the Hue Tint setting affects the map pixels.
Range=0 to 100.
Color Modifier Maps | 5937
Lightness rollout: Standard
The Standard option on the Lightness rollout gives you two easy-to-use
controls:
Brightness The overall luminance of the map image. To modify the value,
use the slider or the numeric control. To reset to 0, right-click the slider.
Range=-100 to 100.
Contrast The difference between brighter and darker portions of the map
image. To modify the value, use the slider or the numeric control. To reset to
0, right-click the slider. Range=-100 to 100.
Lightness rollout:Advanced
The Advanced controls are similar to those available in the Photo Lab feature
of Autodesk Toxik. This tool lets you simulate camera exposure and
photo-development changes in maps. You can change the exposure to brighten
or darken a map in incremental steps,providing perceptually relative uniform
changes in luminance. Photo-development adjustments can produce images
with different color distribution.
[exposure method] Choose from the drop-down list the method by which
to express exposure:
■
Gain
The pixel color values are multiplied by this value.
■
F-Stop As in photography, increasing by 1 doubles the luminance, and
increases gain by a factor of 2.
5938 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Printer Lights A definable setting (see Printer Lights per Stop) where
increasing this value by the value of the Printer Lights per Stop setting (N)
doubles the luminance (N printer lights=1 f-stop)
RGB/R/G/B You can change the settings for all three color channels
simultaneously (RGB) and for each channel individually. In addition, you can
toggle the settings for the individual channels with the check boxes.
Gamma/Contrast The amount of gamma correction can be expressed in terms
of contrast or in terms of the usual gamma exponent. Increasing the gamma
exponent decreases contrast.
Pivot Gamma correction is applied about a pivot value. That is, pixel values
equal to the pivot value are left unchanged. This is useful when you want to
use gamma correction to change the contrast of an map but do not want to
affect a particular luminance level.
Lift/Offset The lift is simply a uniform offset added to all the pixel values
(different offsets for different color components). Lift is usually applied as the
last step of the process and can be used to control the overall brightness of
the map.
Printer Lights per Stop When using the Printer Lights exposure method, this
setting determines the number of printer lights equivalent to one f-stop; that
is, the number required to double or halve the exposure.
Output Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Output
With Output map, you can apply output settings to procedural maps, such
as Checker or Marble, that don't have these settings.
Color Modifier Maps | 5939
Interface
Output Parameters rollout
In this rollout, you choose the map to apply the output controls to.
Map Displays a modal version of the Material/Map Browser so you can choose
the map type.
The check box turns the map on or off.
Output rollout
The controls in this rollout are the same as for maps with a built-in output
option. See Output Rollout on page 5774.
5940 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Color Modifier Maps | 5941
RGB Tint Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> RGB Tint
RGB Tint map
RGB Tint adjusts the value of the three color channels in an image. Three
color swatches represent these channels. Changing a color swatch adjusts the
value of its associated color channel.
The channels are named Red, Green, and Blue for their default colors, but you
can assign them any color. You are not limited to variations of red, green, and
blue.
Procedures
To tint a map:
1 In the RGB Tint Parameters rollout, click the Map button marked None.
The Material/Map Browser is displayed.
2 Select the map you want to tint
3 Click the R, G, or B color swatch.
The Color Selector on page 391 is displayed.
4 Choose a new color.
The red, green, or blue value of each pixel in the underlying map changes
accordingly.
5942 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
To change the saturation of one color in an image:
1 Click the R, G, or B color swatch.
2 On the Color Selector, increase or decrease Value to vary the color from
light to dark.
To replace one color with another:
1 Click the R, G, or B color swatch.
2 On the Color Selector, increase or decrease Hue to change the color.
Interface
R/G/B The red, green, and blue on page 8105 color swatches display the Color
Selector on page 391 to adjust the value of the specific channel.
Map Displays the Material/Map Browser to select the map to be tinted.
The check box turns the effect of the map on or off.
Vertex Color Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Vertex Color
Color Modifier Maps | 5943
Mapping vertex colors
Vertex Color map makes any vertex coloring applied to an object available
for rendering. You can assign vertex colors using the VertexPaint Modifier on
page 1959, the Assign Vertex Colors utility on page 6038, or the vertex controls
for an editable mesh on page 2086, editable patch on page 2032, or editable poly
on page 2140.
While vertex color assignment is primarily used for special applications, such
as game engines or radiosity renderers, you can also use it to create colorful,
gradient surface effects. You can also use it in design visualization: Use the
VertexPaint Modifier on page 1959 to paint your landscape different colors to
represent grass, shrubbery, parking areas, etc., and then use Vertex Color map
to use the vertex coloring in your rendered images. Incidentally, when you
use the Terrain object's on page 774 Color By Elevation function, the software
assigns a material that uses a Vertex Color map as the diffuse component.
TIP To view vertex colors in a viewport, right-click the object, choose Properties
from the quad menu, and then turn on Vertex Channel Display in the Display
Properties group.
Procedures
To use the vertex color map:
1 Assign vertex colors to an object.
2 Assign a material to the object, then assign a Vertex Color map to the
material's diffuse component.
3 Optionally, if manipulating the map channels with the Channel Info
utility on page 6047, choose a map channel or sub-channel to render.
4 Render the scene.
5944 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
These parameters let you define which map channel or sub-channel is to be
rendered. One application is to support usage of the Vertex Color map in
conjunction with the Channel Info utility on page 6047.
The settings are interlinked; changing one parameter will change the other
two, as appropriate.
Map Channel Lets you specify which map channel to use. Range=0 to 99.
Default=0.
Notes regarding this setting:
■
If you set Map Channel to a channel that doesn't contain any vertex
coloring data, attempting to render will generate a Missing Map Coordinates
error message. To resolve this, apply vertex coloring to that channel.
■
By default, the vertex coloring in map channel 1 is a color gradient derived
from the UVW texture coordinates by converting UVW values to RGB
values. Thus, at UV=0,0 (the lower-left corner of the map), the coloring is
black; at UV=1,0, the coloring is red, and at UV=1,1 (the upper-right corner),
the coloring is yellow (red + green=yellow). You can change these colors
with a tool such as VertexPaint modifier on page 1959.
■
Map Channel cannot be set to a negative value, thus the map doesn't
support rendering of the vertex illumination (-1) or vertex alpha (-2)
channel.
Sub Channel Lets you can specify that the map will use either the Red, Green,
or Blue sub-channel of the specified map channel, or all sub-channels.
Channel Name After assigning the material with the Vertex Color map to an
object with named map or vertex-color channels (see Channel Info Utility on
Color Modifier Maps | 5945
page 6047), you can click Update, and then, from this drop-down list, choose a
named map channel from the object.
Update Refreshes the contents of the Channel Name drop-down list. Use
Update after applying the material to an object, or after adding channels to
the object.
NOTE There could be conflicts if one material with a Vertex Color map is assigned
to objects with different named Map Channels, where one channel's name may
be displayed in preference to another's.
Reflection and Refraction Maps
These maps, grouped as "Other" in the Material/Map Browser on page 5290, are
maps that create reflections and refractions. Each of the following maps has
specific uses:
Flat Mirror on page 5946: Generates reflections for flat surfaces. You assign it to
faces rather than to the object as a whole.
Raytrace on page 5952: Creates accurate, fully raytraced reflections and
refractions.
Reflect/Refract on page 5964: Generates reflections or refractions automatically,
based on surrounding objects and the environment.
Thin Wall Refraction on page 5971: Generates refractions automatically,
simulating objects and the environment seen through a refractive material
such as glass or water.
Flat Mirror Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Flat Mirror
5946 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Flat mirror map reflects the ice-cream shop's interior.
The Flat Mirror on page 7982 map produces a material that reflects surrounding
objects when it is applied to a collection of coplanar faces. You assign it as a
material's reflection map on page 5480.
Reflect/Refract maps don't work well for flat surfaces because each face reflects
part of the environment based on where its surface normal points. Using this
technique, a large flat face can reflect only a small part of the environment.
Flat Mirror automatically generates a reflection that encompasses a larger part
of the environment, to better simulate a mirror-like surface.
Rules for Using Flat Mirror
Flat Mirror cannot generate reflections correctly unless you observe these rules:
■
Assign Flat Mirror to selected faces only.
There are two ways to do this. You can make the Flat Mirror material a
sub-material of a Multi/Sub-Object on page 5720 material, or you can use
the Apply To Faces With ID control.
■
If you assign Flat Mirror to multiple faces, the faces must lie in a plane.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5947
■
Non-coplanar faces in the same object cannot have the same Flat Mirror
material.
In other words, if you want two different planes of an object to have flat
reflections, you must use a Multi/Sub-Object material. Assign Flat Mirror
to two different sub-materials, and assign different material IDs to the to
different planar faces.
■
The material ID used by the Flat Mirror sub-material must be unique to
the coplanar faces in the object.
If you assign Flat Mirror using Apply to Faces with ID, faces without that
ID display the nonreflective components (diffuse color, and so on) of the
material with the Flat Mirror reflection map.
Procedures
To assign a flat mirror to one face of an object:
1 In the Material Editor, create a standard material.
2 Assign a Flat Mirror map as the material's reflection map.
3 In the Flat Mirror Parameters rollout > Render group, turn on Apply To
Faces With ID, and choose the material ID number the mirrored face will
have.
4 Follow the next set of steps for assigning the material to the object.
To assign the mirror to a flat surface:
1 Select an object.
2 In the Modify command panel, apply Edit Mesh to the object.
3 Make sure Sub-Object is selected, and choose Face as the sub-object level.
4 Select a single face or multiple faces that lie in a single plane.
5 Assign the faces the material ID you chose for the Flat Mirror map.
6 Assign the material to the object.
To assign a flat mirror using a Multi/Sub-Object material:
1 In the Material Editor, create a Multi/Sub-Object material.
2 Click one of the unused material buttons in the Multi/Sub-Object
material's parameters.
5948 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 In the new Standard sub-material, open the Maps rollout and click the
map button for Reflection.
4 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Flat Mirror, and then click OK.
Flat Mirror controls are similar to those for automatic reflection and
refraction.
5 Apply Edit Mesh to the object, and then in the stack view area of the
modifier stack display on page 7635, choose Face as the sub-object level.
6 Select a single face or multiple faces that lie in a single plane.
7 Assign the faces the material ID corresponding to the Flat Mirror
sub-material slot.
Using a Multi/Sub-Object material, you can apply Flat Mirror to different
faces of the object that are not coplanar. However, faces that are not
coplanar must use different sub-material slots, otherwise the software
doesn't correctly generate the flat mirror reflections.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5949
Interface
Blur group
Apply Blur Turns on filtering to blur the maps.
Antialiasing is also applied to the Distortion effect, if any, when Apply Blur
is turned on.
5950 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the generated map based on its
distance from the object. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring.
Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904. It's a good idea to use a
small amount of blurring for all maps in order to avoid the scintillation or
aliasing that can occur when pixel details are reduced off in the distance.
Default=1.0.
Render group
First Frame Only The renderer creates the automatic flat mirror only on the
first frame.
Every Nth Frame The renderer creates the automatic flat mirror based on the
frame rate on page 7987 set by the spinner.
Use Environment Map When off, environment maps are ignored by the
mirror during rendering. It's useful to turn this off when you have mirrors in
the scene and you're rotoscoping against a flat screen environment map. A
screen environment map does not exist in 3D space the way the other
environment-map types do, and will not render properly. Default=on.
Apply to Faces with ID Specifies the material ID number where you want
the mirror assigned.
You can assign a flat-mirror material to an object without having to make it
a component of a Multi/Sub-Object on page 5720 material. The restriction is
that the other faces on the object must be able to use the nonmirrored
properties of the same material (its diffuse color, and so on). If the other faces
need completely different material characteristics, you need to use a
Multi/Sub-Object material.
For example, if you have an object, such as a box, with unique material IDs
for each side, you can use Apply To Faces With ID to specify the side of the
box that will show the mirror reflection. The remaining sides of the box will
have the same material characteristics, but without the reflection.
Distortion group
To simulate irregular surfaces, you can distort the flat-mirror reflections.
Distortion can be based on a bump map or on noise controls built into Flat
Mirror material.
None No distortion.
Use Bump Map Distorts the reflection using the material's bump map.
A flat mirror surface that has a Bump map will appear bumpy, but its reflection
won't be distorted by the bumps unless you use this option.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5951
Use Built-In Noise Distorts the reflection using the settings in the Noise group.
Distortion Amount Adjusts the amount of distortion to the reflected image.
This is the only value that affects the amount of distortion. No matter how
high the Bump map's Amount spinner is set, or how extreme the Noise settings,
if this Distortion Amount is set to 0, no distortion appears in the reflection
itself. This control is inactive when None is chosen.
Noise group
The controls in this group are inactive unless you choose Use Built-In Noise
as the active distortion type.
Regular Generates plain noise. Basically the same as Fractal noise with the
Levels setting at 1. When the noise type is set to Regular, the Levels spinner
is inactive (because Regular is not a fractal function).
Fractal Generates noise using a fractal algorithm. The Levels setting determines
the number of iterations for the fractal noise.
Turbulence Generates fractal noise with an absolute value function applied
to it to make fault lines.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function. A 3D noise
function is used for the noise, so that the first two parameters are U and V
and the third is phase.
You can animate this parameter to animate the noise effect.
Size Sets the scale of the noise function. Smaller values give smaller chunks
of noise.
Levels Sets the number of fractal iterations or turbulence (as a continuous
function).
Raytrace Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Raytrace
5952 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Raytrace map creates highly reflective and refractive surfaces.
Raytrace map provides fully raytraced reflections and refractions. The
reflections and refractions it generates are more accurate than those produced
by the reflect/refract map on page 5964. Rendering raytraced objects is slower
than using Reflect/Refract. On the other hand, Raytrace is optimized for
rendering 3ds Max scenes, and you can further optimize it for your scene by
excluding specific objects or effects from raytracing.
You can also use the Raytrace material on page 5490, which uses the same
raytracer to generate accurate, raytraced reflections and refractions. The
differences between Raytrace map and Raytrace material are:
■
You use Raytrace map as you do other maps. This means you can add
raytraced reflections or refractions to any kind of material.
■
You can assign Raytrace map to material components other than reflect
or refract, although these are the main ways to use this map.
■
Raytrace map has more extensive attenuation controls than Raytrace
material.
■
Raytrace map often renders more quickly than Raytrace material.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5953
Raytrace Map and Raytrace material have the same name because they use
the same raytracer and share global parameters.
NOTE Raytracing does not always work correctly in orthogonal viewports (left,
front, and so on). It works correctly in perspective viewports and camera
viewports.
Interface
The interface for the Raytrace map is contained in four rollouts:
Raytracer Parameters Rollout on page 5954
Raytrace: Attenuation Rollout on page 5957
Raytrace: Basic Material Extensions Rollout on page 5960
Raytrace: Refractive Material Extensions Rollout on page 5962
Raytracer Parameters Rollout
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Raytrace > Raytracer Parameters rollout
This rollout contains the main controls for the Raytrace map on page 5952.
5954 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Local Options group
Enable Raytracing Turns the raytracer on or off. Default=on.
Even with raytracing off, Raytrace material and Raytrace map still reflect and
refract the environment, including both the environment map for the scene,
and the environment map assigned to the Raytrace material.
Raytrace Atmospherics Turns the raytracing of atmospheric effects on or off.
Atmospheric effects include fire, fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Enable Self Reflect/Refract Turns self reflection/refraction on or off.
Default=on.
Can an object reflect itself? For example, a teapot's body reflects the teapot's
handle, but a sphere will never reflect itself. If you don't need this effect, you
can improve render time by turning off this toggle.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5955
TIP If you have a transparent object such as glass, and have self reflect/refract
turned on, you don't have to make the object 2-sided on page 7893. The raytracer
sees back faces when exiting refractive objects.
Reflect/Refract Material IDs When on, the material reflects effects assigned
to material IDs in the renderer's G-buffer on page 7991 on or off. Default=on.
By default, Raytrace material and Raytrace map reflect effects assigned to a
material's ID, so that G-buffer effects are not lost. For example, if a raytraced
object reflects a lamp made to glow with the Video Post Glow filter (Lens
Effects Glow), the reflection glows as well.
Trace Mode group
With options in this group, you select whether to cast reflected or refracted
rays.
Auto Detect If assigned to the material's Reflection component, the raytracer
will reflect. If assigned to Refraction, it will refract. If you assign Raytrace to
any other component, you have to manually specify whether you want
reflected rays or refracted rays. (Default.)
NOTE Auto Detect might fail when you use Raytrace map in a material with a
strong bump map. When you use a strong bump map, choose one of the explicit
options.
Reflection Casts reflected rays off the object's surface.
Refraction Casts refracted rays into or through the object's surface.
NOTE Raytrace reflects and transmits the IDs in material effects channel on page
5348 (G-buffer on page 7991), so it can create glowing reflections, and so on.
Local Exclude Click to display the local Include/Exclude dialog on page 5519.
An object that is excluded locally is excluded from this map only.
TIP Using exclusion lists is one of the best and simplest ways to speed up the
raytracer.
Background group
Use Environment Settings Respects the environment settings of the current
scene.
Color Swatch Overrides the environment settings with the specified color.
5956 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Map Button Overrides the environment settings with the specified map.
By specifying an environment map, you override the environment map for
the scene as a whole. Both reflection and refraction use the scene-wide
environment map unless you use this option to specify another map. With
this control, you can use different environment maps on a per-object basis,
or provide an environment to specified objects when the scene as a whole has
none.
Raytraced Reflection and Refraction Antialiaser group
Controls in this group let you override the global antialiasing settings for
raytraced maps and materials. They are unavailable if antialiasing is turned
off globally. To turn on antialiasing globally, choose Rendering > Raytracer
Settings to open the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221.
On When on, uses antialiasing. Default=unavailable unless global antialiasing
is turned on; on if global antialiasing is turned on.
Drop-down list Chooses which antialiasing settings to use. There are three
options:
■
Use Global Antialiasing Settings (The default.) Uses the global antialiasing
settings.
Click ... to open the Raytracer Global Parameters rollout on page 6221.
■
Fast Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Fast Adaptive antialiaser, regardless of
the global setting.
Click ... to open the Fast Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page 5522.
■
Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Multiresolution Adaptive
antialiaser, regardless of the global setting.
Click ... to open the Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page
5524.
When you change settings for an antialiaser locally, you don't affect the global
settings for that antialiaser.
Raytrace:Attenuation Rollout
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Raytrace > Attenuation Rollout
When a ray is reflected off an object or refracted through it, by default the ray
travels through space forever, with no attenuation on page 7915. The controls
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5957
in this rollout allow you to attenuate rays, so their strength diminishes over
distance.
In the Raytrace map on page 5952, attenuation is implemented by a clipping
algorithm. Objects beyond the maximum attenuation range aren't even
considered by the raytracer. Because of this, assigning attenuation can speed
up rendering time.
Interface
Falloff Type Choose the falloff to use.
■
Off
Turns off attenuation. (Default.)
■
Linear Sets linear attenuation. Linear attenuation is calculated between
the start and end range values.
■
Inverse Square Sets inverse square attenuation. Inverse square attenuation
is calculated beginning at the start range, and doesn't use the end range.
Inverse square is the actual attenuation rate for light in the real world.
However, it doesn't always give the effect you want in a rendered scene.
5958 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Exponential Sets exponential attenuation. Exponential attenuation is
calculated between the start and end range values. You also specify the
exponent to use.
■
Custom Falloff
Specifies a custom curve to use for attenuation (falloff).
Start Range The distance in world units where attenuation begins. Default=0.0.
End Range Sets the distance in world units where the ray is fully attenuated.
Default=100.0.
This is not used by inverse square attenuation.
Exponent Sets the exponent used in exponential falloff. Default=2.0.
This is used only by exponential attenuation.
Color
These controls affect the behavior of light rays as they attenuate out. By default,
as a ray fades out, it is rendered as the background color.
You can set a custom color instead.
Background As the ray attenuates out, returns the background (either the
scene's background or the background specified locally in the Raytracer
Parameters rollout) rather than the actual color of what the reflected/refracted
ray sees. (Default.)
Specify Sets the color that is returned by the ray as it attenuates out.
If you choose not to use the background color, black or gray usually work best
as the attenuation color,
Custom Falloff group
These controls are inactive unless the Falloff Type is set to Custom Falloff.
Custom Falloff Uses the falloff curve to determine the falloff between the
start and the end ranges.
These are the controls for custom attenuation. The custom attenuation curve
is at the left. The gray scale bar below the curve shows how the curve will
affect the falloff as light rays diminish in strength.
Near Sets the strength of the reflected/refracted ray at the start range distance.
This is a normalized percentage that can range from 0.0 to 1.0. Default=1.0.
Control 1 Controls the shape of the curve near the curve start. Default=0.667.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5959
Control 2 Controls the shape of the curve near the curve end. Default=0.333.
Far Sets the strength of the reflected/refracted ray at the end range distance.
This is a normalized percentage that can range from 0.0 to 1.0. Default=0.0.
Raytrace: Basic Material Extensions Rollout
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Raytrace > Basic Material Extensions Rollout
This rollout contains controls for fine-tuning the effect of the Raytrace map
on page 5952.
Interface
Reflectivity/Opacity These controls affect the intensity of the raytracer's
results.
■
Spinner Controls the amount of raytracing used by the material it is
assigned to. Analogous to the Output Amount parameter in the Output
rollout of the Bitmap map type on page 5795.
■
Map button Assigns a map that controls the amount of raytracing. You
can vary the amount of raytracing used over the surface of the object.
■
Check box
Enables or disables the map.
Tint With these controls, you can tint the colors returned by the raytracer.
Tinting applies only to reflected colors; it doesn't affect the material's diffuse
component.
■
Check box
Turns basic tinting on or off. Default=off.
■
Color swatch
Assigns a tint color for reflections. Default=white.
5960 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Amount spinner
Sets the amount of tinting used. Default=1.0.
■
Map button Assigns a map to use for tinting. You can vary the tint colors
over the surface of the object.
■
Check box
Enables or disables the map.
Bump Map Effect Controls the effect of a bump map on rays that the surface
reflects and refracts. For example, you might want to make a glass object highly
bumpy, but reduce the bump effect on refracted parts of the scene.
Bump Map Effect equals 1.0.
The refraction of tiles behind the glass is distorted by the bump map.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5961
Bump Map Effect equals 0.0.
The refraction of tiles behind the glass is not distorted.
Bump Map Effect is active only when raytracing is enabled.
Raytrace: Refractive Material Extensions Rollout
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Raytrace > Refractive Material Extensions Rollout
With the controls in this rollout, you can fine-tune the effect of the Raytrace
map on page 5952 on a material's refraction component.
5962 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Internal Density Effects
Color With these controls, you can specify a transmission color based on
thickness. The density color gives the appearance of color within the object
itself, like tinted glass.
■
Enable
Turns color density on or off.
■
Color swatch Displays a Color Selector on page 391. Choose the
transmission color.
■
Amount Controls the amount of density color. Reducing this value
reduces the density color effect. Range=0 to 1.0. Default=1.0.
■
Color Map Assigns a map to the density color component. Use the check
box to enable or disable the map.
■
Start and End A thin piece of tinted glass is mainly clear, while a thick
piece of the same glass has more color. Start and End Distance, expressed
in world units, controls help you simulate this effect. Start is the position
in the object where the density color begins to appear (Default=0.0). End
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5963
is the position in the object where the density color reaches its full Amount
value. To have a lighter effect, increase the End value. To have a heavier
effect, reduce the End value.
Fog Density fog is also a thickness-based effect. It fills the object with a fog
that is both opaque and self illuminated. The effect is like smoke trapped in
a glass, or wax at the tip of a candle. Colored fog in tubular objects can
resemble neon tubes.
■
Enable
Turns fog on or off.
■
Color swatch
color.
■
Amount Controls the amount of density fog. Reducing this value reduces
the density fog effect and makes the fog translucent. Range=0 to 1.0.
Default=1.0.
■
Color Map Assigns a map to the fog component. Use the check box to
enable or disable the map.
■
Start and End Start and End Distance controls, expressed in world units,
adjust the fog effect based on the object's dimensions. Start is the position
in the object where the density fog begins to appear (default=0.0). End is
the position in the object where the density fog reaches its full Amount
value. To have a lighter effect, increase the End value. To have a heavier
effect, reduce the End value.
Displays a Color Selector on page 391 for choosing the fog
Render objects inside raytraced objects Turns the rendering of objects inside
raytraced objects on or off. Default=on.
Render atmospherics inside raytraced objects Turns the rendering of
atmospheric effects inside raytraced objects on or off. Atmospheric effects
include fire, fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Treat Refractions as Glass (Fresnel effect) When on, applies a Fresnel effect
to the refraction. This can add a bit of reflection to the refracting object,
depending on the viewing angle of the object. When off, the object is refractive
only. Default=on.
Reflect/Refract Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Reflect/Refract
5964 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Reflect/Refract map used for the balloons
The Reflect/Refract map produces a reflective or refractive surface. To create
reflection, assign this map type as the material's reflection map on page 5480.
To create refraction, assign it as the refraction map on page 5483.
NOTE A reflective object can reflect another reflective object. In the real world,
this creates a virtually infinite number of interreflections. In 3ds Max, you can set
the number of interreflections within a range from 1 to 10. You set this Rendering
Iterations parameter on the Render Setup dialog on page 6092.
This map works by using six renderings in the form of a cube that surrounds
the objects. Reflect/Refract views the cubic maps from the perspective of the
pivot point on page 8091 of the object, mapping them onto the object's surface
as a spherical reflection map.
You can choose to generate the cubic maps automatically, or to load previously
created maps.
A reflective surface reflects the surrounding maps like a mirror. A refractive
surface creates the illusion that the surrounding maps are seen through the
surface.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5965
NOTE Reflect/Refract is meant to be used with curved or irregularly shaped objects.
For mirror-like flat surfaces that you want to reflect the environment accurately,
use Flat Mirror on page 5946 material. For more accurate refractions, especially for
an object in a refractive medium (such as a pencil in a glass of water), use Thin
Wall Refraction material on page 5971.
Automatic Cubic Maps
When you choose automatic cubic maps, 3ds Max generates the maps based
on the perspective of the mapped object's pivot point. Automatic maps are
based on the geometry of the scene.
The advantage to using automatic maps is that the six views are automatically
generated at rendering time and can be easily updated for each frame of an
animation. The disadvantage is that regenerating the maps increases rendering
time. In addition, the maps exist only for the rendering and can't be edited
or otherwise manipulated.
In the Material Editor, automatic reflections or refractions reflect or refract
the background of the sample slot.
Assigning Cubic Maps
When you choose to load cubic maps from files, you use the controls in the
From File group. The advantage to using From File is that the bitmap files
already exist and take less rendering time. In addition, you can edit the bitmap
images. The disadvantage is that it's more difficult to use bitmaps to render
an animation because first you need to create the animated bitmaps.
IMPORTANT Assigned cubic maps must be square, and each of the six maps
must be the same size.
You can automatically load six bitmaps at once if the six bitmaps have valid
cubic-map file names. The first part of all six file names must be the same,
and the last part is an underscore followed by a two-letter abbreviation of the
map position, as shown in the following table:
Last Part of Cubic Map File Name
Meaning
_UP
Up
_DN
Down
5966 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Last Part of Cubic Map File Name
Meaning
_LF
Left
_RT
Right
_FR
Front
_BK
Back
For example, if you have six bitmaps on disk, labeled view_up.bmp, view_fr.bmp,
view_lf.bmp, and so on, when you click one of the file buttons and choose the
bitmap for that position, all six views are loaded.
If you select a bitmap whose name doesn't follow the convention, or you
select one with a valid cubic-map name but assign it to the wrong button,
only that bitmap will be loaded.
Since all assigned bitmaps must be the same size, when you assign a new
bitmap to one of the windows, the sample slot doesn't update automatically.
This avoids generating an error message each time you assign a bitmap. Once
you've assigned all six maps and are sure they are square and the same size,
click the Reload button to update all of the maps and redisplay the sample
slot.
You can also use the Reload button to see your changes after you've edited
one of the cubic maps by using a paint program.
Rendering Cubic Maps
The controls in the Render Cubic Map Files group let you generate the maps
automatically and save them to disk. Use the To File button to specify the
folder and file name of the Up (_UP) bitmaps. Click Pick Object and Render
Maps, and then click the object to map. The software creates the files and also
assigns them to the six From File map buttons.
Rendering cubic maps has the same effect as automatic with the advantage
that map rendering doesn't have to take place at scene rendering time. The
disadvantage is that you can't create an automatically animated reflections or
refractions this way.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5967
Using Animated Cubic Maps
The cubic maps can be animations instead of bitmaps. Be sure that each is
square and all have the same resolution. If you want the animated reflections
to match animated changes in the scene, use automatic maps and set them
to render every Nth frame.
Procedures
To generate and save cubic maps:
1 In the Source group, choose From File.
2 In the Render Cubic Map Files group, click the button next to To File.
A file dialog is displayed. Type a name for one of the six cubic bitmap
files. You're specifying the name of the Up bitmap. There are two ways
to do this:
■
Specify the entire file name; for example, myview_up.bmp.
■
Specify the file prefix and extension only; for example, myview.bmp.
IMPORTANT You must specify at least a prefix and extension. The "_UP"
is added automatically.
3 Click Pick Object and Render Maps.
4 Click an object in your scene where you want the six views rendered.
This is usually the same object where you will apply the material, but it
doesn't have to be.
After selecting the object, a window opens temporarily that shows the
six views as they render and are saved to disk. Their file names then
appear on the six buttons in the From File group. Each of the six file
names is identical, except for a two-letter suffix indicating the direction
of the rendered view.
5968 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Source Chooses the source of the six cubic maps.
Automatic Automatically generates by looking out in six directions from the
pivot of the object with the material, then mapped onto the surface during
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5969
rendering. When on, the options in the Automatic group are active, letting
you choose whether the maps will be generated only once, or regenerated at
specified frames in the animation.
From File When on, you can specify the bitmaps to use.
When From File is active, the controls in the Render Cubic Map Files group
are also available. You can generate the six cubic reflection maps automatically
and save them to files, where you can load them with the From Files controls.
Size Sets the size of the Reflect/Refract maps. The default value of 100 produces
distinct images. Lower values lose progressively more detail.
Use Environment Map When off, environment maps are ignored by
Reflect/Refract map during rendering. It's useful to turn this off when you
have mirrors in the scene and you're rotoscoping against a flat screen
environment map. A screen environment map does not exist in 3D space the
way the other environment-map types do, and will not render properly.
Blur group
Apply Turns on filtering to blur the maps.
Blur Offset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to
its distance from the object. Use Blur Offset when you want to soften or defocus
the details in a map to achieve the effect of a blurred image.
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the generated map based on its
distance from the object. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring.
Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904. It's a good idea to use a
small amount of blurring for all maps in order to avoid the scintillation or
aliasing that can occur when pixel details are reduced off in the distance.
Default=1.
Atmosphere Ranges group
If your scene contains environmental Fog on page 6707, the cubic maps must
have near and far range settings to properly render the fog from the point of
view of the object assigned the material. The Near and Far spinners in this
group let you specify a fog range relative to the object.
Near Sets the near range for fog.
Far Sets the far range for fog.
Get From Camera Uses the Near and Far atmosphere range settings of a camera
in the scene. Click this option, and then select the camera.
5970 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
These values aren't dynamically linked to the camera object. They are simply
copied from the camera's range values at the time you click the camera. If the
camera's range values later change, the map's Near and Far values remain the
same.
Automatic group
This controls are active only when Automatic is the active source for the
Reflect/Refract maps.
First Frame Only Tells the renderer to create automatic maps only on the
first frame.
Every Nth Frame Tells the renderer to create animated auto maps based on
the frame rate on page 7987 set by the spinner.
From File group
These controls are active when From File is active as the Reflect/Refract source.
Here you assign the six bitmaps to be used as the cubic maps.
Up / Down / Left / Right / Front / Back Assigns one of the six cubic maps.
If the map is one of a set of six with the correct file name, all six are loaded.
If the map doesn't follow file naming conventions, or you assign it to a button
of a different position (_UP to Front, for example), only that map is assigned.
You must assign the others manually.
Reload Reloads the assigned maps and updates the sample slot.
You can edit one or more of the cubic maps using a paint program, then click
Reload to update the material and the scene.
Render Cubic Map Files group
To File Choose a file name for the Up map (_UP).
Pick Object and Render Maps Active when you choose a file. Click to turn
on, then select the mapped object to render the six cubic maps. Assign the
cubic maps to the six From File buttons.
Thin Wall Refraction Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Thin Wall Refraction
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5971
Thin wall refraction
Thin Wall Refraction simulates the "jog," or offset effect, you find when you
view part of an image through a plate of glass. For objects that model glass,
such as a Box in the shape of a window pane, this map is faster, uses less
memory, and provides a much better visual effect than the Reflect/Refract
map.
TIP At 100% refraction and opacity, you can see no diffuse color or mapping,
and there is not much illusion of a refractive material. The effect is invisible. In the
Maps rollout of the parent material, set Refraction Amount to 50%, and in the
Basic Parameters rollout, set Opacity to a value greater than 0.
Procedures
To assign the Thin Wall Refraction map to a material:
1 Click the Map button for Refraction in the material's Maps rollout.
2 In the Material/Map Browser, choose Thin Wall Refraction.
3 Adjust the map's parameters.
5972 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
4 In the parent material, set the Refraction Map Amount to 50%.
5 Assign the material to an object.
Interface
Blur group
These controls are for antialiasing.
Apply Blur Turns on filtering to blur the maps.
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the generated map based on its
distance from the object. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring.
Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904. It's a good idea to use a
small amount of blurring for all maps in order to avoid the scintillation or
aliasing that can occur when pixel details are reduced off in the distance.
Default=1.0.
Render group
These controls affect how the refraction should behave in animations.
First Frame Only Tells the renderer to create the refracted image only on the
first frame.
Reflection and Refraction Maps | 5973
This is the fastest option. You can use it if the camera and refractive object
don't move.
Every Nth Frame Tells the renderer to regenerate the refracted image based
on the frame rate on page 7987 set by the spinner.
Every single frame provides the most accurate result, but takes longest to
render.
Use Environment Map When off, environment maps are ignored by the
refraction during rendering. It's useful to turn it this off when you have
refractions in the scene and you're rotoscoping against a flat screen
environment map. A screen environment map does not exist in 3D space the
way the other environment map types do, and will not render properly.
Default=on.
Refraction group
These controls are specific to the Thin Wall Refraction effect:
Thickness Offset Affects the size of the refractive offset, or jog effect. At 0,
there's no offset, and the object can appear invisible in the rendered scene.
At 10.0, the offset is at its greatest. Range from 0.0 to 10.0; Default=0.5.
NOTE The IOR (index of refraction) spinner in the parent material's Extended
Parameters rollout also affects the offset effect.
Bump Map Effect Affects the magnitude of refraction due to the presence of
a bump map. This parameter multiplies the current bump map Amount in
the parent material. Reduce this value to reduce the effect of the secondary
refraction; increase this value to increase the effect. If there is no bump map
assigned, this value has no effect. Default=1.0.
If there is unevenness in the surface of the glass, there is a secondary refraction.
Thin Wall Refraction generates this secondary refraction if the material also
has a bump map present. The algorithm guesses at the scaling of the secondary
refraction, and can create too large an effect. If this happens, scale the effect
down by reducing this value to less than one.
mental ray Shaders
In mental ray, a shader is a function that calculates light effects. There can be
shaders for lights, cameras (lens shaders), materials, shadows, and so on.
5974 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
NOTE In 3D modeling, the term “shader” typically refers to an algorithm that
specifies how a surface responds to light. (The shaders for standard 3ds Max fall
into this category.) With the mental ray renderer, “shader” has a more general
sense of any algorithm used in rendering.
The mental ray renderer on page 6230 can render most types of 3ds Max materials
and maps. See 3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings on page 6239. In
addition, if you have enabled mental ray extensions (see mental ray Preferences
on page 7787), you can apply a variety of shaders to materials. Materials designed
for use with the mental ray renderer have specific components to which you
can assign a shader. And for standard 3ds Max material types, the mental ray
Connection rollout on page 5385 lets you add mental ray shading.
WARNING When you use the scanline renderer, mental ray shaders typically
appear as black or white surfaces, or they are ignored entirely.
You assign a mental ray shader the same way you do a map. In the
Material/Map Browser on page 5290, mental ray shaders appear with a yellow
icon, instead of the green icon used for maps.
mental ray maps in the browser's list are shown with yellow icons.
The shaders listed in the Browser depend on which type of shader component
you have chosen in the Material Editor. For example, when you assign a Surface
shader, the Browser lists a variety of shaders and standard 3ds Max maps. But
when you assign a more special-purpose Contour shader, the Browser lists
only those shaders that generate contour lines.
mental ray Shaders | 5975
NOTE Other kinds of special-purpose shaders include shaders for cameras and
lights. Buttons to assign camera shaders are found on the Render Setup dialog >
Camera Effects rollout on page 6283, and the controls to assign light shaders are on
a light object's mental ray Light Shader rollout on page 5115. This rollout appears
only on the Modify panel, not the Create panel.
The shaders listed in the Browser come from several libraries that are provided
with 3ds Max. Shaders created specifically for 3ds Max are described in this
document. Shaders provided with the mental images or lume shader libraries
have their own online documentation. The following topics link to the
descriptions of specific shaders:
■
3ds Max Custom Shaders on page 5982 links to descriptions of the shaders
provided in the product-specific library, 3dsmax.mi.
■
mental images Shader Libraries on page 5977 links to descriptions of the
shaders provided in the three standard mental ray libraries from mental
images: base.mi, contour.mi, and physics.mi.
■
Shaders in the LumeTools Collection on page 5980 includes links to
descriptions of shaders in the lume library, lume.mi.
■
The Production Shaders on page 6017 library includes several special-purpose
texture shaders, a lens shader, and two output shaders.
■
The Car Paint on page 5607 material is also available as a shader, with the
same set of parameters.
■
The mr Sun on page 5173, mr Sky on page 5176, and mr Physical Sky on page
5181 shaders are components of the mental ray Sun and Sky on page 5161
solution.
NOTE When you wire the parameters of an object whose material has mental ray
shaders assigned, names of shader parameters might differ from those in the
Material Editor interface. Also, parameters not supported by 3ds Max might appear
as blanks in the wiring menu.
mental ray Shaders not Provided with 3ds Max
If your installation includes shader libraries other than those listed in this
reference (whether obtained from a third-party source, or custom written),
then the Browser might list those shaders as well. Documentation for
third-party or custom shaders should come from the shader's provider.
5976 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Where Shaders Are Installed
Shaders provided with 3ds Max are installed in the subdirectory
\mentalray\shaders_standard\, below the 3ds Max root directory. The \include
folder is for the MI include files, and the \shaders folder is for the DLLs.
Third-party shaders should not be installed in \shaders_standard. They should
be installed either in \shaders_3rdparty or \shaders_autoload. If a third-party
shader is present in \shaders_autoload, it is loaded automatically when you
start 3ds Max. If a third-party shader is present in \shaders_3rdparty, you must
update the file 3rdparty.mi so it explicitly loads the shader. The MI file
\shaders_3rdparty\3rdparty.mi contains comments that explain how to add load
statements.
NOTE Shaders listed in the MI file are loaded in reverse order: that is, from the
bottom of the list to the top.
mental images Shader Libraries
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Pick a mental ray shader other than a custom 3ds Max shader or a lume
shader.
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The shaders provided with standard libraries from mental images are meant
for use with the mental ray renderer on page 6230. There are three standard
libraries: Base Shaders (base.mi), Physics Shaders (physics.mi), and Contour
Shaders (contour.mi).
NOTE In the mental image libraries, the names of base shaders have the prefix
“mib_” and the names of contour shaders have the prefix “contour_”. These
prefixes don't appear in the 3ds Max user interface or in the table that follows.
(Names of physics shaders have no conventional prefix.)
The following table lists the mental images library shaders provided with 3ds
Max.
mental ray Shaders | 5977
TIP When you follow a link to the documentation for mental images library shaders,
scroll up a bit in your browser. The links tend to go directly to the shader's
declaration code, and often there are some introductory paragraphs directly above
the code. If the link goes to the beginning of a section, scroll down instead.
Shader
Library
Ambient/Reflective Occlusion
base
Combi
contour
Contour Composite
contour
Contour Contrast Function
Levels
contour
Contour Only
contour
Contour PS (PostScript)
contour
Contour Store Function
contour
Curvature
contour
Depth Fade
contour
DGS Material Photon
physics
Dielectric
base
Factor Color
contour
Layer Thinner
contour
Light Infinite
base
Light Point
base
5978 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shader
Library
Light Spot
base
Opacity
base
Parti Volume
physics
Photon Basic
base
Reflect
base
Refract
base
Shadow Transparency
base
Simple
contour
Texture Remap
base
Texture Rotate
base
Texture Wave
base
Transmat
physics
Transmat Photon
physics
Transparency
base
Two Sided
base
Width From Color
contour
Width From Light
contour
Width From Light Dir
contour
mental ray Shaders | 5979
NOTE You can also access the mental images shader help by choosing Help >
Additional Help, opening the mental ray 3.6 Reference, and then highlighting
mental ray Shader Reference on the Contents panel.
Shaders in the LumeTools Collection
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Pick a shader with “(lume)” in its name.
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The LumeTools Collection of shaders provide a variety of naturalistic effects
when used with the mental ray renderer on page 6230. In the Material/Map
Browser, the name of these shaders is followed by “(lume).” These are the
lume shaders provided with 3ds Max:
■
Beam
■
Distortion
■
Edge and Edge Shadow
■
Facade
■
Glass
■
Glow
■
Landscape
■
Metal
■
Mist
■
Night
■
Ocean
■
Stain
■
Submerge
■
Translucency
■
Water Surface
■
Wrap Around
5980 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
■
Wet-Dry Mixer
NOTE You can also access the lume shader help by choosing Help > Additional
Help, opening the mental ray Reference, and then highlighting LumeTools
Collection on the Contents panel.
Connect Parameter to Shader Dialog (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Click a shader button. >
Material/Map Browser > Pick a mental ray shader that returns multiple values.
Material Editor > Shader controls > Click a shader button. > Material/Map
Browser > Pick a mental ray shader that returns multiple values.
Material Editor > DGS material > Click a shader button. > Material/Map Browser
> Pick a mental ray shader that returns multiple values.
Material Editor > Shader controls > Click a shader return parameter button
(to the right of the main shader button).
Note: The mental ray Connection rollout is available in the Material Editor
only if you have enabled the mental ray extensions by using the mental ray
Preferences panel. In addition, shaders don't appear unless the mental ray
renderer is the currently active renderer.
Some mental ray shaders return multiple values. If you choose one of these,
a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog appears. Choose one of the return
values in the list, and then click OK.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
The components for some mental ray materials and shaders can be
assigned other shaders. For these components, the main shader button is
accompanied on the right by a small button. If no shader is assigned, or the
shader assigned has only a single return value, the button is disabled and
shows a dot in the middle. If the shader assigned can return multiple values,
text appears in this button, and a tooltip shows the parameter name. Clicking
the button displays the Connect Parameter To Shader dialog, allowing you to
change the parameter being used.
mental ray Shaders | 5981
Interface
List of return values Lists the parameters that the shader returns. The type
of each parameter is indicated in parentheses, following the parameter's name.
Show Compatible Only When on the list shows only the return values whose
type is compatible with the component the shader is assigned to. When off,
shows all return values from the shader, whether they are compatible or not.
Default=on.
3ds Max Custom Shaders
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Pick a mental ray shader other than a mental images library shader or a lume
shader.
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
For use with the mental ray renderer on page 6230, 3ds Max provides the
following custom shaders:
5982 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3D Displacement Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > For the Displacement
component, turn off the lock button. > Click the button for the Displacement
component. > Material/Map Browser > 3D Displacement (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Click the button for the Displacement
component. > Material/Map Browser > 3D Displacement (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
A 3D Displacement shader displaces the geometry of surfaces. The effect is
similar to displacement mapping of a standard material. You can apply mental
ray displacement to any kind of object, unlike standard displacement mapping,
which is restricted to surface models (meshes, patches, polys, and NURBS
surfaces).
Displaced surfaces are smooth if the displaced polygons share normals;
otherwise, the displaced surfaces are faceted. Also, unless normals are shared,
faces can become separated in the displaced mesh. To prevent this, make sure
adjacent surfaces belong to the same shading group.
When the mental ray renderer is the active renderer, mental ray displacement
is the only displacement method used, unless your scene includes a Displace
modifier on page 1344, which always uses standard 3ds Max displacement.
TIP Before you render, you can disable or enable displacement by using the
Displacement toggle in the Options group on the Common Parameters rollout
on page 6121.
Global settings for the mental ray displacement method are in the
Displacement group on the Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Shadows
And Displacement rollout on page 6292.
See also:
■
mental ray Displacement on page 6268
■
mental ray Connection Rollout on page 5385
■
mental ray Material on page 5638
mental ray Shaders | 5983
Interface
3D Displacement (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
NOTE The button to the right of the Factor and Direction Strength controls is a
shortcut shader button. Clicking one of these buttons displays the Material/Map
Browser on page 5290 so you can assign a shader to this component. When a map
or a shader has been assigned to a component, this button displays the letter “M,”
and the comparable button on the Shaders rollout displays the map or shader
name.
Object Independent When on, the displacement effect is independent of the
size of the object's bounding box. When off, the displacement effect is scaled
according to the size of the object. Default=on.
Scaling the displacement based on object size is the standard behavior for
regular 3ds Max displacement mapping.
Displacement Length This is the length of displacement when Object
Independent is on, the extrusion map is at 100 per cent (white) and the
Extrusion Strength equals 1.0. Lower gray levels in the extrusion map, or other
5984 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
values of Extrusion Strength, scale the amount of displacement. When Object
Independent is off, this value is disregarded. Default=1.0.
Extrusion Strength Controls the height of the displacement. This value is a
multiplier: at the default value of 1.0, the map's effect is unchanged. Greater
values increase the effect of the map, and lower values decrease it. Default=1.0.
Extrusion Map Click to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and
choose a map to use for the displacement. Displacement maps apply the gray
scale of the map to generate the displacement. Lighter colors in the 2D image
push outward more strongly than darker colors, resulting in a 3D displacement
of the geometry.
Direction Strength Controls the strength of the direction shader. Default=0.0.
IMPORTANT Adding a direction shader has no visible effect unless you set
Direction Strength to be greater than its default value of zero. (Direction Strength
values less than zero have no effect.)
Direction Map Click to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and
choose a shader to use for the map direction. The direction of the displacement
is perturbed according to the RGB values of the shader output or map pixels.
Red values offset in the U axis, Green values offset in V, and Blue values offset
in W (using the object-local UVW coordinates).
Shaders rollout
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to the Factor or
Direction Strength parameters. Click the button for a component to display
the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and assign the map or shader. Use the
toggle at the left to turn the effect of the map off or on.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinate on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinate on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
mental ray Shaders | 5985
Bump Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Click the button for the Surface or
Bump component. > Material/Map Browser > Bump (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The Bump shader provides bump mapping for the mental ray renderer. Bumps
are created by perturbing face normals before the object is rendered, using the
same method as bump mapping on page 5478 for the scanline renderer.
WARNING Although you can assign a Bump shader to the Surface component,
if you assign only a Bump shader, the surface will render as black. For the Surface
component, use the Bump shader in a Shader List on page 6003, or for the mental
ray material on page 5638, use the Bump component itself.
Interface
Bump (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Multiplier Adjust the bump effect by multiplying the map values. Negative
Multiplier values reverse the bump effect: hollow areas now protrude, and
raised areas become hollow. Default=1.0.
Map Click to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and choose a map
to use for generating bumps. Bump mapping uses the intensity of the map to
affect the surface of the material. The intensity affects the apparent bumpiness
of the surface: white areas protrude, and black areas recede.
5986 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shaders rollout
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to the Multiplier
parameter. Click the button for a component to display the Material/Map
Browser on page 5290 and assign the map or shader. Use the toggle at the left
to turn the effect of the map off or on.
The button to the right of the main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinate on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinate on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
DGS Material Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface or
Photon component. > Click the shader button for the Surface or Photon
component. > Material/Map Browser > DGS Material (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Click the button for the Surface or
Photon component. > Material/Map Browser > DGS Material (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
DGS stands for Diffuse, Glossy, Specular. This shader is a mental ray
phenomenon (a scripted shader tree) that provides a physically accurate
simulation of a surface. With the mental ray Connection rollout of a basic
3ds Max material, or a mental ray material, you can assign the DGS Material
shader to either the Surface or Photon component.
Despite the similarity in name, this shader is distinct from the DGS material
on page 5615. Both, in turn, provide a custom 3ds Max interface to the “DGS
Material Photon” shader that is part of the mental images physics library.
mental ray Shaders | 5987
Interface
Parameters rollout
NOTE The button to the right of the first six controls is a shortcut shader button.
Clicking one of these buttons displays the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so
you can assign a shader to this component. When a map or a shader has been
assigned to a component, this button displays the letter “M,” and the comparable
button on the Shaders rollout displays the map or shader name.
Diffuse Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391 and
change the material's diffuse color.
Glossy Highlights Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector and
change the color of glossy highlights.
5988 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Specular Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector and change the
color of mirror reflections. When the specular color is white, the material is
100 percent reflective, like a mirror. When the specular color is black, the
material does not reflect any of its surroundings.
Shiny Sets the width of glossy highlights. The larger this value, the smaller
the highlights. Default=30.0.
Transparency Specifies the transparency. The effective range of Transparency
is from 0.0 to 1.0. At 0.0 the material is fully opaque. At 1.0 it is fully
transparent. Default=0.0.
WARNING You can set the value of Transparency to be greater than 1.0, but this
has no effect. An anomaly of the user interface for shaders in the mental ray and
lume libraries, is that spinner values are not “clamped” to lie within their effective
ranges, as they are for controls in 3ds Max.
The value of Transparency also indirectly specifies the reflectivity of the
material, which is calculated as 1.0 minus the Transparency value.
Index Of Refraction Specifies the IOR. In the physical world, the IOR results
from the relative speeds of light through the transparent material and the
medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically this is related to the object's
density. The higher the IOR, the denser the object. Default=1.5.
See Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5408 for a list of
IOR values for commonly encountered materials.
NOTE When the IOR equals 1.0, there is no refraction, and calculating the
transparency can take less time than when the material is refractive.
Lights When on, the material is illuminated only by those lights specified in
the list. When Lights is turned off, all lights in the scene affect the material.
Default=off.
The remaining light controls are unavailable unless Lights is turned on.
■
List of lights
material.
Displays the lights you have chosen to illuminate this
■
Add Adds a light to the list. Click Add to turn it on, then click the light
object in a viewport.
■
Replace Replaces a light in the list. Highlight a light's name in the list,
click Replace to turn it on, then click the replacement light object in a
viewport.
mental ray Shaders | 5989
■
Delete Deletes a light from the list. Highlight a light's name in the list,
then click Delete.
Shaders rollout
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to one of the basic
parameters of the DGS Material shader. This is comparable to mapping a
component of a standard material; by adding shaders, you can create a shader
tree that generates complex effects.
Click the button for a component to display the Material/Map Browser on
page 5290 and assign the map or shader. Use the toggle at the left to turn the
effect of the map off or on.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
5990 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
For all the DGS Material shader components, the available mental ray shaders
are the same:
Shader
Library
Bump on page 5986
3ds Max
DGS Material (this shader)
3ds Max
Dielectric
base
Dielectric Material on page 5992
3ds Max
Edge
lume
Facade
lume
Glass
lume
Glow
lume
Landscape
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Metal
lume
Ocean
lume
Opacity
base
Reflect
base
Refract
base
Shader List on page 6003
3ds Max
mental ray Shaders | 5991
Shader
Library
Stain
lume
Translucency
lume
Transmat
physics
Transparency
base
Two Sided
base
UV Generator on page 6005
3ds Max
Water Surface
lume
Wet-Dry Mixer
lume
XYZ Generator on page 6013
3ds Max
Dielectric Material Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface or
Photon component. > Click the shader button for the Surface or Photon
component. > Material/Map Browser > Dielectric Material (3dsmax) or
Dielectric Material Photon (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Click the button for the Surface or
Photon component. > Material/Map Browser > Dielectric Material (3dsmax)
or Dielectric Material Photon (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The Dielectric Material shader creates transparent, refractive materials that
are physically accurate. A dielectric material, such as glass, is a material whose
surface transmits most light that strikes it at angles close to perpendicular (90
degrees), but reflects most light that strikes at glancing angles (close to zero
degrees).
5992 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
When applied to the Surface component, this shader affects the surface's
appearance. When applied to the Photon component, it affects its photon
behavior for caustics and global illumination. (The Glass material is a mental
ray phenomenon (a scripted shader tree) that is equivalent to a mental ray
material on page 5638 with a Dielectric Material shader assigned to both its
Surface and Photon components, with the parameter settings identical for
both.)
NOTE This material does not use a shadow shader, so shadows will always be
opaque unless you use a Dielectric Material shader for the Photon component,
and generate caustics when you render.
Adjacent Refractive Materials
Two controls, Outside Light Persistence and Index Of Refraction (Out), are
for situations where you are modeling two adjacent refractive materials.
Consider a drink in a martini glass. The glass has an index of refraction (IOR)
of 1.5, while the alcohol in the glass has an IOR of about 1.3. To create a
physically accurate model of this situation, use three glass materials: one for
the glass itself, one for the alcohol, and a third material for the surfaces where
they touch each other. For this third material, set the “inside” IOR to 1.3, and
the outside IOR to 1.5.
mental ray Shaders | 5993
Interface
Light Persistence In conjunction with the Persistence Distance, controls the
percentage of light that the volume transmits. For example, if the color is set
to R=G=B=0.5 and the Persistence Distance is set to 2.0, then objects with a
thickness of 2.0 units will appear 50 per cent transparent. Default=white
(R=G=B=1.0).
Because transparency depends on the thickness of the object, objects with
varying thickness show different transparency depending on the angle from
which they are viewed.
Index Of Refraction Specifies the Index Of Refraction (IOR). In the physical
world, the IOR results from the relative speeds of light through the transparent
material and the medium the eye or the camera is in. Typically this is related
to the object's density. The higher the IOR, the denser the object. Default=1.5.
See Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) on page 5408 for a list of
IOR values for commonly encountered materials.
Outside Light Persistence In conjunction with the Persistence Distance,
controls the percentage of light transmitted on the other side of a surface.
When set to the default of black, this control has no effect. See the section
“Adjacent Refractive Materials,” above. Default=black (R=G=B=0.0).
5994 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Index Of Refraction (out) Sets the IOR on the other side of a surface. When
set to the default of zero, this control has no effect. See the section “Adjacent
Refractive Materials,” above. Default=0.0.
Persistence Distance In conjunction with the Light Persistence color, controls
the percentage of light that the volume transmits. It is the distance at which
light transmission is reduced to the percentage specified by the Light
Persistence RGB values. Default=1.0.
If you specify an Outside Light Persistence color, that setting also uses the
Persistence Distance.
Ignore Normals When on, the renderer does not use normals to decide
whether a light ray is entering or leaving the object. Normally, the shader uses
normals to decide whether a ray is entering or leaving an object. (It is entering
if the normal points toward the ray, leaving if the normal points away from
the ray.) This can present a problem for rendering objects whose normals are
not unified. When Ignore Normals is on, the shader decides whether a ray is
entering or leaving the object by counting the number of times the ray has
intersected the object. Default=off.
Opaque Alpha When on, refracted rays that touch the environment don't
generate a transparent alpha value. (This is how 3ds Max usually treats the
environment.) When off, refracted rays that touch the environment render a
transparent alpha value, which can help if you plan to use the rendering as
part of a composite. Default=off.
Phong Coefficient When greater than zero, generates Phong highlights on
the surface. The highlights appear in the sample slot. In general this value
must be greater than 10 for highlights to be apparent. Default=0.0.
Environment Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Assign a shader to the
Environment component. > Material/Map Browser > Environment (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Assign a shader to the Environment
component. > Material/Map Browser > Environment (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The Environment shader lets you specify an environment that is local to the
material. Controls for the Environment shader are similar to those for a scene's
environment on the Render Setup dialog > Environment panel. However, the
mental ray Shaders | 5995
local Environment shader doesn't affect the scene background. Instead, it
provides an environment that the material can reflect or refract.
If an environment map is present, it generates the reflections or refractions,
and they are not ray traced.
Interface
Parameters rollout
NOTE The buttons to the right of the UseAlpha and Color controls are shortcut
shader buttons. Clicking one of these buttons displays the Material/Map Browser
on page 5290 so you can assign a shader to this component. When a map or a
shader is assigned to a component, this button displays the letter “M,” and the
comparable button on the Shaders rollout displays the map or shader name.
UseAlpha When on, uses the map's alpha channel, if it has one. The alpha
channel specifies those portions of the map that are transparent or translucent.
Default=off.
Color Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector on page 391 and choose
a color to use as the environment.
Map Click the button to display a Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and
choose a map to use as the environment.
5996 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Shaders rollout
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to the UseAlpha
and Color parameters. Click the button for a component to display the
Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and assign the map or shader. Use the toggle
at the left to turn the effect of the map off or on.
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
Glare Shader (mental ray)
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout > Camera
Shaders group > Click the Output button. > Material/Map Browser > Glare
The Glare shader, when used as a camera output shader on page 6289, creates
a halo around very bright areas in the rendered image. It’s applied in two
dimensions after rendering, so it can partially obscure darker objects between
the bright area and the camera for greater realism.
Interior lit by mr Sky Portal; no glare
Interior with Glare shader for output;
default Glare settings
mental ray Shaders | 5997
NOTE The glare effect from this shader is intended purely for illustrative purposes.
It is not designed to be physically accurate and is not suited for precise simulation
purposes.
Procedure
To use the Glare shader:
Using and adjusting the Glare output shader requires first assigning it on the
Render Setup dialog, and then instancing it in the Material Editor. This
procedure delineates the steps for doing so.
1 Make sure mental ray is the assigned renderer.
2 Open the Render Setup dialog (press F10), and on the Renderer panel, go
to the Camera Effects rollout.
3 On the Camera Effects rollout, click the Output button (labeled “None”
by default).
This opens the Material/Map Browser dialog.
4 In the shader list, double-click the Glare entry.
This assigns the shader and closes the browser.
5 Render the scene.
If the results are satisfactory, you can stop here. The remaining steps
concern adjusting the shader settings.
6 Open the Material Editor (press M), and, if necessary, the Render Setup
dialog.
7 Drag the Output button from the Camera Shaders group on the Render
Setup dialog to a sample slot on the Material Editor. When the Instance
(Copy) Map dialog prompts you, choose Instance, if necessary, and click
OK.
This places an instance of the Glare shader in the sample slot. Editing
this instance also modifies the output shader you originally assigned.
8 Adjust the Glare Parameters as necessary, rendering as you go to view the
results.
5998 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
Quality Lets you set the tradeoff between detail and speed. Lower Quality
settings cause Glare to run more quickly, but can result in a boxy-looking
glare halo, while a higher Quality value gives a better overall effect at the cost
of rendering time. A mid-level setting is appropriate for most scenes.
Spread Controls how sensitive Glare is to bright objects. Lower values for
Spread produce smaller glare halos while higher values cause larger glare halos.
Very high values can cause dark objects to have halos.
TIP The best way to enlarge an object's halo is to increase its brightness, not to
increase the Spread value.
Streaks When on, uses an image file you specify to create a streaking effect,
such as is visible when looking at bright images through glass or, in
photographs, through a camera lens.
Streak Image Click to choose an image file to be used to create the streak
effect. This file takes effect only when Streaks is on.
Streaks Weight Controls the blending between the "normal" glare and the
streaks image. A value of 0.0 disables streaks, while a value of 1.0 makes the
streaks fully visible.
Resolution for Glare Processing An absolute value specifying the image size,
in pixels, on which the Glare computation occurs. If you image is rendered
at 5000 x 5000 and Resolution for Glare Processing is set to 350, Glare will
effectively compute on a 350 x 350 image internally and reapplied on the
final image, possibly resulting in an inadeqate glare effect.
mental ray Shaders | 5999
Replace Rendered Image with Glare Only Generates an overlay image of
the glare effect only; the original underlying image is removed. This mode is
useful when render speed is critical, so that Glare can be run on a
lower-resolution image to produce an overlay, which you can then composite
with a higher-resolution underlying image.
Height Map Displacement Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > For the Displacement
component, turn off the lock button. > Click the button for the Displacement
component. > Material/Map Browser > Height Map Displacement (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray material > Click the button for the Displacement
component. > Material/Map Browser > Height Map Displacement (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders don't appear unless the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
The Height Map Displacement shader displaces the geometry of surfaces, and
is specifically intended for use with height maps generated by normal mapping;
see Creating and Using Normal Bump Maps on page 6384.
IMPORTANT When applying a material containing this map to an object, the
mental ray Displacement > Smoothing option must be off. If such materials are
applied to all objects in the scene, you can turn off Smoothing globally on page
6294. Otherwise, turn off smoothing for each object whose material uses a height
map via the Object Properties > mental ray panel on page 322 (turn off Use Global
Settings and then turn off Smoothing).
TIP Avoid the temptation to apply MeshSmooth to a model when creating a
height map for it. This changes the shape of the model so the height values will
not be correct. The low-res model must have exactly the same shape when the
map is created and when it is used for displacement. Also, MeshSmooth does not
use the same algorithm as the mental ray displacement smoothing, so using both
forms of smoothing won't work perfectly. The best results are obtained by not
smoothing the low-res model when the map is created and also not using mental
ray smoothing.
Also, avoid using a paint program to modify the height map. The values in
the height map depend on the shape of both the low-res and high-res models,
and it's easy to damage the mathematical accuracy. If you paint any changes
onto the map, you must be careful to preserve the faceted look, and avoid the
temptation to blur away the facets.
6000 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
You might try painting in Additive and Subtractive mode to add or subtract
to the displacement, because Normal mode will set a fixed displacement,
making it difficult for an artist to control the result.
See also:
■
3D Displacement Shader (mental ray) on page 5983
■
mental ray Displacement on page 6268
■
mental ray Connection Rollout on page 5385
■
mental ray Material on page 5638
Interface
Height Map Displacement (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Be sure to enter the same values for Minimum and Maximum Height as the
equivalents on the Projection Options dialog, as specified below.
Minimum Height The “Min Height” value specified on the Render to Texture:
Projection Options dialog on page 6416 when creating the height map.
Default=-10.0.
Maximum Height The “Max Height” value specified on the Render to Texture:
Projection Options dialog on page 6416 when creating the height map.
Default=10.0.
Height Map The height map itself (usually a bitmap).
Material to Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Assign a shader. >
Material/Map Browser > Material to Shader
mental ray Shaders | 6001
Material Editor > mental ray or DGS material > Assign a shader. > Material/Map
Browser > Material to Shader
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
Lets you use a regular 3ds Max material as a shader. Depending on the
component to which this shader is assigned (Surface, Shadow, Displacement,
Volume, and so on), the mental ray renderer uses the appropriate material
component.
For example, if you want a mental ray material's Surface component to look
like a standard material you have, assign Material To Shader as the Surface
shader, and then assign it the standard material.
NOTE Material To Shader doesn't work as an environment background. Use the
original 3ds Max material, instead.
TIP To edit the material assigned to Material To Shader, you can drag the button
to an unused sample slot in the Material Editor (be sure to choose Instance when
prompted). Or you can follow these steps:
1 In an unused sample slot, create the material and adjust its settings.
2 Save the material to a library.
3 Assign the Material To Shader to its component.
4 When you click the Material To Shader's shader button, browse from the
library and load the material you prepared in advance.
If you need to further adjust the material, you can repeat these steps (without
having to reassign the Material To Shader).
Interface
Material button Click to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and
choose the material to use for shading.
6002 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
mr Labeled Element Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > any material > Click a map button > Material/Map Browser
> mr Labeled Element
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The mr Labeled Element shader doesn’t actually function as a shader, but
instead works in conjunction with the mr Labeled Element render element
on page 6363 to let you output any branch of a shader tree (a string of nested
maps) as a render element. For example, if you use the Checker map as a
diffuse map, and you use a Perlin Marble map as one of the two checker colors,
you can render only the checker-map components that contain the marble
map to a custom element for subsequent compositing.
For details on using the mr Labeled Element shader, see To use the mr Labeled
element: on page 6363.
Interface
Shader/Map to Store (Passthrough) Click the map button to assign a shader
or map or shader/map branch to be passed to the render element. If a shader
or map is already assigned, the button is labeled “M”; click the button to edit
the shader or map.
Label Enter the same name as that assigned to the render element.
Shader List (mental ray)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Assign a shader. >
Material/Map Browser > Shader List
Material Editor > mental ray, DGS, or Glass material > Assign a shader. >
Material/Map Browser > Shader List
mental ray Shaders | 6003
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The Shader List shader provides an interface for constructing a mental ray
shader list. A shader list combines the effect of multiple shaders: each shader
is called in turn, the first one's output being treated as input to the next, and
so on.
Interface
List of shaders Shows the names of the shaders in the list. Highlight a shader's
name to alter its position in the list, or to access its parameters.
Each active shader in the list is called in order, from top to bottom.
Up Moves the selected shader up in the list.
Down Moves the selected shader down in the list.
Add Shader Displays a Material/Map Browser on page 5290 so you can choose
a shader to add to the list.
Remove Selected Removes the selected shader from the list.
6004 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Selection group
On When on, the shader is active. When off, the shader is inactive and isn't
called. You can use this toggle to disable a shader without removing it from
the list entirely.
Shader button Shows the name of the currently selected shader. Click the
button to view that shader's parameters in the Material Editor.
When you are done adjusting an individual shader's parameters, you
can click Go To Parent to return to the Shader List Parameters rollout.
UV Generator Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax)
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV
Generator (3dsmax)
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The UV Generator shader returns 2D mapping coordinates. You can use its
settings to adjust a 2D map. The parameters for this shader are equivalent to
parameters on the Coordinates rollout for 2D maps on page 5782.
Interface
The interface for this shader consists of two rollouts:
UV Generator Parameters Rollout on page 6006
Shaders Rollout (UV Generator) on page 6010
mental ray Shaders | 6005
UV Generator Parameters Rollout
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax)
> UV Generator (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV
Generator (3dsmax) > UV Generator (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax) > UV Generator (3dsmax)
Parameters rollout
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The parameters for this shader are equivalent to parameters on the Coordinates
rollout for 2D maps on page 5782.
6006 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
mental ray Shaders | 6007
MapSlotType Chooses whether the map is applied as an environment map
or a texture map. Default=0 (Texture).
■
0 is for a Texture map.
■
1 is for an Environment map.
EnvType If the map is applied as an environment map, this value chooses
the mapping type. If the map is applied as a texture map, this value is ignored.
Default=4 (screen).
■
1 is for Spherical.
■
2 is for Cylindrical.
■
3 is for Shrink-Wrap.
■
4 is for Screen.
Screen projection projects as a flat backdrop in the scene. See UVW Map
Modifier on page 1931 for a description of spherical, cylindrical, and shrink-wrap
projection.
MapChannel If the map is applied as a texture map and UVWSource is set to
0 (Explicit), this value sets the map channel index; otherwise, this value is
ignored. Range=1 to 99. Default=1.
UVWSource If the map is applied as a texture map, this value chooses the
source of UVW coordinates. If the map is applied as an environment map,
this value is ignored. Default=0 (Explicit).
■
0 is for Explicit.
When Explicit is the source, use MapChannel to set the specific map
channel.
■
1 is for Object XYZ.
Object XYZ uses planar mapping based on the object's local coordinates
(disregarding the pivot point location). For rendering purposes, planar
mapping doesn't project through to the back of the object unless you turn
on ShowMapOnBack.
■
2 is for World XYZ.
World XYZ uses planar mapping based on the scene’s world coordinates
(disregarding the object’s bounding box). For rendering purposes, planar
mapping doesn't project through to the back of the object unless you turn
on ShowMapOnBack.
6008 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
ShowMapOnBack When on, planar mapping (Planar from Object XYZ, or
with the UVW Map modifier) projects through to render on the back of the
object. When off, planar mapping doesn't render on the object's back.
Default=on.
This toggle is available only when Tiling is off in both dimensions. Its effect
is visible only when you render the scene.
NOTE In viewports, planar mapping always projects to the back of the object,
whether Show Map On Back is turned on or not. To override this, turn off Tiling.
UOffset Changes the U position of the map in UV coordinates on page 8161.
The map moves in relation to its size. Default=0.0.
For example, if you want to shift the map its full width to the left, and half
its width downward from its original position, you enter -1 in the U Offset
field and 0.5 in the V offset field.
UScale Determines the number of times the map is tiled on page 8148 (repeated)
along the U axis. Default=1.0.
UWrap Turns tiling on or off in the U axis. Default=on.
UMirror Mirrors on page 8148 the map left-to-right along the U axis. Default=off.
VOffset Changes the V position of the map in UV coordinates. Default=0.0.
VScale Determines the number of times the map is tiled (repeated) along the
V axis. Default=1.0.
VWrap Turns tiling on or off in the V axis. Default=on.
VMirror Mirrors the map top-to-bottom along the V axis. Default=off.
UAngle, VAngle, and WAngle Rotate the map about the U, V, or W axis (in
degrees). Default=0.0.
UVAxis Changes the mapping coordinate system used for the map. The default
UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a slide projector. The
VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is perpendicular to the
surface. Default=0 (UV).
■
0 is for UV.
■
1 is for VW.
■
2 is for WU.
Clip When on, UVs are clipped. When off, UVs are wrapped. Default=on.
mental ray Shaders | 6009
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map based on its distance from
the view. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring. The Blur value
blurs maps in world space. Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing on page 7904.
Default=1.0.
BlurOffset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to
its distance from the view. Blur Offset blurs the image itself in object space.
Use this option when you want to soften or defocus the details in a map to
achieve the effect of a blurred image. See Blur / Blur Offset on page 7928.
Default=0.0
Noise When on, noise settings affect the map. When off, no noise is applied.
Default=off.
Animate Determines if the noise effect is animated. This parameter must be
turned on if you intend to animate the noise. Default=off.
Amount Sets the strength of the fractal function, expressed as a percentage.
If the amount is 0 there is no noise. If the amount is 100 the map becomes
pure noise. Default-1.0.
Size Sets the scale of the noise function relative to geometry. At very small
values, the noise effect becomes white noise. At large values, the scale can
exceed the scale of the geometry, in which case it has little or no effect.
Range=0.001 to 100. Default=1.0.
Level Or iterations: the number of times the function is applied. The effect
of the level is dependent on the Amount value. The stronger the amount, the
greater the effect of increasing the Level value. Range=1 to 10. Default=1.
Phase Controls the speed of the animation of the noise function. Default=0.0.
RealWorldMapSize Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped
materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by
the Use Real-World Scale settings found on the applied material's Coordinates
rollout. Default=on.
Shaders Rollout (UV Generator)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax)
> Shaders rollout
6010 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV
Generator (3dsmax) > Shaders rollout
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > UV Generator (3dsmax) > Shaders rollout
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to one of the basic
parameters of the UV Generator shader. This is comparable to mapping a
component of a standard material; by adding shaders, you can create a shader
tree that generates complex effects.
mental ray Shaders | 6011
Interface
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
6012 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
UV Coordinate Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter or other vector value.
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > UV Coordinate (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
This shader is identical to the UV Generator shader on page 6005, except that
it returns two values instead of one.
■
The UV coordinate (same value as UV Generator would return)
This value is named UV.
■
The UV coordinate's derivative
This value, also a vector, is named dUV.
When you choose this shader, a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981 is displayed, prompting you to choose which of the two values to use. You
can later change the choice of value by using the “dot” button to the right of
the main shader button.
Interface
The UV Coordinate shader has the same parameters as the UV Generator
shader. See UV Generator Parameters Rollout on page 6006 for a description of
the basic settings.
XYZ Generator Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax)
mental ray Shaders | 6013
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ
Generator (3dsmax)
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The XYZ Generator shader returns 3D mapping coordinates. You can use its
settings to adjust a 3D map. The parameters for this shader are equivalent to
parameters on the Coordinates rollout for 3D maps on page 5861.
Interface
The interface for this shader consists of two rollouts:
XYZ Generator Parameters Rollout on page 6014
Shaders Rollout (XYZ Generator) on page 6016
XYZ Generator Parameters Rollout
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax)
> XYZ Generator (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ
Generator (3dsmax) > XYZ Generator (3dsmax) Parameters rollout
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax) > XYZ Generator (3dsmax)
Parameters rollout
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The parameters for this shader are equivalent to parameters on the Coordinates
rollout for 3D maps on page 5861.
6014 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
CoordinateSystem Chooses the source coordinate system. Default=0 (Object
XYZ).
■
0 is for Object XYZ.
Object XYZ uses the object’s local coordinate system.
■
1 is for Explicit Map Channel.
Lets you use the MapChannel value to choose any channel from 1 to 99.
■
3 is for World XYZ.
MapChannel When Explicit Map Channel is the coordinate system source,
this value lets you set the map channel; otherwise, it is ignored. Range=1 to
99. Default=1.
Offset Moves the map pattern in X, Y, and Z. Default=(0.0, 0.0, 0.0).
Tiling Tiles on page 8148 the map pattern in X, Y, and Z, and makes the pattern
narrower. Default=(1.0, 1.0, 1.0).
Angle Rotates the map pattern in X, Y, and Z. Default=(0.0, 0.0, 0.0).
Blur Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map based on its distance from
the view. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring. The Blur value
blurs maps in world space. Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing. Default=1.0.
BlurOffset Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to
its distance from the view. Blur Offset blurs the image itself in object space.
Use when you want to soften or defocus the details in a map to achieve the
effect of a blurred image. Default=0.0.
mental ray Shaders | 6015
Shaders Rollout (XYZ Generator)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter (or other vector value).
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax)
> Shaders rollout
Material Editor > mental ray Connection rollout > Unlock the Surface
component and click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ
Generator (3dsmax) > Shaders rollout
Material Editor > DGS material > Assign a shader to any component. >
Material/Map Browser > XYZ Generator (3dsmax) > Shaders rollout
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The controls on this rollout let you assign a map or shader to one of the basic
parameters of the XYZ Generator shader. This is comparable to mapping a
component of a standard material; by adding shaders, you can create a shader
tree that generates complex effects.
Interface
The button to the right of each main shader button is for shaders that
can return multiple parameters. If a shader that returns multiple parameters
is assigned to the component, the button's tooltip shows the parameter name.
Clicking the button displays a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981, which lets you change which parameter is being used.
6016 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
IMPORTANT UV Coordinates on page 6013 and XYZ Coordinates on page 6017 are
the only shaders with multiple return values provided with 3ds Max. You might
encounter multiple return values in shaders provided with other shader libraries
or custom shader code.
XYZ Coordinate Shader (mental ray)
Material Editor > Any shader with a Coords parameter or other vector value.
> Click the shader button. > Material/Map Browser > XYZ Coordinate (3dsmax)
Note: Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
This shader is identical to the XYZ Generator shader on page 6013, except that
it returns two values instead of one.
■
The XYZ coordinate (same value as XYZ Generator would return)
This value is named XYZ.
■
The XYZ coordinate's derivative
This value, also a vector, is named dXYZ.
When you choose this shader, a Connect Parameter To Shader dialog on page
5981 is displayed, prompting you to choose which of the two values to use. You
can later change the choice of value by using the “dot” button to the right of
the main shader button.
Interface
The XYZ Coordinate shader has the same parameters as the XYZ Generator
shader. See XYZ Generator Parameters Rollout on page 6014 for a description of
the basic settings.
Production Shaders
The Production Shaders category of advanced mental ray shaders comprises
several texture shaders, a lens shader, and two output shaders, all covered in
this section. Also part of the Production Shaders library is the
Matte/Shadow/Reflection material on page 5622.
mental ray Shaders | 6017
Texture Shaders
Environment/Background Switcher (mi)
Environment and Effects dialog > Click Environment Map button. >
Material/Map Browser > Environment/Background Switcher (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
The Environment/Background Switcher map lets you use one map as a
background and another as an environment map, to provide environmental
reflections.
In typical usage, you use the Environment/Background Switcher as an
Environment map. As the Background map you apply a background image,
preferably using the Environment/Background Camera Map (mi) on page 6020
shader.
As the Environment/Reflections map, use an environment map. If you have
a plain photograph of a chrome ball taken from a similar camera angle as the
background, you can use Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi) on page 6023
shader for easy, automatic unwrapping, or, if you have a fully unwrapped
environment-map image, use a Bitmap map in Spherical Environment mode.
For details, see the following procedure.
NOTE While the Environment/Background Switcher is most commonly used as
an environment map, it can be used in other places as well. It will use the
Background result for anything that is seen directly by the camera, and the
Environment/Reflection for anything seen indirectly, as in reflections, refractions,
etc.
6018 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Procedure
To use the Environment/Background Switcher map:
This procedure assumes you have two photographs: one of a background, and
another an image of a mirror/chrome ball, both taken from roughly the same
camera position. The photo of the chrome ball should be cropped so that it
exactly touches the edges of the ball. The best result is obtained if at least the
chrome ball photo is HDR, but good results can be achieved with a traditional,
non-HDR phogograph.
NOTE This workflow applies to stills or video sequences with only slight camera
movement. For any complex fly-around camera motion, the simple
"auto-unwrapping" performed by the Environment Probe/Chrome Ball shader will
not suffice.
1 Open the Environment And Effects dialog to the Environment panel on
page 6689.
2 On the Common Parameters rollout, click the Environment Map button.
This opens the Material/Map Browser.
3 From the browser list, choose Environment/Background Switcher (mi).
The Environment Map button label now shows the name of the map.
4 Open the Material Editor.
5 Drag the Environment Map button to a sample sphere in the Material
Editor. Confirm the Instance choice.
This displays the Environment/Background Switcher (mi) Parameters
rollout in the Material Editor.
6 Click the Background map button. From the Material/Map Browser,
choose a map; Environment/Background Camera Map (mi) on page 6020
is the recommended choice.
This displays the map’s parameters rollout. Click the Map button
(“Browse”) and choose a bitmap file for the background image.
7
Click Go To Parent to return to the Switcher controls.
8 Click the Environment/Reflections map button. From the Material/Map
Browser, choose a map; Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi) on page
6023 is the recommended choice.
mental ray Shaders | 6019
This displays the map’s parameters rollout. Click the Map button
(“Browse”) and choose a bitmap file for the background image. Ideally,
the bitmap is an HDR photograph of a chrome or mirror ball taken from
the camera perspective in the scene, but a non-HDR photo also works
well.
Or, if you have a fully unwrapped environment map photo, use it as a
Bitmap map and, on the Coordinates rollout, choose Environ and set
Mapping to Spherical Environment.
9 Adjust the various maps’ parameters as necessary and then render the
scene.
Interface
Background Specifies the background color or map. The background shows
up wherever it is not blocked by a foreground object, or transmitted by a
transparent object.
Environment/Reflections Specifies the environment color or map. This image
or color shows up in reflective surfaces.
Environment/Background Camera Map (mi)
Material Editor > Click any map button. > Material/Map Browser >
Environment/Background Camera Map (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader is similar in function to using a Bitmap map with environment
mapping set to Screen as an Environment Map. However, Screen mapping
simply chooses a pixel from the map based on the coordinates of the currently
rendered pixel. This does not work well with reflections.
6020 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
In contrast, the Environment/Background Camera Map shader correctly renders
“back transformation.'' In other words, for a point seen in a reflection, it takes
the reflected point’s 3D coordinate, convert it to its matching onscreen position
(if any), and looks up the map based on this new 2D location (or returns a
special value if the point is offscreen).
Back Transformation
In the following discussion of back transformation in the context of the
Environment/Background Camera Map, refer to this illustration:
Imagine the green ray coming from the camera hitting the screen (blue
rectangle) at the green "+". Using the Bitmap map set to Screen environment
mapping mode as the Environment Map, the background-image location
corresponding to this screen coordinate will be used for anything that happens
to this ray. Even when it hits the teapot and bounces to the floor (green dot),
this would be still be textured with the texture background pixel from the
green "+" location.
In contrast, the Environment/Background Camera Map shader would transform
the point (green dot) to a new screen coordinate (imaginary red ray) and use
the value from the red "+" instead.
mental ray Shaders | 6021
The yellow ray, however, hits the reflective object at some other location, and
its reflected location (yellow dot) is outside the screen. For these cases, the
shader would use its Off-screen settings.
Interface
Map Click the Browse button to specify a bitmap file containing the
background image. Alternatively, click the map button to specify a procedural
map.
Multiplier A multiplier for the background image.
Reverse Gamma Correction Applies inverse gamma correction to the texture.
Per-Pixel Matching Matches the image to the background on a pixel-per-pixel
basis, with the bottom-left pixel of the map matched exactly to the bottom-left
rendered pixel. If the pixel size of the map differs from the pixel size of the
rendered output, the renderer issues a warning. However, it still renders the
image, cropping or padding it as necessary.
Force Transparent Alpha When on, forces the background alpha to 0. When
off, mental ray uses the actual alpha from the bitmap image or procedural
map. If the file contains no alpha data, returns opaque alpha values when off.
Off-screen Rays return Environment When on, uses the scene environment
for off-screen points.
Because the shader back-transforms points such as those seen in reflections
into screen space, it might happen that parts of surfaces reflect points that
are not on the screen. Because the projected map contains data only for points
on the screen, this option allows a reasonable alternative for off-screen points.
6022 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Off-screen Color (When Above Off) Defines the color of off-screen points
when Off-Screen Rays Return Environment (see previous) is off.
Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi)
Material Editor > Click any map button. > Material/Map Browser >
Environment Probe/Chrome Ball (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader is intended as an environment shader (apply as an Environment
Map), because it looks up based on the ray direction. It maps the proper
direction to a point on the chrome ball and retrieves its color.
In the visual effects industry it is common practice to photograph a chrome
ball (also known as a “light probe”) on set, as well as a gray ball on page 6024
for lighting reference.
Ideally, one shoots these at multiple exposures and uses software such as
Photosphere (Macintosh) or HDRShop (PC) to combine them into a single
high-dynamic-range image and/or unwrap the chrome/gray ball into a spherical
environment map.
However, it is often difficult to regain the proper orientation of spherical map
so it matches the camera used to render the CG scene. Furthermore, a single
photo of a chrome/gray ball contains poor data for certain angles that one
might want to avoid seeing in the final render.
These shaders are intended to simplify a special case: When the chrome/gray
ball is already shot from the exact camera angle from which the final image
is to be rendered.
It simply utilizes the mental ray camera coordinate space and applies the
chrome/gray ball in this space, hence the orientation of the reflections will
always “stick” to the rendering camera.
For additional information and illustrations, see Help menu > Additional Help
> mr Production Shader Library > Chapter 6: Mirror/Gray Ball Shaders.
mental ray Shaders | 6023
Interface
Chrome/Mirror Ball Image Click the Browse button to specify the file
containing the chrome ball image. The image should be cropped so the ball
exactly touches the edges of the image. Alternatively, click the map button
to specify a procedural map.
Multiplier A multiplier for the chrome ball image.
Reverse Gamma Correction Applies an inverse gamma correction to the
texture.
Blur (literal mental ray image files only) Blur the image. This applies only
to literal mental ray textures; that is, bitmap images specified with the Browse
button, rather than maps specified with the map button.
Environment Probe/Gray Ball (mi)
Material Editor > Click any map button. > Material/Map Browser >
Environment Probe/Gray Ball (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader can be used either as an environment shader or a texture shader,
because it looks up based on the direction of the surface normal. It will map
the normal vector direction to a point on the gray ball and retrieve its color.
In the visual effects industry it is common practice to photograph a chrome
ball on page 6023 (also known as a “light probe”) on set, as well as a gray ball
for lighting reference.
Ideally, one shoots these at multiple exposures and uses software such as
Photosphere (Macintosh) or HDRShop (PC) to combine these into a single
6024 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
high-dynamic-range image and/or unwrap the chrome/gray ball into a spherical
environment map.
However, it is often difficult to regain the proper orientation of spherical map
so it matches the camera used to render the CG scene. Furthermore, a single
photo of a chrome/gray ball contains poor data for certain angles that one
might want to avoid seeing in the final render.
These shaders are intended to simplify a special case: When the chrome/gray
ball is already shot from the exact camera angle from which the final image
is to be rendered.
It simply utilizes the mental ray camera coordinate space and applies the
chrome/gray ball in this space, hence the orientation of the reflections will
always “stick” to the rendering camera.
For additional information and illustrations, see Help menu > Additional Help
> mr Production Shader Library > Chapter 6: Mirror/Gray Ball Shaders.
Interface
Chrome/Mirror Ball Image Click the Browse button to specify the file
containing the gray ball image. The image should be cropped so the ball
exactly touches the edges of the image. Alternatively, click the map button
to specify a procedural map.
Multiplier A multiplier for the gray ball image.
Reverse Gamma Correction Applies an inverse gamma correction to the
texture.
Blur (literal mental ray image files only) Blur the image. This applies only
to literal mental ray textures; that is, bitmap images specified with the Browse
button, rather than maps specified with the map button.
mental ray Shaders | 6025
Utility Gamma & Gain (mi)
Material Editor > Click any map button. > Material/Map Browser > Utility
Gamma & Gain (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This is a simple shader that applies a gamma and a gain (multiplication) of a
color or map. Many similar shaders exist in various OEM integrations of mental
ray, so this shader is primarily of interest for standalone mental ray and for
cross-platform phenomena development.
The shader can also be used as a simple gamma lens shader, in which case the
input is not used, but the eye ray color is used instead.
Interface
Input Specifies the input color or map.
Gamma The gamma applied to the input.
Gain (multiplier) The multiplier for the input.
Reverse Gamma Correction (De-Gamma) When off, the shader takes the
input, multiplies it by the Gain value, and then applies a gamma correction
of Gamma to the color. When on, the shader takes the input, applies a reverse
gamma correction of Gamma to the color, and then divides it by the Gain
value.
6026 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Lens Shader
Render Subset of Scene/Masking (mi)
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout > Camera
Shaders group > Lens button > Material/Map Browser > Render Subset of
Scene/Masking (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader allows re-rendering a subset of the objects in a scene, defined by
object or material. It is intended for a “quick fix” solution when almost
everything in a scene is perfect, but just one object or material needs a small
tweak.
NOTE This shader works for first-generation rays only. Thus, for example, refracted
or reflected rays from an object do not show up in the rendering.
Procedure
To use the Render Subset of Scene/Masking map:
1 Open the Render Setup dialog to the Renderer panel on page 6272.
2 On the Camera Effects rollout, click the Camera Shaders group > Lens
button. This opens the Material/Map Browser.
3 From the browser list, choose Render Subset of Scene/Masking (mi).
The Lens button label now shows the name of the map.
4 Open the Material Editor.
5 Drag the Lens button to a sample sphere in the Material Editor. Confirm
the Instance choice.
This displays the Render Subset of Scene/Masking (mi) Parameters rollout
in the Material Editor.
6 Specify an object list or material to render and make any necessary
additional settings.
mental ray Shaders | 6027
TIP If you specify a material, choose it from the scene (set Browse From to
Scene).
7 Render the scene.
Only the specified objects render.
Interface
Object List The object or objects to be rendered. Use the Add, Replace, and
Delete buttons to edit the list.
Material Specifies a material to render.
NOTE If you specify a material but no objects, all objects containing that material
will render. If you specify a material as well as several objects with different
materials, only objects with the specified material will render.
NOTE The Render Subset of Scene/Masking shader does not support the
Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5720. However, it does support component
materials of a Multi/Sub-Object material.
6028 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Mask Only Outputs only the mask color (see following) in the specified
objects’ locations; this is very fast. Use this if you only want to locate the
objects in the scene.
Rays not hitting any objects return the Background color, and rays hitting
any object not in the subset return the Other Objects color.
Mask Color The color returned for specified objects when Mask Only is on.
Color of Background The color returned for the background when Mask
Only is on.
Color of Other Objects The color returned for non-specified objects when
Mask Only is on.
Calculate FG on All Objects (Entire Image) Determines whether the final
gather (FG) preprocessing should apply to all objects, or only those in the
subset. Because FG blends neighboring FG samples, a given object might use
information in FG points coming from nearby objects not in the subset. This
is especially true if the objects are coplanar. Therefore it is advised to let the
FG prepass “see” the entire scene.
Turning off this option and creating FG points only for the subset of objects
is faster, but there is a certain risk of boundary artifacts, especially in
animations. If the scene uses a saved FG map, this option can be left off.
Output Shaders
Motion Vector Export (mi)
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout > Camera
Shaders group > Output button > Material/Map Browser > Motion Vector
Export (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader is intended for those who wish to do compositing work before
applying motion blur, or to use a specific third-party motion-blur shader. Its
purpose is to export motion in pixel space (mental ray’s standard motion
vector format is in world space) encoded as a color.
mental ray Shaders | 6029
Most third-party tools expect the motion vector encoded as colors where red
is the X axis and green is the Y axis. To fit into the confines of a color
(especially when not using floating point and a color range extends only from
black to white), the motion is scaled by a factor (here called Max Displace)
and the resulting value range, which is -1 to 1, is mapped to the color channel’s
0 to 1 range. The shader also support a couple of different floating point output
modes.
Interface
Max Displace (pixels) Sets the maximum encoded motion vector length.
Motion vectors of this number of pixels or above are encoded as the maximum
value that is possible to express within the limit of the color (that is, white or
black).
To maximally utilize the resolution of the chosen image format, it is
recommended that you use a Max Displace value of 50.0 (the default) for
eight-bit images (which are not really suitable for this purpose) and a value
of 2000.0 for 16-bit images. The shader outputs an informational statement
of the maximum motion vector encountered in a frame to aid in tuning this
parameter. For details, consult the documentation for your third-party
motion-blur shader.
If Max Displace is 0.0, motion vectors are encoded relative to the image
resolution. For example, for an image 600 pixels wide and 400 pixels high, a
movement of 600 pixels in positive X is encoded as 1.0 in the red channel,
while a movement 600 pixels in negative X is encoded as 0.0. A movement
in positive Y of 400 pixels is encoded as 1.0 in the blue channel etc.
Blue Channel is Magnitude When on, the blue color channel represents the
magnitude of the blur, and the red and green channels encode the 2D direction
only. When off, the blue channel is unused and the red and green channels
encode both direction and magnitude.
Floating Point Format When not set to 0, the shader writes real, floating-point
motion vectors into the red and green channels. They are not normalized to
6030 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the max displace length, not clipped, and contain both positive and negative
values. When this option is used, neither Max Displace nor Blue Channel Is
Magnitude have any effect.
The floating-point format options are:
■
1
The actual pixel count is written as-is in floating point.
■
2 The pixel aspect ratio is taken into account such that the measurement
of the distance the pixel moved is expressed in pixels in the Y direction,
and the X component will be scaled by the pixel aspect ratio. This format
is compatible with Autodesk Toxik.
Blur Environment/Background When on, motion vectors are generated for
the empty background area controlled by the camera movement.
NOTE This option does not work when the Scanline rendering algorithm on page
6279 is enabled.
HDR Image Motion Blur (mi)
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout > Camera
Shaders group > Turn on Output. > Output button > Material/Map Browser >
HDR Image Motion Blur (mi)
NOTE Shaders appear in the Browser only if the mental ray renderer is the currently
active renderer.
This shader applies fast, grain-free motion blur as a post process. It works by
using pixel motion vectors stored in the rendering phase and “smearing" these
into a visual simulation of motion blur.
Like using the rasterizer, this means that features such as mirror images or
even objects seen through foreground transparent object will “streak" together
with the foreground object. Furthermore, since the motion frame buffer only
stores one segment, the “streaks" are always straight, never curved.
The major advantage of this method is rendering speed. Scene or shader
complexity has no impact. The blur is applied as a mental ray “output shader"
that is executed after the main rendering pass. The execution time of the
output shader depends on how many pixels need to be blurred, and how far
each pixel needs to be “smeared.”
mental ray Shaders | 6031
NOTE Because the shader works in post, it does not blur shadows or reflections
of moving objects. If these effects are necessary, use standard motion-blur methods.
Interface
Shutter Duration (frames) The amount of time the shutter is “open.” In
practice this means that after the image has been rendered the pixels are
smeared into streaks in both the forward and backward direction. Each smear
length is half the distance the object moves during the shutter time.
Shutter Falloff (Blur Softness) The drop-off speed of the smear; that is, how
quickly it fades to transparent. This setting controls the “softness" of the blur.
NOTE The perceived length of the motion blur diminishes as the Falloff value
increases, so it might be necessary to compensate by increasing the Shutter
Duration value slightly.
Thus, falloff is especially useful for creating the effect of over-bright highlights
“streaking" convincingly: By using an inflated shutter length (above the
cinematic default of 0.5) and a higher falloff, over-brights have the potential
to smear in a pleasing manner.
Blur Environment/Background Determines whether the camera environment
(that is, the background) should be blurred by the cameras movement or not.
When on, pixels from the environment are blurred, and when off they are
not.
NOTE This option does not work when the Scanline rendering algorithm on page
6279 is enabled.
6032 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Calculation Color Space (Gamma) Defines the gamma color space in which
blur calculations occur. Because mental ray output shaders act on written
frame buffers, and these buffers (unless floating point) already have any gamma
correction applied, it is important to apply post effects with the appropriate
gamma.
Min. Motion Threshold (pixels) The minimum motion-vector length
(measured in pixels) an object must move for blur to be added. If set to 0.0,
it has no effect, and every object with even sub-pixel movement will have a
slight amount of blur. While this is technically accurate, it might cause the
image to be perceived as overly blurry.
Background Distance The distance to the background, which helps the
algorithm calculate the depth layout of the scene. This value should be about
the same as the scene depth; anything farther from the camera than this
distance would be considered “far away" by the algorithm.
Blur More Objects Near Camera When on, the blurring of objects closer to
the camera is more opaque than that of more-distant objects. Because this
can result in the blurs of objects very close to the camera to be unrealistically
opaque, use this option only when necessary; that is, when the blurs of
more-distant objects overwrite those of closer objects.
Normal Bump Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Normal Bump
The Normal Bump map lets you use a texture-baked Normals map (see Baked
Texture Elements on page 6376). Typically you assign it to a material's Bump
component, Displacement component, or both. Using the map for
Displacement can correct edges that otherwise look unrealistically smooth;
however, this adds faces to the geometry.
TIP A Normals map for the indicated material component is generated
automatically if you turn on Output Into Normal Bump in the Selected Elements
Unique Settings group of the Render To Texture dialog's Output rollout on page
6406.
Normal Bump Map | 6033
Interface
Normal As a rule, contains a Normals map generated by Render To Texture
on page 6371.
Use the toggle to enable or disable use of the map (default=on). Use the spinner
to increase or decrease the map's effect.
Additional Bump This optional component can contain an additional map
to modify the bump or displacement effect. It is treated as a regular bump
map on page 5478.
Use the toggle to enable or disable use of the map (default=on). Use the spinner
to increase or decrease the map's effect.
Channel Direction group
By default, the Normals map's red channel indicates left versus right, while
green indicates up versus down (and blue indicates vertical distance). The
controls in this group let you adjust that interpretation.
Flip Red (X) Flips the red channel so that left and right are reversed.
Flip Green (Y) Flips the green channel so that up and down are reversed.
Swap Red & Green Swaps the red and green channels so that normal mapping
rotates 90 degrees.
6034 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Method group
The Method group lets you choose which coordinate to use on the normals.
These controls are the same as those in the Projection Options dialog on page
6416.
■
Tangent (The default.) Project at a tangent to the target object's surface.
This is the method to use for objects that both move and deform, such as
animated characters.
■
Local XYZ Project using the object's local coordinates.
This method can be used for stationary or moving objects, but not for
objects that deform: if the object deforms, the projection will appear
incorrect at some frames.
■
Screen Project using screen coordinates; that is, flat projection in the Z
axis. X is horizontal, increasing in a positive direction to the right; Y is
vertical, increasing in a positive direction upward; and Z is perpendicular
to the screen, increasing in a positive direction toward the viewer.
This method is useful mainly for stationary objects seen only from a single
angle; for example, a statue seen through a window.
■
World Project using world coordinates.
This is useful mainly for objects that don't move or deform; otherwise, a
moving object with world-projected normals will appear to “swim” through
the texture.
Camera Map Per Pixel Map
Material Editor > Maps rollout > Click a Map button. > Material/Map Browser
> Camera Map per Pixel
The Camera Map Per Pixel map lets you project a map from the direction of
a particular camera. It is meant as an aid to 2D matte painting: You can render
a scene, adjust the rendering using an image-editing application, then use this
adjusted image as a matte that is projected back onto the 3D geometry.
TIP Final rendering can be slow. Script-driven network rendering on page 6433 can
help improve performance.
Camera Map Per Pixel Map | 6035
Limitations
The Camera Map Per Pixel does not handle these situations:
■
Animated objects.
The projection does not use UVW mapping.
■
Animated textures.
■
Occlusion based on a Z-depth channel is handled in a limited way only.
Procedures
To use Camera Map Per Pixel:
1 Create the 3D model.
2 Set up a camera.
3 Set up the rendering resolution you want.
To get good results, the plate should be at least 2K pixels; 3K to 6K, or
higher is recommended.
4 Render the scene to an editable image format such as TIFF on page 7372.
5 Render the scene again, this time to a format such as RPF on page 7366 that
has a Z-depth component. Make sure the Z option is turned on.
6 Use an image-editing application to make changes you want to the
editable image.
7 Apply Camera Map Per Pixel to the diffuse component on page 5460 of the
geometry on which you want the matte to appear. Use these settings:
■
Set Camera to the same camera you used for the renderings.
■
Set Texture to the matte image you edited.
■
Set ZBuffer Mask to the Z-depth rendering (the RPF or RLA file).
Adjusting (which usually means increasing) the value of ZFudge can
improve the quality of edges of the projection.
Usually it is a good idea to have Remove Back Face Pixels turned on.
Another way to adjust the projection edge is to adjust this control's
Angle Threshold.
TIP If you have persistent problems with seams, try generating a mask
with an alpha channel and using it to clean up the edge of the projection.
6036 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
If you have multiple mattes to project, you might need to slice geometry
to make each map's target a separate object.
Interface
Map Channel Sets which map channel to use. Default=1.
Camera Click to turn on, and then choose a camera in the scene by selecting
it in a viewport, or press H to use the Pick Object dialog on page 228.
Once you have assigned a camera, its name appears on this button.
This camera should be the one used to render the map used in the Texture
and ZBuffer Mask components.
Texture Click to assign the texture to project. You can assign any kind of
map, but typically this is a Bitmap on page 5795 that contains an image file that
you first rendered from the same camera, and then possibly edited with a
different application.
ZBuffer Mask Click to assign a map that contains Z-depth data used to mask
the projection from unwanted surfaces. Typically this is an RPF file on page
7366 or an RLA file on page 7364 rendered using the same camera, with the Z
channel option turned on.
Camera Map Per Pixel Map | 6037
Use the toggle to turn use of the ZBuffer Mask on or off. By default, it is off,
and it is not turned on automatically when you assign the ZBuffer Mask.
■
ZFudge ZFudge values other than 1.0 add a margin of deviation to the
use of the Z-depth data, letting you fine-tune the Z-Buffer masking.
Default=1.0.
Mask Behaves like the mask in the Mask map on page 5925 by letting you view
one map through another. Black areas of the mask are transparent, white areas
are opaque, and gray areas are partially transparent, based on the percentage
of the gray.
■
Mask Uses the Camera Projection When on, the mask uses the same
camera projection as the Texture and ZBuffer Mask. When off, it uses the
object's UVW coordinates. Default=on.
Remove Back Face Pixels When on, sets the projection to exclude surfaces
that face away from the camera, based on the value of Angle Threshold.
Default=on.
■
Angle Threshold Specifies the angle to use as a cutoff when removing
backface pixels. Default=90.0.
At the default of 90 degrees, faces perpendicular to the camera, or at a
greater angle, are not projected.
Material, Mapping, and Vertex Color Utilities
Assign Vertex Colors Utility
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > Assign
Vertex Colors
The Assign Vertex Colors utility assigns vertex colors based on the material
assigned to the object and the lighting in the scene. The utility applies a
VertexPaint modifier on page 1959 to the object when Assign To Selected is
clicked. Once the VertexPaint modifier has been applied to the object, go to
the Modify panel or click Edit to access the VertexPaint tools.
6038 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
TIP To render vertex colors, you must apply a material that has a Vertex Color
map on page 5943 in its diffuse component. To view vertex colors in viewports,
right-click the object, choose Object Properties on page 305 from the quad menu,
and then turn on Vertex Channel Display in the Display Properties group and make
sure the drop-down option is set to Vertex Color.
The Assign Vertex Colors utility supports light inclusion or exclusion when
using the Scene Lights option.
All of the commands found within the Assign Vertex Color utility are also
available from the Modify panel when a VertexPaint modifier has been applied
to an object.
Vertex Colors and Radiosity
The Vertex Colors utility supports radiosity on page 6168. If you use radiosity
with assigned vertex colors, be sure to turn on the option Re-Use Direct
Illumination From Radiosity Solution. This option is in the Rendering
Parameters rollout. See Radiosity Controls on page 6188. When this option is
on, the renderer simply displays the vertex colors assigned by the radiosity
solution: strictly speaking, it is not rendering at all.
The additional option Render Direct Illumination, also on the Rendering
Parameters rollout, causes direct lighting not to be saved in the corresponding
mesh. This corresponds to the options Radiosity, Render Direct Illumination,
in which case Assign Vertex Colors gets indirect illumination from the radiosity
mesh but renders direct illumination separately; or Radiosity, Indirect
Illumination Only, in which case Assign Vertex Colors doesn't apply direct
illumination to vertices at all.
See also:
■
VertexPaint Modifier on page 1959
■
Vertex Color Map on page 5943
Procedures
To use the Assign Vertex Colors utility:
1 Assign materials to the objects you want to affect. These can be mapped
or unmapped materials.
2 Light the objects.
Assign Vertex Colors Utility | 6039
3 Select the objects you want to affect.
4 Open the Object Properties dialog for each object, click to turn off the
By Layer button, turn on Vertex Channel Display, and click OK.
5 Expand the Display Properties rollout in the Display panel and turn on
Vertex Colors.
6 Access the Assign Vertex Colors utility.
7 Choose one of the Light Model options.
8 Choose one of the Color Assignment choices.
9 Click Assign to Selected.
VertexPaint modifiers are applied to the selected objects, and the vertex
colors for the objects are taken from their materials and from the lighting
in the scene, depending on the options you choose under Light Model.
Changing the material or the lighting in the scene won’t change the
vertex colors. To do this, click the Update All button.
NOTE The new vertex colors are stored in the Vertex Paint modifier. If you
want to access them, go to the Modify panel and access the parameters in
the rollouts there. You can also use the tools found in the Vertex Paint floating
dialog to create layers, paint, blur or adjust color. The Vertex Paint floater
launches when you go to the Modify panel and the object is selected.
Example: To use the Assign Vertex Colors utility on a specific object:
1 Create a sphere with 24 segments.
2 Apply a mapped material to the sphere, and turn on Show Map In
Viewports.
The mapped sphere is displayed in the viewport.
3 Apply a mapped material to the sphere.
NOTE Choose a simple, well-defined map with large, easily-distinguished
areas.
4 Open the Object Properties dialog for the sphere, turn on Vertex Colors,
and click OK.
5 Open the Object Properties dialog for the sphere, click to turn off the By
Layer button, turn on Vertex Channel Display, and click OK. The sphere
6040 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
turns white because you're now displaying its vertex colors, and they're
all white as a default.
6 With the sphere selected, open the Assign Vertex Colors utility.
7 Choose Shaded and turn on Use Maps.
8 Turn on Mapping.
9 Click Assign To Selected.
A blurred version of the mapping appears on the sphere. The vertices are
now colored based on the material and the lighting in the scene. The
mapping is blurred because the resolution of the mesh at 24 segments is
much lower than the pixel resolution of the map.
10 Go to the Modify panel and note the VertexPaint modifier.
11 Move down in the Stack to the creation parameters, click Yes at the
warning prompt, and increase the Segments to 70.
The new vertices shift the already assigned vertices.
12 Return to the VertexPaint level of the stack, and click Assign in the Assign
Vertex Colors rollout. Had we returned to the Utilities panel, we would
have added another Vertex Paint modifier to the stack; clicking Assign
in the VertexPaint Modifier only updates that modifier.
TIP Vertex colors will only show up in a rendered scene if you assign the
Vertex Color map to the diffuse channel. However, if you do this, you can't
properly update your vertex colors with the Assign Vertex Colors utility. The
solution is to assign a Blend material to your object. Assign the straight diffuse
bitmap to Material 1, and the Vertex Color map to Material 2 of the Blend.
Switch to 100 percent of Material 2 when rendering, and 100 percent of
Material 1 when updating the vertex colors.
Assign Vertex Colors Utility | 6041
Interface
6042 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Channel group
Here you'll find tools to choose which channel type the vertex color utility
will assign. If you choose map channel, you can also specify the map channel
ID number.
■
Vertex Color
Choose this to assign a vertex color layer.
■
Vertex Illum
Choose this to assign a vertex lighting layer.
■
Vertex Alpha
■
Map Channel Choose this to assign a specifically numbered map channel.
Map channel spinner
Use this to define the channel number. Available only when Map Channel
is chosen.
Choose this to assign a vertex transparency layer.
Name If a channel has a name defined, it will appear here. Channels can be
named using the Channel Info Utility on page 6047.
NOTE Although the Color, Illum, and Alpha channels have specific names, in fact
3ds Max does not enforce what kind of data is saved in them, and any of the three
channels can contain four-channel (RGBA) vertex color data.
Light Model group
Provides options that let you specify how the surface of the object appears to
be illuminated.
Assign Vertex Colors Utility | 6043
■
Lighting + Diffuse
the vertex colors.
Uses the current scene lighting and materials to affect
■
Lighting Only Uses only lighting to assign vertex colors, ignoring material
properties.
When this option is chosen, Shadows and Mapping are disabled in the
Rendering Options rollout.
■
Diffuse
Uses the material's diffuse color, ignoring the lighting.
Color Assignment group
Lets you specify how colors are interpolated across surfaces.
■
Color by Face (The default.) Colors are interpolated between the center
of each face.
Color By Face samples fewer points, so it is the quicker method. On the
other hand, results are less accurate.
■
Color by Vertex Colors are interpolated between vertices.
For each face, this method uses three points instead of one, so it is slower
but usually more accurate. An exception can occur when an object's shadow
falls between two vertices: in such a case, the object should occlude lighting,
but because only vertices are taken into account, the shadow is not
calculated and a “light leak” occurs.
6044 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Rendering Options group
The options in this group let you choose whether to include shadows, texture
maps, or a radiosity solution in vertex colors.
NOTE You can save a radiosity solution in vertex colors, but not Light Tracer on
page 6154 illumination, which is not stored in the scene's geometry.
Shadows When on, shadows are used when the vertices are shaded.
Default=off.
TIP You can soften the shadow edge by using the VertexPaint modifier's Paint or
Blur tools.
Mapping When on, texture maps are used when the vertices are shaded.
Default=off.
Assign Vertex Colors Utility | 6045
The radio buttons specify how to use radiosity data.
■
No Radiosity (The default.) Do not use the radiosity solution when
assigning vertex colors.
NOTE This option is the only one available unless a radiosity solution on page
6168 is present in the scene.
■
Radiosity, Reuse Direct Illum. from Solution Includes radiosity in the
vertex color assignments, and uses the direct illumination from the
solution.
This is comparable to the choice Re-Use Direct Illumination From Radiosity
Solution on the Rendering Parameters rollout on page 6208.
This choice disables the Shadows toggle, because shadows don't need to
be recomputed.
■
Radiosity, Render Direct Illumination Includes radiosity in the vertex
color assignments, but uses a separate pass to render direct illumination.
This is comparable to the choice Render Direct Illumination on the
Rendering Parameters rollout on page 6208.
■
Radiosity, Indirect Illum. Only Includes only indirect illumination from
the radiosity solution in the vertex color assignments.
This choice disables the Shadows toggle, because shadows don't need to
be recomputed.
Reminder field Displays a message that says whether regathering is enabled
or disabled. Regathering provides the most accurate radiosity results, but it
can add considerable time to radiosity calculations.
Radiosity Setup Click to display the Advanced Lighting panel on page 6153 of
the Render Setup dialog, where you can set up and generate a radiosity
solution.
If the mental ray renderer is the active renderer, this button is not available.
Assign to Selected Assigns vertex colors to the selected objects based on the
assigned material, and the choices specified in the preceding group boxes.
Assign to Selected creates a VertexPaint modifier and adds it to the stack of
the selected objects.
Edit Click to display the VertexPaint Paintbox on page 1969, the floating dialog
that holds the vertex painting tools.
6046 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
This button is unavailable if you haven't yet clicked Assign To Selected.
Channel Info Utility
Utilities panel > More button > Channel Info > Click Channel Info button.
Tools menu > Channel Info
The Channel Info utility gives game artists and others direct access to objects'
channel information that might not otherwise be easily available. All objects
in 3ds Max have mapping channels, which hold information pertinent to
texture mapping as well as vertex color, illumination, and alpha. Mesh objects
also have geometry and vertex-selection channels. The Channel Info utility
lets you view an object's channels, give them meaningful names, delete unused
channels, and copy information between channels.
The utility's Map Channel Info dialog shows all the channel data for selected
objects. It displays the number of channels, the number of vertices per channel,
and how much memory the channel uses. It also lets you name channels, as
well as clear (or delete), copy, and paste channels. Each of these commands
except renaming puts a modifier on the stack to achieve the results.
NOTE Channel Info supports mesh, polygon, and patch objects. It does not
support NURBS objects.
See also:
■
Vertex Color Map on page 5943
■
Skin Utilities on page 3875
■
Select By Channel Modifier on page 1659
■
UVW Mapping Add Modifier on page 1954
■
UVW Mapping Clear Modifier on page 1954
■
UVW Mapping Paste Modifier on page 1954
Procedures
To use the Channel Info utility:
1 Select an object or objects to use with the utility.
Channel Info Utility | 6047
2 Open the utility.
The Map Channel Info dialog opens.
3 To create a map channel, click any channel and then click the Add button.
The new, empty channel appears at the end of the list.
4 Most channels have three components. For example, a mesh or map
channel has X, Y, and Z components, and an alpha channel has R, G,
and B components. To expand all three-component channels, click the
SubComp button. To collapse all expanded channels, click SubComp
again.
5 To copy one channel to another, click the source channel, click Copy,
and then click the destination channel and click Paste.
In some cases, you might need to expand or collapse the component
display (see previous step). For example, when copying a vertex selection
(vsel) channel to a map channel, you must paste the vsel channel to a
component channel.
6 To minimize a channel's memory footprint, click the channel and then
click the Clear button.
This removes most all or of the data from the channel, so first make sure
the data is unnecessary or is available elsewhere. If the cleared channel
is the last one in the list, it might be deleted from the list.
Interface
The primary user interface of the Channel Info utility is the Map Channel
Info dialog, which you open by clicking the utility's Channel Info button on
6048 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
the command panel. This modeless dialog shows information about all map
channels belonging to the current selection, at the object level. If you change
the selection, the dialog automatically updates to reflect the selection.
The dialog consists of two parts: a button toolbar at the top, and a tabular
display of map channels belonging to each object in the current selection.
Channel Info toolbar
Copy Copies the channel data from the highlighted channel to the copy
buffer, where it becomes available for pasting. After you copy a channel, its
name appears on the line below the button toolbar.
Paste Pastes the contents of the copy buffer to the highlighted channel.
You can copy and paste only between channels with the same topology, or
you can copy from any channel to a channel with no vertices.
Source and destination channels need not be of the same type. For instance,
you can copy from a mesh channel to a map channel, and vice-versa.
Name Lets you rename the highlighted channel. Click this button to open a
small dialog that displays the current channel name and lets you edit this
name or enter a new one from the keyboard.
Clear Use this function to remove channels or delete data from a map channel
(including alpha, illumination, and vertex color channels). Clear has no effect
on geometry or vertex selection channels.
The specific result depends on the type of object and which channel you clear.
In terms of reducing the object's memory footprint, the utility is most effective
with Editable Poly objects.
■
Geometric primitive or Editable/Edit Mesh object Deletes the highlighted
texture map channel if it is the last map channel in the object, and it's not
the default map channel (1:map). If the highlighted channel is not the
last, Clear deletes all vertices in the channel. The faces remain, so the
memory-footprint reduction is partial.
NOTE This also applies to objects that collapse to editable mesh, such as Loft
objects.
■
Editable Poly object Deletes the highlighted texture map channel if it is
the last map channel in the object, and it's not the default map channel.
If the highlighted channel is not the last, Clear deletes all vertices and
faces in the channel.
Channel Info Utility | 6049
■
Patch object Deletes the highlighted texture map channel if it is the last
map channel in the object, and it's not the default map channel. If the
highlighted channel is not the last, Clear has no effect.
NOTE When you use the Clear function, the software adds a UVW Mapping Clear
modifier to the object's modifier stack. You can recover the deleted data by
removing the modifier from the stack, or changing its Map Channel setting.
Add Appends a new map channel to the object's channel list. If multiple
objects are selected, Add becomes available only after you click a track, so the
software knows which object to add the channel to.
NOTE If you apply mapping with a channel number higher than any existing
channels, the software automatically creates all intermediate channels. For example,
if you apply a UVW Mapping modifier to a standard object and set Map Channel
to 5 in the modifier, the software adds map channels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
SubComp Toggles display of the channels' subcomponents. When displayed,
you can rename, copy, and paste each subcomponent independently of its
parent channel.
Each channel except vsel has three subcomponents. Mesh and map channels'
subcomponents are labeled X, Y, and Z; those of alpha, illumination, and
vertex color channels are R, G, and B (red, green, and blue).
Lock Retains the current mapping data information in the table even if you
change the selection.
For example, if you want to see mapping data for a specific object or objects
constantly, first select the objects and then click Lock. Thereafter, if you select
different objects in the viewport, the table continues to display the data for
the selection when you clicked Lock. If you turn off Lock, the table updates
to show data only for the current selection.
If you click Update when Lock is on, the software will refresh the table contents
to reflect the current selection, and then retain that data.
Update Refreshes the displayed data to reflect any changes in the objects or
mapping, or, when Lock is on, the selection.
For example, if you apply mapping to an object, or change its mapping, click
Update to display the changes in the Map Channel Info dialog.
Channel Info table
The table functions similarly to a spreadsheet. If not all rows or columns are
visible, you can scroll the table using standard methods, including rolling the
6050 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
mouse wheel for vertical scrolling. To highlight a row, click anywhere in the
row. You can highlight only one row at a time. To resize a column, drag the
vertical divider at the right of the column heading. To automatically set a
column's width to the size of the longest entry, double-click the vertical divider
to the right of the column heading.
Following is a brief explanation of each of the columns in the table:
Object Name The name of the object. If you change the name in the Modify
panel, click the dialog's Update button to display the new name in the dialog.
ID The type of channel. The available channel types are:
■
mesh/poly The object's mesh or poly data, depending on whether it's a
mesh or poly object: vertices and faces. You can copy this channel and
paste it to any other three-component channel.
This channel is not available for patch objects.
■
vsel The vertex selection. You can copy this channel and paste it to other
channels' subcomponents.
This channel is not available for patch objects.
■
-2:Alpha The vertex alpha channel. You can transfer all vertex alpha
values between objects with the same topology by copying and pasting
this channel.
You can apply vertex alpha information to objects with the VertexPaint
modifier on page 1959, and to editable surfaces with the Vertex Properties
settings (editable poly on page 2150) and Surface Properties (editable mesh
on page 2091 and editable patch on page 2038).
■
-1:Illum The vertex illumination channel. You can transfer all vertex
illumination values between objects with the same topology by copying
and pasting this channel.
You can apply vertex illumination information to objects with the
VertexPaint modifier on page 1959, and to editable surfaces with the Vertex
Properties settings (editable poly on page 2150) and Surface Properties
(editable mesh on page 2091 and editable patch on page 2038).
■
0:vc The vertex color (vc) channel. You can transfer all vertex color values
between objects with the same topology by copying and pasting this
channel.
You can apply vertex color information to objects with the VertexPaint
modifier on page 1959, and to editable surfaces with the Vertex Properties
settings (editable poly on page 2150) and Surface Properties (editable mesh
on page 2091 and editable patch on page 2038).
Channel Info Utility | 6051
■
1:map The default mapping channel. You can transfer all UVW mapping
information between objects with the same topology by copying and
pasting this channel.
You can create additional mapping channels by various means, including
with the Channel Info utility.
Channel Name The name of the channel. By default, a channel has no name,
as indicated by the entry “-none-”. To name or rename the channel, click the
channel to highlight it and then click the Name button at the top of the
dialog, or right-click the channel and choose Name from the right-click menu.
NOTE Most channels can be split into subcomponents on page 6050. You can name
the subcomponents separately from the channel itself.
Num Verts The number of vertices in the channel. To paste one channel to
another, they must have the same number of vertices.
Some channels have faces but no vertices. This is typically the case with Alpha,
Illumination, and vertex color channels in newly created non-poly objects.
In such cases, these channels function as placeholders for the corresponding
data should you add it later. They do consume a small amount of memory,
so if you have no intention of using a channel, you can save some memory
by converting the object to Editable Poly.
Num Faces The number of faces in the channel.
If a channel has faces but not vertices, that means it's a placeholder. See Num
Verts, above, for more information.
Dead Verts The number of unused map vertices in the channel. Such vertices
can be left over from sub-object editing.
Size(KB) The approximate amount of memory consumed by the channel. Use
this figure to check for unused channels that are using up memory.
Clean MultiMaterial Utility
Material Editor > Utilities menu > Clean MultiMaterial
Select an object. > Utilities panel > More button > Clean MultiMaterial > Click
Find All button.
The Clean MultiMaterial utility parses Multi/Sub-Object materials and displays
any that contain sub-materials are not assigned to any material IDs in the
6052 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
scene. You can then choose to remove any unused sub-materials, thus
consolidating your Multi/Sub-Object materials.
This utility searches an entire scene. You do not need to select objects or
materials.
Procedures
To clean all materials:
1 Open a scene.
2 On the Material Editor, open the Utilities menu and choose Clean
MultiMaterial.
The Clean Multi-Materials dialog opens, displaying the following:
Clean MultiMaterial Utility | 6053
The dialog displays a list of all Multi/Sub-Object materials that contain
unassigned sub-materials. All the Multi/Sub-Object materials are
automatically turned on, and thus subject to cleaning.
3 Click the OK button.
All unused sub-materials are deleted and the dialog closes.
To clean specific Multi/Sub-Object materials:
When you create a Multi/Sub-Object material, you might create extra
sub-materials in anticipation of objects that haven't been added to the scene
yet. In such cases, you can prevent the utility from removing the extra
sub-materials.
1 Open a scene.
2 On the Material Editor, open the Utilities menu and choose Clean
MultiMaterial.
The Clean Multi-Materials dialog opens.
6054 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
3 In the list, turn off any Multi/Sub-Object materials you do not want to
clean.
Clean MultiMaterial Utility | 6055
4 Click OK.
All unused sub-materials are deleted from the indicated materials and
the dialog closes.
6056 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
The Clean dialog presents you with a list of all Multi/Sub-Object materials in
the scene that contain unassigned sub-materials. You can then select materials
from which to remove unassigned sub-materials.
The dialog consists of two parts: a status field at the top and a list of
Multi/Sub-Object materials.
Status Field
The Status Field is not interactive. It displays prompts about the unused
materials.
Clean MultiMaterial Utility | 6057
Materials list
This list displays Multi/Sub-Object materials that have sub-materials that are
not currently being used in the scene. When the Clean MultiMaterial utility
opens, it lists all Multi/Sub-Object materials with unused sub-materials and
turns them on to be cleaned. Click the check box next to a material name to
turn it off and prevent the utility from cleaning it.
Clean Deletes unused sub-materials from Multi/Sub-Object materials that are
turned on.
Cancel Cancels the operation.
Instance Duplicate Maps Utility
Material Editor > Utilities menu > Instance Duplicate Map
Utilities panel > More button > Instance Duplicate Maps > Click Find All
button.
The Instance Duplicate Maps utility searches an entire scene for materials that
have duplicate Bitmap maps and give you the option to instance them. If your
scene has different materials that use the same texture maps, creating instances
will reduce the load on your video card, which can improve viewport
performance.
For example, if you render a scene containing three materials that reference
the texture map MyMap.bmp, the software searches for that texture map three
times: once for each material it is used in. However, if you use the Instance
Duplicate Maps utility, you can create instances of the duplicate maps so the
renderer will find the first reference to MyMap.bmp and use it for any
subsequent material that uses the same maps.
This utility searches an entire scene. You do not need to select objects or
materials.
NOTE In order to be eligible for instancing, the Bitmap maps must be identical
in all aspects with regard to their initial settings. For example, if two materials use
the same bitmap image applied as Diffuse maps, but have different initial Tiling
settings, their maps aren't eligible for instancing.
Animation is not supported as a criterion for determining duplication, so any
differences in the animation of Bitmap map parameters will be lost from the
use of this utility. For example, if two materials use the same bitmap image
applied as Diffuse maps, and have the same initial Tiling settings, but their
6058 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Tiling settings are animated to different subsequent values, after using the
utility both maps will have the same animation as the first map.
Procedures
To instance all duplicate maps:
1 Open a scene.
2 On the Material Editor, open the Utilities menu and choose Instance
Duplicate Map.
The Instance Duplicate Maps dialog opens, displaying the following:
The dialog displays a list of all texture maps found to have exact duplicates
in the scene. The search will include all copies found to have identical
paths and settings.
3 Click the Instance All button.
All identical maps are instanced and the dialog closes.
Instance Duplicate Maps Utility | 6059
To instance only specific maps:
Perhaps you only want to instance a few of the texture maps found in specific
materials.
NOTE You have to select at least two maps from the Duplicates list
1 Open a scene.
2 On the Material Editor, open the Utilities menu and choose Instance
Duplicate Map.
The Instance Duplicate Maps dialog opens.
3 From the Duplicated Textures list, click the arrow button to open the list
of duplicated textures and choose a texture you want to instance.
4 From the Duplicate list, select at least two map entries.
6060 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
If you don't select at least two entries, you will see a warning in the status
field at the top of the dialog.
5 Click Instance.
Instance Duplicate Maps Utility | 6061
Since all three of the maps were instanced, the dialog now shows there
are 42 duplicated textures.
6 Continue instancing texture or click Close when you are done.
6062 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Interface
The primary user interface of the Instance Duplicate Maps utility is the Instance
Duplicate Maps dialog, which you open from the Utilities menu in the Material
Editor. This utility works globally, so you do not need to select objects or
materials in order to use it.
The dialog consists of three parts: a status field at the top, a drop menu
containing duplicated texture maps and a list of map names and the materials
that belong to.
Status Field
The Status Field is not interactive. It shows you prompts and warnings about
the duplicate textures and maps. Some of the messages displayed in this section
include:
■
“No duplicate textures were found in the scene.” – when the utility is run
in a scene containing no duplicates.
Instance Duplicate Maps Utility | 6063
■
“Select duplicates and press “Instance” to consolidate.” – when the utility
is run in a scene containing duplicates.
■
“The selected duplicates contain parameters that are animated. Animation
is not supported as criteria for determining duplication so differences in
the animation will be lost.” – when animation is present in a set of
duplicates.
■
“At least two maps must be selected in order to proceed.” – when the
Instance button is pressed with one or no duplicates selected.
Duplicated Textures list
This drop-down list contains all the maps in the scene found to be identical
in every way, including texture map path and name, and initial parameter
settings. The number after “Duplicated Textures” indicates how many sets
were found in the scene. This list appears with the first entry visible and once
active can be scrolled using the up/down arrow keys.
Duplicates list
When you choose a texture in the Duplicated Textures list, the software
displays its duplicates in the Duplicates list, showing the map name and the
name of the parent material. The number after “Duplicates” indicates how
many copies were found in the scene. Textures in this list can be chosen
individually. Only duplicates chosen in this list will be consolidated into the
final instance if you click the Instance button. The name of the resulting
instance is that of the first chosen duplicate in the list.
Instance All Performs the consolidation on all duplicates in the scene
regardless of selections made from the Duplicated Textures or Duplicates lists.
Instance Performs the consolidation on only the duplicates chosen on the
Duplicates list. Selected duplicates will disappear from this list after
consolidation. If all are selected, the corresponding texture will disappear from
the first list as well.
Close Closes the operation at its current point.
6064 | Chapter 19 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps
Rendering
20
Rendering "fills in" geometry with color, shadow, lighting effects, and so on.
Rendering shades the scene's geometry using the lighting you've set up, the materials you've
applied, and environment settings, such as background and atmosphere. You use the Render
Setup dialog on page 6067 to render images and animations and save them to files. The rendered
output appears in the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073, where you can also render and
do some setup.
6065
TIP When you render a very large image, you might get a message that says “Error
Creating Bitmap,” or that says you are out of RAM. If this happens, turn on the Bitmap
Pager on page 7771 on the Rendering panel of the Preferences dialog. The Bitmap Pager
prevents a rendering from stopping unexpectedly due to the lack of sufficient memory.
On the other hand, it slows down the rendering process.
NOTE 3ds Max does not append any color-space information to rendered output. If
necessary, you can apply a color space such as sRGB to output images in an
image-editing program like Adobe Photoshop.
Environments and Rendering Effects
A variety of special effects, such as film grain, depth of field, and lens simulations, are
available as rendering effects. Another set of effects, such as fog, are provided as environment
effects.
Environment settings on page 6689 let you choose a background color or image, or choose
an ambient color value for when you render without using radiosity. One category of
environment settings is the exposure controls on page 6732, which adjust light levels for
display on a monitor.
Rendering effects on page 6583 provide a way for you to add blur or film grain to a rendering,
or to adjust its color balance.
See also:
■
Rendering Commands on page 6091
■
Rendering with ActiveShade on page 6102
■
Rendering Previews on page 6422
■
Network Rendering on page 6433
■
Rendering Effects on page 6583
■
Environment and Atmosphere Effects on page 6687
Object-Level Rendering Controls
You can control rendering behavior at the object level. See Object Properties on page 305.
6066 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Render Setup Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup
Main toolbar > Render Setup button
Keyboard > F10
Rendered Frame Window >
Render Setup button
Rendering creates a 2D image or animation based on your 3D scene. It shades
the scene's geometry using the lighting you've set up, the materials you've
applied, and environment settings such as background and atmosphere.
The Render Setup dialog has multiple panels. The number and name of the
panels can change, depending on the active renderer. These panels are always
present:
■
Common panel on page 6121
Contains the main controls for any renderer, such as whether to render a
still image or an animation, setting the resolution of rendered output, and
so on.
■
Renderer panel on page 6138
Contains the main controls for the current renderer.
Additional panels whose presence depends on the active renderer include:
■
Render Elements panel on page 6336
Contains the controls for rendering various image information into
individual image files. This can be useful when you work with compositing,
image-processing, or special-effects software.
■
Raytracer panel on page 6221
Contains global controls for ray-traced maps and materials.
■
Advanced Lighting panel on page 6153
Contains controls for generating radiosity and light tracer solutions, which
can provide global illumination for your scene.
■
Processing on page 6230 and Indirect Illumination on page 6295 panels
Contain special controls for the mental ray renderer on page 6230.
Render Setup Dialog | 6067
At the bottom of the Render Setup dialog are controls that, like those in the
Common Parameters rollout on page 6121, apply to all renderers. These are
described in this topic's “Interface” section, below.
TIP When you render a very large image, you might get a message that says “Error
Creating Bitmap,” or that says you are out of RAM. If this happens, turn on the
Bitmap Pager. You turn on the Bitmap Pager in Rendering Preferences on page
7768. The Bitmap Pager prevents a rendering from hanging because of overuse of
memory. On the other hand, it slows down the rendering process.
Choice of a Renderer
Three renderers are provided with 3ds Max. Additional renderers might be
available as third-party plug-in components. The renderers provided with 3ds
Max are:
■
Default scanline renderer on page 6141
The scanline renderer is active by default. It renders the scene in a series
of horizontal lines.
Global illumination options available for the scanline renderer include
light tracing on page 6154 and radiosity on page 6168.
The scanline renderer can also render to textures on page 6371 (“bake”
textures), which is especially useful when preparing scenes for game
engines.
■
mental ray renderer on page 6230
The mental ray renderer created by mental images is also available. It
renders the scene in a series of square “buckets.”
The mental ray renderer provides its own method of global illumination,
and can also generate caustic lighting effects.
In the Material Editor, a variety of mental ray shaders on page 5974 provide
effects that only the mental ray renderer can display.
■
VUE file renderer on page 6334
The VUE file renderer is a special-purpose renderer that generates an ASCII
text description of the scene. A view file can include multiple frames, and
specify transforms, lighting, and changes of view.
Standard and ActiveShade Renderers
In 3ds Max, there are two different types of renderings. Production rendering
is active by default, and is typically the one you use for finished renderings.
This type of rendering can use any of the three aforementioned renderers.
6068 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The second type of rendering is called ActiveShade on page 6102. An ActiveShade
rendering uses the default scanline renderer to create a preview rendering that
can help you see the effects of changing lighting or materials; the rendering
updates interactively as you change your scene. Rendering iwth ActiveShade
is, in general, less precise than production rendering.
Another advantage of production rendering is that you can use different
renderers, such as the mental ray or VUE file renderer.
To choose between production and ActiveShade rendering, use the radio
buttons described in the Interface section, following. To change the renderer
assigned to production rendering, use the Assign Renderer rollout on page 6135.
See also:
Render Setup on page 6092
■
Procedures
To render a still image:
1 Activate the viewport to render.
2
Click Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog opens, with the Common panel active.
3 On the Common Parameters rollout, check the Time Output group to
make sure the Single option is chosen.
4 In the Output Size group, set other rendering parameters or use the
defaults.
5 Click the Render button at the bottom of the dialog.
By default, rendered output appears in the Rendered Frame Window on
page 6073.
TIP
6101.
To render a view without using the dialog, click Render on page
To render an animation:
1 Activate the viewport to render.
Render Setup Dialog | 6069
2
Click Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog opens, with the Common panel active.
3 On the Common Parameters rollout on page 6121, go to the Time Output
group and choose a time range.
4 In the Output Size group, set other rendering parameters or use the
defaults.
5 In the Render Output group, click Files.
6 On the Render Output File dialog on page 6086, specify a location, name,
and a type for the animation file, and then click Save.
Typically, a dialog appears that lets you configure options for the chosen
file format. Change settings or accept the defaults, and then click OK to
continue.
The Save File check box turns on.
7 Click the Render button at the bottom of the dialog.
NOTE If you set a time range and do not specify a file to save to, the
animation is rendered only to the window. This can be a time-consuming
mistake, so an alert warns you about it.
TIP
Once you have rendered the animation this way, you can render it
again without using the dialog by clicking Render or pressing F9.
Interface
6070 | Chapter 20 Rendering
[rendering mode]
■
Production/Iterative Choose whether to render in production on page
6101 or iterative on page 6101 mode. (This is the default.)
■
ActiveShade
Choose to use ActiveShade on page 6102.
Preset From this drop-down list you can choose a set of preset rendering
parameters, or load or save rendering parameter settings. See Preset Rendering
Options on page 6114.
Viewport Chooses the viewport to render. By default, this is the active
viewport. You can use this drop-down list to choose a different one. The list
contains only currently displayed viewports.
Lock View When on, locks the view to the one shown in the Viewport
list. This enables you to adjust the scene in other viewports (which become
active as you use them), and then click Render to render the viewport you
originally chose. When off, Render always renders the active viewport.
Render Renders the scene.
When ActiveShade is chosen, the name of this button changes to ActiveShade,
and clicking it opens a floating ActiveShade window on page 6102.
If the scene you're rendering contains bitmaps that cannot be located, a Missing
External Files dialog on page 7130 opens. This dialog lets you browse for the
missing maps, or continue to render the scene without loading them.
Render Setup Dialog | 6071
Rendering Progress dialog
6072 | Chapter 20 Rendering
When you click Render, a rendering progress dialog shows the parameters
being used, and a progress bar. The rendering dialog has a Pause button to
the left of the Cancel button. When you click Pause, the rendering pauses,
and the button's label changes to Resume. Click Resume to continue with the
rendering.
NOTE The mental ray renderer does not support the Pause button. You can cancel
a mental ray rendering, but you can't pause it.
Rendered Frame Window
Main toolbar > Rendered Frame Window
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
> Rendered Frame Window opens.
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render > Rendered Frame Window opens.
File menu > View Image File > Choose a file to view. > Open > Rendered Frame
Window (reduced functionality) displays the file.
NOTE
The Rendered Frame Window that opens when rendering offers a
significantly expanded feature set in Autodesk 3ds Max 2009. Most of these settings
already exist elsewhere in the program, but their addition to this dialog means
that you can change parameters and re-render your scene without having to resort
to other dialogs, thus speeding your workflow considerably.
The Rendered Frame Window displays rendered output. It has controls to:
■
Set the area to render (region, etc.).
■
Choose the viewport to render.
■
Choose a render preset.
■
Render the scene.
■
Save the image to a file.
■
Place a copy of the rendered image on the Windows clipboard, ready for
pasting into another graphics application.
Rendered Frame Window | 6073
■
Create a clone of the window. This displays a new window so you can
create another rendering and compare it with the previous one.
■
Open a new Rendered Frame Window.
■
Toggle display of the red, green, and blue color channels.
■
Display the alpha channel on page 7905.
■
Display only monochrome (gray scale).
■
Clear the image from the window.
■
Print the rendered output.
■
Change a number of mental ray-specific settings.
When you choose the View Image File command from the File menu, 3ds
Max displays still images and image sequences in a feature-reduced version
of the Rendered Frame Window. When you view sequentially numbered image
files or images in an IFL file on page 7339, this window displays navigation
arrows that let you step through the images.
Procedures
To zoom and pan in the Rendered Frame Window:
You can zoom in and out and pan the image in the Rendered Frame Window.
You can even do this while a scene is rendering.
■
To zoom in, hold down Ctrl and then click. To zoom out, use
Ctrl+right-click.
■
To pan, hold down Shift and then drag.
If you have a wheel mouse, you can use the wheel to zoom and pan:
■
To zoom in or out, roll the wheel.
■
To pan, press the wheel and drag.
NOTE You can use any third-button pointing device to pan the image. To
enable this, open the Customize menu > Preferences dialog. Go to the
Viewports panel on page 7753, and in the Mouse Control group choose the
Pan/Zoom option (this is the default).
6074 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
This first section documents the controls on the main Rendered Frame
Window. For information about the additional control panel that appears
below the main window when using mental ray, see mental ray Rendering
Options on page 6080.
Rendered Frame Window Rendering Controls
These controls provide access to rendering settings such as presets and the
viewport to render, as well as the Render command. To toggle display of these
controls, click the Toggle UI button at the right end of the Rendered Frame
Window toolbar.
Area to Render This drop-down list provides the available Area to Render on
page 6095 options. Choose View, Selected, Region, Crop, or Blowup.
When using Region, Crop, or Blowup, set the region with the Edit Region
control (see following) or with the Edit Render Region command on page 7583
on the viewport right-click menu. Alternatively, you can set the region
automatically to the current selection with the Auto Region Selected option
(also see following).
Edit Region Enables manipulation of the region window: resize by
dragging the handles, and move by dragging inside the window. When Area
Rendered Frame Window | 6075
To Render is set to Region, you can edit the region both in the Rendered Frame
Window and in the active viewport.
If Area To Render is set to View or Selected, clicking Edit Region switches to
Region mode.
When Area To Render is set to Crop or Blowup, you can edit the region only
in the active viewport, because in those cases the Rendered Frame Window
doesn’t necessarily reflect the same area as the viewport. Hence, also in Crop
and Blowup modes, a warning icon on page 6076 appears to the right of the
Auto Region Selected. The icon’s tool tip suggests that you edit the region in
the viewport. A warning also appears in Region mode if the Rendered Frame
Window area doesn’t match the active viewport.
Turning on Edit Region automatically activates the Show Safe Frame on page
7583 function in the active viewport.
NOTE 3ds Max maintains two separate render regions: one for Region and Crop,
and another for Blowup. Changing the Area To Render option activates the relevant
render region.
The same command is available from the viewport right-click menu, as Edit
Render Region on page 7583.
Auto Region Selected When on, sets the region for Region, Crop, and
Blowup automatically to the current selection. This auto-region is calculated
at render time and does not overwrite the user-editable regions.
If Area To Render is set to View or Selected, clicking Auto Region Selected
switches to Region mode.
[warning] This warning symbol appears when Area to Render on page
6075 is set to Crop or Blowup, accompanied by a tool tip that tells you to edit
the Crop or Blowup region in the viewport. It also appears in Region mode if
the Rendered Frame Window doesn’t show the same area as the viewport (that
is, if you previously rendered in Crop or Blowup mode).
Viewport Shows the viewport that renders when you click the Render button.
The drop-down list contains all visible viewports. To specify a different
viewport to render, choose it from the list or activate it in the main user
interface.
Activating a different viewport in the main interface automatically updates
this setting if Lock To Viewport is off.
6076 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Lock To Viewport When on, only the viewport active in the Viewport
list renders, even if you activate a different viewport in the main interface.
However, you can still choose a different viewport to render from the list.
When off, activating a different viewport in the main user interface updates
the Viewport value.
The same toggle is available from the viewport right-click menu, as Lock
Render to this View on page 7583.
Render Preset Choose a preset rendering option on page 6114 from the
drop-down list.
Render Setup Opens the Render Setup dialog on page 6067.
Environment and Effects Dialog (Exposure Controls) Opens the
Environment and Effects dialog to the Environment panel on page 6689. You
can set an exposure control on the Exposure Control rollout.
Production/Iterative Choose the result of clicking the Render button:
■
Production Renders using all the current settings on the Rendered Frame
Window, Render Setup, dialog, and so on.
■
Iterative Ignores network rendering, rendering of multiple frames, file
output, export to MI files, and email notification. Also, with the scanline
renderer, rendering Selected on page 6097 leaves the rest of the Rendered
Frame Window intact in Iterative mode.
Use this option when doing quick iterations on the image, usually in parts;
for example, working on final gather settings, reflections, or specific objects
or areas of the scene.
This choice is also available from a drop-down in the bottom-left corner of
the Render Setup dialog. And you can render in either mode from the render
flyout on page 6100 on the main toolbar.
Render Renders the scene using the current setup.
Rendered Frame Window | 6077
Rendered Frame Window toolbar
Save Image Allows you to save the rendered image displayed in the
Rendered Frame Window.
Copy Image Places an exact copy of the visible portion of the rendered
image on the Windows clipboard, ready for pasting into a paint program or
bitmap editing software. The image is always copied as displayed, so, for
example, if the Monochrome button on page 6079 is on, the copied data consists
of an eight-bit grayscale bitmap.
NOTE No HDR (high-dynamic-range) data is copied.
Clone Rendered Frame Window Creates another window containing
the displayed image. This allows you to render another image to the Rendered
Frame Window and compare it with the previous, cloned image. You can
clone the Rendered Frame Window any number of times. The cloned window
uses the same initial zoom level as that of the original.
NOTE A cloned window provides minimal functionality, and cannot be re-rendered
or cloned.
Print Image Sends the rendered image to the default printer as defined
in Windows (in Windows XP, see Start menu > Settings > Printers And Faxes).
The background prints as transparent.
Clear Clears the image from the Rendered Frame Window.
Enable Red Channel Displays the red channel of the rendered image.
When turned off, the red channel is not displayed.
Enable Green Channel Displays the green channel of the rendered
image. When turned off, the green channel is not displayed.
6078 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Enable Blue Channel Displays the blue channel of the rendered image.
When turned off, the blue channel is not displayed.
Display Alpha Channel Displays the alpha channel on page 7905.
Monochrome Displays an 8-bit grayscale of the rendered image.
Channel Display List Lists any channel rendered with the image. When you
choose a channel from the list, it is displayed in the Rendered Frame Window.
For most kinds of files, only the RGB and alpha channels are available. If you
render an RPF file on page 7366 or RLA file on page 7364, additional channels can
be present.
The Rendered Frame Window displays nonvisual channels, such as Material
Effects or the G-Buffer, using colors it assigns at random to distinct values.
Color Swatch Stores the color value of the last pixel you right-clicked. You
can drag this color swatch to other color swatches in the program. Clicking
the color swatch displays the Color Selector on page 391, which displays more
information about the color.
You can leave the Color Selector displayed while you right-click over other
pixels in the Rendered Frame Window. (Changing the current value in the
Color Selector changes the color swatch on the Rendered Frame Window's
toolbar, but it does not change the color of pixels in the rendered image.)
Toggle UI Overlays When on, displays the frame that shows
the Region, Crop, or Blowup area when one of those options is active. To
disable display of the frame, turn off this toggle.
NOTE The frame is still active when not displayed.
Toggle UI When on, all controls are available. When off, disables
display of the rendering controls at the top of the dialog as well as the mental
ray controls on the separate panel below the dialog. To simplify the dialog
interface and allow it to take up less space, turn this off.
TIP When off, you can resize the window smaller than is possible when Toggle
UI is on.
Rendered Frame Window | 6079
Layer This setting appears on the Rendered Frame Window toolbar when you
render to the RPF on page 7366 or RLA on page 7364 file format. It lets you see the
information at different layers of the following channels:
■
Z Depth
■
Normal
■
Non-Clamped Color
■
Coverage
■
Node Render ID
■
Color
■
Sub-Pixel Weight
■
Sub-Pixel Mask
Layer shows no additional information for other channels. It is useful primarily
when the scene contains objects that occlude each other, and you have turned
on the Render Occluded Objects toggle for these objects. (See Object Properties
on page 305.) Be aware that rendering occluded objects increases render time.
TIP Rendering occluded objects can help you create 3D effects when you
composite images with the Autodesk Combustion software.
Frame-Steps (arrows) When viewing sequentially numbered files
(such as image0005.jpg) or IFL files, the arrows display the next or the previous
file in the sequence. To jump to the first image or the last image in the
sequence, hold down Ctrl and click an arrow.
Available only when you use the View Image File command on the File menu.
mental ray Rendering Options
6080 | Chapter 20 Rendering
This additional panel appears below the Rendered Frame Window when mental
ray is the active renderer.
NOTE Most of the settings on this panel are linked to settings on the Render Setup
dialog, as noted in the following descriptions. Changing a setting here makes the
same adjustment to the respective Render Setup setting, and vice-versa. If you
change a setting here, the Render Setup dialog setting updates automatically, but
the reverse is not true. If you change a setting on the Render Setup dialog, to see
the change on this panel, you must click the panel.
Include in Render group
Reflections When on, mental ray traces reflections. Turn off to improve
performance when you don’t require reflections. See Enable Reflections on
page 6281.
■
Max Sets the number of times a ray can be reflected. At 0, no reflection
occurs. At 1, the ray can be reflected once only. At 2, the ray can be reflected
twice, and so on. Default=4.
Refractions When on, mental ray traces refraction. Turn off to improve
performance when you don’t require refraction. See Enable Refractions on
page 6281.
■
Max Sets the number of times a ray can be refracted. At 0, no refraction
occurs. At 1, the ray can be refracted once only. At 2, the ray can be
refracted twice, and so on. Default=6.
Soft Shadows When on, renders shadows from area lights normally. When
off, renders all area lights or shadows as if they were emitted from point objects,
speeding up rendering time. See Area Lights/Shadows as Points on page 6128.
Final Gather When on, the mental ray renderer uses final gathering on page
6295 to create global illumination or to improve its quality. Default=on.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Enable Final Gather on page
6299.
■
Bounces Sets the number of times mental ray calculates diffuse light
bounces for each diffuse ray. Default=0.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Diffuse Bounces on page 6300.
Subset Pixels (of selected objects) When on, rendering the scene applies only
to selected objects. Unlike using the Selected option for rendering, however,
using this option takes into account all scene elements that affect its
appearance. This includes shadows, reflection, direct and indirect lighting,
Rendered Frame Window | 6081
and so on. Also, unlike Selected, which replaces the entire contents of the
Rendered Frame Window (except for selected objects) with the background
color, this option replaces only pixels used by the re-rendered selected objects.
Subset pixel rendering is particularly useful when performing iterative
rendering and refinement of lighting, shadows, and other scene elements for
a particular object or set of objects in the scene. It lets you re-render repeatedly
to view the results of isolated changes without disturbing the rest of the
rendered output.
TIP Objectionable outlines might appear around objects rendered in Subset Pixel
mode at low antialiasing settings. To eliminate any such outlines, increase the
antialiasing setting on page 6083. For best results, use Medium antialiasing (Min
1/4, Max 4) or better.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Render changes to selected
objects only on page 6281.
Reuse group
These commands let you save rendering time by reusing translated geometry
and final gather solutions. The Final Gather controls are available only when
Final Gather on page 6081 is on.
Lock Geometry Translation Determines whether changed geometry
is retranslated to mental ray format at render time. When on, sub-object-level
changes such as vertex editing or adjusting a modifier such as Bend are ignored
and don’t cause retranslation. However, object-level changes such as moving
or rotating an object are retranslated.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Translator Options rollout >
Geometry Caching group > Lock Geometry Translation on page 6321.
Geometry When on, rendering uses geometry caching. During the first render,
the translated geometry is saved to the cache file. Then, in subsequent
renderings of the same scene, the renderer uses the cached geometry for any
unchanged objects instead of retranslating it. Any changed geometry is
retranslated. Default=off.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Translator Options rollout >
Geometry Caching group > Enable on page 6321.
NOTE Network rendering does not support this option.
6082 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Clear Geometry Cache Deletes the cached geometry.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Translator Options rollout >
Geometry Caching group > Clear Geometry Cache on page 6321.
Lock Final Gather Determines whether or not mental ray uses the
final gather map file as is. When off, mental ray can add new final gather
points if necessary. When on, mental ray uses only the data in the specified
file, and does not generate any new final gather points during the
pre-processing stage. Available only Reuse > Final Gather is on (see following).
Default=off.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Read Only (FG Freeze) on page
6301.
Final Gather When on, generates (when necessary) and then uses a disk-based
final gather map (FGM file) to save rendering time. If no FGM file is specified
on the Render Setup dialog > Final Gather rollout (see Final Gather Map group
on page 6300), 3ds Max uses the file name temp.fgm.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Read/Write File on page 6300.
Clear Final Gather Cache Deletes the cached final gather solution.
The equivalent Render Setup dialog control is Final Gather Rollout > Final
Gather Map group > Delete File on page 6301.
Clear All Deletes the cached geometry and final gather solution.
Image Precision/Final Gather Precision
These sliders provide handy presets for groups of antialiasing and final-gather
settings.
Image Precision (Antialiasing) Provides presets for a number of recommended
combinations of minimum and maximum Samples Per Pixel settings. For
details, see Samples per Pixel group on page 6274.
Final Gather Precision Provides a quick, easy solution for final gather. The
default presets are: Draft, Low, Medium, High, Very High, and Custom (the
default choice). Available only when Final Gather is on. For details, see FG
Precision Presets on page 6299.
Rendered Frame Window | 6083
Pixel Data
When you right-click the Rendered Frame Window, the color swatch is
updated, and information about the rendering and the pixel beneath the
mouse is displayed.
If you hold the right mouse button down while dragging, the information
changes with each new pixel the mouse crosses.
The display includes the following information:
Image group
Width The width of the image in pixels.
Aspect The pixel aspect ratio.
Height The height of the image in pixels.
Gamma The gamma value carried in the bitmap file.
Type The type of image, based on color depth. For example, 64 bits (RGBA)
or 32 Bits per Channel Floating-Point (RGBA).
Pixel group
Pixel information includes the pixel location in the bitmap, in parentheses
following the Pixel group heading. The counting starts at 0. For example, in
the above illustration, the pixel in question is the 308th from the left edge
and the 141st from the top edge. Also shown in this group are channel values
6084 | Chapter 20 Rendering
for red, green, blue, alpha, and monochrome, both as 16-bit integers (0 to
65535) and as floating-point values between 0.0 and 1.0.
NOTE With high-dynamic-range images, the floating-point values can be greater
than 1.0 or less than 0.0.
Red The red component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value.
Green The green component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value.
Blue The blue component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value.
Alpha The alpha component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value.
Mono The monochrome values of the pixel, using the same formula used by
monochrome material map channels such as bump and opacity maps.
Extra Pixel Data (G-Buffer Data) group
If the rendering output uses a format that contains additional channels, such
as RPF on page 7366 or RLA on page 7364, the informational pop-up shows this
data in the Extra Pixel Data group. The group includes all the possible channels.
If a channel is not present, its value is displayed as "N/A," for "not applicable."
Z Depth Displays Z-Buffer information in repeating gradients from white to
black. The gradients indicate relative depth of the object in the scene.
Material ID Displays the Effects Channel used by a material assigned to an
objects in the scene. The Effects Channel is a material property set in the
Material Editor.
Object ID Displays the G-Buffer Object Channel ID assigned to objects using
the Object Properties dialog on page 305.
UV Coordinates Displays the range of UV mapping coordinates.
Normal Displays the orientation of normal vectors.
Non-Clamped Color Displays the "real" color value delivered to the renderer
in RGB order. The renderer uses a floating-point range of 0.0 to 1.0 to represent
the range of each color channel. Thus, 1.0 is 100%, or 65535 (real color values
can be greater than 1, but are clamped by the renderer to 1).
Coverage Displays the coverage of the surface fragment from which other
G-Buffer values (Z Depth, Normal, and so on) are obtained. Z-Coverage values
range from 0 to 255.
Node Render ID Displays an object’s G-Buffer Object channel.
Rendered Frame Window | 6085
Color Displays the color returned by the material shader for the fragment.
Transparency Displays transparency returned by the material shader for the
fragment.
Velocity Displays the velocity vector of the fragment relative to the screen.
Sub-Pixel Weight Displays the sub-pixel weight of a fragment. The channel
contains the fractions of the total pixel color contributed by the fragment.
The sum of all the fragments gives the final pixel color. The weight for a given
fragment takes into account the coverage of the fragment and the transparency
of any fragments that are in front of a given fragment.
Sub-Pixel Mask Displays the sub-pixel alpha mask. This channel provides a
mask of 16 bits (4x4) per pixel, used in antialiased alpha compositing.
Render Output File Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Common panel >
Common Parameters rollout > Render Output group > Click Files. > Render
Output File
The Render Output File dialog lets you assign a name to the file that the
rendering will output. You can also determine the type of file to render.
Depending on your choice of file type, you can also set up options such as
compression, and color depth and quality.
See also:
■
Image File Formats on page 7324
Procedures
To name the render output file:
1 Choose Rendering > Render Setup, and then in the Render Output group
of the Common Parameters rollout, click Files.
This opens the Render Output File dialog.
2 Use the Save In field near the top of the dialog to choose the directory
in which to save the rendered file.
3 In the File Name field, enter the name for the file to be rendered.
6086 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP If you enter a filename extension as well (for instance: myimage.bmp)
and then press Tab, the Setup button activates and you can click it to change
the file settings.
4 Choose the type of file you want to render from the Save As Type
drop-down list.
TIP If you entered the filename extension as part of the file name, you can
skip this step.
5 Click Save to close the Render Output File dialog.
Clicking Save also opens a dialog that lets you set the options for the file
format you chose. Adjust these settings (or leave them at their defaults),
and then click OK.
6 On the Render Setup dialog, click the Render button to render the scene
and save the file.
NOTE If a file of the same name already exists, a dialog opens to let you
confirm overwriting it. This dialog also provides a check box for automatically
overwriting render-output files without being prompted for the duration of
the session.
To set up options for the render-output file:
1 Choose Rendering > Render and then in the Render Output group of the
Common Parameters rollout, click Files.
The Render Output File dialog opens.
2 In the File Name field, enter the name for the file to be rendered.
3 Navigate the Save In field to choose the directory where you want the
rendered file to be saved.
4 Choose the type of file you want to render from the Save As Type
drop-down list, then click Save.
A dialog is displayed that lets you set the options for the file format you
chose. Adjust these settings (or leave them at their defaults), and then
click OK.
NOTE You can also view the setup dialog by clicking Setup, if this button is
available.
Render Output File Dialog | 6087
WARNING Make sure the file name extension in the File Name field matches
the file type in the Save As Type field. Changing the file type does not update
the file name automatically. The file options dialog depends on the type
indicated by the file name, not the type indicated by Save As Type.
5 If the Render Output File dialog is still open, click Save.
Interface
History Displays a list of the most recent directories searched. Whenever an
image is selected, the path used is added to the top of the history list as the
most recently used path.
6088 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The history information is saved in the 3dsmax.ini on page 83 file.
Save In Opens a navigation window to browse other directories or drives.
Up One Level Moves you up a level in the directory structure.
Create New Folder Lets you create a new folder while in this dialog.
View Menu Provides several options for how information is displayed
in the list window:
■
Thumbnails: Displays the contents of a directory as thumbnails, without
the details.
■
Tiles: Displays the contents of a directory as large icons, without the details.
If you widen the dialog, these tile across the width.
■
Small Icons: Displays the contents of a directory as small icons, tiled across
the width, without the details.
■
List: Displays the contents of a directory without the details.
■
Details: Displays the contents of a directory with full details such as size
and date.
List of files Lists the contents of the directory, in the format specified by the
View menu.
TIP When the active display format is Details, the contents of the directory are
displayed with Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and Attributes. You can sort the
list according to a column's contents by clicking that column's label.
File name Displays the file name of the file selected in the list.
Save as type Displays all the file types that can be saved. This serves as a filter
for the list.
NOTE The choice in this field determines the file type saved, regardless of the file
name extension entered in the File Name field.
Save Sets the file information for saving upon rendering. Closes the dialog if
you haven't changed the output file type.
Render Output File Dialog | 6089
If you've changed the file type, clicking Save opens the Setup dialog for the
specified file type. Change the settings as necessary, and then click OK to close
both the Setup and the Output dialogs, or click Cancel to return to the Output
dialog.
Cancel Cancels the file save and closes the dialog.
Devices Lets you choose the hardware output device, for example, a digital
video recorder. To use the device, the device, its driver, and its 3ds Max plug-in
must all be installed on your system.
Setup Displays controls for the selected file type. These vary with each different
file format. Change the settings as necessary, and then click OK or Cancel.
Info If you highlight an existing file in the list, clicking Info displays expanded
information about the file such as frame rate, compression quality, file size,
and resolution. The information here depends on the type of information
saved with the file type.
View If you highlight an existing file in the list, clicking View displays the
file at its actual resolution. If the file is a movie, the Media Player is opened
so the file can be played.
Gamma group
To set up gamma options for the output file, Enable Gamma Correction must
be on in the Gamma panel on page 7758 of the Preferences dialog (Customize
> Preferences > Gamma). Otherwise, the Gamma controls are unavailable in
the Render Output File dialog.
■
Use Image’s Own Gamma
This option is not available in this dialog.
■
Use System Default Gamma Uses the system default gamma, as set in
the Gamma panel of the Preferences dialog.
■
Override Defines a new gamma for the bitmap that differs from the
system default.
Using Override is not recommended for bitmaps that you render. It is
better to set a system default value, based on the graphic display you use,
and use this same gamma value for all your renderings.
Sequence This is not available in the Render Output File dialog.
6090 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE To render a sequence of still images, choose the Active Time Segment or
define a range of frames in the Common Parameters rollout of the Render Setup
dialog. If you have selected a still image file type, each frame will append a
four-digit number to the name you have selected, incremented with each frame.
Preview When on, enables display of the image as a thumbnail.
Image thumbnail Displays a thumbnail of the selected file. Preview must be
turned on.
Statistics Displays the resolution, color depth, file type, and number of frames
of the selected file.
Location Displays the full path for the file.
Rendering Commands
The main commands for rendering are on the main toolbar on page 7499 and
the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073. Another way to invoke some of
these commands is to use the default Rendering menu on page 7493, which
contains other commands related to rendering.
Render Setup on page 6092
Area to Render on page 6095
Render Production on page 6101
ActiveShade on page 6102
ActiveShade Viewport on page 6110
Rendering Commands | 6091
Preset Rendering Options on page 6114
Render Last on page 6117
See also:
■
Render Setup Dialog on page 6067
■
Rendering with ActiveShade on page 6102
■
ActiveShade Commands (Quad Menu) on page 6111
■
Rendering Effects on page 6583
■
Environment and Atmosphere Effects on page 6687
■
Network Rendering on page 6433
Render Setup
Main toolbar > Render Setup
Rendering menu > Render Setup
Keyboard > F10
Rendering "fills in" geometry with color, shadow, lighting effects, and so on.
This command opens the Render Setup dialog on page 6067, which lets you set
the parameters for rendering. Rendering creates a still image or an animation.
It shades the scene's geometry using the lighting you've set up, the materials
you've applied, and environment settings such as background and atmosphere.
Rendering is multi-threaded and multi-processed on multiple-processor
configurations. A two-processor or dual-core system can render in nearly half
the time a single-processor system can.
6092 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Rendering can also take place on multiple systems by using a network. See
Network Rendering on page 6433. For the mental ray renderer, also see
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6326.
Missing Mapping Coordinates
If the renderer finds a parametric object that requires mapping, it automatically
sets its Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle before rendering the scene. The
toggle remains set after the rendering is done.
In the following cases, however, 3ds Max is unable to supply mapping
coordinates automatically:
■
Non-parametric objects, such as imported meshes, don't have built-in
coordinates.
■
Some third-party (plug-in) objects aren't provided with mapping
coordinates.
In these cases, 3ds Max is unable to render the scene completely. It displays
a Missing Mapping Coordinates dialog on page 5780 that lists the objects the
renderer couldn't map. To resolve the problem apply a UVW Map modifier
on page 1931 to the objects that the dialog lists.
NOTE If a material has Show Map In Viewport set when that material is assigned
to an object, the object's Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle is set, if it was
not previously set. (The state of Show Map In Viewport is saved with each material.)
Procedures
To render a still image:
1 Activate the viewport to render.
2
Click Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog on page 6067 appears.
3 In the Time Output group, make sure Single is on.
4 In the Output Size group, set other rendering parameters or use the
defaults.
5 Click Render.
By default, the rendering appears in a window.
Render Setup | 6093
TIP
To render a view without using the dialog, click Render on page
6101 or use Render Last on page 6117 (press F9).
To render an animation:
1 Activate the viewport to render.
2
Click Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog on page 6067 appears.
3 Open the Common Parameters rollout on page 6121. Choose a time range
in the Time Output group.
4 In the Output Size group, set other rendering parameters or use the
defaults.
5 In the Render Output group, click Files.
6 A Render Output File dialog on page 6086 is displayed.
7 Use the file dialog to specify a name and a type for the animation file,
and then click Save.
A configuration dialog opens that lets you set the options for the file
format you chose. Adjust these settings or leave them at their defaults,
and then click OK.
The configuration dialog closes, and on the Render Setup dialog >
Common Parameters rollout, the Save File toggle is now available and
on.
8 Click Render.
NOTE If you set a time range and do not specify a file to save to, the
animation is rendered only to the window. This can be a time-consuming
mistake, so an alert warns you about it.
TIP
To render a view without using the dialog, click Render Production
on page 6101 or use the Keyboard Shortcut F9 to Render Last on page 6117.
6094 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Area to Render
Rendered Frame Window > Area to Render drop-down list
Area To Render lets you render only a portion of the scene.
The Area To Render list on the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073 lets you
specify the portion of the scene that will be rendered.
Procedures
To render only selected objects:
1 Open the Rendered Frame Window.
2 From the Area To Render drop-down list in the top-left corner of the
window, choose Selected.
3 Activate the viewport to render.
4 Select the objects to render.
5 Render the scene.
3ds Max displays a progress dialog that shows the progress of rendering
and the rendering parameter settings. To stop rendering, click Cancel in
this dialog, or press Esc.
Area to Render | 6095
To render a region:
1 Activate the viewport to render, or choose it from the Viewport drop-down
list on the Rendered Frame Window.
2
On the Rendered Frame Window, click the Edit Region button.
This automatically sets the Area To Render option to Region, and displays
the region window in the Rendered Frame Window and the active
viewport. The window has editing handles and a close box (X).
3 To move the region window, drag inside it. To adjust its size, drag the
handles.
To preserve the window's aspect ratio, press and hold Ctrl before you drag
a handle.
4 Render the scene.
3ds Max renders the region only. In Production mode, the Rendered
Frame Window is cleared before rendering, but in Iterative mode, the
area of the window outside the region remains intact.
To render a blowup:
1 Open the Rendered Frame Window and choose the viewport to render.
2 Choose Blowup from the Area To Render list.
The Edit Region button appears on the Rendered Frame Window,
to the right of the Area To Render list, and the Blowup region window is
displayed in the active viewport. This window is different from the one
used for Region and Crop.
The Blowup region window does not appear in the Rendered Frame
Window because the region extents might exceed the window area,
depending on the rendering history.
3 To move the window, drag inside it. To adjust the window size, drag its
handles.
The window is constrained to the aspect ratio of the current output size.
4 Render the scene.
6096 | Chapter 20 Rendering
3ds Max displays a progress dialog that shows the progress of rendering
and the rendering parameter settings. To stop rendering, click Cancel in
this dialog, or press Esc.
Interface
The following choices are available on the Area To Render drop-down list.
NOTE The Box Selected, Region Selected, and Crop Selected options previously
available are no longer necessary and have been removed from the software. To
achieve the equivalents, combine an Area To Render option with the Auto Region
Selected on page 6076 option on the Rendered Frame Window.
View (The default.) Renders the active viewport.
Selected Renders the currently selected object or objects only. Rendering a
selection with the scanline renderer leaves the remainder of the Rendered
Frame Window intact. However, mental ray renders the background first, thus
effectively clearing the rest of the frame.
TIP Rendering Selected renders the selection in isolation, without any contribution
from the rest of the scene, such as shadows, reflections, etc. When rendering with
mental ray, to render a selection with full contribution from the other scene
contents, use the Subset Pixels on page 6081 option instead.
Area to Render | 6097
TIP
To remove any existing image from the window when rendering with
the scanline renderer, use the Clear button before rendering.
Region Renders a rectangular region within the active viewport. Using this
option leaves the remainder of the Rendered Frame Window intact except
when rendering an animation, in which case it clears the window first. Use
the Region option when you need to test-render a part of the scene.
When you choose Region from the Area To Render list, the Edit Region on
page 6075 control activates. This causes an editable version of the region to
appear in both the Rendered Frame Window and the active viewport. To move
the region or change its size, drag either region box or its handles, respectively.
If you turn off Edit Region, the region remains visible in the Rendered Frame
Window, but is no longer editable. Alternatively, to set the region to the
current selection automatically, turn on Auto Region Selected on page 6076.
TIP
To remove any existing image from the window, use the Clear button
before rendering.
NOTE Region rendering is meant to create a draft rendering of a selected area of
a view. As such, Region rendering uses only an Area filter for antialiasing, regardless
of which antialiasing is chosen in the Render Setup dialog.
6098 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Crop Lets you specify the size of the output image using the same region box
that appears for the Region option.
After you choose Crop from the Area To Render list, turn on Edit Region on
page 6075 to cause a rectangular render region to appear in the active viewport.
To move the region or change its size, drag the region box or its handles,
respectively. Alternatively, to set the region to the current selection
automatically, turn on Auto Region Selected on page 6076.
Area to Render | 6099
Blowup Renders a region within the active viewport and enlarges it to fill the
output display.
After you choose Blowup from the Area To Render list, turn on Edit Region
on page 6075 to cause a rectangular render region to appear in the active
viewport. To move the region or change its size, drag the region box or its
handles, respectively. Alternatively, to set the blowup region to the current
selection automatically, turn on Auto Region Selected on page 6076.
Render Flyout
Main toolbar > Render flyout
The Render flyout lets you choose among these buttons:
■
Render Production on page 6101
■
Render Iterative on page 6101
■
ActiveShade on page 6102
6100 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The Render buttons let you render the scene using the settings without using
the Render Setup dialog on page 6067. Choosing one of these buttons also
changes which rendering settings are active on the Render Setup dialog.
Invoking the Render command from the Rendering menu or by pressing
Shift+Q uses the active mode on the Render flyout.
By default, all the rendering options use the default scanline renderer on page
6141. You can change the renderer assigned to Production or ActiveShade by
using the Assign Renderer rollout on page 6135 on the Render Setup dialog >
Common panel.
Render Production
Main toolbar > Render flyout > Render Production
The Render Production command, available on the Render flyout on page 6100
on the main toolbar, renders the scene using the current production render
settings without opening the Render Setup dialog on page 6067. You can activate
Production rendering mode without rendering from the drop-down list in the
bottom-left corner of the Render Setup dialog, and in the top-right corner of
the Rendered Frame Window.
You assign which renderer to use for production rendering on the Assign
Renderer rollout on page 6135 of the Render Setup dialog > Common panel.
See also:
■
Render Iterative on page 6101
■
ActiveShade on page 6102
Render Iterative
Main toolbar > Render flyout > Render Iterative
The Render Iterative command, available from the Render flyout on page 6100
on the main toolbar, renders the scene in iterative mode without opening the
Render Setup dialog on page 6067. You can activate Iterative rendering mode
without rendering from the drop-down list in the bottom-left corner of the
Render Production | 6101
Render Setup dialog, and in the top-right corner of the Rendered Frame
Window.
Iterative rendering ignores file output, network rendering, rendering of multiple
frames, export to MI files, and email notification. Use this option when doing
quick iterations on the image, usually in parts; for example, working on final
gather settings, reflections, or specific objects or areas of the scene.
Also, when rendering in Iterative mode, rendering Selected on page 6097 or
Region on page 6098 leaves the rest of the Rendered Frame Window intact.
See also:
■
Render Production on page 6101
■
ActiveShade on page 6102
ActiveShade
Main toolbar > Render flyout > ActiveShade
Keyboard > Shift+Q (Uses the Render mode currently active on the toolbar:
either Production or ActiveShade)
The ActiveShade button, available from the Render flyout on page 6100, creates
an ActiveShade on page 6102 rendering in a floating window.
You assign which renderer to use for ActiveShade rendering on the Assign
Renderer rollout on page 6135 of the Render Setup dialog on page 6067 > Common
panel.
See also:
■
Render Production on page 6101
■
Render Iterative on page 6101
Rendering with ActiveShade
Main toolbar > Render flyout > Render (ActiveShade)
Right-click viewport label. > Views > ActiveShade
6102 | Chapter 20 Rendering
ActiveShade gives you a preview rendering that can help you see the effects
of changing lighting or materials in your scene. When you adjust lights or
materials, the ActiveShade window interactively updates the rendering.
ActiveShade preview of material changes
Above left: Before the update
Above right: After changing the material for the fabric to a mapped material and
increasing the highlights on the material for the wood
ActiveShade | 6103
ActiveShade preview of lighting changes
Above left: Before moving a light in a viewport
Above right: After moving the light
There are two ActiveShade options:
■
■
Viewport
The ActiveShade rendering appears in the active viewport.
Floater
The ActiveShade rendering appears in its own window.
Only one ActiveShade window can be active at a time. If you choose one of
the ActiveShade commands while an ActiveShade window is already active,
you get an alert that asks whether you want to close the previous one. If the
6104 | Chapter 20 Rendering
previous ActiveShade window was docked in a viewport, the viewport reverts
to the view it previously showed.
TIP You can drag and drop materials from the Material Editor on page 5284 to
ActiveShade windows and viewports, as you can with other viewports.
NOTE
You can't make a maximized viewport an ActiveShade window, or
maximize an ActiveShade window.
ActiveShade Commands
When you right-click an ActiveShade window, the quad menu on page 7516
displays an ActiveShade menu. This menu contains a number of ActiveShade
commands on page 6111.
ActiveShade and Object Selection
If you select an object before you invoke ActiveShade, ActiveShade is done
only for that object. This can greatly increase the speed of ActiveShade.
Similarly, once the ActiveShade window is open, the initialize and update
steps on page 7899 (whether automatic or manual) are done only for the selected
object.
In a "docked" ActiveShade viewport, you can select objects by right-clicking,
turning on Select Object in the Tools (lower-right) quadrant of the quad menu,
then clicking the object you want to select. In an ActiveShade viewport, only
one object at a time can be selected.
TIP When an object in an ActiveShade window has a mapped material, select it
before you change a map or adjust its parameters.
What ActiveShade Does and Doesn't Do
For the sake of interactivity, the ActiveShade window is limited in what it can
update interactively. An ActiveShade rendering is typically less precise than
a final production rendering.
ActiveShade | 6105
TIP When you change geometry by transforming it or modifying it, right-click
the ActiveShade window and choose Tools > Initialize from the quad menu
(lower-right quadrant). This updates the ActiveShade rendering.
■
Moving an object does not update the ActiveShade window.
■
Applying a modifier or otherwise changing object geometry does not
interactively update the ActiveShade window.
■
Reflections are rendered only in the Initialize pass.
■
Materials are displayed as RGBA data with 8 bits per channel.
■
Multiple changes to a material might lead to deterioration in image quality.
If you see this happening, right-click the ActiveShade window and choose
Tools > Initialize from the quad menu (lower-right quadrant).
■
Masks are reduced from 8x8 to 4x4 subdivisions per pixel. The mask is
corrected to 6-bit opacity (0 to 63 rather than 0 to 255). This might result
in some visual noise around object edges.
■
Because of the preceding item, filters are coarser than in full-scale
renderings, but they still have significant subpixel information.
■
There is a limitation of 16 subdivisions per pixel. Because of this, any
objects behind the sixteenth occluding object for a given pixel will be
ignored. Rendered back faces count as separate objects.
■
Reshading uses compressed normals and other direction vectors. This
should have no visible effect.
■
ActiveShade does not render atmospheric effects, rendering effects, or
ray-traced shadows (the only shadows it can render are shadow-mapped
shadows).
Procedures
To display an ActiveShade window in a viewport:
■
Right-click the viewport label, choose Views, and then ActiveShade.
NOTE
You can't make a maximized viewport an ActiveShade window,
or maximize an ActiveShade window.
6106 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To display a free-floating ActiveShade window:
■
Choose ActiveShade from the Render flyout on page 6100.
NOTE As with the Render command, the ActiveShade window respects the Output
Size setting from the Render Setup dialog on page 6067. To use a different render
size, set it first with Render Setup, and then open the ActiveShade window.
To update an ActiveShade window after moving an object or changing object
geometry:
1 Right-click the ActiveShade window.
2 In the Tools (lower-right) quadrant of the quad menu, choose Initialize.
To see the toolbar in an ActiveShade viewport:
1 Click the viewport to make it active.
2 Press the Spacebar to display the toolbar.
Pressing spacebar again toggles the toolbar off, and so on.
You can also turn toolbar display on or off by right-clicking and using
the quad menu.
To change an ActiveShade viewport to another kind of viewport:
1 Turn on the toolbar in the ActiveShade viewport.
2 Right-click the toolbar.
3 In the pop-up menu, choose the type of view to display.
You can also restore the viewport to its previous status by right-clicking
the viewport and choosing View (upper-left) quad > Close.
To zoom and pan in an ActiveShade window:
You can zoom in and out and pan the image in the ActiveShade window. You
can even do this while a scene is rendering.
1 Hold down Ctrl and then click to zoom in, right-click to zoom out.
2 Hold down Shift and then drag to pan. (The window must be zoomed
in.)
ActiveShade | 6107
If you have a three-button mouse, you can use its third button or wheel to
zoom and pan:
1 Roll the wheel to zoom in or out.
2 Press the wheel, and drag to pan.
NOTE You can use any third-button pointing device to pan the image. To
enable this, choose the Pan/Zoom option on the Viewports panel on page
7753 of the Preferences dialog
Interface
Both the viewport and floating versions of the ActiveShade window have the
same controls as a Rendered Frame Window on page 6073. In an ActiveShade
viewport, the toolbar is off by default. In a floating ActiveShade window, the
toolbar is always visible.
TIP In an active ActiveShade viewport, you can toggle toolbar display by pressing
the Spacebar. (This is a main user interface shortcut, so the Keyboard Shortcut
Override Toggle can be either on or off.)
6108 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP If you clear the image, you can redisplay it by right-clicking the ActiveShade
window and choosing Tools > Initialize or Tools > Update Shading from the
lower-right quadrant of the quad menu.
ActiveShade Floater
Main toolbar > Render flyout > ActiveShade
To create an ActiveShade rendering in its own window, choose the ActiveShade
command from the Render flyout on the main toolbar.
You can open only one ActiveShade window at a time. If you change a viewport
to an ActiveShade view while a floating ActiveShade window is open, you get
a message that asks whether you want to close the floating window or stop
the operation.
See also:
■
Rendering with ActiveShade on page 6102
ActiveShade | 6109
■
ActiveShade Commands (Quad Menu) on page 6111
■
ActiveShade Initialize and Update on page 7899
ActiveShade Viewport
Right-click viewport label. > Views > ActiveShade
Creates an ActiveShade rendering on page 6102 that is "docked" in a viewport.
Only one ActiveShade rendering can be displayed at a time. If you try to
display a floating ActiveShade window while an ActiveShade viewport is
displayed, you get a message that asks whether you want to close the docked
ActiveShade rendering, or stop the operation. If you go ahead and close the
docked ActiveShade rendering, the viewport reverts to the view it previously
showed.
ActiveShade Commands
When you right-click an ActiveShade viewport, the quad menu on page 7516
displays an ActiveShade menu. This menu contains a number of ActiveShade
commands on page 6111.
ActiveShade and Object Selection
If you select an object before you invoke ActiveShade, ActiveShade is done
only for that object. This can greatly increase the speed of ActiveShade.
Similarly, once the ActiveShade window is open, the initialize and update
steps on page 7899 (whether automatic or manual) are done only for the selected
object.
In a "docked" ActiveShade viewport, you can select objects by right-clicking,
turning on Select Object in the Tools (lower-right) quadrant of the quad menu,
then clicking the object you want to select. In an ActiveShade viewport, only
one object at a time can be selected.
TIP When an object in an ActiveShade window has a mapped material, select it
before you change a map or adjust its parameters.
6110 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Procedures
To display the toolbar for the ActiveShade viewport:
■
Press the Spacebar.
The Spacebar toggles the toolbar display. In viewports, the toolbar is off
by default.
(This is a main user interface shortcut, so the Keyboard Shortcut Override
Toggle can be either on or off.)
The controls on the toolbar for an ActiveShade viewport are the same as for
a floating ActiveShade window on page 6109.
To change the ActiveShade viewport to another kind of viewport, do one of
the following:
■
Right-click the ActiveShade viewport, and choose Close from the View
(upper-left) quadrant of the quad menu.
The viewport reverts to the view it previously showed.
■
If the toolbar is not visible, press the Spacebar to display it, then right-click
the toolbar and choose the kind of view to display.
ActiveShade Commands (Quad Menu)
When you right-click an ActiveShade window, the lower-left quadrant of the
quad menu displays a set of commands for ActiveShade on page 6102.
Interface
ActiveShade | 6111
Render quadrant (upper right)
These are general-purpose commands.
Show Last Rendering Displays the last rendering in a Rendered Frame Window
on page 6073. Not available if no rendering has been made during this session.
Render Setup Displays the Render Setup dialog on page 6067. When you use
the ActiveShade quad menu, Render Setup is set to render the ActiveShade
window initially.
Render Last Repeats the last render, using the last viewport from which you
rendered.
Material/Map Browser Opens a modeless Material/Map Browser on page 5357
dialog.
Material Editor opens the Material Editor on page 5284.
Tools quadrant (lower right)
These are the commands that perform ActiveShade operations.
Draw Region When on, lets you draw a rectangular region of the ActiveShade
window. While it is active, only the region is updated by interactive reshading.
This can save time, and also help you concentrate on just a portion of the
image to be rendered. Default=off.
To turn off Draw Region, click outside the rectangular region. The entire
ActiveShade window is updatable again.
Initialize Initializes the ActiveShade window. To keep the ActiveShade window
current, you need to choose Initialize after transforming, modifying, or
otherwise changing geometry. If you have turned off Automatic
Reinitialization, you also need to choose Initialize after you update a mapped
material.
Rendering can be slow. The initialize pass is meant to take care of the most
time-consuming portions of rendering, to allow the update pass to take place
as quickly as possible. Initialization includes the following steps:
■
Evaluate the scene geometry into meshes.
■
Apply space warps.
■
Do transformations and clipping.
■
Evaluate textures and shade materials.
6112 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Perform optimizations to speed later processing, such as merging fragments
from the same surface that are in the same pixel.
The result of initialization is a buffer. This is a compressed rendering that, like
a G-Buffer on page 7991, contains the rendering plus additional information
used by the second step, updating.
During the initialize pass, progress is indicated by a row of pixels (white by
default) that traverses the top edge of the ActiveShade window.
Update Updates the ActiveShade window. Updating shading takes the buffer
created by the first pass, initialization, and uses information in that buffer to
change the color of pixels when you make changes to lights and materials in
the scene.
During the update pass, progress is indicated by a row of pixels (white by
default) that descends the right edge of the ActiveShade window.
To keep the ActiveShade window current, you need to choose Update Shading
if you have previously turned off Automatic Shading Update.
Select Object (viewports only) When on, you can select an object in the
ActiveShade window by clicking. You can select only one object at a time.
When an objects is selected in the ActiveShade window, the Initialize pass
resamples textures for that object alone. This improves the window's rendering
speed, and is useful when you are adjusting texture display.
Toggle Toolbar (viewports only) Toggles display of the ActiveShade window
toolbar in viewports.
Keyboard shortcut: Spacebar
NOTE
The Keyboard Shortcut Override toggle on page 7858 must be on for
the spacebar to toggle the ActiveShade toolbar.
Options quadrant (lower left)
These commands control how the ActiveShade window behaves.
Act Only On Mouse Up When on, changes you make to light and material
parameters (for example, the RGB or Multiplier spinners) update the
ActiveShade window only after you release the mouse. When off, changes to
these parameters are updated immediately, as you drag the mouse. Default=on.
Turning off Act Only On Mouse Up can make the ActiveShade window more
responsive to changes, but it can also slow performance.
ActiveShade | 6113
Auto Initialization When on, changes you make to textures (mapped
materials) automatically cause the ActiveShade window to initialize.
Default=on.
Initialization can be time consuming in complex scenes. To save time, you
can turn off Automatic Reinitialization, or use Draw Region to restrict
initialization and shading updates to only a portion of the scene.
Auto Update When on, changes you make to lighting, and materials without
maps, automatically cause an update of the ActiveReshade window. Default=on.
View quadrant (upper left)
Close Closes the ActiveShade window. If the ActiveShade window was docked
in a viewport, the viewport reverts to the view it previously displayed.
Preset Rendering Options
Render Setup dialog > Preset drop-down list (near the bottom of the panel)
Rendered Frame Window > Render Preset drop-down list (in the top row of
controls)
Render Shortcuts toolbar on page 7506 > drop-down list
Preset rendering options are available on the Render Setup dialog on page 6067,
the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073, and the Render Shortcuts toolbar
on page 7506. Some of the presets are tailored for relatively quick, preview
renderings; others are for slower but higher quality renderings. You can save
and load presets as RPS files.
6114 | Chapter 20 Rendering
In addition to the default presets that ship with 3ds Max, you can create your
own. At the bottom of the Preset list, two choices let you use and create your
own custom presets:
Load Preset When you choose Load Preset, 3ds Max opens a file selector
dialog that lets you choose the RPS file to load.
Each category corresponds to one panel of the Render Setup dialog. Choose
which panel's settings you want to load from the RPS file, and click Load.
Once you load a custom preset file, its name appears on the drop-down list,
along with the default choices.
Preset Rendering Options | 6115
IMPORTANT Although you assign the renderer on the Common panel of the
Render Setup dialog, the renderer assignment is not among the Common category
settings in the RPS file. Instead, each preset has a separate category for the current
renderer assignment. For example, if the current renderer is the Default Scanline
Renderer, the Select Preset Categories dialog will have a category labeled Default
Scanline Renderer.
Save Preset When you choose Save Preset, 3ds Max first opens a file selector
dialog that lets you name the RPS file. After that, the Select Preset Categories
dialog opens.
Each category corresponds to one panel of the Render Setup dialog. Choose
which panel's settings you want to save, and then click Save. Once you save
a custom preset file, its name appears on the drop-down list, along with the
default choices.
IMPORTANT Even though the renderer is assigned on the Common panel of the
Render Setup dialog, the renderer assignment is not saved with the Common
category in the RPS file. The renderer assignment has its own category on the
Select Preset Categories dialog. For example, if the current renderer is the Default
Scanline Renderer, the Select Preset Categories dialog will have a category labeled
Default Scanline Renderer.
The RPS files that provide the default presets are in the \renderpresets subfolder
of the program folder. We recommend you save your own presets in this
subfolder as well. If you choose a different location, 3ds Max saves the full
path name. (You can also use the Configure User Paths dialog > File I/O panel
on page 7733 > RenderPresets setting to specify a custom location.)
6116 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Render Last
Keyboard > F9
The Render Last command repeats the last render (whether a render view,
render region, render blowup, or render selected) using the last viewport from
which you rendered.
WARNING Render Last does not save to a file, even if the previous rendering did
so.
Print Size Wizard
Rendering menu > Print Size Assistant
The Print Size Wizard feature is useful when you plan to print a rendered
image. It lets you specify output size, resolution, and orientation in terms of
the printed image; that is, using a standard measuring system rather than
pixels. It also indicates the approximate uncompressed size of the image file.
You can render directly from the wizard on your computer or over a network,
or transfer the settings to the Render Setup dialog on page 6067.
Procedures
To use the Print Size wizard:
1 Set up a scene to render.
2 From the Rendering menu, choose Print Size Assistant.
3 Choose a preset paper size, or specify a custom size in inches or
millimeters. Alternatively, specify an image size in pixels.
4 Choose or specify a DPI (dots per inch) ratio for the printed output.
5 Choose an output orientation: Portrait or Landscape.
6 When ready to render to a file, turn on Save File, click the Files button,
and use the resulting Select TIFF File dialog to specify an output image
file.
7 Do one of the following:
■
To render immediately, click Render.
■
To set further rendering properties, click Render Setup.
Render Last | 6117
Interface
Paper Size group
drop-down list The Paper Size drop-down list lets you choose from several
standard print resolutions and aspect ratios. Choose one of these formats, or
leave it set to Custom to use the other controls in the Paper Size group. These
are the options you can choose from on the list:
■
Custom
■
A - 11 x 8.5 in. (at 300 dpi)
■
B - 17 x 11 in. (at 200 dpi)
■
C - 22 x 17 in. (at 150 dpi)
■
D - 34 x 22 in. (at 100 dpi)
6118 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
E - 44 x 34 in. (at 75 dpi)
■
A0 - 1189 x 841 mm (at 75 dpi)
■
A1 - 841 x 594 mm (at 100 dpi)
■
A2 - 594 x 420 mm (at 150 dpi)
■
A3 - 420 x 297 mm (at 200 dpi)
■
A4 - 297 x 210 mm (at 300 dpi)
■
A5 - 210 x 148 mm (at 300 dpi)
■
Letter (11 x 8.5 in. at 300 dpi)
■
Legal (14 x 8.5 in. at 300 dpi)
■
Tabloid (17 x 11 in. at 300 dpi)
TIP You can customize the Paper Size list by editing the file plugcfg\printwiz.ini.
If you choose to edit the file, first be sure to save a backup copy of the original.
Portrait/Landscape Choose Portrait for vertically oriented output or Landscape
for horizontal output. The window image provides a graphic depiction of the
orientation.
NOTE Changing between Portrait and Landscape simply switches the Width and
Height settings. The actual orientation depends on the image dimensions. For
example, if you choose Portrait, and then specify a custom size whose width is
greater than its height, the resulting orientation will be horizontal.
TIP After changing this setting, be sure to preview the image using the Show Safe
Frame on page 7583 function from the viewport right-click menu. This shows how
the output orientation corresponds to the viewport.
Choose Unit Lets you specify whether the measurement units for Paper Width
and Paper Height are in millimeters (mm) or inches.
Choose DPI Value Provides four buttons for commonly used dots-per-inch
settings: 72, 150, 300, and 600. Click one to set it in the DPI property, below.
Paper Width/Height Specifies the output width and height in mm
(millimeters) or inches, depending on which is chosen under Choose Unit.
NOTE Changing either setting also changes the corresponding Image size setting.
Print Size Wizard | 6119
Image Width/Height Specifies the output width and height in pixels.
NOTE Changing either setting also changes the corresponding Paper size setting.
DPI Specifies the output resolution in dots per inch. The easiest way to set
this is by clicking one of the buttons under Choose DPI Value. If you're using
a different resolution, set it here manually.
Only TIFF files on page 7372 support DPI information. If you render to a different
image format, you might have to later adjust the image resolution using an
image-processing application.
NOTE Changing the DPI setting also changes the Image Width/Height settings,
keeping the same aspect ratio.
Uncompressed File Size Displays the size of the rendered TIFF image file if
no compression is used.
Rendering group
Rendering directly from the Print Size Wizard allows you to output the current
frame to a disk file in TIFF format on page 7372. This format is commonly used
in the publishing industry. To render to a different format, use the wizard's
Render Setup button.
Save File When on, the software saves the rendered image to disk when you
render. Save File is available only after you specify the output file using the
Files button. Default=off.
Files Opens the Select TIFF File dialog, which lets you specify the output file
name and location. If, during the current session, you already rendered an
image to disk using the Render Setup dialog on page 6067, the last file name
you used appears in this field.
Save Alpha Channel When on, the software includes an eight-bit alpha
channel on page 7905 in the rendered TIFF file on page 7372. Default=off.
Compress File When on, uses compression when saving the file.
Render Setup Opens the Render Setup dialog on page 6067 and transfers any
settings (such as image size) you've made in the Print Size Wizard. Here you
can make further changes and then render the scene.
Render Renders the scene to the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073. Also
renders to a disk file if you've turned on Save File and specified a file name.
6120 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Common Panel (Render Setup Dialog)
Render Setup dialog on page 6067 > Common panel
The Common panel of the Render Setup dialog contains controls that apply
to any rendering, regardless of which renderer you have chosen, and that lets
you choose renderers.
Interface
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) on page 6121
Email Notifications Rollout on page 6131
Scripts Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) on page 6133
Assign Renderer Rollout on page 6135
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog)
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Common panel >
Common Parameters rollout
The Common Parameters rollout sets parameters common to all renderers.
Procedures
To set the size of the image, do one of the following:
1 In the Output Size group, click one of the preset resolution buttons.
2 In the Output Size group, choose one of the pre-formatted film or video
formats from the drop-down list.
3 In the Output Size group, choose Custom from the drop-down list, and
then adjust the Width, Height, and Aspect Ratio values manually.
TIP Smaller images render much more quickly. For example, you can use
320 x 240 to render draft images, then change to a larger size for your final
work.
To save the rendered still image in a file:
1 In the Render Output group, click Files.
Common Panel (Render Setup Dialog) | 6121
2 In the file dialog, specify a name and a type for the image file, and then
click OK.
The Save File toggle turns on.
You can later turn off Save File if you want only to view the rendering
on screen.
NOTE The file dialog has a Setup button. This displays a subdialog that lets
you choose options specific to the file type you are saving to.
To alter the pixel aspect ratio:
■
In the Output Size group of the Render Setup dialog > Common panel >
Common Parameters rollout, adjust the Pixel Aspect setting to fit the
requirements of your output device.
The Image Aspect field updates to show the aspect ratio of the rendered
output.
If you alter the pixel aspect ratio but also render to a window or a file, the
rendered image might appear distorted.
To speed up rendering time for the purpose of a test (or draft) rendering:
1 In the Options group of the Common Parameters panel, turn on Area
Lights/Shadows As Points.
2 Set any other parameters and click Render.
All area and linear lights in the scene are treated as point lights during
the rendering. This reduces rendering time, however some quality is lost.
When you are ready to render at high quality, you can simply turn off
Area Lights/Shadows As Points and render again.
NOTE Scenes with radiosity on page 6168 are not affected by the Area
Lights/Shadows As Points toggle, as area lights do not have a significant effect
on the performance of a radiosity solution.
6122 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) | 6123
Time Output group
Select which frames you want to render.
Single Current frame only.
Active Time Segment The Active Time Segment on page 7898 is the current
range of frames as shown in the time slider.
Range All the frames between and including the two numbers you specify.
Frames Nonsequential frames separated by commas (for example, 2,5) or
ranges of frames, separated by hyphens (for example, 0-5).
■
File Number Base Specifies the base file number, from which the file
name will increment. Range= -99,999 to 99,999. Available only for Active
Time Segment and Range output.
■
Every Nth frame Regular sample of frames. For example, type 8 to render
every 8th frame. Available only for Active Time Segment and Range output.
For example, if the Range of frames is set to 0-3, Every Nth Frame is 1, and
the File Number Base is 15, the output files are file0015, file0016, file0017,
file0018.
You can specify a negative number base, as well. For example, if you're
rendering frames 50-55, and set the File Number Base to -50, the result is
file-050, file-051, file-052, file-053, file-054, file-055.
NOTE If you begin render a range of frames, but haven't assigned a file in which
to save the animation (using the Files button on page 6129), an alert box appears
to warn you about this. Rendering animations can take a long time, and usually
it doesn't make sense to render a range without saving all frames to a file.
Output Size group
Select one of the predefined sizes or enter another size in the Width and Height
fields (in pixels). These controls affect the image's aspect ratio on page 7914.
Drop-down list The Output Size drop-down list lets you choose from several
standard film and video resolutions and aspect ratios. Choose one of these
formats, or leave it set to Custom to use the other controls in the Output Size
group. These are the options you can choose from on the list:
■
Custom
■
35mm 1.316:1 Full Aperture (cine)
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■
35mm 1.37:1 Academy (cine)
■
35mm 1.66:1 (cine)
■
35mm 1.75:1 (cine)
■
35mm 1.85:1 (cine)
■
35 MM Anamorphic (2.35:1)
■
35 MM Anamorphic (2.35:1) (Squeezed)
■
70mm Panavision (cine)
■
70mm IMAX (cine)
■
VistaVision
■
35mm (24mm X 36mm) (slide)
■
6cm X 6cm (2 1/4" X 2 1/4") (slide)
■
4" X 5" or 8" X 10" (slide)
■
NTSC D-1 (video)
■
NTSC DV (video)
■
PAL (video)
■
PAL DV (video)
■
HDTV (video)
NOTE The values of the Image Aspect and Width and Height buttons can change,
depending on which output format you select from this list.
Aperture Width (mm) Lets you specify an aperture width for the camera that
creates the rendered output. Changing this value changes the camera's Lens
value. This affects the relationship between the Lens and the FOV values, but
it doesn't change the camera's view of the scene.
For example, if you have a Lens setting of 43.0 mm, and you change the
Aperture Width from 36 to 50, when you close the Render Setup dialog (or
render), the camera Lens spinner has changed to 59.722, but the scene still
looks the same in the viewport and the rendering. If you use one of the preset
formats rather than Custom, the aperture width is determined by the format,
and this control is replaced by a text display.
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) | 6125
Width and Height Let you set the resolution of the output image by specifying
the width and the height of the image, in pixels. With Custom format, you
can set these two spinners independently. With any other format, the two
spinners are locked to the specified aspect ratio, so adjusting one alters the
other. The maximum width and height is 32,768 x 32,768 pixels.
Preset resolution buttons (320x240, 640x480, and so on) Click one of these
buttons to choose a preset resolution. You can customize these buttons:
right-click a button to display the Configure Preset dialog on page 6130, which
lets you change the resolution specified by the button.
Image Aspect Lets you set the aspect ratio of the image. Changing this value
changes the Height value to maintain the correct dimensions for the active
resolution. When you use a standard format rather than Custom, you can't
change the aspect ratio, and this control is replaced by a text display.
In 3ds Max, the Image Aspect value is always expressed as a multiplier value.
In written descriptions of film and video, often aspect ratio is also described
as a ratio. For example, 1.33333 (the default Custom aspect ratio) is often
expressed as 4:3. This is the standard aspect ratio for broadcast video (both
NTSC on page 8059 and PAL on page 8078) when letterboxing is not used.
(Letterboxing shows the full width of a wide-screen film format, framed by
black regions above and below.)
When using a custom output size, the lock button to the left of Image
Aspect locks the aspect ratio. When it is on, the Image Aspect spinner is
replaced by a label, and the Width and Height spinners are locked to each
other; adjusting one alters the other to maintain the aspect-ratio value. In
addition, when the aspect ratio is locked, altering the Pixel Aspect value alters
the Height value to maintain the aspect-ratio value.
NOTE In viewports, the camera's cone changes to reflect the image aspect ratio
you set in the Render Setup dialog. This change takes place when you exit the
Render Setup dialog.
Pixel Aspect Sets the aspect ratio of the pixels for display on another device.
The image might look squashed on your display but will display correctly on
the device with differently shaped pixels. If you use one of the standard formats
rather than Custom, you can't change the pixel aspect ratio and this control
is disabled.
6126 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The lock button to the left of Pixel Aspect locks the pixel-aspect ratio.
When it is on, the Pixel Aspect spinner is replaced by a label, and you can't
change the value. This button is available only with the Custom format.
Images with different pixel aspects appear stretched or squashed on a monitor with
square pixels.
NOTE For standard NTSC on page 8059, the pixel aspect ratio is 0.9. If you are
creating 16:9 (0.778) anamorphic images for NTSC, the pixel aspect ratio should
be 1.184. (As in the previous discussion of Image Aspect, this assumes the image
is not letterboxed.)
Options group
Atmospherics Renders any applied atmospheric effects, such as volume fog,
when turned on.
Effects Renders any applied rendering effects, such as Blur, when turned on.
Displacement Renders any applied displacement mapping.
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) | 6127
Video Color Check Checks for pixel colors that are beyond the safe NTSC on
page 8059 or PAL on page 8078 threshold and flags them or modifies them to
acceptable values.
By default, "unsafe" colors render as black pixels. You can change the color
check display by using the Rendering panel on page 7768 of the Preference
Settings dialog on page 7743.
Render to Fields Renders to video fields on page 7973 rather than frames when
creating animations for video.
Render Hidden Geometry Renders all geometric objects in the scene, even
if they are hidden.
Area Lights/Shadows as Points Renders all area lights or shadows as if they
were emitted from point objects, speeding up rendering time.
This switch is also available on the Rendered Frame Window as Soft Shadows
on page 6081.
TIP This option is useful for draft renderings, as point lights render much faster
than area lights.
NOTE Scenes with radiosity on page 6168 are not affected by this toggle, as area
lights do not have a significant effect on the performance of a radiosity solution.
Force 2-Sided 2-Sided rendering on page 7893 renders both sides of all faces.
Usually, you'll want to keep this option off to speed rendering time. You may
want to turn it on if you need to render the inside as well as the outside of
objects, or if you've imported complex geometry in which the face normals
are not properly unified.
NOTE This switch does not apply to objects that use the mental ray materialArch
& Design on page 5544. In such cases, turn on the material's Advanced Rendering
Options rollout > Back Face Culling check box on page 5573.
Super Black Super Black rendering on page 8141 limits the darkness of rendered
geometry for video compositing. Leave off unless you're sure you need it.
Advanced Lighting group
Use Advanced Lighting When on, the software incorporates a radiosity
solution on page 6168 or light tracing on page 6154 in the rendering.
Compute Advanced Lighting When Required When on, the software
computes radiosity when required on a per-frame basis.
6128 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Normally, when rendering a series of frames, the software calculates radiosity
only for the first frame. If, in an animation, it might be necessary to recalculate
the advanced lighting in subsequent frames, turn this option on. For example,
a brightly painted door might open and affect the coloring of a nearby white
wall, in which case the advanced lighting should be recalculated.
Bitmap Proxies group
Displays whether 3ds Max is using full-resolution maps or bitmap proxies for
rendering. To change this setting, click the Setup button.
Setup Click to open the Global Settings and Defaults for Bitmap Proxies dialog
on page 7115.
Render Output group
Save File When on, the software saves the rendered image or animation to
disk when you render. Save File is available only after you specify the output
file using the Files button.
Files Opens the Render Output File dialog on page 6086, which lets you specify
the output file name, format, and location.
You can render to any of the still or animated image file formats on page 7324
that are writable.
If you render multiple frames to a still-image file format, the renderer renders
individual frame files and appends sequence numbers to each file name. You
can control this with the File Number Base setting on page 6124.
Put Image File List(s) in Output Path(s) Turn on to create an image sequence
(IMSQ) file on page 7346, and save it in the same directory as the rendering.
Default=off.
3ds Max creates one IMSQ file (or IFL file) per render element on page 6336. The
files are created when you click Render or Create now. They are generated
before the actual rendering.
Image sequence files can be created by the following kinds of rendering:
■
The Render Setup dialog
■
The Render command
■
Batch rendering
■
Command-line rendering
■
MAXScript rendering
Common Parameters Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) | 6129
■
ActiveShade rendering
They are not created by the following kinds of rendering:
■
Rendering to textures
■
Video Post rendering
■
Rendering a panorama
■
Create Now Click to create the image sequence file “by hand.” You must
first choose an output file for the rendering itself.
■
Autodesk ME Image Sequence File (.imsq) When chosen (the default),
creates an Image Sequence (IMSQ) file on page 7346.
■
Legacy 3ds max Image File List (.ifl) When chosen, creates an Image File
List (IFL) file on page 7339 of the kind created by previous versions of 3ds
Max.
Use Device Sends the rendered output to a device such as a video recorder.
First click the Devices button to specify the device, for which an appropriate
driver must already be installed.
Rendered Frame Window Displays the rendered output in the Rendered
Frame Window on page 6073.
Net Render Enables network rendering on page 6433. If this is on, when you
render you'll see the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481.
Skip Existing Images When activated and Save File is on, the renderer will
skip images in a sequence that have already been rendered to disk.
Configure Preset Dialog
Main menu > Render Setup > Render Setup Dialog > Common panel >
Common Parameters rollout > Output Size group > Right-click a preset
resolution button. > Configure Preset dialog
This dialog lets you change the preset resolution on a button in the Output
Size group of the Common Parameters rollout.
6130 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Width Sets the output width, in pixels.
Height Sets the output height, in pixels.
Pixel Aspect Sets the output pixel aspect ratio.
Get Current Settings Gets the current Width, Height, and Pixel Aspect settings
from the Output Size group, and assigns them to the spinners on this dialog.
Email Notifications Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Email Notifications rollout
This rollout lets a rendering job send email notifications, as network rendering
does. Such notifications can be useful when you launch a lengthy render, such
as an animation, and don't care to spend all your time near the system doing
the rendering.
Email Notifications Rollout | 6131
Interface
Enable Notifications When on, the renderer sends an email notification
when certain events happen. Default=off.
Categories group
Notify Progress Sends emails to indicate rendering progress. An email is sent
every time the number of frames specified in Every Nth Frame has completed
rendering. Default=off.
■
Every Nth Frame
Default=1.
The number of frames used by Notify Progress.
TIP If you turn on Notify Progress, almost certainly you want this value to be
greater than the default!
Notify Failures Sends an email notification only if something occurs to prevent
the completion of a rendering. Default=on.
Notify Completion Sends an email notification when a rendering job is
complete. Default=off.
Email Options group
From Enter the email address of the person who initiates the rendering job.
6132 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To Enter the email address of the person who needs to know the rendering
status.
SMTP Server Enter the numeric IP address of the system you use as a mail
server.
Scripts Rollout (Render Setup Dialog)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Scripts rollout
The Scripts rollout lets you specify scripts to run before and after rendering.
The script to execute can be:
■
A MAXScript file (MS)
■
A macro script (MCR)
■
A batch file (BAT)
■
An executable file (EXE)
If relevant to its format, the script can have command-line arguments.
The pre-render script is executed before rendering (but after any other
MAXScript scripts that are registered using the #preRender callback
mechanism). The post-render script is executed after rendering has completed.
You can also use the “Execute Now” buttons to run the scripts “by hand.”
Scripts Rollout (Render Setup Dialog) | 6133
Interface
Pre-Render group
Specifies a script to run before you render.
Enable When on, the script is enabled.
Execute Now Click to execute the script “by hand.”
File name field When a script is selected, this field shows its path and name.
You can edit this field.
File Click to open a file dialog and choose the pre-render script to run.
Delete File Click to remove the script.
Execute Locally (Ignored by Network Rendering) When on, the script must
run locally. If you use network rendering, the script is ignored. Default=off.
Post-Render group
Specifies a script to run after you render.
Enable When on, the script is enabled.
Execute Now Click to execute the script “by hand.”
File name field When a script is selected, this field shows its path and name.
You can edit this field.
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File Click to open a file dialog and choose the post-render script to run.
Delete File Click to remove the script.
Assign Renderer Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout
The Assign Renderer rollout displays which renderers are assigned to the
production and ActiveShade categories, as well as the sample slots in the
Material Editor.
The Render flyout on the toolbar also lets you choose which renderer to use:
■
■
The Render Production and Render Iterative buttons use
the production renderer.
The ActiveShade button uses the ActiveShade renderer.
These are the renderers that ship with 3ds Max:
Default Scanline Renderer on page 6141
mental ray Renderer on page 6230 (not available for ActiveShade)
VUE File Renderer on page 6334 (not available for ActiveShade)
Additional renderers might be available if you've installed them as plug-ins.
Assign Renderer Rollout | 6135
Interface
For each rendering category, the rollout shows the name of the renderer
currently assigned, and a button that lets you change the assignment.
Choose Renderer (“...”) Click the button with the ellipsis to change the
renderer assignment. The button displays a Choose Renderer dialog on page
6136.
■
Production
Chooses the renderer used to render graphic output.
■
Material Editor Chooses the renderer used to render sample slots on page
5304 in the Material Editor.
By default, the sample slot renderer is locked to be the same as the
production renderer. You can turn off the lock button to assign a different
renderer for sample slots.
■
ActiveShade Chooses the ActiveShade on page 6102 renderer used to
preview the effects of lighting and material changes in the scene.
The only ActiveShade renderer that ships with 3ds Max is the default
scanline renderer.
Save as Defaults Click to save the current renderer assignments as defaults,
so they will be active the next time you restart 3ds Max.
Choose Renderer Dialog
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout > Click a Choose Renderer (“...”)
button.
6136 | Chapter 20 Rendering
This dialog appears when you click one of the Choose Renderer (“...”) buttons
on the Assign Renderer rollout on page 6135.
Procedures
To change the renderer assigned to the category you picked, do one of the
following:
■
Highlight another renderer's name in the list, and then click OK.
■
Double-click another renderer's name in the list
Interface
The scrollable list shows the names of renderers that you can assign, exclusive
of the renderer that is currently assigned to the rendering category you are
reassigning.
Choose Renderer Dialog | 6137
Renderers
Renderer Panel (Render Setup Dialog)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel
The Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel contains the main controls for the
active renderer. Depending on which renderer is active, additional panels can
become available.
TIP The default scanline renderer on page 6141 and the mental ray renderer on
page 6230 have different and unique capabilities. Based on these, you decide which
renderer you want to use for each scene. It is a good idea to design materials with
a particular renderer in mind. The mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385 lets
you add features unique to the mental ray renderer to basic 3ds Max materials.
6138 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
When the Default Scanline Renderer Is Active
The Renderer panel contains a single rollout:
Default Scanline Renderer Rollout on page 6141
Additional panels are:
■
Advanced Lighting Panel on page 6153
■
Raytracer Panel on page 6221
■
Render Elements panel on page 6336
Renderer Panel (Render Setup Dialog) | 6139
When the mental ray Renderer Is Active
The renderer panel contains these rollouts:
Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6272
Rendering Algorithms Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6277
Camera Effects Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6283
Shadows & Displacement Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6292
Additional panels are:
■
Indirect Illumination panel
Caustics and Global Illumination Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page
6306
Final Gather Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6295
■
Processing panel
Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6316
6140 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Diagnostics Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6324
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6326
When the VUE File Renderer Is Active
The Renderer panel contains a single rollout:
VUE File Renderer on page 6334
Default Scanline Renderer Controls
Default Scanline Renderer Rollout
Main toolbar/Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Assign
Renderer rollout > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the production
renderer. > Renderer panel > Default Scanline Renderer rollout
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6141
This rollout sets parameters for the default scanline renderer on page 8116.
NOTE If your scene includes animated bitmaps (e.g., AVI files), including materials,
projector lights, environments, and so on, each animation file is reloaded once
per frame. If your scene uses multiple animations, or if the animations are
themselves large files, this reloading can hamper rendering performance. To
improve performance, use image sequences (each animation frame in a separate
image file) instead.
Environment Alpha Toggle and Filtering
To control whether or not the renderer uses the environment map's alpha
channel in creating the alpha for the rendered image, choose Customize >
Preferences > Rendering on page 7768, and then turn on Use Environment Alpha
in the Background group. If Use Environment Alpha is off (the default), the
background receives an alpha value of 0 (completely transparent). If Use
Environment Alpha is on, the alpha of the resulting image is a combination
of the scene and the background image's alpha channel. Also, when you render
to TGA files on page 7370 with premultiplied alpha on page 8096 turned off,
turning on Use Environment Alpha prevents incorrect results.
You can also control whether or not a background image is affected by the
renderer's antialiasing filter. Choose Customize > Preferences > Rendering,
and then turn on Filter Background in the Background group. Default=off.
TIP If you plan to composite 3ds Max objects in another program such as
Combustion or Photoshop, render the objects against a black background.
Otherwise, a fringe of environment or background color can appear around the
3ds Max objects.
Plate Match Filtering
This section describes the Plate Match/MAX R2 antialiasing filter (see
Antialiasing group on page 6146 for descriptions of other filtering options).
In versions of 3ds Max prior to R2.5, antialiasing affected only geometric
edges, with the filtering of bitmaps being controlled in the Bitmap Map
parameters (pyramidal, summed area, or no filtering). Current antialiasing
filters affect every aspect of the object, filtering textures along with geometric
edges.
While the method used in R2.5 and subsequent versions provides superior
results, this method also produces inconsistencies when rendering objects
that are supposed to match the environment background, because the
antialiasing filters do not affect the background by default (FilterBackground=0
6142 | Chapter 20 Rendering
in the [Renderer] section of the 3dsmax.ini on page 83 file or Customize menu
> Preferences > Rendering tab > Background group > Filter Background). In
order to correctly match an object’s map to an unfiltered background image,
you need to use the Plate Match/MAX R2 filter so the texture is not affected
by the antialiasing.
There are three ways you can render objects to blend seamlessly into a
background environment:
■
Assign a matte/shadow material on page 5699.
■
Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture to an object using Camera
Mapping on page 1223.
■
Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture using Environment/Screen
projection (see Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5782).
Use Plate Match/MAX R2 antialiasing when you need to match foreground
objects with an unfiltered background, or when you need to match the
antialiasing qualities of the 3ds Max 2 renderer.
Procedures
To set up an object for motion blurring:
1 Select the object to blur.
2 Right-click the object, and then choose Properties from the quad menu.
The Object Properties dialog is displayed.
3 In the Motion Blur group, click By Layer to change it to By Object.
The other Motion Blur controls are now enabled.
4 In the Motion Blur group, choose either Object or Image.
5 If you chose Image, you can adjust the Multiplier spinner. This increases
or decreases the length of the blurred object's streak.
6 Click OK.
To add motion blur when you render the animation:
1 Click Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog appears.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6143
2 On the Default Scanline Renderer rollout, turn on Apply in the Object
Motion Blur group or the Image Motion Blur group.
■
For Object Motion Blur, set Duration, Duration Subdivisions, and
Samples.
■
Increase Duration to exaggerate the motion blur effect. Decrease it to
make the blur more subtle.
■
If Samples is less than Duration Subdivisions, the slices used are
selected randomly, giving a grainy look to the blur. If Samples equals
Duration Subdivisions, the blur is smooth. The smoothest blur results
from larger, equal values of these two parameters, but be aware that
this can slow down rendering by a factor of three to four.
■
For Image Motion Blur, adjust Duration and Apply to Environment
Map.
■
Increase Duration to exaggerate the streaking. Decrease it to make it
more subtle.
3 Turn on Apply to Environment map to have camera orbit movement
blur the environment map. This works only with Spherical, Cylindrical,
or Shrink-Wrapped environments.
4 Set other rendering parameters, and then click Render.
6144 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6145
Options group
Mapping Turn off to ignore all mapping information to speed up rendering
for tests. Affects automatic reflections and environment maps as well as
material mapping. Default=on.
Auto Reflect/Refract and Mirrors Ignores automatic reflection/refraction
maps to speed up rendering for tests.
Shadows When off, cast shadows aren't rendered. This can speed up rendering
for tests. Default=on.
Force Wireframe Set to render all surfaces in the scene as wireframes. You
can choose the thickness of the wireframe in pixels. Default=1.
Enable SSE When on, rendering uses Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE). (SIMD
stands for Single Instruction, Multiple Data.) Depending on the CPU (or CPUs)
of your system, SSE can improve render time. Default=off.
Antialiasing group
Antialiasing Antialiasing on page 7904 smoothes the jagged edges that occur
along the edges of diagonal and curves lines when rendering. Turn off only
when you are rendering test images and greater speed is more important than
image quality.
Turning off Antialiasing disables the Force Wireframe setting. Geometry renders
according to the material assigned it even if Force Wireframe is turned on.
Turning off Antialiasing also disables render elements on page 6336. If you need
to render elements, be sure to leave Antialiasing on.
Filter drop-down list Lets you select a high-quality table-based filter to apply
to your rendering. Filters are the last step in antialiasing. They work at the
sub-pixel level and allow you to sharpen or soften your final output, depending
on which filter you select. Below the controls in this group, 3ds Max displays
a box with a brief description of the filter and how it is applied to your image.
TIP Render Region and Render Selected give reliable results only when rendered
with the Area filter.
6146 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The following table describes the available antialiasing filters.
Name
Description
Area
Computes antialiasing using a variable-size
area filter.
This is the original 3ds Max filter.
Blackman
A 25-pixel filter that is sharp, but without
edge enhancement.
Blend
A blend between sharp area and Gaussian
soften filters.
Catmull-Rom
A 25-pixel reconstruction filter with a slight
edge-enhancement effect.
Cook Variable
A general-purpose filter. Values of 1 to 2.5
are sharp; higher values blur the image.
Cubic
A 25-pixel blurring filter based on a cubic
spline.
Mitchell-Netravali
Two-parameter filter; a trade-off of blurring, ringing, and anisotropy. If the ringing
value is set higher than .5 it will impact the
alpha channel of the image.
Plate Match/MAX R2
Uses the 3ds Max 2 method (no map filtering) to match camera and screen maps or
matte/shadow elements to an unfiltered
background image.
See the section “Plate Match Filtering,”
above, for a discussion of how and why
you might want to use this filter.
Quadratic
A 9-pixel blurring filter based on a quadratic spline.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6147
Name
Description
Sharp Quadratic
A sharp nine-pixel reconstruction filter from
Nelson Max.
Soften
An adjustable Gaussian softening filter for
mild blurring.
Video
A 25-pixel blurring filter optimized for
NTSC and PAL video applications.
Filter Maps Turns on or off the filtering of mapped materials. Default=on.
TIP Leave Filter Maps turned on unless you are making test renderings and want
to speed up rendering time and save memory.
Filter Size Allows you to increase or decrease the amount of blur applied to
an image. This option is available only when a Soften filter has been selected
from the drop-down list. The spinner is unavailable when any other filter has
been selected.
Setting the Filter Size to 1.0 effectively disables the filter.
NOTE Some filters show additional, filter-specific parameters below the Filter Size
control.
When you render separate elements on page 6336, you can explicitly enable or
disable the active filter, on a per-element basis.
Global SuperSampling group
Disable all Samplers Disables all supersampling on page 8141. Default=off
NOTE SuperSampling settings are ignored by the mental ray Renderer on page
6230, which has its own sampling method.
Enable Global Supersampler When on, applies the same supersampler to all
materials. When turned off, materials set to use the global settings are
controlled by the settings appearing in rendering dialog. All other controls in
the Global SuperSampling group of the rendering dialog will become disabled,
except for the Disable All Samplers. Default=on.
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Supersample Maps Turns on or off supersampling for mapped materials.
Default=on.
TIP Leave Supersample Maps on unless you are making test renderings and want
to speed up rendering time and save memory.
Sampler drop-down list Lets you choose which supersampling method to
apply. Default=Max 2.5 Star.
The options for a supersampling method are the same as those that appear
on the SuperSampling rollout on page 5381 in the Material Editor. Some methods
offer expanded options that let you better control the quality of the
supersampling and the number of samples taken during rendering.
Object Motion Blur group
You determine which objects have object motion blur on page 8063 applied to
them by setting Object in the Motion Blur group of the Properties dialog for
that object. Object motion blur blurs the object by creating multiple "time-slice"
images of the object for each frame. It takes camera movement into account.
Object motion blur is applied during the scanline rendering process.
Apply Turns object motion blur on or off globally for the entire scene. Any
objects that have their Object Motion Blur property set are rendered with
motion blur.
Duration Determines how long the "virtual shutter" is open. When this is set
to 1.0, the virtual shutter is open for the entire duration between one frame
and the next. Longer values produce more exaggerated effects.
The effect of changing duration.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6149
Samples Determines how many Duration Subdivision copies are sampled.
The maximum setting is 32.
When Samples is less than Duration, random sampling within the duration
occurs (which is why there might be a slight granular look to the motion blur).
For example, if Duration Subdivision=12 and Samples=8, there are eight
random samples out of 12 possible copies within each frame.
When Samples=Duration, there is no randomness (and if both numbers are
at their maximum value (32), you get a dense result (which costs between 3–4
times the normal rendering time for that specific object).
If you want to obtain a smooth blur effect, use the maximum settings of 32/32.
If you want to cut down rendering time, values of 12/12 will give you much
smoother results than 16/12.
Because sampling happens within the duration, the Duration value always
has to be less than or equal to Samples.
Duration Subdivisions Determines how many copies of each object are
rendered within the Duration.
Left: Same value for Samples and Subdivisions.
Right: Samples value is less than Subdivisions.
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Image Motion Blur group
You determine which objects have image motion blur on page 8010 applied to
them by setting Image in the Motion Blur group of the Properties dialog for
that object. Image motion blur blurs the object by creating a smearing effect
rather than multiple images. It takes camera movement into account. Image
motion blur is applied after scanline rendering is complete.
The coin on the right has Image Motion Blur applied
You can’t put image motion blur on objects that change their topology.
TIP When blurred objects overlap, sometimes blurring doesn't work correctly and
there are gaps in the rendering. Because image motion blur is applied after
rendering, it can't account for object overlap. To fix this problem, render each
blurred object separately, to a different layer, and then composite the two layers
using the Alpha Compositor in Video Post.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6151
NOTE Image motion blur doesn't work for NURBS objects that are animated so
their tessellation (surface approximation on page 2554) changes over time. This
happens when sub-objects are animated independently of the top-level NURBS
model on page 8061. Nor does image motion blur work on any of the following:
■
Anything with an Optimize.
■
Any primitive with animated segments.
■
MeshSmooth of any type with a "Smoothness" value (under iterations)
other than 1.
■
MeshSmooth on polygons with Keep Faces Convex on.
■
Anything with Displacement Material.
In general, if you have objects with changing topology, use scene or object
motion blur rather than image motion blur.
Apply Turns image motion blur on or off globally for the entire scene. Any
objects that have their Image Motion Blur property set are rendered with
motion blur.
Duration Specifies how long the "virtual shutter" is open. When this is set to
1.0, the virtual shutter is open for the entire duration between one frame and
the next. The higher the value, the greater the motion blur effect.
Apply to Environment Map When set, image motion blur is applied to the
environment map as well as to the objects in the scene. The effect is noticeable
when the camera orbits.
The environment map should use Environment mapping: Spherical,
Cylindrical, or Shrink-Wrap. The image motion blur effect doesn't work with
Screen-mapped environments.
Transparency When on, image motion blur works correctly with transparent
objects that overlap. Applying image motion blur to transparent objects can
increase rendering time. Default=off.
Auto Reflect/Refract Maps group
Rendering Iterations Sets the number of inter-object reflections in non-flat
automatic reflection maps. Although increasing this value can sometimes
enhance image quality, it also increases rendering time for reflections.
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Color Range Limiting group
Color Range Limiting allows you handle over-brightness by toggling between
either Clamping or Scaling color components (RGB) that are out of range (0
to 1). Typically, specular highlights can cause color components to rise above
range while using filters with negative lobes can cause color components to
be below range. You choose one of two options to control how the renderer
handles out of range color components:
■
Clamp To keep all color components in range Clamp will change any
color with a value greater than 1 down to 1 while any color below 0 will
be clamped at 0. Any value between 0 and 1 will not change. Very bright
colors tend to render as white when using Clamp since hue information
can be lost in the process.
■
Scale To keep all color components in range Scale will preserve the hue
of very bright colors by scaling all three color components so that the
maximum component has a value of 1. Be aware that this will change the
look of highlights.
Memory Management group
Conserve Memory When on, rendering uses less memory at a slight cost of
memory time. Memory saved is in the range of 15 to 25 percent. The time
cost is about four percent. Default=off.
Advanced Lighting Panel
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Assign Renderer
rollout > Set Production to Default Scanline Renderer. > Advanced Lighting
panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout
Main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Assign Renderer rollout
> Set Production to Default Scanline Renderer. > Advanced Lighting panel >
Select Advanced Lighting rollout
The Advanced Lighting rollout lets you select one of the advanced lighting
options. Two are provided with the default scanline renderer on page 6141:
■
Light Tracer on page 6154
■
Radiosity on page 6168
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6153
The Light Tracer provides soft-edged shadows and color bleeding for brightly-lit
scenes such as outdoor scenes. Radiosity provides physically accurate modeling
of the light in a scene.
Interface
Until you choose an advanced lighting option, the Advanced Lighting panel
displays a single rollout, Select Advanced Lighting.
List of plug-ins Choose an advanced lighting option from this drop-down
list. Default=No advanced lighting chosen.
Active When an advanced lighting option is chosen, use Active to toggle
whether the advanced lighting is used when you render your scene.
Default=On.
Light Tracer
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Advanced
Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Light Tracer from
the drop-down list.
6154 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Character lit by Skylight and one spotlight, and rendered with light tracing
Model by Sonny Sy — orange_3D@yahoo.com — www.geocities.com/orange_3D
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6155
The Light Tracer provides soft-edged shadows and color bleeding for brightly-lit
scenes such as outdoor scenes. It is typically used in conjunction with a
Skylight on page 5065. Unlike radiosity on page 6168, the Light Tracer does not
attempt to create a physically accurate model, and can be easier to set up.
Outdoor scene lit by Skylight and rendered with light tracing
TIP While you can use light tracing for indoor scenes, radiosity is usually the better
choice in such cases.
Previewing the Effect of Light Tracing
■
To get a quick preview of the effect the Light Tracer will have, lower the
values of Rays/Sample and Filter Size.
The result will be a grainy version of the full effect.
■
Another way to get a quick preview is to make sure Adaptive Undersampling
is turned on. In this group, set the Initial Sample Spacing sampling and
the Subdivide Down To setting to the same value. In the General Settings
group, lower the value of Rays/Sample, and set Bounces equal to 0.0. This
gives a rather blotchy but fast preview of the rendering. Increase the
Rays/Sample and Filter Size values to improve the image quality.
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In general, you can get good, fairly quick results with a lower Filter Size
value as long as Rays/Sample has a high value and Adaptive Undersampling
is on.
Other Tips for Using the Light Tracer
■
To improve rendering time, use the Object Properties dialog on page 305
to disable light tracing (or radiosity solving) for objects that don't have a
great impact on the final effect.
TIP You can also use the Advanced Lighting Override material on page 5734 to
alter the effect of light tracing on particular objects. For example, if you
encounter visual artefacts with a bump-mapped material, convert it to an
Advanced Lighting Override material and reduce the Indirect Light Bump Scale
value.
■
Experiment with the Adaptive Undersampling group settings, which restrict
light tracing to the areas of your scene that need it.
■
To increase the amount of color bleeding, increase the values of both
Bounces and Color Bleed. Color bleeding is usually a subtle effect.
■
If there are glass objects in the scene, increase the Bounces value to an
amount greater than 0. But be aware that this increases rendering time.
■
If the main scene lighting is a Skylight on page 5065, and you need specular
highlights in your scene, add a second light: for example, a Directional
light that parallels the Skylight. Make sure Shadows are turned on for this
light, and on the light's Advanced Effects rollout on page 5108, turn off
Diffuse.
If the objects with highlights don't greatly affect shadows or color bleeding,
you can leave Diffuse on for this light, and use Object Properties to exclude
the objects from light tracing.
■
Set Key filters are not taken into account when you animate Light Tracer
settings. If you wish to use Set Key to create keys for animating the Light
Tracer parameters, Shift+right-click the spinner to create those keys.
IMPORTANT If you use a texture map with the Skylight, you should use an
image-processing program to thoroughly blur the map before using it. This
helps reduce variance and the number of rays needed for light tracing. You
can blur the map beyond recognition, and it will still look correct when used
for regathering.
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Procedures
To set up a scene for the Light Tracer:
This is a typical use case:
1 Create the geometry for an outdoor scene.
2 Add a Skylight on page 5065 to illuminate it.
One or more spotlights can also work well. If you use the physically based
IES Sun or IES Sky lights, using an exposure control on page 6732 is essential.
3 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting > Light Tracer.
This opens the Render Setup dialog to the Advanced Lighting panel and
activates Light Tracer.
4 Adjust the Light Tracer parameters, activate the viewport to render, and
then activate the Common panel.
5 Adjust your rendering settings, and then click the Render button at the
bottom of the dialog.
The scene renders with soft-edged shadows and color bleeding.
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Interface
General Settings group
Global Multiplier Controls the overall lighting level. Default=1.0.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6159
Left: Lower Global Multiplier value
Right: Higher Global Multiplier value
Object Multiplier Controls the level of light reflected by objects in the scene.
Default=1.0.
NOTE This setting has little effect unless Bounces is greater than or equal to 2.
Sky Lights [toggle] When on, enables regathering from the Skylights in the
scene. (A scene can contain more than one Skylight.) Default=on.
Sky Lights [amount] Scales the intensity of the Skylights. Default=1.0.
Above: Increasing the Sky Lights value
Below: Increasing the Object Multiplier value
Color Bleed Controls the strength of color bleeding. Color bleeding results
when light is interreflected among scene objects. Default=1.0.
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NOTE This setting has little effect unless Bounces is greater than or equal to 2.
Above: Excessive color bleeding
Below: Color bleeding eliminated by setting Color Bleed to 0.0
Rays/Sample The number of rays cast per sample (or pixel). Increasing this
value increases the smoothness of the effect, at a cost of render time.
Decreasing this value results in a grainier effect, but renders more quickly.
Default=250.
TIP To get a “first draft” preview of the effect of light tracing, reduce the value
of Rays/Sample and the Filter Size.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6161
Changing the number of rays per sample
The higher the value, the less grain
Color Filter Filters all light falling on objects. Set to a color other than white
to tint the overall effect. Default=white.
Filter Size The size, in pixels, of the filter used to reduce noise in the effect.
Default=0.5.
TIP Filter Size is especially useful when Adaptive Undersampling is turned off, and
Rays/Sample has a low value.
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Changing the Filter Size value
Increasing Filter Size reduces noise in the rendering.
Extra Ambient When set to a color other than black, adds that color as extra
ambient light on objects. Default=black.
Ray Bias Ray Bias, like Ray-Trace Bias for shadows on page 8102, adjusts the
positioning of the bounced light effects. Use it to correct rendering artifacts,
such as the banding that can occur when an object casts shadows on itself.
Default=0.03.
Bounces The number of light-ray bounces that are traced. Increasing this
value increases the amount of color bleeding. Lower values give faster results
with less accuracy, and typically produce darker images. Higher values allow
more light to flow through the scene, resulting in brighter, more accurate
images at a cost of rendering time. Default=0.
When Bounces equals 0, the Light Tracer disregards volumetric lighting.
TIP If your scene has transparent objects such as glass, increase Bounces to be
greater than zero. Be aware that this increases rendering time.
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Increasing the number of bounces increases the level of global illumination and the
amount of color bleeding in the rendering.
Cone Angle Controls the angle used for regathering. Reducing this value can
result in slightly higher contrast, especially in regions where lots of small
geometry casts shadows on a larger structure. Range=33.0 to 90.0. Default=88.0.
All rays initially cast are limited by the cone angle
Volumes [toggle] When on, the Light Tracer regathers light from volumetric
lighting effects such as Volume Light on page 6721 and Volume Fog on page
6713. Default=on.
For volumetric lighting to work with light tracing, Bounces must be greater
than 0.
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Volumes [amount] Multiplies the amount of light regathered from volumetric
lighting effects. Increase to increase their impact on the rendered scene,
decrease to decrease their effect. Default=1.0.
Increasing the Volumes value increases the effect of volumetric lighting in the rendering.
Adaptive Undersampling group
These controls can help you speed up rendering time. They reduce the number
of light samples taken. The ideal settings for undersampling vary greatly from
scene to scene.
Undersampling initially takes samples from a grid superimposed on the pixels
of the scene. Where there is enough contrast between samples, it subdivides
that region and takes further samples, down to the minimum area specified
by Subdivide Down To. Lighting for areas not directly sampled is interpolated.
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Initial sampling uses a regular grid.
Adaptive undersampling concentrates on transition areas.
TIP If you use adaptive undersampling, try adjusting the Subdivision Contrast
value to obtain the best results. The effect of this control depends on the value of
Rays/Sample.
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Adaptive Undersampling When on, the Light Tracer uses undersampling.
When off, it samples every pixel. Turning this off can increase the detail of
the final rendering, but at a cost of rendering time. Default=on.
Initial Sample Spacing The grid spacing for the initial samples of the image.
This is measured in pixels. Default=16x16.
Initial sample spacing values
Subdivision Contrast The contrast threshold that determines when a region
should be further subdivided. Increasing this value causes less subdividing to
occur. Too low a value can cause unnecessary subdividing. Default=5.0.
Decreasing the subdivision contrast threshold can reduce noise in soft shadows and
bounced lighting.
Subdivide Down To The minimum spacing for a subdivision. Increasing this
value can improve render time at a cost of accuracy. Default=1x1.
Depending on the scene geometry, grids larger than 1x1 might still be
subdivided below this specified threshold.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6167
Show Samples When on, sample locations render as red dots. This shows
where the most sampling has taken place, which can help you choose the
optimal settings for undersampling. Default=off.
Modeling Global Illumination with Radiosity
Radiosity is rendering technology that realistically simulates the way in which
light interacts in an environment.
This topic provides you with a conceptual overview of what radiosity is and
how this global illumination technique relates to other rendering techniques
available in 3ds Max. This information will help you decide which technique
is most suitable for the visualization task you want to perform. By more
accurately simulating the lighting in your scene, radiosity offers you significant
benefits over standard lights:
■
Improved Image Quality: The radiosity technology of 3ds Max produces
more accurate photometric on page 8088 simulations of the lighting in your
scenes. Effects such as indirect light, soft shadows, and color bleeding
between surfaces produce images of natural realism that are not attainable
with standard scanline rendering. These images give you a better, more
predictable representation of what your designs will look like under specific
lighting conditions.
■
More Intuitive Lighting: In conjunction with radiosity techniques, 3ds
Max also provides a real-world lighting interface. Instead of specifying
lighting intensity with arbitrary values, light intensity is specified using
photometric units (lumens, candelas, and so on). In addition, the
characteristics of real-world lighting fixtures can be defined using
industry-standard Luminous Intensity Distribution files (such as IES on
page 5034, CIBSE on page 7935, and LTLI on page 8029), which are obtainable
from most lighting manufacturers. By being able to work with a real-world
lighting interface, you can intuitively set up the lighting in your scenes.
You can focus more on your design exploration than on the computer
graphic techniques required to visualize them accurately.
6168 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Top: A scene rendered without radiosity.
Bottom: The same scene rendered with radiosity.
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Computer Graphics Rendering
The 3D models created in 3ds Max contain geometric data defined in
relationship to a 3D Cartesian coordinate system, referred to as world space
on page 8175. The model also contains other information about the material of
each of the objects and the lighting in the scene. The image on a computer
monitor is made up of many illuminated dots, called pixels on page 8092. The
task in creating a computer graphics image of a geometric model is to
determine the color for each pixel based on the model information and a
specific viewpoint (camera).
The color of any specific point on a surface in a model is a function of the
physical material properties of that surface and the light that illuminates it.
Two general shading algorithms: local illumination and global illumination are
used to describe how surfaces reflect and transmit light.
Local Illumination
Local illumination algorithms describe only how individual surfaces reflect
or transmit light. Given a description of light arriving at a surface, these
mathematical algorithms, called shaders in 3ds Max, predict the intensity,
color, and distribution of the light leaving that surface. In conjunction with
a material description, different shaders will determine, for example, if a surface
will appear like plastic or metal or if it will appear smooth or rough. 3ds Max
provides a robust interface for defining a wide array of different surface
materials.
After defining how an individual surface interacts with light at the local level,
the next task is to determine where the light arriving at the surface originates.
With the standard scanline rendering system on page 8116 of 3ds Max, only the
light coming directly from the light sources themselves is considered in the
shading.
For more accurate images, however, it is important to take into account not
only the light sources, but also how all the surfaces and objects in the
environment interact with the light. For example, some surfaces block light,
casting shadows on other surfaces; some surfaces are shiny, in which case we
see in them the reflections of other surfaces; some surfaces are transparent,
in which case we see other surfaces through them; and some surfaces reflect
light onto other surfaces.
Global Illumination
Rendering algorithms that take into account the ways in which light is
transferred between surfaces in the model are called global illumination
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algorithms. 3ds Max offers two global illumination algorithms as an integral
part of its production rendering system: ray-tracing and radiosity.
Before an explanation of how ray-tracing and radiosity work, it’s useful to
understand how light is distributed in the physical world. Consider, for
example, the room shown in the illustration below.
Kitchen lit by two lights
This kitchen above has two light sources. One theory of light considers the
light in terms of discrete particles called photons, that travel from the light
source until they encounter some surface in the kitchen. Depending on the
surface material, some of these photons are absorbed and others are scattered
back out into the environment. The fact that photons traveling at a particular
wavelength are absorbed while others are not is what determines the color of
the surface.
Surfaces that are very smooth reflect the photons in one direction, at an angle
equal to the angle at which they arrive at the surface, the angle of incidence.
These surfaces are known as specular surfaces, and this type of reflection is
known as specular reflection. A mirror is an example of a perfectly specular
surface. Of course, many materials display some degree of both specular and
diffuse reflection.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6171
Left: Specular reflection
Right: Diffuse reflection
The way in which the photons are reflected from a surface depends primarily
on the smoothness of the surface. Rough surfaces tend to reflect photons in
all directions. These are known as diffuse surfaces, and this type of reflection
is known as diffuse reflection (shown above). A wall painted with flat paint
is a good example of a diffuse surface.
The final illumination of the kitchen is determined by the interaction between
the surfaces and the billions of photons emitted from the light source. At any
given point on a surface, it is possible that photons have arrived directly from
the light source (direct illumination) or else indirectly through one or more
bounces off other surfaces (indirect illumination). If you were standing in the
kitchen, a very small number of the photons in the room would enter your
eye and stimulate the rods and cones of your retina. This stimulation would,
in effect, form an image that is perceived by your brain.
In computer graphics we replace the rods and cones of a retina with the pixels
of the computer screen. One goal of a global illumination algorithm is to
re-create, as accurately as possible, what you would see if you were standing
in a real environment. A second goal is to accomplish this task as quickly as
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possible, ideally in real time (30 images per second). Currently, no single global
illumination algorithm can accomplish both goals.
Ray-Tracing
One of the first global illumination algorithms developed is known as
ray-tracing. The ray-tracing algorithm recognizes that although billions of
photons may be traveling about the room, the photons we primarily care
about are the ones that enter the eye. The algorithm works by tracing rays
backward, from each pixel on the screen into the 3D model. In this way, we
compute only the information needed to construct the image. To create an
image using ray-tracing, the following procedure is performed for each pixel
on the computer screen.
1 A ray is traced back from the eye position, through the pixel on the
monitor, until it intersects with a surface. We know the reflectivity of
the surface from the material description, but we do not yet know the
amount of light reaching that surface.
2 To determine the total illumination, we trace a ray from the point of
intersection to each light source in the environment (shadow ray). If the
ray to a light source is not blocked by another object, the light
contribution from that source is used to calculate the color of the surface.
3 If an intersected surface is shiny or transparent, we also have to determine
what is seen in or through the surface being processed. Steps 1 and 2 are
repeated in the reflected (and, in the case of transparency, transmitted)
direction until another surface is encountered. The color at the subsequent
intersection point is calculated and factored into the original point.
4 If the second surface is also reflective or transparent, the ray-tracing
process repeats, and so on until a maximum number of iterations is
reached or until no more surfaces are intersected.
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Ray-tracing: Rays are traced from the camera through a pixel, to the geometry,
then back to their light sources.
The ray-tracing algorithm is very versatile because of the large range of lighting
effects it can model. It can accurately account for the global illumination
characteristics of direct illumination, shadows, specular reflections (for
example, mirrors), and refraction through transparent materials. The main
disadvantage of ray-tracing is that it can be very slow for environments of
even moderate complexity. In 3ds Max, ray-tracing is used selectively on
objects with ray-trace materials on page 5490 that specify ray-tracing as their
shading option. Ray-tracing can also be specified for light sources as the
method for rendering the shadows they cast.
A significant disadvantage of both ray-tracing and scanline rendering is that
these techniques do not account for one very important characteristic of global
illumination, diffuse inter-reflections. With traditional ray-tracing and scanline
rendering, only the light arriving directly from the light sources themselves
is accurately accounted for. But, as shown in the room example, not only does
light arrive at a surface from the light sources (direct lighting), it also arrives
from other surfaces (indirect lighting). If we were to ray-trace an image of the
kitchen, for example, the areas in shadow would appear black because they
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receive no direct light from the light sources. We know from experience,
however, that these areas would not be completely dark because of the light
they would receive from the surrounding walls and floor.
In scanline rendering and traditional ray-tracing (versions of 3ds Max prior
to v5), this indirect illumination is usually accounted for simply by adding
an arbitrary ambient light value that has no correlation to the physical
phenomena of indirect illumination and is constant throughout space. For
this reason, scanline and ray-traced images can often appear very flat,
particularly renderings of architectural environments, which typically contain
mostly diffuse surfaces.
Radiosity
To address this issue, researchers began investigating alternative techniques
for calculating global illumination, drawing on thermal engineering research.
In the early 1960s, engineers developed methods for simulating the radiative
heat transfer between surfaces to determine how their designs would perform
in applications such as furnaces and engines. In the mid-1980s, computer
graphics researchers began investigating the application of these techniques
for simulating light propagation.
Radiosity, as this technique is called in the computer graphics world, differs
fundamentally from ray-tracing. Rather than determining the color for each
pixel on a screen, radiosity calculates the intensity for all surfaces in the
environment. This is accomplished by first dividing the original surfaces into
a mesh of smaller surfaces known as elements. The radiosity algorithm calculates
the amount of light distributed from each mesh element to every other mesh
element. The final radiosity values are stored for each element of the mesh.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6175
Radiosity: A ray of light that hits a surface is reflected by multiple diffuse rays, which
can themselves illuminate other surfaces. Surfaces are subdivided to increase accuracy
of the solution.
In early versions of the radiosity algorithm, the distribution of light among
mesh elements had to be completely calculated before any useful results could
be displayed on the screen. Even though the result was view-independent,
the preprocessing took a considerable amount of time. In 1988, progressive
refinement was invented. This technique displays immediate visual results
that can progressively improve in accuracy and visual quality. In 1999, the
technique called stochastic relaxation radiosity (SRR) was invented. The SRR
algorithm forms the basis of the commercial radiosity systems provided by
Autodesk.
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An Integrated Solution
Although the ray-tracing and radiosity algorithms are very different, they are
in many ways complementary. Each technique has advantages and
disadvantages.
Lighting
Advantages
Algorithm
Disadvantages
Ray-Tracing
Accurately
renders direct illumination, shadows, specular reflections, and
transparency effects.
Memory Efficient
Computationally
expensive. The
time required to
produce an image
is greatly affected
by the number of
light sources.
Process must be
repeated for each
view (view dependent).
Doesn’t account
for diffuse interreflections.
Radiosity
Calculates diffuse
interreflections
between surfaces.
Provides view independent solutions for fast display of arbitrary
views.
Offers immediate
visual results.
3D mesh requires
more memory
than the original
surfaces.
Surface sampling
algorithm is more
susceptible to
imaging artifacts
than ray-tracing.
Doesn’t account
for specular reflections or transparency effects.
Neither radiosity nor ray-tracing offers a complete solution for simulating all
global illumination effects. Radiosity excels at rendering diffuse-to-diffuse
inter-reflections, and ray-tracing excels at rendering specular reflections. By
integrating both techniques with a production quality scanline rendering
system, 3ds Max offers the best of both worlds. After you create a radiosity
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6177
solution, you can render a two-dimensional view of it. In your 3ds Max scene,
ray-tracing adds effects in addition to those that radiosity provides: lights can
provide ray-traced shadows, and materials can provide ray-traced reflections
and refractions. The rendered scene combines both techniques, and appears
more realistic than either technique alone could provide.
By integrating ray-tracing and radiosity, 3ds Max offers a full range of
visualization possibilities, from fast, interactive lighting studies to images of
exceptional quality and realism.
See also:
■
How Radiosity Works in 3ds Max on page 6178
■
Radiosity Workflows on page 6181
■
Animation with Radiosity on page 6186
■
Radiosity Controls on page 6188
■
Lighting Analysis on page 6219
■
Radiosity Preferences on page 7786
■
Advanced Lighting Override Material on page 5734
How Radiosity Works in 3ds Max
This is an overview of how radiosity works in 3ds Max:
1 Object by object, 3ds Max loads a copy of the scene into the radiosity
engine.
2 3ds Max subdivides each object according to the Global Subdivision
Settings in the Radiosity Meshing Parameters rollout, or according to the
object's individual object properties, if those differ from the global settings.
3 3ds Max emits a certain amount of rays, based on the average scene
reflectance and number of polygons. The brightest light source will have
more rays to emit than the weakest light source.
4 These rays bounce around randomly in the scene and deposit energy on
the faces.
5 3ds Max updates the viewports by taking all the energy from the faces
and spreading it to the closest vertex.
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See the section that follows, “Refinement Steps for Radiosity,” for a more
detailed description of the solution process.
Refinement Steps for Radiosity
The radiosity process involves three stages of increasing refinement. The first
two stages occur during the primary radiosity processing, and the third stage
can be used during the final rendering.
Within each of the first two stages, you can stop and start the processing at
any time. This can be useful for evaluating interim results or increasing the
level of accuracy you desire. For example, you can interrupt the Initial Quality
stage at 50% and jump ahead to the Refine stage if you wish. However, once
you enter the Refine stage, you cannot continue further iterations of Initial
Quality unless you restart the solution.
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The stages of a radiosity solution are Initial Quality, Refine, and then Regathering.
1 Initial Quality
In the Initial Quality stage, the distribution of diffuse lighting in the
scene is calculated by essentially mimicking the behavior of real photons.
Rather than tracing the path of an essentially infinite number of photons,
statistical methods are used to choose a much smaller set of “photon
rays” whose distribution in space is representative of the actual
distribution. As with any statistical sampling process, the greater the
number of rays used in the approximation, the greater the accuracy of
the solution. During the initial quality stage, the overall appearance of
the lighting level of the scene is established. The results can be
interactively displayed in shaded viewports.
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The initial quality stage performs repeated passes, which are shown in
the dialog’s progress bar.
2 Refine Iterations (All Objects) and Refine Iterations (Selected Objects)
Because of the random nature of the sampling during the initial quality
stage, some of the smaller surfaces or mesh elements in the scene might
miss being hit by enough rays (or any rays at all). These small surfaces
remain dark, and result in the appearance of “variance” or dark spots. To
alleviate these artifacts, the Refine stage “regathers light” at every surface
element.
You can perform the Refine stage for the entire scene, or for selected
objects in the scene.
3 Regathering
Even after the Refine stage, it is still possible for visual artifacts to appear
in a scene because of the topology of the original model. These artifacts
sometimes appear as shadow or light “leaks.” To eliminate even these
model-based artifacts, a third, optional refinement stage known as Pixel
Regathering occurs at the time of image rendering. This involves a final
“regather” process for each pixel of the image. Regathering can add a
considerable amount of time to the rendering of a final image, but it also
produces the most detailed and artifact-free images possible.
One benefit of using Regathering is that it means the initial modeling
and mesh resolution don’t need to be nearly as “refined” or “tight” as
would otherwise be required.
Radiosity Workflows
The following sections describe how to set up a scene for use with radiosity.
Set Units Correctly Before Processing Radiosity
For imported geometry, you must make sure that units are consistent in your
scene before processing radiosity (for example, a wall is 8 feet high, not 8
kilometers high). Units in 3ds Max must match the units of the model because
the radiosity engine always uses an inverse square falloff for lights. Therefore,
distance is crucial.
To make sure your units are setup correctly, use the Units Setup dialog on
page 7809. The Scene Unit is the most important unit in this dialog. This is the
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unit that 3ds Max uses for its calculations. The Display Unit is just a tool that
lets you customize how units are displayed in the user interface.
The following two scenarios show how to set unit scales after importing
geometry that has been created using different units than what is currently
set in 3ds Max:
Example 1: You import a table that was created in AutoCAD using metric
scale. The table is 9 units long, which corresponds to an actual length of 90
centimeters. When the table is imported into 3ds Max, it will measure 9 scene
units. Therefore, in the Units Setup dialog, you must set Scene Unit Scale to
1 Unit=10 centimeters. Your table is now the correct units because it is 90
centimeters long in 3ds Max model.
Example 2: You have an AutoCAD model that was created using Architectural
Units. The model is a room measuring 20’-4” long. In AutoCAD, Architectural
Units are stored as inches. Therefore, before importing the model to 3ds Max,
make sure to set the Scene Unit Scale to 1 Unit=1 inch. Once imported to 3ds
Max, the room will measure 244 units long (20’*12+4”).
TIP Use the Measure Distance tool on page 2613 to quickly check dimensions in
3ds Max.
Physically Based Workflow
Use radiosity on page 6168 to create physically based lighting simulations. When
doing so, keep in mind the following:
■
Scene dimensions: Make sure your scenes are accurately dimensioned, with
consistent units (a light bulb in a room 120 meters high would look a lot
different than it would in a room 120 inches high).
■
Lights: You should work exclusively with Photometric lights on page 5005.
You should also make sure that the light intensities are within a normal
range.
■
Natural Lighting: To simulate natural light, you should only use IES sun
on page 5154 and IES Sky on page 5157. These provide accurate photometric
representations of sunlight and skylight based on a specified location, date
and time.
■
Material Reflectance: You should ensure that the materials you use in your
scene have a reflectance value on page 5324 within the range of the physical
materials they represent. For example, a painted white wall should have
a maximum reflectance of approximately 80%; however, a pure white color
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material (RGB:255, 255, 255) would have a reflectance of 100%. This means
that the material reflects 100% of the energy received.
Exposure Control: The exposure control is the equivalent of the aperture
of a camera. Make sure you enable the exposure control and set a value
that provides the final results you desire.
■
To process radiosity for photometric lights using a physically based workflow:
1 Ensure that your geometry is set to a physically correct scale and that the
materials have valid reflectance values.
2 Place photometric lights in your scene. The benefit of this workflow is
that it allows you to place lights in your scene the same way you would
in the real world. You can create new photometric lights or, using the
asset browser on page 7132, drag and drop preset luminaire objects on page
295 from the included library.
You can also refer to Common Lamp Values on page 5014.
3 Choose Rendering > Environment to display the Environment panel on
page 6689. Select the type of exposure control you want to use (typically
Logarithmic on page 6740).
4
To preview the lighting, click Render.
At this stage, no processing of radiosity occurs, but you can quickly
confirm that the direct lighting is correct. If you like, adjust the position
of the lights.
5 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting > Radiosity, and then confirm
any alerts that appear. On the Select Advanced Lighting rollout, make
sure Active is on.
6 To process radiosity, on the Radiosity Processing Parameters rollout, click
Start.
Once the Radiosity calculation has been completed, you should see your
results in the viewports. The light levels are stored with the geometry
and you can navigate the model interactively without reprocessing the
scene.
7
Click Render again.
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The renderer calculates the direct lighting and shadows and then
integrates the radiosity solution (indirect lighting) as a modulated ambient
light.
Lighting Analysis
After you generate a radiosity solution, you can use the Lighting Analysis tool
on page 6219 to analyze the lighting levels in your scene. This dialog provides
data on material reflectance, transmittance, and luminance.
You can also visualize the light levels in the scene interactively with the Pseudo
Color Exposure Control on page 6753. Rendering to the Rendered Frame Window
displays an additional rendered frame with a legend below the image. The
legend correlates lighting levels and color values.
If you need to generate a lighting report, you can use the Lighting Data
Exporter utility on page 6759 to export the luminance and illuminance data to
a 32-bit LogLUV TIFF file on page 7372 or a pair of PIC files on page 7359 (one
each for luminance and illuminance).
NOTE To obtain the most accurate quantitative analysis of lighting levels, avoid
using colored materials and diffuse maps.
Non-Physically Based Workflow
You don’t necessarily have to work with physically based lights and materials
in order to incorporate radiosity effects into your renderings. But there are a
number of issues that you need to consider:
■
Lights: Because the radiosity engine is physically based, the engine
interprets Standard lights on page 5049 as Photometric lights on page 5005.
For example, a Standard Spot light with a multiplier value of 1.0 is
translated as a Physically Based Spot light with an intensity value of 1500
candelas (default value). This translation value corresponds to the Physical
Scale value in the various exposure controls.
In addition, if your Standard lights use custom attenuation settings (for
example, no attenuation, manual attenuation, or linear decay), the radiosity
engine always solves for these lights using inverse square attenuation,
which is physically correct. This means that the amount of energy that
bounces between surfaces might not be equivalent to the way the Standard
lights render.
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■
Natural Lighting: To simulate natural lighting without using the physically
based workflow described above, you can use only a Direct Light on page
5057 for the Sun and Skylight on page 5065 to produce skylight on page 8129.
■
Exposure Control: Standard lights are not physically based, so use the
Logarithmic Exposure Control on page 6740 for the radiosity solution. Be
sure to turn on Affect Indirect Only. The Brightness and Contrast controls
of the exposure control will affect only the radiosity solution and your
lights will render as usual.
To process radiosity with standard lighting:
1 Ensure that your geometry is set to a physically correct scale.
2
3
On the Create panel, click Lights. Create and position
standard lights on page 5049 in your scene.
To preview the lighting, click Render.
At this stage, the radiosity is not processed, but you can quickly confirm
that the direct lighting is correct. Adjust the position of the lights if
desired.
4 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting > Radiosity and confirm any
alerts that appear. On the Select Advanced Lighting rollout, make sure
Active is on.
5 To process radiosity, on the Radiosity Processing Parameters rollout, click
Start. Once the Radiosity calculation has been completed, you should see
your results in the viewports.
6 To display the Environment panel on page 6689, where you set exposure
controls, in the Interactive Tools group of the Radiosity Processing
Parameters rollout, click Setup.
7 When working with non-physically based lights, always use the
Logarithmic Exposure Control on page 6740. On the Logarithmic Exposure
Control Parameters rollout, turn on Affect Indirect Only.
This causes the exposure control to affect only the results of the radiosity
solution. This way you maintain the way your direct lights render without
radiosity. Use the Brightness and Contrast controls of the exposure control
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to adjust the intensity of the radiosity solution to match the lighting at
an appropriate level.
TIP You can use the thumbnail preview to adjust brightness and contrast
interactively.
8
To render the scene after radiosity processing, click Render.
Summary
The following table is designed to help you obtain good results with radiosity.
Physically Based Non-Physically
Workflow
Based Workflow
Lights
Photometric Lights
on page 5005
Standard Lights on
page 5049
Daylight
IES Sun on page
Directional Light
5154 and IES Sky on on page 5057 and
page 5157
Skylight on page
5065
Exposure
Control
Any
Logarithmic on
page 6740 − turn on
Affect Indirect
Only.
Units
Make sure your
scene is set to the
appropriate scale.
Make sure your
scene is set to the
appropriate scale.
Animation with Radiosity
By default, a radiosity solution on page 6168 is calculated at the current frame.
If you are animating objects and you want to perform a radiosity solution at
every frame, turn on Compute Advanced Lighting When Required in the
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Render Setup dialog > Common panel > Common Parameters rollout on page
6121 > Advanced Lighting group.
Once the renderer starts processing each frame of your animation, it computes
the radiosity solution for each frame as required. This occurs, for example,
when an object moves or a light intensity changes. If nothing changes in the
scene from one frame to the next, the radiosity engine does not recalculate
the solution.
NOTE Due to the random statistical sampling used by the radiosity engine, there
might be some flickering between frames. If this occurs, increase the value of Initial
Quality or the number of Refine Iterations to solve the problem.
TIP Before launching a lengthy animation with radiosity, process a radiosity solution
manually for a single frame to make sure the results are acceptable.
TIP If you animate only the camera as in an architectural walkthrough, you can
save time by calculating a radiosity solution for only the first frame of the animation.
You can then reuse it in all subsequently rendered frames by turning off Compute
Advanced Lighting When Required on the Common Parameters rollout of the
Render Setup dialog.
Avoid using the Automatic Exposure Control on page 6735 for animations. This
exposure control can change from frame to frame, creating a flickering effect.
Object Animation
The radiosity solution is calculated for each frame if any object is animated
in the scene (the default is to calculate the current frame only). You specify
the parameters (goals/quality) you want to reach on the Advanced Lighting
panel. Before rendering the entire animation, we recommend first running a
solution to verify that it’s successful. These parameters are then reprocessed
for each frame.
You go to the Render Setup dialog > Common Parameters rollout and enable
the option Compute Advanced Lighting When Required, and then render the
scene. The radiosity is processed for the first frame and then rendered. 3ds
Max then moves to the next frame, processes radiosity, renders, and so on.
Camera Animation
If objects remain static in the scene and only the camera moves, you can solve
radiosity at frame 0, and when you render the animation, turn off Compute
Advanced Lighting When Required.
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Radiosity Controls
Render Setup dialog > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the production
renderer. > Advanced Lighting panel > Choose Radiosity.
Rendering menu > Advanced Lighting > Radiosity > Render Setup dialog >
Advanced Lighting panel > Radiosity is chosen.
Radiosity is a technique to calculate indirect light. Specifically, radiosity
calculates the interreflections of diffuse light among all the surfaces in a scene.
To make this calculation, radiosity takes into account the lighting, materials,
and environment settings in the scene.
Radiosity processing is distinct from the rendering process. You can render
without radiosity. However, to render with radiosity, you must calculate
radiosity first.
Once a radiosity solution for a scene exists, you can use it in multiple
renderings, including multiple frames of an animation. If the scene contains
moving objects, radiosity might need to be recalculated; see Animation with
Radiosity on page 6186.
For an overview of radiosity and how radiosity works in 3ds Max, see Radiosity
Solution on page 6168.
For suggestions regarding workflow for using radiosity, see Radiosity Workflows
on page 6181.
NOTE Radiosity is a method for global illumination.
IMPORTANT If the dimensions of your scene are not realistic, then radiosity cannot
show realistic lighting.
See also:
■
Modeling Global Illumination with Radiosity on page 6168
■
How Radiosity Works in 3ds Max on page 6178
■
Radiosity Workflows on page 6181
■
Animation with Radiosity on page 6186
■
Lighting Analysis on page 6219
■
Radiosity Preferences on page 7786
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Advanced Lighting Override Material on page 5734
■
Procedures
To set units correctly:
Follow these steps if your scene does not already use real-world units.
1
Right-click 3D Snap Toggle and on the Snaps panel, turn off all the
settings. Then turn on Vertex to enable vertex snapping. Close the dialog.
2 Use Tools > Measure Distance to measure some object in the scene for
which you know the size; for example, a door or window. The distance
displays in the Coordinate Display of the status bar.
3 Choose Customize > Units Setup and adjust the Scene Unit Scale.
For example, if your object measures 35 scene units long, and your model
uses US Standard measurement, then you would enter 1 for the scale,
and choose Inches from the drop-down list. This would give you an object
35 inches long.
If your object measures 90 scene units long, and your model uses Metric
measurement, then you would enter 1 for the scale, and select Centimeters
from the drop-down list. This would give you an object 90 centimeters
long.
Example: To process radiosity with photometric lighting:
1 Use a scene that has geometry set to the correct scale. For more
information, see To set units correctly on page ?.
For example, if the ceiling is 96 scene units high in the model, make sure
the units are set to US Standard (inches) and not Metric.
2
On the Create panel, click Lights.
3 Choose Create > Photometric Lights > Target Point Light.
4 Choose Photometric from the drop-down list. (The default is Standard.)
5 In the Object Type rollout, click Target Point.
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6 Drag in a viewport. The initial point of the drag is the location of the
light, and the point where you release the mouse is the location of the
target.
The light is now part of the scene.
7 Set the creation parameters.
TIP
You can use the Move transform to adjust the location of the
light or its target.
8 On the Modify panel, adjust the light's settings.
9 To preview the lighting, click Render.
Make any changes you need to adjust the rendering.
10 Choose Rendering menu > Environment to open the Environment panel
on page 6689 of the Environment And Effects dialog.
11 On the Exposure Control rollout of the Environment panel, choose
Logarithmic Exposure Control from the drop-down list. Click Render
Preview.
The thumbnail preview shows the effect of exposure control.
12 On the Logarithmic Exposure Control rollout on page 6740, adjust the
settings until the scene lighting is acceptable. For example, a brightness
of 65 and a contrast of 50 can be good values for interior scenes.
The thumbnail preview updates as you adjust settings.
13 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting > Radiosity to display the
Advanced Lighting panel with Radiosity chosen as the advanced lighting
type.
The rollouts for radiosity are displayed.
14 Choose Rendering > Radiosity to display the Radiosity panel.
15 On the Radiosity Processing Parameters rollout on page 6193, click Start to
begin processing radiosity.
16 To render the scene after radiosity processing completes, click Render.
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Example: To process radiosity with standard lighting:
Photometric lights are recommended for use with radiosity. But if you are
working on a scene that already contains standard lights, you can follow these
guidelines.
1 Create or load a scene containing the appropriate geometry for lighting.
There is no need to adjust any scale factors.
2
On the Create panel, click Lights.
Standard is the default choice of light type.
3 In the Object Type rollout, click a light type such as Target Spot.
4 Drag in a viewport. The initial point of the drag is the location of the
spotlight, and the point where you release the mouse is the location of
the target.
The light is now part of the scene.
5 Set the creation parameters for the light.
6
To preview the lighting, click Render.
Make any changes you need to adjust the rendering.
7 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting to display the Advanced Lighting
panel. On the Select Advanced Lighting rollout, choose Radiosity as the
advanced lighting type.
The rollouts for radiosity are displayed.
8 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting > Radiosity to display the
Advanced Lighting panel with Radiosity chosen as the advanced lighting
type.
The rollouts for radiosity are displayed.
9 On the Radiosity Processing rollout, under Interactive Tools, click Setup
to display the Environment panel on page 6689 where you set exposure
controls.
NOTE The exposure controls allow you to control only the intensity of the
indirect lighting. 3ds Max retains the original intensity and effect for the
direct lighting.
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10 On the Exposure Control rollout of the Environment panel on page 6689,
choose Logarithmic Exposure Control from the drop-down list.
11 On the Logarithmic Exposure Control rollout on page 6740, turn on Affect
Indirect Only.
12 On the same rollout, use the Physical Scale setting to assign the standard
light a photometric value in candelas.
13 Render the scene again after radiosity processing.
Interface
Radiosity controls appear as rollouts on the Advanced Lighting panel of the
Render Setup dialog. To choose radiosity, use the Select Advanced Lighting
rollout on page 6153.
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Radiosity Processing Parameters Rollout on page 6193
Radiosity Meshing Parameters Rollout on page 6200
Light Painting Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6206
Rendering Parameters Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6208
Statistics Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6217
Radiosity Rollouts
Radiosity Processing Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Advanced
Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from
the drop-down list. > Radiosity Processing Parameters rollout
Contains the main controls for processing a radiosity solution.
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Interface
Reset All When you click Start, a copy of the 3ds Max scene is loaded into
the radiosity engine. Clicking Reset All clears all the geometry from the engine.
Reset Clears the light levels from the radiosity engine, but doesn’t clear the
geometry.
Start Starts the radiosity processing. Once the radiosity solution has reached
the percentage amount specified by Initial Quality, this button changes to
Continue.
If you click Stop before reaching the full Initial Quality percentage, then clicking
Continue causes radiosity processing to resume, until the full percentage is
reached, or you click Stop once more. You can click Stop and then Continue
more than once.
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In addition, you can calculate radiosity up to an Initial Quality less than 100
percent, then later increase the value of Initial Quality, click Continue, and
resume solving radiosity.
In either case, Continue saves time by avoiding regenerating the radiosity
solution from scratch.
Once the full Initial Quality percentage has been reached, clicking Continue
has no effect.
Stop Stops the radiosity processing. The Start menu changes to Continue. You
can later click Continue to resume radiosity processing, as described for the
Start menu.
Keyboard shortcut: Esc
Process group
The options in this group set the behavior of the first two stages of the radiosity
solution, Initial Quality and Refine.
Initial Quality Sets the quality percentage at which to stop the Initial Quality
stage, up to 100%. For example, if you specify 80%, you will get a radiosity
solution that is 80% accurate in energy distribution. A goal of 80 to 85% is
usually sufficient for good results.
During the Initial Quality stage, the radiosity engine bounces rays around the
scene and distributes energy on surfaces. Between each iteration, the engine
measures the amount of variance (noise between surfaces) that was computed.
Most of the brightness of the scene is distributed in the early iterations. The
contribution to the scene’s average brightness decreases logarithmically
between iterations. After the first few iterations, the brightness of the scene
does not increase much, but subsequent iterations reduce the variance in the
scene.
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NOTE The “quality” refers to the accuracy of energy distribution, not to the visual
quality of the solution. Even at a high Initial Quality percentage, the scene can still
show considerable variance. This variance is resolved by the subsequent stages of
the solution.
Increasing the percentage value of Initial Quality.
Increasing quality does not greatly increase the average brightness of the scene, but
it decreases the variance between different surfaces in the scene, such as the faces of
the sphere.
Refine Iterations (All Objects) Sets the number of Refine iterations to perform
for the scene as a whole. The Refine Iterations stage increases the quality of
the radiosity processing on all objects in the scene. Gathers energy from each
face in order to reduce the variance between faces using a different process
from the Initial Quality stage. This stage does not increase the brightness of
the scene, but it improves the visual quality of the solution and significantly
reduces variance between surfaces. If you don’t reach an acceptable result after
processing a certain number of Refine iterations, you can increase the number
and continue processing.
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TIP If you plan to use Regathering at render time, you generally don’t need to
perform the Refine stage to get good-quality final renderings.
NOTE After 3ds Max processes Refine Iterations, Initial Quality is disabled and you
can’t change it until you click Reset or Reset All.
Large image with no iterations has areas of uneven illumination.
Inset images: After a number of iterations, the uneven areas have been corrected.
Refine Iterations (Selected Objects) Sets the number of Refine iterations to
perform for selected objects, using the same method as Refine Iterations (All
Objects). Make an object selection and then set the number of iterations you
require. Refining selected objects rather than the entire scene can save a lot
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of processing time. Typically, this option is useful for objects that have a lot
of small surfaces and show a lot of variance, such as railings or chairs or highly
subdivided walls.
NOTE After 3ds Max processes Refine Iterations, Initial Quality is disabled and you
can’t change it until you click Reset or Reset All.
Process Refine Iterations Stored in Objects Each object has a radiosity
property called Refine Iterations. Each time you refine an object selection, the
number of steps stored with these objects is incremented.
When you reset the radiosity solution and then start it again, the steps for
each objects are refined automatically, provided this toggle is turned on. This
is useful when you are creating animations, when the radiosity needs to be
processed at every frame, and the same level of quality between frames has
to be maintained.
Update Data When Required on Start When on, the radiosity engine must
be reset and then recalculated if the solution is invalidated. In this case, the
Start menu changes to read Update & Start. When this is pressed, the radiosity
solution is reset and the calculation starts over again.
When this toggle is off, the radiosity solution does not need to be reset if it is
invalidated. You can continue processing your scene with the invalid solution.
NOTE The radiosity solution is invalidated any time an object or light is added,
removed, moved, or altered in any way.
Interactive Tools group
The options in this group help you adjust the display of the radiosity solution
in the viewport and in the rendered output. These controls take effect
immediately on an existing radiosity solution and do not require any additional
processing for you to see their effects.
Indirect Light Filtering Reduces the amount of noise between surface elements
by averaging the indirect lighting levels with the surrounding elements. A
value of 3 or 4 is usually sufficient. If you use too high a value, you risk losing
detail in the scene. Because Indirect Light Filtering is interactive, you can
readily evaluate the result and adjust it as you need.
Direct Light Filtering Reduces the amount of noise between surface elements
by averaging the direct lighting levels with the surrounding elements. A value
of 3 or 4 is usually sufficient. If you use too high a value, you risk losing detail
in the scene. Direct Light Filtering is interactive, so you can readily evaluate
the result and adjust it as you need.
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NOTE Direct Light Filtering works only when you use Shoot Direct Lights on page
6205. If you're not using Shoot Direct Lights, everything is considered indirect
lighting.
For a 65% quality solution, increasing the Indirect Light Filtering value from 0 to 3
creates a smoother diffuse light. The results are comparable to a much higher-quality
solution.
No Exposure Control Selected Displays the name of the current exposure
control.
(When you change the exposure control by choosing Rendering menu >
Environment, the name display in the Radiosity dialog updates automatically.)
■
Setup Click to display the Environment panel on page 6689, where you
access the Exposure Control rollout; there, you can choose the exposure
control and set its parameters.
Display Radiosity in Viewport Toggles the display in the viewports between
radiosity and standard 3ds Max shading. You might want to do turn off
radiosity shading to increase display performance.
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Radiosity Meshing Parameters Rollout
Render Setup dialog > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the active
production renderer. > Advanced Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting
rollout > Choose Radiosity from the drop-down list. > Radiosity Meshing
Parameters rollout
Controls the creation of a radiosity mesh and its size in world units.
In order to create the lighting of a scene, the software calculates the intensity
for discrete points in the environment by subdividing the original surfaces
into elements which are part of a radiosity mesh. This rollout allows you to
determine whether you want a mesh or not, and to specify the size of the
mesh elements in world units. For quick tests, you might want to turn off the
mesh globally. The scene will look flat, but the solution will still give you a
quick impression of the overall brightness.
The finer the mesh resolution is, the more accurate the lighting detail will be.
But there is a trade-off in time and memory.
Meshing (shown in light red) subdivides flat surfaces in the scene.
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Left: No mesh. The solution looks very flat.
Middle: Coarse mesh, every 24 inches. The lighting improves.
Right: Fine mesh, every 4 inches. The lighting reveals more subtle effects.
NOTE A tight meshing is not necessary when you use the regathering feature on
the Rendering Parameters rollout on page 6208.
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Interface
NOTE You can override the subdivision settings in this group with the Advanced
Lighting panel on page 316 of the Object Properties dialog. This allows you to have
a different mesh resolution on some objects. For example, you might want to have
a finer mesh on an important wall surface that you know will have a lot of detail.
To display the Object Properties dialog, right-click a selected object and choose
Properties from the quad menu.
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Global Subdivision Settings group
Enabled Turns on the radiosity mesh for the entire scene. Turn off the mesh
when you want to perform quick tests.
■
Use Adaptive Subdivision
Default=on.
Turns adaptive subdivision on and off.
NOTE The Mesh Settings group parameters Minimum Mesh Size, Contrast
Threshold, and Initial Meshing Size are available only when Use Adaptive
Subdivision is on.
Left: A simple box with no subdivision
Middle Left: The box faces are subdivided
Middle Right: The box faces are subdivided with a smaller Meshing Size
Right: The box faces are subdivided with Adaptive Subdivision
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Mesh Settings group
Adaptive Subdivision using the default mesh and light settings
Max Mesh Size The size of the largest faces after adaptive subdivision.
Default=36” for imperial units and 100cm for metric units.
When Use Adaptive Subdivision is turned off, Max Mesh Size sets the size of
the radiosity mesh in world units.
Min Mesh Size Faces are not divided smaller than the minimum mesh size.
Default=3” for imperial units and 10cm for metric units.
Contrast Threshold Faces that have vertex illuminations that differ by more
than the Contrast Threshold settings are subdivided. Default=75.0.
Radiosity solutions with different Contrast Threshold values. The best solution is at the
center, with Contrast Threshold=60.
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Initial Meshing Size When improving the face shape, faces that are smaller
than the Initial Meshing Size are not subdivided. The threshold for deciding
whether a face is poorly shaped also gets larger as the face size is closer to the
Initial Mesh Size. Default=12 inches (1 foot) for US Standard units and 30.5cm
for metric units.
Light Settings group
Shoot Direct Lights When adaptive subdivision or shoot direct lights is on,
the direct lighting on all of the objects in the scene is calculated analytically,
based on the following switches. Lighting is analytically computed without
modifying the object's mesh which produces lighting that is less noisy and
more pleasing to the eye. This switch is implicitly enabled when using adaptive
subdivision since it is a requirement. Default=on.
This switch is available when the Use Adaptive Subdivision switch is turned
off.
Adaptive Subdivision with light settings turned off
NOTE Lighting from lights that are not included while shooting direct light are
calculated using random sampling. These lights also are not able to affect the
adaptive subdivision of objects.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6205
Include Point Lights in Subdivision Controls whether point lights are used
when shooting direct lights. If this switch is off, then point lights are not
included in illumination calculated directly at vertices. Default=on.
Include Linear Lights in Subdivision Controls whether linear lights are used
when shooting direct lights. If this switch is off, then linear lights are not used
in calculating the illumination at vertices. Default=on.
Include Area Lights in Subdivision Controls whether area lights are used
when shooting direct lights. If this switch is off, then area lights are not used
in illumination calculated directly at vertices. Default=on.
Include Skylight When turned on, skylight is used when shooting direct
lights. If this switch is turned off, then skylight is not used in illumination
calculated at vertices directly. Default=off.
Include Self-Emitting Faces in Subdivision This switch controls how
self-emitting faces are used when shooting direct lights. If this switch is turned
off, then self-emitting faces are not used in illumination calculated at vertices
directly. Default=off.
Minimum Self-Emitting Size This is the minimum size that a self-emitting
face will be subdivided when calculating its illumination. Minimum size is
used rather than the number of samples to allow larger faces to be sampled
more than smaller ones. Default=6.0.
Light Painting Rollout (Radiosity)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Advanced
Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from
the drop-down list. > Light Painting rollout
The light painting tools in this rollout allow you to touch up shadowed and
illuminated areas manually. You can use these tools to touch up shadow and
light-leak artifacts without having to do additional remodeling or radiosity
processing. Using Pick Illumination, Add Illumination, and Remove
Illumination, you can add or remove illumination on one selection set at a
time.
To use the light painting tools, you first select objects, and then choose a light
painting tool: Pick Illumination, Add Illumination, or Remove Illumination.
The active button is highlighted in yellow, and when it is over a selected
object, the cursor changes to a crayon icon for the Add and Remove
Illumination tools, or to an eyedropper icon for Pick Illumination.
6206 | Chapter 20 Rendering
You can pick, add, or remove illumination through objects. For example, if
you select the floor as an object, you can work under the bookshelf, by working
through it. Once in light painting mode, you can’t select another object unless
you cancel the operation.
Interface
Intensity Specifies the intensity of the illumination in lux or candelas
depending on the units you have selected in the Customize > Units Setup
dialog on page 7809.
Pressure Specifies the percentage of the sampled energy to be used when you
add or remove illumination.
Add Illumination Adds illumination starting at the vertex of a selected
object. 3ds Max adds illumination based on the amount in the Pressure spinner.
The pressure amount corresponds to a percentage of the sampled energy. For
example, if a wall has about 2,000 lux on it, Add Illumination adds 200 lux
to the surface of the selected object.
Remove Illumination Removes illumination starting at the vertex of a
selected object. 3ds Max removes illumination based on the amount in the
Pressure spinner. The pressure amount corresponds to a percentage of the
sampled energy. For example, if a wall has about 2,000 lux on it, Remove
Illumination removes 200 lux from the surface of the selected object.
Pick Illumination Samples the amount of illumination from a surface
that you select. To save you from inadvertently making bright or dark spots,
Pick Illumination uses an amount of illumination relative to the surface
illumination you sample. Click the button, and move the eyedropper cursor
over the surface. When you click a surface, the amount of illumination in lux
or candelas is reflected in the Intensity spinner. For example, if you used Pick
Illumination over a wall that has 6 lux of energy, then 0.6 lux displays in the
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6207
Intensity spinner. The amount of illumination 3ds Max adds or removes on
the surface will be this value multiplied by the Pressure value.
Clear Clears all the changes you made. Processing additional radiosity
iterations or changing the filtering amount will also discard any changes to
the solution you made with the light painting tool.
Using light painting to add or remove light in a radiosity solution.
Rendering Parameters Rollout (Radiosity)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Advanced
Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from
the drop-down list. > Rendering Parameters rollout
Provides parameters for controlling how to render the radiosity-processed
scene.
By default, when you render, 3ds Max first recalculates the shadows from light
objects, and then adds the result of the radiosity mesh as ambient light.
6208 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The first two options on the rollout control how the renderer treats direct
illumination. Re-Use Direct Illumination From Radiosity Solution provides a
quick render that displays colors from the radiosity mesh. Render Direct
Illumination uses the scanline renderer to provide direct illumination and
shadows. This second option is usually slower but more accurate. With Render
Direct Illumination, the radiosity solution provides only the indirect lighting.
When you choose the Render Direct Illumination method, you can turn on
regathering to correct artifacts and shadow leaks. Regathering provides the
slowest but the best-quality rendering.
NOTE Regathering is extremely intensive for your CPU and uses a lot of RAM, so
it might not be practical for print-resolution images (for example, 4000 x 4000
pixels).
Interface
Re-Use Direct Illumination from Radiosity Solution 3ds Max doesn’t render
direct lights, but uses the direct lighting stored in the radiosity solution. If
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6209
you turn on this option, the Regather Indirect Illumination option is disabled.
The quality of shadows in the scene depends on the mesh resolution. Capturing
fine shadow details might require a fine mesh, but in some situations this
option can speed up overall rendering time, especially for animations, because
the lights don’t have to be recalculated by the scanline renderer.
If you are using the Assign Vertex Colors utility on page 6038, turn this option
on.
Left: Direct light only is stored in the radiosity mesh.
Middle: Indirect light only is stored in the radiosity mesh.
Right: Direct and indirect light both stored in the radiosity mesh (the shadows are
usually very coarse).
WARNING If you choose this option but haven't generated a radiosity solution,
rendering generates a completely black image.
Render Direct Illumination 3ds Max renders shadows from the lights at each
rendering frame, and then adds indirect light from the radiosity solution. This
is the default rendering mode.
Left: Direct light calculated only by the scanline renderer.
Middle: Indirect light calculated only by the radiosity mesh.
6210 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Right: Direct and indirect light combined.
Regather Indirect Illumination In addition to recalculating all the direct
lighting, 3ds Max recalculates the indirect lighting at each pixel by regathering
illumination data from the existing radiosity solution. Using this option can
produce the most accurate, artifact-free images, but it can add a considerable
amount of rendering time.
NOTE If you know that you want to use the regathering option, then typically
you don’t need as dense a mesh for the radiosity solution. Even if you don’t
subdivide the surfaces at all and do an Initial Quality of 0%, the regathering will
work, and might provide an acceptable visual result (useful for quick tests as well).
However, accuracy and subtle details depend on the quality of the radiosity solution
stored in the mesh. The radiosity mesh is the foundation for the regathering
process.
In the following illustrations, solutions were processed with an Initial Quality
of 0%. There is a high variance between small surfaces when a dense mesh is
used. Regathering gives acceptable results regardless of mesh density. But more
subtle details appear with a denser mesh; for example, at the base of the
sculpture.
No mesh
Left: Model subdivision
Middle: Viewport result
Right: Result of regathering
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6211
Coarse mesh
Left: Model subdivision
Middle: Viewport result
Right: Result of regathering
Fine mesh
Left: Model subdivision
Middle: Viewport result
Right: Result of regathering
Rays per Sample The number of rays 3ds Max casts for each sample. 3ds Max
casts these rays randomly in all directions to calculate (“regather”) the indirect
illumination from the scene. The more rays per sample, the more precise the
sample will be. Fewer rays per sample produce more variance, creating a more
grainy effect. Processing speed and precision are affected by this value.
Default=64.
Filter Radius (pixels) Averages each sample with its neighbors in order to
reduce the noisy effect. Default=2.5 pixels.
6212 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE Pixel radius varies according to the output resolution. For example, a 2.5
radius is OK for NTSC resolution, but it might be very large for smaller images, or
too precise for very large images.
Pixel radius of 2
Left: 10 rays per sample
Middle: 50 rays per sample
Right: 150 rays per sample
Pixel radius of 5
Left: 10 rays per sample
Middle: 50 rays per sample
Right: 150 rays per sample
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6213
Pixel radius of 10
Left: 10 rays per sample
Middle: 50 rays per sample
Right: 150 rays per sample
Increasing the number of rays per sample can greatly increase rendering time.
The images on the right can take nearly six times as long to render as the
images on the left. Increasing the filter radius also increases render time, but
not as dramatically.
Clamp Values (cd/m^2) This control is expressed as a luminance value.
Luminance (candelas per meter squared) represents how brightly you perceive
a material. Clamp Value sets an upper limit on the luminance that will be
considered in the Regathering stage. Use it to avoid the appearance of bright
spots.
6214 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Bright polygons in the scene can create a “sparkle” effect of bright spots.
These bright spots are artifacts not of the number of samples cast, but rather
of the presence of bright polygons in your scene. During the Initial Quality
stage, this bright energy gets bounced in random directions, leading to a
“sparkle” effect. Typically you can detect these polygons before regathering.
During the final Regathering stage, bright spots can be avoided by setting
Clamp Values somewhat below the luminance of these bright surfaces and
spots.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6215
Bright spots have been reduced by clamping.
TIP You can query the luminance of these surfaces by using the Lighting Analysis
tool on page 6219.
TIP Use Render Region on page 6095 to render just the area of the bright spots to
find rapidly the right clamp value to use.
Be careful with this control: Clamp Values let you clamp any intensity, and
the rendering might become darker than it should be because you have
clamped indirect illumination that is to be expected, thus dimming the effect
of the radiosity solution.
6216 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Adaptive Sampling group
These controls can help you shorten rendering times. They reduce the number
of light samples taken. The ideal settings for adaptive sampling vary greatly
from scene to scene.
Adaptive sampling initially takes samples from a grid superimposed on the
pixels of the scene. Where there is enough contrast between samples, it
subdivides that region and takes further samples, down to the minimum area
specified by Subdivide Down To. Lighting for areas not directly sampled is
interpolated.
TIP If you use adaptive sampling, try adjusting the Subdivision Contrast value to
obtain the best results.
Adaptive Sampling When on, the radiosity solution uses adaptive sampling.
When off, it does not. Turning off adaptive sampling can increase the detail
of the final rendering, but at a cost of rendering time. Default=off.
Initial Sample Spacing The grid spacing for initial samples of the image. This
is measured in pixels. Default=16x16.
Subdivision Contrast The contrast threshold that determines when a region
should be further subdivided. Increasing this value causes less subdividing to
occur. Reducing this value can cause unnecessary subdivide. Default=5.0.
Subdivide Down To The minimum spacing for a subdivision. Increasing this
value can improve render time at a cost of accuracy. Default=2x2.
Depending on the scene geometry, grids larger than 1x1 might still be
subdivided below this specified threshold.
Show Samples When on, sample locations render as red dots. This shows
where the most sampling has taken place, which can help you choose the
optimal settings for adaptive sampling. Default=off.
Statistics Rollout (Radiosity)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Advanced
Lighting panel > Select Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from
the drop-down list. > Statistics rollout
Lists information about the radiosity processing.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6217
Interface
Radiosity process group
Lists the current level of quality and number of refine iterations in the radiosity
process.
Solution Quality The current level of quality in the radiosity process.
Refine Iterations The number of refine iterations in the radiosity process.
Elapsed Time The time spent processing the solution since the last reset.
Scene Information group
Lists information on the radiosity processing of the scene.
Geometric Objects Lists the number of objects processed.
Light Object Lists the number of light objects processed.
NOTE Self-illuminated objects count as one light per face.
Meshing Size Lists the size of radiosity mesh elements in world units.
NOTE Transparent, 2–sided, and translucent objects' faces are counted twice.
Mesh Elements Lists the number of elements in the mesh processed.
6218 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Lighting Analysis
Select an object that has radiosity solution information. > Rendering menu >
Advanced Lighting > Lighting Analysis
To query light levels, analyze the data, and produce reports, use the Lighting
Analysis dialog. This dialog provides rendering data on material reflectance,
transmittance, and luminance.
For example, a lighting engineer might need to know if light fixtures in a
scene provide an even level of illumination on the walls of a building. The
engineer uses the Lighting Analysis dialog after placing the lights in the ceiling
and processing radiosity. The engineer inspects the light levels and material
reflectance in the scene and then adjusts the brightness of lights, changes
units, or reduces material reflectance.
To use the Lighting Analysis tools, a radiosity solution must be calculated and
displayed in the scene. For better feedback, use it in conjunction with the
Pseudo Color Exposure Control on page 6753. This tool maps luminances or
illuminances to pseudo colors that show the brightness of the values 3ds Max
converts.
TIP You can also export LogLUV TIFF files on page 7372 or PIC files on page 7359 for
analysis by other software; do this by using the Lighting Data Exporter utility on
page 6759.
See also:
■
Modeling Global Illumination with Radiosity on page 6168
■
Radiosity Workflows on page 6181
■
Radiosity Controls on page 6188
■
Radiosity Preferences on page 7786
■
Lighting Data Exporter Utility on page 6759
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6219
Interface
Statistics group
Displays the radiosity solution lighting statistics for the object you select.
Quantity Indicates the desired photometric value:
■
Luminance
■
Illuminance
The amount of energy leaving a surface.
The amount of energy arriving at a surface.
Point The luminance or illuminance at the point on the object where you
clicked.
Point Reflectance The reflectance of the surface material at the point on the
object where you clicked.
Point Transmittance The transmittance of the surface material at the point
on the object where you clicked.
Object Avg The amount of light intensity for the object as a whole.
Object Min The object’s minimum luminance or illuminance value.
Object Max The object’s maximum luminance or illuminance value.
Scene Max The scene’s highest luminance or illuminance value.
6220 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Selection Information group
Object Name The name of the selected object.
Object Area The area size of the selected object.
Point Location The X,Y,Z coordinate of the point on an object you clicked.
Raytracer Panel
Raytracer Global Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu > Raytracer Settings
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Choose
Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer. > Raytracer panel
> Raytracer Global Parameters rollout
These parameters control the raytracer globally. That is, they affect all Raytrace
materials and Raytrace maps in your scene. They also affect the generation of
Advanced Ray-traced shadows on page 8103 and Area shadows on page 7913.
NOTE These controls adjust ray-trace settings for the scanline renderer only. The
settings of these controls have no impact on the mental ray renderer, which has
its own ray-tracing controls.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6221
Interface
Ray Depth Control group
Ray depth, also known as recursion depth, controls how many times the
renderer allows a ray to bounce before it is considered lost or trapped.
6222 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Upper left: Ray depth is zero
Upper right: Ray depth of 2
Lower middle: Extremely high ray depth
Maximum Depth Sets the maximum recursion depth. Increasing this value
potentially increases the realism of your rendered scene, at a cost of rendering
time. You can reduce this value to reduce rendering time. Range=0 to 100.
Default=9.
Cutoff Threshold Sets a cutoff threshold for adaptive ray levels. If the
contribution of any ray to the final pixel color drops below the cutoff
threshold, the ray is terminated. Default: 0.05 (5% of the final pixel color).
This can speed up your rendering time considerably.
Color to use at Max Depth As a rule, when a ray reaches the maximum depth,
it is rendered the same color as the background environment. You can override
the color returned at maximum depth by either selecting a color, or setting
an alternative environment map. This can make the "lost" ray invisible in the
scene.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6223
TIP If you are having trouble with getting complex objects to render, especially
glass, specify the maximum recursion color to something obvious, like magenta,
and your background color to something that contrasts, like cyan. The chances
are that a lot of your rays are getting lost in either maximum recursion or just
being shot off into the world, totally missing anything you think they should strike.
Try rendering the scene again. If this is the problem, try reducing the Maximum
Depth value.
■
Specify Specifies what color the raytracer returns when the ray is
considered lost or trapped. Click the color swatch to change this color.
■
Background (The default.) Returns the background color when the ray
is considered lost or trapped. For Raytrace material, the background color
is the global environment background or the environment specified locally
for the material. For Raytrace map, the background color is either the global
environment background, or is set locally in the Raytracer Parameters
rollout on page 5954.
Global Ray Antialiaser group
Controls in this group let you set global antialiasing for raytraced maps and
materials.
6224 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Above: No antialiasing
Below: Antialiasing of reflections
TIP Turning on Supersample for a Raytraced material (in the Raytrace Basic
Parameters rollout on page 5493) usually provides adequate antialiasing. Use one
of the raytrace antialiasers (Fast Adaptive or Multiresolution Adaptive) when you
want to blur reflections or refractions.
On When on, uses antialiasing. Default=off.
Drop-down list Chooses which antialiasing settings to use. There are two
options:
■
Fast Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Fast Adaptive antialiaser, regardless of
the global setting.
Click ... to open the Fast Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page 5522.
■
Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser Uses the Multiresolution Adaptive
antialiaser, regardless of the global setting.
Click ... to open the Multiresolution Adaptive Antialiaser dialog on page
5524.
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6225
Global Raytrace Engine Options group
These options are comparable to the local options on Extended Parameters
rollout on page 5502 and the Raytracer Controls rollout on page 5506. Their setting
affects all Raytrace materials and Raytrace maps in the scene, unless you set
local overrides.
Enable Raytracing Turns the raytracer on or off. Default=on.
Even with raytracing off, Raytrace material and Raytrace map still reflect and
refract the environment, including both the environment map for the scene,
and the environment map assigned to the Raytrace material.
Raytrace Atmospherics Turns the raytracing of atmospheric effects on or off.
Atmospheric effects include fire, fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Enable Self Reflect/Refract Turns self reflection/refraction on or off.
Default=on.
Can an object reflect itself? For example, a teapot's body reflects the teapot's
handle, but a sphere will never reflect itself. If you don't need this effect, you
can improve render time by turning off this toggle.
TIP If you have a transparent object such as glass, and Enable Self Reflect/Refract
is on, you don't have to make the object 2-sided on page 7893. The raytracer sees
back faces when exiting refractive objects.
Reflect/Refract Material IDs When on, the material reflects effects assigned
to material IDs in the renderer's G-buffer on page 7991 on or off. Default=on.
By default, Raytrace material and Raytrace map reflect effects assigned to a
material's ID, so that G-buffer effects are not lost. For example, if a raytraced
object reflects a lamp made to glow with the Video Post Glow filter (Lens
Effects Glow), the reflection glows as well.
Render objects inside raytraced objects Toggles the rendering of objects
inside raytraced objects. Default=on.
Render atmospherics inside raytraced objects Toggles the rendering of
atmospheric effects inside raytraced objects. Atmospheric effects include fire,
fog, volume light, and so on. Default=on.
Enable Color Density / Fog Effects Toggles the color density and fog features.
Acceleration Controls Opens the Raytracing Acceleration Parameters dialog
on page 5518.
6226 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Exclude Opens the Raytrace Exclude/Include dialog on page 5519, which lets
you exclude objects from ray-tracing.
Show Progress Dialog When on, rendering displays a window with progress
bars titled Raytrace Engine Setup. Default=on.
Show Messages When on, displays a window, Raytrace Messages, that shows
status and progress messages from the raytrace engine. Default=off.
Using Multi-Pass Rendering Effects
Create panel > Cameras > Target button or Free button > Parameters rollout
> Multi-Pass Effect group
Multi-pass rendering effects use multiple renderings of the same frame, with
slight camera movement between each rendering. The multiple passes simulate
the blurring that film in a camera would register under certain conditions.
The included multi-pass effects are provided:
■
Depth of field on page 5230 (Default Scanline Renderer)
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6227
Multi-pass depth of field
Top: Focus is in the middle distance; near and far objects are blurred.
Bottom left: Focus on near objects, far objects are blurred.
Bottom right: Focus on far objects, near objects are blurred.
■
Motion blur on page 5234 (Default Scanline Renderer)
6228 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Above: Motion blur applied to wings of the flying dragon
Below: Multiple passes appear in successive refreshes of the Rendered Frame
Window.
■
Depth of Field (mental ray) on page 5229
See also:
■
Motion Blur with the mental ray Renderer on page 6248
■
Depth of Field with the mental ray Renderer on page 6249
Default Scanline Renderer Controls | 6229
mental ray Renderer
The mental ray® renderer from mental images® is a general-purpose renderer
that can generate physically correct simulations of lighting effects, including
ray-traced reflections and refractions on page 6245, caustics on page 6255, and
global illumination on page 6261.
NOTE mental images and mental ray are registered trademarks, and photon map
is a trademark of mental images GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, Germany.
Scene rendered with the default 3ds Max scanline renderer
6230 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Same scene rendered with the mental ray renderer
The second rendering, done with the mental ray renderer, shows caustics cast by
refraction through the martini glass. Caustics are also visible in the reflection on the
cocktail shaker.
The mental ray renderer in 3ds Max supports the mental ray version 2 (mi2)
and version 3 (mi3) formats. It does not support the mental ray version 1
(mi1) format.
Differences Between the mental ray Renderer and the Default Scanline
Renderer
Compared to the default 3ds Max scanline renderer, the mental ray renderer
relieves you of the need to simulate complex lighting effects "by hand" or by
generating a radiosity solution. The mental ray renderer is optimized to use
multiple processors and to take advantage of incremental changes for efficient
rendering of animations.
Unlike the default 3ds Max renderer, which renders scanlines from the top of
the image downward, the mental ray renderer renders rectangular blocks called
buckets. The order in which the buckets are rendered can vary, depending on
the method you choose. By default, mental ray uses the Hilbert method, which
picks the next bucket to render based on the cost of switching to the next
mental ray Renderer | 6231
one. Because objects can be discarded from the memory to render other objects,
it’s important to avoid having to reload the same object multiple times. This
is especially important when you have enabled placeholder objects (see the
Processing panel > Translator Options rollout on page 6316).
If you use distributed rendering to render a scene, it might be hard to
understand the logic behind the rendering order. In this case, the order has
been optimized to avoid sending lots of data over the network. Each CPU is
assigned a bucket as the bucket becomes available, so different buckets can
appear in the rendered image at different times. See the Renderer panel >
Sampling Quality rollout on page 6272.
NOTE The mental ray renderer can also be run in a standalone fashion, using a
command-line interface based on the mi2 or mi3 scene description format. This
is described in the manual mental ray Programming, which is written for
programmers writing custom shaders on page 8123.
See also:
■
Getting Good Results with mental ray Rendering on page 6235
■
3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings on page 6239
■
mental ray Concepts on page 6245
■
Enhancements to Standard Features on page 6241
Procedures
To use the mental ray renderer:
1 Choose Rendering menu > Render Setup. The Render Setup dialog opens.
2 On the Common panel, open the Assign Renderer rollout, and then click
the “...” button for the Production renderer.
The Choose Renderer dialog opens.
3 On the Choose Renderer dialog, highlight mental ray Renderer and then
click OK.
TIP After you make the mental ray renderer the active production renderer,
you can make the mental ray renderer the default renderer for all new scenes
by clicking Save As Defaults. This is a convenient way to avoid extra setup
time.
6232 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Now the Render Setup dialog contains the mental ray controls. You can choose
to render the scene with the built-in mental ray renderer, or simply to translate
the scene and save it in an MI on page 8044 file that you can render later, perhaps
on a different system. Controls for choosing whether to render, save to an MI
file, or both, are on the Translator Options rollout on page 6316.
Rendering with the mental ray Renderer
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout > Choose mental ray Renderer as
the Production renderer.
To use the mental ray translator and renderer, you must first choose mental
ray as the production renderer, as described the "Procedures" section below.
Once you have chosen mental ray rendering, the Render Setup dialog displays
panels and rollouts that control the mental ray renderer.
Common Parameters Rollout
When you render with mental ray, controls on the Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Common Parameters rollout remain the same, and function
just as they do with the default scanline renderer.
Limitations
The mental ray renderer does not support certain rendering features, as
described here.
■
Output dithering options aren't supported (in Main menu > Customize >
Preferences > Preference Settings dialog > Rendering panel > Output
Dithering group).
■
The mental ray renderer does not fully support G-buffer options in post
processing and image file output. The mental ray renderer generates all
required G-buffer channels, but does not include transparency information.
If two transparent objects overlap each other, the mental ray render
generates information only for the frontmost object.
■
When you use a bitmap as an environment (that is, as a background), the
mental ray renderer samples and filters it. This can result in unwanted
blurring. To prevent background blurring, render the scene against a
solid-color background, and then composite the rendered scene with the
background image.
mental ray Renderer | 6233
■
Sometimes when you render objects that have no thickness, or an Extrude
modifier with zero thickness, the mental ray renderer generates rendering
artifacts that appear as streaks. In some cases, you can fix this by turning
on Force 2-Sided on the Render Setup dialog's Common Parameters rollout.
If the streaks persist, give the object or the Extrude modifier a nonzero
thickness.
See also:
■
Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6272
■
Camera Effects Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6283
■
Caustics and Global Illumination Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page
6306
■
Final Gather Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6295
■
Shadows & Displacement Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6292
■
Rendering Algorithms Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6277
■
Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6316
■
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6326
Procedures
To use the mental ray renderer:
1 Choose Rendering menu > Render Setup. The Render Setup dialog opens.
2 On the Common panel, open the Assign Renderer rollout, then click the
“...” button for the Production renderer.
The Choose Renderer dialog is displayed.
3 On the Choose Renderer dialog, highlight mental ray Renderer and then
click OK.
Now, when you render, the Render Setup dialog appears with the mental ray
controls. You can choose to render the scene with the built-in mental ray
renderer, or simply to translate the scene and save it in an MI on page 8044 file
that you can render later, perhaps on a different system. Controls for choosing
whether to render, save to an MI file, or both, are on the Translator Options
on page 6316 rollout.
6234 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To make the mental ray Renderer the default renderer for new scenes:
■
After you make the mental ray renderer the active production renderer,
click Save As Defaults on the Assign Renderer rollout.
Getting Good Results with mental ray Rendering
Although the mental ray renderer is relatively easy to use once you’ve set it
up correctly, there are several "gotchas" that you might encounter immediately,
especially if you’re primarily accustomed to the 3ds Max scanline renderer
and its workflow. For example, see 3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings
on page 6239. Following are some basic rules of thumb for using mental ray in
3ds Max:
Using Lights with the mental ray Renderer
When you set up a scene for rendering with the mental ray renderer, keep the
following tips in mind:
■
The Overshoot parameter for lights doesn't work when you use mental ray
to render shadow-mapped shadows. To use Overshoot, use ray-traced
shadows.
■
Excluding an object from shadow casting doesn't work when you use
mental ray to render shadow-mapped shadows. To exclude objects from
shadow casting, use ray-traced shadows. (The Exclude button is on a light's
General Parameters rollout.)
■
When you assign a map to object shadows in the light's Shadow Parameters
rollout, the mental ray renderer does not recognize the toggle for the map
(to the left of the Map button), and renders the map whether the toggle
is on or off. To stop using the map, you must click the Map button and in
the Material/Map Browser, assign NONE as the map type.
■
Using the default scanline renderer, you can set a light to have a value of
zero, with a shadow color of white, and a shadow density of −1. With these
settings, the light casts shadows but does not illuminate the scene. To get
the same effect using the mental ray renderer, the light value must not be
zero. Instead, set it to a value close to zero (for example, 0.001 or –0.001).
■
The mental ray renderer disregards the bias parameters in the Shadow Map
Params rollout and the Ray Traced Shadow Params rollout.
mental ray Renderer | 6235
■
The mental ray renderer assumes that all directional lights come from
infinity, so objects that are behind the direct light object in the 3ds Max
scene will also be illuminated.
Ray Tracing
The mental ray ray tracer is fast and provides excellent quality images, but it’s
important to use it correctly.
The mental ray renderer does not fully support cubic maps for Reflect/Refract
maps on page 5964. It uses them if they have already been generated by the
default scanline renderer, but it does not generate them. If Source > From File
is active and the mental ray renderer can find the six cubic maps, it uses them.
If Source > Automatic is active, or if the cubic maps cannot be found, the
mental ray renderer generates ray-traced reflections or refractions instead.
Ray Tracing Setup
On the rendering menu, Ray Tracer Settings and Raytrace Global
Include/Exclude are disabled while the mental ray renderer is active. These
controls adjust ray-trace settings for the scanline renderer only. The settings
of these controls have no impact on the mental ray renderer. The ray-tracing
controls for mental ray appear on the Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms
rollout on page 6277.
TIP While the mental ray renderer ignores the global inclusion or exclusion settings
for the ray tracer, you can enable or disable ray-tracing at the local level of a
Raytrace material or map.
Ray Tracing Rules of Thumb
Say you’re rendering a (lathed) wineglass, with an inner and outer surface and
a piece of geometry representing the wine. The wine geometry is just slightly
smaller than the inner surfaces of the wineglass, and capped with a flat top.
Now, you go to render the glass. After rendering the scene, however, there’s
something wrong: the inner surfaces of the glass don’t seem reflective enough,
and the wine isn’t refracting properly. What’s wrong?
It’s possible that you have the number of reflections and refractions set too
low for the number of surfaces you have. To check this, go to the Renderer
panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6277 and look at the Maximum
Trace Depth settings. If you haven’t changed the parameters, then you should
see Max. Reflections and Max. Refractions set to the default of 6, and Max.
Depth set to 6.
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There’s the problem: you actually have six surfaces that need to be traced by
the light rays for both reflections and refractions. The way to always calculate
the number of rays needed for a scene is to take the ray-traced objects in your
scene and draw an imaginary line through them, originating at the point of
view. Then, count the number of surfaces the line intersects.
For the wineglass and wine, you need at least six reflections and refractions
that correspond to the following surfaces:
■
Near outer glass surface (“near” relative to your Camera viewpoint)
■
Near inner glass surface
■
Near wine surface
■
Far wine surface
■
Far inner glass surface
■
Far outer glass surface
Therefore, increase the value of Max. Depth to 12.
Caustics and Global Illumination
Before rendering with caustics, there are several things you need to set up in
your scene:
■
For caustics to work properly, the generating object must use a material
that contains some degree of shininess, reflectivity, or refraction. Assign
a Raytrace or other map as either a Reflection map or Refraction map before
you render caustics.
■
Most often, you’ll be using very shiny, highly reflective materials (such as
chrome and other metals), or transparent or translucent materials (such
as glass goblets or water), to generate caustics in your scene. If you’re using
a glassy material, make sure it’s double-sided to create the proper results.
■
Make sure you have object properties on page 322 set to Receive Caustics
or Generate Caustics (or both). To set up these properties, right-click an
object and choose Properties. For example, if you’re rendering a wineglass
on a tabletop, you probably want the wineglass both to generate and receive
caustics (so that caustics are scattered within the glass itself), and the
tabletop only to receive caustics (unless it’s chrome, say, instead of wood).
■
If the rendering of your scene is washed out by light, double-check the
Multiplier settings: one in the Basic group of the Final Gather rollout on
mental ray Renderer | 6237
page 6295, and one each in the Caustics and Global Illumination (GI) groups
of the Indirect Illumination panel > Caustics And Global Illumination
rollout on page 6306. These apply to all lights in the scene. Reducing the
Multiplier values can eliminate washout.
If a single light object is causing the problem, you can reduce the Energy
multiplier's value in that light object's mental ray Indirect Illumination
rollout on page 5112, available on the Modifier panel.
■
To improve the quality of caustics, go to the Caustics group on page 6309 of
the Caustics And Global Illumination rollout on page 6306 and increase the
Max Num. Photons Per Sample setting.
■
Be careful of the total number of photons you’re emitting: A very high
number (100,000 and above) can dramatically increase your rendering
time. Then again, for some simple scenes, you might actually be able to
set these to 1,000,000 and still render in an acceptable amount of time.
WARNING The number of photons specified for each light indicates the
number of photons that need to be stored for each light, not the number of
photons to be shot. This is an important distinction: If a light points in a
direction where there is no surface, the mental ray renderer might shoot
photons forever. In the Messages Window on page 6244, the mental ray renderer
displays warnings that no photons are being stored. To avoid the slowdowns
related to this issue, make sure that every light points in the direction of a
surface (this is sometimes impossible to do with omni lights). Another way to
avoid this problem is to add a big sphere around your entire model.
■
In general, use an exposure control. The mr Photographic Exposure Control
on page 6744 works particularly well for adjusting overall exposure.
Coincident Faces
When it encounters coincident faces, the mental ray renderer can produce
artifacts, because it can't decide which face is nearer the camera (neither is).
To fix this, move or scale one of the objects so faces are no longer coincident.
Backface Culling
mental ray rendering correctly performs backface culling, and renders one-sided
faces much as the scanline renderer does.
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3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings
For the most part, the mental ray renderer treats 3ds Max maps and materials
the same way the default scanline renderer does. The exceptions are listed
below. In general, if the mental ray renderer does not recognize a map or
material, it renders it as opaque black.
WARNING The mental ray renderer does not necessarily support maps or materials
provided as plug-ins from third-party vendors. It supports third-party maps and
materials only if the vendor has explicitly used the mental ray SDK to add support
for the mental ray format. Unless the third-party vendor clearly specifies mental
ray support, you should assume the map or material is unsupported, and will
render as black.
See also:
■
mental ray Renderer on page 6230
■
Getting Good Results with mental ray Rendering on page 6235
Issues for Reflections and Refractions
The maps used to create reflections or refractions, Flat Mirror, Raytrace,
Reflect/Refract, and Thin Wall Refraction, are supported by the mental ray
renderer. However, the mental ray renderer simply uses these maps as
indications to use its own ray-tracing method, leading to some restrictions on
which parameters are supported, as described in the sections “Materials” and
“Maps,” below.
Map Blurring
When reflections and refractions are ray traced, applying Blur (or Distortion,
in Flat Mirror) does not apply to reflections or refractions of environment
maps. In general, Blur and Distortion render differently than they do with
the default scanline renderer, and you might have to experiment with
parameter values to get a comparable rendering result.
TIP If Blur effects are not rendering well with the mental ray renderer, try increasing
the Maximum number of samples in the Renderer panel > Sampling Quality Rollout
on page 6272.
mental ray Renderer | 6239
Materials
The mental ray renderer does not support these materials:
■
Advanced Lighting Override material
■
Lightscape material
■
Morpher material
Raytrace Material
The mental ray renderer supports all Raytrace material settings except for the
antialiasing parameters and the settings found under Rendering > Raytracer
Settings and Rendering > Raytrace Global Include/Exclude. All these options
are specific to the default scanline renderer.
TIP While the mental ray renderer ignores the global inclusion or exclusion settings
for the ray tracer, you can enable or disable ray-tracing at the local level of a
Raytrace material or map.
Maps
■
Bitmap
The mental ray renderer can't use the Progressive JPEG (.jpg) format as a
bitmap. Also, Summed Area filtering is not supported (in the Filtering
group of the Bitmap Parameters rollout).
PSD files are supported, but are translated into binary data, and because
of this, consume a lot of memory and increase render time. To reduce the
time involved, convert the PSD file to a format such as BMP.
The same is true of TIFF files. In addition, there are certain TIFF subformats
that the mental ray renderer does not support; specifically, LZW, CCIT
(fax), or JPEG compression; non-RGB color models such as CMYK, CIE, or
YCbCr; or multiple images in the same file (in this case, only the first image
is used). The mental ray renderer does support bilevel (1-bit), grayscale (4or 8-bit), color map (4- or 8-bits), RGB(A) (8-, 16-, or 32-bit) TIF images,
and TIF files with image strips.
■
Combustion map
The mental ray renderer doesn't support this map.
■
Flat Mirror map
Flat Mirror is supported by the mental ray renderer, except for the First
Frame Only and Every Nth Frame parameters.
6240 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Raytrace map
The mental ray renderer supports all Raytrace map settings except for the
antialiasing parameters.
■
Reflect/Refract map
This map tells the mental ray renderer to use ray-traced reflections and
refractions. Most parameters are supported, but the parameters Blur Offset,
First Frame Only, Every Nth Frame, and Atmosphere Ranges are not
supported.
NOTE The mental ray renderer does not fully support cubic maps for
Reflect/Refract maps. It uses cubic maps if they have already been generated
by the default scanline renderer, but it does not generate them. If Source >
From File is active and the mental ray renderer can find the six cubic maps, it
uses them. If Source > Automatic is active, or if the cubic maps cannot be
found, the mental ray renderer generates ray-traced reflections or refractions
instead.
Enhancements to Standard Features
The primary interface to the mental ray renderer consists of rollouts on the
Render Setup dialog. To choose the mental ray renderer, use the Assign
Renderer rollout on page 6135, as described in this procedure on page ?.
In addition, object properties, lights, and the Material Editor have additional
controls to support mental ray rendering. Last but not least, 3ds Max offers a
special mr Proxy object for speeding up rendering of large, complex scenes.
Object Properties Enhancements
Parameters on the mental ray panel on page 322 of the Object Properties dialog
support displacement as well as the mental ray indirect illumination features:
final gather on page 6295, caustics on page 6255, and global illumination on page
6261.
mental ray Proxy Object
When working with high-resolution geometry, you can save memory and
translation time by using the special mr Proxy object on page 597 as a stand-in
for your models.
mental ray Renderer | 6241
Light Object Enhancements
Along with the mental ray renderer, mental ray-specific area light objects and
light settings are provided.
Light Objects
The area light on page 7909 is a feature of the mental ray renderer. Instead of a
point source, it emits light from a broader area around the source. There are
two basic types of mental ray area light: mr Area Omni Light on page 5070 and
mr Area Spotlight on page 5073. An additional, special-purpose mental area light
is the mr Sky Portal on page 5186. Area lights create soft-edged shadows. This
can help improve the realism of your rendering.
NOTE To render soft-edged shadows, shadows must be ray-traced, not
shadow-mapped: see the Renderer panel > Shadows & Displacement Rollout on
page 6292.
In 3ds Max, area lights are created and supported by the MAXScript scripts,
light-mentalray_areaomni.ms and light-mentalray_areaspot.ms. Both scripts are
found in the \stdplugs\stdscripts\ folder within the program install directory.
Because of this, when you create an area light, you actually create a target spot
or omni light for which the mental ray renderer uses the parameters on the
Area Light Parameters rollout. If you render with the default scanline renderer,
the light behaves like any other target spot or omni light. (You can change a
light from one type to another using the Type drop-down list on the light’s
General Parameters rollout.)
For area lights rendered with the mental ray renderer, you can still set and
use other lighting parameters, such as color, the Multiplier value, the spotlight
cone, and so on. Shadow maps are an exception. The mental ray renderer
ignores the light's local shadow map settings. Area lights always use ray-traced
shadows.
TIP You can use a MAXScript utility to convert standard 3ds Max light objects to
area lights, as described in this procedure on page ?.
Light Settings
The mental ray Indirect Illumination rollout on page 5112 has been added to
light objects to support the mental ray renderer’s indirect illumination effects
of caustics on page 6255 and global illumination on page 6261.
The mental ray Light Shader rollout on page 5115 has been added so you can
add mental ray light shaders to light objects.
6242 | Chapter 20 Rendering
IMPORTANT To see the mental ray rollouts for lights, you must use mental ray
Preferences on page 7787 to enable mental ray extensions. These rollouts appear
only on the Modify panel, not on the Create panel.
Camera Enhancements
On the Parameters rollout on page 5210, a “Depth Of Field (mental ray)” choice
appears on the Multi-Pass Effect drop-down list to support the mental ray
renderer's depth-of-field effects. To use this, turn on both Enable in the
camera's Multi-Pass Effect group (default=off), and Depth Of Field on the
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout on page 6283.
You can also assign mental ray lens, output, and volume shaders to cameras.
These controls are also on the Render Setup dialog > Camera Effects rollout.
(This rollout also contains some contour-shading controls.)
NOTE When you use the mental ray renderer, reflected or refracted light rays do
not always respect a camera's clipping planes (set in the Clipping Planes group of
the Parameters rollout). Also, large clipping-plane values can cause poor quality
in the rendering of shadow maps. To fix this, narrow the clipping range or switch
to ray-traced shadows.
Material Editor Enhancements
The Material Editor works as it does with the default scanline renderer. Certain
materials and maps, or some of their controls, aren't supported by the mental
ray renderer; see 3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings on page 6239.
By default, the Material Editor sample slots use the currently active renderer:
typically this is either the default scanline renderer or the mental ray renderer.
You assign the renderer for sample slots with the Render Setup dialog >
Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout on page 6135.
When mental ray extensions are enabled (using mental ray Preferences on
page 7787) and the mental ray renderer is active, the Material Editor displays
these additional mental ray features:
■
A mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385 lets you add mental ray
shaders to 3ds Max materials.
■
When you click a material's Type button, the Material/Map Browser displays
additional mental ray materials on page 5543.
■
When you click a map or shader button, the Material/Map Browser displays
additional mental ray shaders on page 5974.
mental ray Renderer | 6243
Shaders are provided in shader library (MI) files on page 8044. Some shaders
are customized for 3ds Max, some are provided by the lume library, and
most are provided by mental images libraries. Settings for the custom 3ds
Max shaders are provided in this reference. Settings for the third-party
lume and mental images shaders are provided in their own help files. This
reference links to those descriptions; see Shaders in the LumeTools
Collection on page 5980 and mental images Shader Libraries on page 5977.
mental ray Messages Window
Rendering menu > mental ray Message Window
The mental ray Messages window displays log messages (other than debug
messages) generated by the mental ray renderer.
Interface
Example of mental ray Messages window
Three status fields appear above the messages area:
■
Num. CPUs
Shows the number of CPUs in use.
■
Num. threads
■
mental ray version
detail.
6244 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Shows the number of threads being rendered.
Shows the current mental ray renderer version, in
The options beneath the messages area are equivalent to options on the mental
ray Preferences dialog on page 7787.
Information When on, the mental ray renderer generates information
messages. Default=off.
This is equivalent to the preference, Show/Log Information Messages.
Progress When on, the mental ray renderer generates progress messages.
Default=off.
This is equivalent to the preference, Show/Log Progress Messages.
Debug (Output to File) When on, the mental ray renderer generates debug
messages. Default=off.
This is equivalent to the preference, Log Debug Messages (To File).
NOTE Debug messages are never displayed by the Messages Window. They are
numerous, and would make it difficult to find or read other messages.
Open on Error When on, the Messages Window is displayed if the mental
ray renderer logs an error message. Default=off.
This is equivalent to the preference, Open Message Window On Error.
Clear Click to clear all messages from the messages area.
mental ray Concepts
These topics describe what the mental ray renderer can do, and explain how
it accomplishes these effects. For more technical detail about mental ray
capabilities, see the mental ray Reference, available from Help menu >
Additional Help, and the books Programming mental ray and Rendering with
mental ray, both by Thomas Driemeyer.
Ray-Traced Reflections and Refractions with the
mental ray Renderer
The mental ray renderer can generate reflections and refractions by ray tracing.
Ray tracing traces the path of rays sampled from the light source. Reflections
and refractions generated this way are physically accurate.
mental ray Renderer | 6245
Ray-traced reflections and Refractions
To reduce the time required to generate reflections and shadows, rays are
limited by trace depth. Trace depth limits the number of times a ray can be
reflected, refracted, or both.
You can turn off ray tracing. In this case, the mental ray renderer uses scanline
rendering only. Turning off ray tracing makes the controls for all the effects
that are specific to mental ray unavailable in the Renderer's rollouts.
Ray tracing uses one of two ray-trace acceleration methods on page 8102.
You enable ray tracing and set trace depth with the Render Setup dialog >
Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6277 controls.
Shadows with the mental ray Renderer
The mental ray renderer can generate shadows by ray tracing. Ray tracing
traces the path of rays sampled from the light source. Shadows appear where
rays have been blocked by objects. Ray-traced shadows have sharp edges.
6246 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Ray-traced shadows
Turning off caustics makes the outlines of shadows in this scene easier to see.
You can tell the mental ray renderer to use shadow maps on page 8126 instead
of ray-traced shadows. This can improve performance at a cost of accuracy.
Shadow controls are on the Render Setup Dialog > Renderer panel > Shadows
& Displacement rollout on page 6292.
Shadow Generators and the mental ray Renderer
Light objects in 3ds Max let you choose a shadow generator: Ray Traced,
Advanced Ray Traced, Shadow Map, and so on. Because the mental ray renderer
supports only two kinds of shadow generation, ray tracing and shadow maps,
some of the 3ds Max shadow generators aren't fully supported.
In 3ds Max, a special shadow generator type, mental ray Shadow Map, is provided
to support the mental ray renderer. If shadows are enabled (on the Shadows
& Displacement rollout on page 6292 of the Render Setup dialog) but shadow
maps are not enabled, then shadows for all lights are generated using the
mental ray Renderer | 6247
mental ray ray-tracing algorithm. If shadow maps are enabled, then shadow
generation is based on each light’s choice of shadow generator:
■
mental ray Shadow Map
shadow-map algorithm.
Shadows are generated using the mental ray
■
Shadow Map Settings on the Shadow Parameters rollout are translated
into a mental ray equivalent before shadows are generated. The quality of
shadows generated this way might not always meet expectations.
■
Area Shadows, Advanced Ray Traced Shadows, or Ray Traced
Shadows Shadows are generated using the mental ray ray-tracing
algorithm.
Motion Blur with the mental ray Renderer
Motion blur is a way to enhance the realism of a rendered animation by
simulating the way a real-world camera works. A camera has a shutter speed,
and if significant movement occurs during the time the shutter is open, the
image on film is blurred.
Motion blur added to rendering of an animated wheel as it speeds up and rolls forward
6248 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To render motion blur with the mental ray renderer, you must turn on ray
tracing (the Ray Trace parameter) on the Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel
> Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6277.
The mental ray renderer uses a Shutter parameter to control motion blur. This
simulates the shutter speed of a camera. At 0.0, there is no motion blurring.
At 1.0, the maximum amount of motion blurring occurs. Values between zero
and one adjust the amount of motion blur. The closer to 1.0, the greater the
blurring.
You turn on motion blur and adjust shutter speed on the Render Setup Dialog
> Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout on page 6283.
If you render using shadow maps on page 8126, then by default mental ray
applies motion blur to these as well. See the Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Shadows & Displacement rollout on page 6292.
TIP mental ray motion blur is not recommended for use with particle systems, as
this can increase rendering time considerably. Use a Particle MBlur map on page
5891 instead.
NOTE Motion blur with the mental ray renderer does not always follow curving
trajectories. Increasing the value of Motion Segments can help, but this works
better for rotary motion than for traveling motion.
Depth of Field with the mental ray Renderer
Depth of field is a way to enhance the realism of a rendering by simulating
the way a real-world camera works. With a broad depth of field, all or nearly
all of a scene is in focus. With a narrow depth of field, only objects within a
certain distance from the camera are in focus.
mental ray Renderer | 6249
Scene rendered using no depth of field
All apples are equally in focus.
6250 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Same scene using depth of field to control focus
The middle apple is clearer than the other two.
To render depth-of-field effects with mental ray, ray tracing (the Ray Trace
toggle) must be enabled on the Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel >
Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6277. You must also enable depth of field
for the camera: in the camera's Multi-Pass Effect group, choose “Depth Of
Field (mental ray)” as the depth-of-field type. (If you choose the scanline
renderer's Depth Of Field option, the rendering that results can be out of
focus.)
The mental ray renderer uses the camera’s target distance and f-Stop parameters
to control the depth-of-field effect.
The camera's target distance determines the focus plane. The focus plane is
the distance from the camera at which the scene is completely in focus.
mental ray Renderer | 6251
Focus plane in relation to a camera
Here it is set to the middle apple, as in the previous renderings.
6252 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Focus plane in relation to a camera
mental ray Renderer | 6253
Here it is set to the nearest apple, as in the renderings that follow.
The f-stop controls the amount of blurring at distances other than the focus
plane distance. In a real-world camera, the f-stop measures the size of the
lens’s aperture. The lower the f-stop value, the larger the aperture and the
narrower the depth of field. So increasing the f-stop value broadens the depth
of field, and decreasing the f-stop value narrows the depth of field.
Decreasing the f-stop to narrow depth of field
Focal plane set at the nearest apple, and f-stop set to 0.1.
6254 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Increasing the f-stop to broaden depth of field
Focal plane in same location, f-stop increased to 1.0.
You set the f-Stop in the camera's Depth Of Field rollout. See Depth of Field
Parameter (mental ray Renderer) on page 5229.
NOTE For Perspective viewports, which have no camera, the Render Setup dialog
> Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout on page 6283 has explicit Focus Plane and
f-Stop settings.
Caustic Lighting Effects
Caustics are the effects of light cast onto an object via reflection off or
refraction through another object.
mental ray Renderer | 6255
Swimming pool rendered without caustics
6256 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Reflective caustics added to swimming pool
To calculate caustics, the mental ray renderer uses the photon map technique
on page 8090. (Ray tracing can’t generate accurate caustics, and they aren’t
provided by the default scanline renderer.)
You enable caustics on the Render Setup dialog > Indirect Illumination panel
> Caustics And Global Illumination rollout on page 6309. In addition, you must
designate:
■
Which light objects can create caustics.
■
Which renderable objects can generate caustics.
■
Which renderable objects can receive caustics.
The settings for generating and receiving caustics are on the Object Properties
dialog > mental ray Panel on page 322.
mental ray Renderer | 6257
Refractive caustics rendered with the default of Radius turned off.
Radius size is based on scene extents; specifically, 1/100 the radius of the full scene.
6258 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Radius value explicitly set to 1.0
mental ray Renderer | 6259
Radius value increased to 2.5.
Filter type changed to Cone.
6260 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Photon count increased to 50,000 (in Global Light Properties group) for greater detail
in the caustics.
Global Illumination with the mental ray Renderer
Global illumination enhances the realism in rendered images by simulating
all light interreflection effects in a scene (except caustics on page 6255). It
generates such effects as "color bleeding," where for example, a white shirt
next to a red wall appears to have a slight red tint.
The mental ray renderer offers two distinct toolsets for achieving global
illumination: photon tracing on page 6310 and final gathering on page 6295. The
primary difference between the two is that photon tracing goes from the light
source toward the ultimate illuminated target (taking bounces into account),
and final gathering goes the opposite way: from the illuminated surface toward
the light source. You can use either of these toolsets separately, or combine
them for optimal rendered results.
mental ray Renderer | 6261
Scene rendered without global illumination
6262 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Same scene with global illumination
mental ray Renderer | 6263
Global illumination made smoother by final gather
To calculate global illumination, the mental ray renderer uses the photon map
technique on page 8090.
NOTE The mental ray renderer generates global illumination without requiring
you to generate a radiosity solution. A photon map is a model of global illumination
in its own right.
NOTE In order to use global illumination in mental ray, the photons must be able
to bounce among two or more surfaces. This can be accomplished by having a
single object with some concavity in its surface that’s exposed to the light source,
or at least two objects, and at least one object must be set to receive global
illumination (see mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 322).
Otherwise you’ll receive error messages and no photons will be stored.
Using a photon map can cause rendering artifacts such as dark corners and
low-frequency variations in the lighting. You can reduce or eliminate these
artifacts by turning on final gathering on page 6295, which increases the number
of rays used to calculate global illumination.
You enable global illumination on the Render Setup dialog > Indirect
Illumination panel > Caustics And Global Illumination rollout on page 6306,
6264 | Chapter 20 Rendering
and final gathering on the Final Gather rollout on page 6295. In addition, you
must designate:
■
Which light objects can generate global illumination.
■
Which renderable objects can generate global illumination.
■
Which renderable objects can receive global illumination.
The settings for generating and receiving global illumination are on the Object
Properties dialog > mental ray Panel on page 322. By default, all objects in 3ds
Max are set to generate and receive global illumination.
mental ray Volume Shading
Volume shading shades a three-dimensional volume, rather than a surface.
Typically, volume shaders provide atmospheric effects such as mist and fog.
Model rendered with no volume effect
mental ray Renderer | 6265
Same model rendered in mist
Mist applied as a camera volume shader; realistic falloff on
There are two ways to assign a volume shader:
■
To a camera
This effectively makes the entire scene a single volume.
■
To a material
This makes a volume out of objects to which the material is applied.
Usually when you assign a volume shader to a material, you want to make
its surface transparent so the shading within the volume is visible. You
can do this with the mental images Transmat shader.
To assign a volume shader to a camera, use the Render Setup dialog. To assign
a volume shader to a material, use the material's Volume shader component.
This component is found on the mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385,
and in the mental ray material on page 5638 itself. See the “Procedures” that
follow.
6266 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Procedures
To apply volume shading to a camera:
1
On the main toolbar, click Render Setup.
If the active renderer is not already the mental ray renderer, go to the
Common panel, and on the Assign Renderer rollout, click the “...” button
for the Production renderer. A Choose Renderer dialog is displayed.
Highlight “mental ray Renderer” in the list, and then click OK.
2 Click the Renderer tab to go to the Renderer panel. On the Camera Effects
rollout, find the Camera Shaders group, and click Volume.
The Material/Map Browser on page 5290 is displayed.
3 Choose a volume shader from the list in the Browser, and then click OK.
To apply volume shading to an object:
1 Choose Customize > Preferences. Go to the mental ray panel, and turn
on Enable Mental Ray Extensions.
2
On the main toolbar, click Render Setup.
If mental ray is not already the active renderer, go to the Common panel,
and on the Assign Renderer rollout, click the “...” button for the
Production renderer. The Choose Renderer dialog opens. Highlight
“mental ray Renderer” in the list and then click OK.
Leave the Render Setup dialog open, or minimize it.
3
Open the Material Editor. Use the mental ray Connection rollout
on page 5385 to assign a volume shader to the Volume component.
Another technique would be to use the mental ray material on page 5638,
and assign a shader to the Volume component.
4
Also on the mental ray Connection rollout, click the lock button
to unlock the Surface component. Click the shader button (“None”) and
use the Browser to assign the Transmat (physics) shader to the surface.
(If you are using the mental ray material, you don't need to first unlock
the Surface component.)
mental ray Renderer | 6267
5 Apply the material to objects you wish to use as shaded volumes.
mental ray Displacement
Displacement shading with the mental ray renderer is similar to displacement
mapping on page 5487 of standard materials. One advantage of using mental
ray displacement is that the additional polygons of displaced surfaces are
stored only in the mental ray scene database, not in your 3ds Max scene, so
they do not increase the memory requirements of your scene, except at render
time. This can be a big improvement in performance over displacement
mapping with standard materials and the scanline renderer.
Procedures
To add displacement to a mental ray rendering:
1 Choose Customize > Preferences. Go to the mental ray panel, and turn
on Enable Mental Ray Extensions.
2
On the main toolbar, click Render Setup.
If the active renderer is not already the mental ray renderer, go to the
Common panel, and on the Assign Renderer rollout, click the “...” button
for the Production renderer. A Choose Renderer dialog is displayed.
Highlight “mental ray Renderer” in the list, and then click OK.
Leave the Render Setup dialog open, or minimize it.
3
4
Open the Material Editor.
On the mental ray Connection rollout, click the lock button to
unlock the Displacement component. Click the shader button (“None”)
and use the Browser to assign a displacement shader to the surface.
WARNING This overrides any displacement assigned to the base material as
a standard map.
Another technique would be to use the mental ray material on page 5638,
and assign a shader to the Displacement component. (If you are using
6268 | Chapter 20 Rendering
the mental ray material, you don't need to first unlock the Displacement
component.)
5 Apply the material to objects you wish to show the displacement.
mental ray Contour Shading
Contour shading lets you render vector-based contour lines. Contours are
similar to the ink component of the Ink 'n Paint material.
Model rendered without contours
mental ray Renderer | 6269
Model with contours added to the rendering
Simple contour shader
You add contour rendering by assigning one of the contour shaders to the
Contour component of a material. (This component is found on the mental
ray Connection rollout on page 5385 and on the mental ray material's Advanced
Shaders rollout on page 5646). Then when you render, use the Camera Effects
rollout on page 6283 to enable contours.
On the Camera Effects rollout, additional shaders can modify the contours,
or control how they are rendered. For example, if you assign a Contour Only
shader to the Contour Output component, the rendering consists of just the
contours, and not the shaded model.
Rendering of the model's contours only
Contours Only output shader, background set to white
6270 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE Contour shading does not work with distributed bucket rendering.
Procedures
To add contours to a mental ray rendering:
1 Choose Customize > Preferences. Go to the mental ray panel, and turn
on Enable Mental Ray Extensions.
2
On the main toolbar, click Render Setup.
If the active renderer is not already the mental ray renderer, go to the
Common panel, and on the Assign Renderer rollout, click the “...” button
for the Production renderer. A Choose Renderer dialog is displayed.
Highlight “mental ray Renderer” in the list, and then click OK.
Leave the Render Setup dialog open, or minimize it.
3
Open the Material Editor. For the materials of objects you want to
render with contours, use the mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385
to assign a shader to the Contour component.
Another technique would be to use the mental ray material on page 5638,
and assign shaders to both the Surface and Contour components.
TIP The Simple contour shader renders uniform lines whose color and width
you can control. The other contour shaders provide variant contour styles
with more direct user controls.
4 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Renderer panel. On the Camera
Effects rollout, turn on Enable in the Contours group.
To simply add contour lines to a rendering, leave the shaders in the
Camera Effects rollout set to their defaults. For other options, see Camera
Effects Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6283.
mental ray Renderer Interface
Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel/Indirect Illumination panel/Processing
panel
mental ray Renderer | 6271
This section covers the Render Setup dialog panels specific to mental ray
rendering:
■
Renderer panel
■
Indirect Illumination panel
■
Processing panel
For information on the common rendering panels, see:
■
Common Panel (Render Setup Dialog) on page 6121
■
Render Elements Panel and Rollout on page 6336
NOTE
In Autodesk 3ds Max 2009, a number of default settings have been
changed to improve quality, convenience, or rendering time when you use the
mental ray renderer.
Renderer Panel (mental ray)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Indirect
Illumination panel
Note: The Processing panel appears only when mental ray is the active renderer.
The Indirect Illumination panel controls concern themselves with methods
for rendering bounced light within an environment, including final gathering,
caustics, and photons.
Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Sampling Quality rollout
Note: The Sampling Quality rollout appears only when the mental ray renderer
is the currently active renderer.
The controls on this rollout affect how the mental ray renderer performs
sampling on page 8112 for antialiasing rendered images.
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Procedures
To use low sampling for previews:
■
Leave the Minimum and Maximum values at their default settings of 1/4
and 4, or reduce them to 1/16 and 1/4.
TIP Do not assign Minimum and Maximum the same value.
To use high sampling for final renderings:
■
Increase the Minimum and Maximum values to 4 and 16, respectively, or
to higher values.
TIP Do not assign the same value to both Minimum and Maximum.
To view the sampling pattern:
■
On the Diagnostics rollout on page 6324, choose Sampling Rate, then render
the scene.
Instead of rendering the image, mental ray draws a diagram that shows
the range of applied sampling values. White lines indicate edges in the
scene, where the mental ray renderer took the maximum number of
samples. If fractional sample limits are used (sampling down), lighter dots
indicate the higher value while darker dots indicate the lower value.
To assist with analysis, View Samples also draws red lines around each
bucket, or separately rendered block.
When the Minimum and Maximum number of samples are equal, the
diagram shows all buckets as white.
mental ray Renderer | 6273
Interface
Samples per Pixel group
Set the minimum and maximum sample rates for antialiasing the rendered
output.
NOTE Presets for several sample rate combinations are available on the Rendered
Frame Window as the Image Precision (Antialiasing) slider on page 6083.
Minimum Sets the minimum sample rate. The value represents the number
of samples per pixel. A value greater than or equal to 1 indicates that one or
more samples are computed per pixel. A fractional value indicates that one
sample is computed for every N pixels (for example, 1/4 computes a minimum
of one sample for every four pixels). Default=1/4.
Maximum Sets the maximum sample rate. If neighboring samples find a
difference in contrast that exceeds the contrast limit, the area containing the
contrast is subdivided to the depth specified by Maximum. Default=4.
The values of the Minimum and Maximum lists are "locked" together so that
the value of Minimum can't exceed the value of Maximum.
Filter group
Filter type Determines how multiple samples are combined into a single pixel
value. Can be set to Box, Gauss, Triangle, Mitchell, or Lanczos. Default=Box.
6274 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP For most scenes the Mitchell filter gives the best results.
■
Box filter: Sums all samples in the filter area with equal weight. This is the
quickest sampling method.
■
Gauss filter: Weights the samples using a Gauss (bell) curve centered on
the pixel.
■
Triangle filter: Weights the samples using a pyramid centered on the pixel.
■
Mitchell filter: Weights the samples using a curve (steeper than Gauss)
centered on the pixel.
■
Lanczos filter: Weights the samples using a curve (steeper than Gauss)
centered on the pixel, diminishing the effect of samples at the edge of the
filter area.
Width and Height Specify the size of the filtered area. Increasing the value
of Width and Height can soften the image, however it will increase rendering
time.
Default=Depends on the Filter type you choose:
■
Box filter: Width=1.0, Height=1.0
■
Gauss filter: Width=3.0, Height=3.0
■
Triangle filter: Width=2.0, Height=2.0
■
Mitchell filter: Width=4.0, Height=4.0
■
Lanczos filter: Width=4.0, Height=4.0
Spatial Contrast group
This control sets the contrast value used as thresholds to control sampling.
Spatial contrast applies to each still image.
If neighboring samples in a frame differ by more than this color, the mental
ray renderer does recursive supersampling (that is, more than one sample per
pixel), up to the depth specified by the Maximum samples per pixel on page
6274 value. Increasing the Spatial Contrast values decreases the amount of
sampling done, and can speed the rendering of a scene at the cost of image
quality.
■
R, G, B Specify the threshold values for the red, green, and blue
components of samples. These values are normalized, and range from 0.0
mental ray Renderer | 6275
to 1.0, where 0.0 indicates the color component is fully unsaturated (black,
or 0 in eight-bit encoding) and 1.0 indicates the color component is fully
saturated (white, or 255 in eight-bit encoding). Default=(0.05, 0.05, 0.05).
■
A Specifies the threshold value for the alpha component of samples. This
value is normalized, and ranges from 0.0 (fully transparent, or 0 in eight-bit
encoding) to 1.0 (fully opaque, or 255 in eight-bit encoding). Default=0.05.
■
[color swatch] Click to display a Color Selector on page 391 to let you
specify the R, G, and B threshold values interactively.
Options group
Lock Samples When on, the mental ray renderer uses the same sampling
pattern for every frame of an animation. When off, the mental ray renderer
introduces a quasi-random (Monte Carlo) variation in the sample pattern from
frame to frame. Default=on.
Varying the sample pattern reduces rendering artifacts in animations.
Jitter Introduces a variation into sample locations; see Sampling on page 8112.
Turning on Jitter can help reduce aliasing. Default=on.
Bucket Width Determines the size of each bucket in pixels. Range=4 to 512
pixels. Default=48 pixels.
To render the scene, the mental ray renderer subdivides the image into
rectangular sections, or “buckets.” Using a smaller bucket size causes more
image updates to be generated during rendering. Updating the image consumes
a certain amount of CPU cycles. For scenes with little complexity, smaller
buckets can increase the rendering time, while larger buckets can make things
render faster. For more complex scenes, the reverse is true.
Bucket Order Lets you specify the method by which mental ray chooses the
next bucket. If you are using placeholders or distributed rendering, use the
default Hilbert order. Otherwise, you can choose a method based on how you
prefer to see the image appear as it renders in the Rendered Frame Window.
■
Hilbert (best) (The default.) The next bucket chosen is the one that will
trigger the fewest data transfers.
TIP Always use Hilbert order when you use placeholders (see the Translator
Options rollout on page 6316) or distributed rendering (see the Distributed
Bucket Rendering rollout on page 6326).
■
Spiral
The buckets begin at the center of the image, and spiral outward.
6276 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Left to right
to right.
Buckets are rendered in columns, from bottom to top, left
■
Right to left
to left.
Buckets are rendered in columns, from bottom to top, right
■
Top-down
Buckets are rendered in rows, from right to left, top to bottom.
■
Bottom-up
top.
Buckets are rendered in rows, from right to left, bottom to
Frame Buffer Type Lets you choose the bit depth of the output frame buffer:
■
Integer (16 bits per channel) Outputs 16 bits per channel of color
information.This is the default output format.
■
Floating-Point (32 bits per channel) Outputs 32 bits per channel of color
information. This method supports high-dynamic-range imagery (HDRI).
Rendering Algorithms Rollout (mental ray
Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout
The controls in this rollout let you choose whether to render using ray-tracing,
scanline rendering, or both. You can also choose the method used to accelerate
ray-tracing.
The Trace Depth controls the number of times each ray can be reflected,
refracted, or both.
Procedures
To set trace depth for reflections and refractions:
1 Count the number of times you want an object to be reflected or refracted
in the scene.
2 On the mental ray: Rendering Algorithms rollout, turn on Enable
Reflections and enable Refractions.
3 Set Max. Reflections to the number of reflections you want, and Max.
Refractions to the number of refractions you want.
mental ray Renderer | 6277
4 Set Max. Trace Depth to the sum of the values for Max Reflections and
Max Refractions.
The greater the number of reflections and refractions, the more slowly
your scene will render. On the other hand, too low a value for Max.
Reflections or Max. Refractions (or Max. Trace Depth, controlling both)
can make your rendering look unrealistic.
Interface
By default, both Scanline and Ray Tracing are enabled, which lets the mental
ray renderer use the two methods in combination to render the scene. Scanline
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rendering is used for direct illumination (“primary rays”) only; ray tracing is
used for indirect illumination (caustics and global illumination) as well as
reflections, refractions, and lens effects.
You can disable one or the other option, but not both. For example, if only
ray tracing is enabled and you turn it off, 3ds Max enables scanline rendering.
Scanline group
Enable When on, the renderer can use scanline rendering. When off, the
renderer uses the ray-tracing method only. Scanline rendering is faster than
ray tracing, but cannot generate reflections, refractions, shadows, depth of
field, or indirect lighting. Default=on.
Use Fast Rasterizer (Rapid Motion Blur) When on, uses a fast rasterizer
method to generate the first generation of rays to trace. This can improve
rendering speed. Default=off.
This option works well with object motion blur, and also with scenes that
have no motion blur.
The following settings are available for the fast rasterizer:
■
Samples per Pixel Controls the number of samples per pixel used by the
fast rasterizer method. More samples result in greater smoothness, at a cost
of render time. Range=1 to 225. Default=16.
■
Shades per Pixel Controls the approximate number of shading calls per
pixel. Greater values result in more accurate renderings, at a cost of render
time. Range=0.1 to 10000 (ten thousand). Default=2.0.
NOTE mental ray provides a Time Samples setting specifically for motion blur in
the fast rasterizer. When Use Fast Rasterizer is on, the Camera Effects rollout >Time
Samples on page 6287 label changes to Time Samples (Fast Rasterizer) to indicate
that this version of Time Samples is now in effect.
Ray Tracing group
Enable When on, mental ray uses ray tracing to render reflections, refractions,
lens effects (motion blur and depth of field), and indirect lighting (caustics
and global illumination). When off, the renderer uses the scanline method
only. Ray tracing is slower but more accurate and more realistic. Default=on.
To render reflections, refractions, depth of field, and indirect lighting (caustics
and global illumination), Ray Tracing must be enabled.
mental ray Renderer | 6279
Use Autovolume When on, uses the mental ray autovolume mode. This lets
you render nested or overlapping volumes such as the intersection of two
spotlight beams. Autovolume also allows a camera to move through the nested
or overlapping volumes. Default=off.
To use Autovolume, Ray Trace must be on, Scanline must be off, and the
shadow mode must be set to Segments. (You set the shadow mode on the
Shadows And Displacement rollout on page 6292.) If these conditions aren't met
when you click to turn on Autovolume, an alert warns you about this, and
gives you the option of making the appropriate setting changes.
Raytrace Acceleration Group
Method The drop-down list sets which algorithm to use for raytrace
acceleration on page 8102. The other controls in this group box change,
depending on which acceleration method you choose. These are the
alternatives:
■
BSP
(The default.) The BSP method has Size and Depth controls. See Ray-Trace
Acceleration: Parameters for the BSP Method on page 6282.
This method is the fastest on a single-processor system. Use it for
small-to-medium size scenes (less than one million triangles) on a single
processor. BSP is also the best method to use when ray tracing is turned
off.
■
BSP2
The BSP2 method is configured automatically by mental ray and has no
controls. This method is optimized for large scenes containing more than
a million triangles.
BSP2 requires less memory than BSP and is able to flush memory when
necessary. However, there could be a small performance loss when using
it with smaller scenes.
Reflections/Refractions group
Trace depth controls the number of times a light ray can be reflected or
refracted. At 0, no reflection or refraction occurs. Increasing these values can
increase the complexity and realism of a scene, at a cost of greater rendering
time.
6280 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP In some cases, you might want to set Max. Refractions high and Max.
Reflections low. For example, you might have the camera looking through several
glasses that are lined up, so they're overlapping from the camera's point of view.
In this situation, you might want the light rays to refract twice for each glass (once
for each layer), so you'd set Max. Refractions to 2 x [number of glasses]. However,
to save rendering time, you could set Max. Reflections to 1, resulting in accurate
multi-layer refraction with a relatively fast rendering time.
Max. Trace Depth Limits the combination of reflection and refraction. Tracing
of a ray stops when the total number of reflections and refractions reaches
the Max. Trace Depth. For example, if Max. Trace Depth is set to 3 and the
two trace depths are both set to 2, a ray can be reflected twice and refracted
once, or vice-versa, but it can’t be reflected and refracted four times. Default=6.
Enable Reflections When on, mental ray traces reflections. Turn off
to improve performance when you don’t require reflections.
■
Max. Reflections Sets the number of times a ray can be reflected. At 0,
no reflection occurs. At 1, the ray can be reflected once only. At 2, the ray
can be reflected twice, and so on. Default=4.
These controls are also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Include
In Render > Reflections and Max on page 6081.
Enable Refractions When on, mental ray traces refraction. Turn off
to improve performance when you don’t require refraction.
■
Max. Refractions Sets the number of times a ray can be refracted. At 0,
no refraction occurs. At 1, the ray can be refracted once only. At 2, the ray
can be refracted twice, and so on. Default=6.
These controls are also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Include
In Render > Refractions and Max on page 6081.
Subset Pixel Rendering group
Render changes to selected objects only When on, rendering the
scene applies only to selected objects. Unlike using the Selected on page 6097
option for rendering, however, using this option takes into account all scene
elements that affect its appearance. This includes shadows, reflection, direct
and indirect lighting, and so on. Also, unlike Selected, which replaces the
entire contents of the Rendered Frame Window (except for selected objects)
mental ray Renderer | 6281
with the background color, this option replaces only pixels used by the
re-rendered selected objects.
Subset pixel rendering is particularly useful when performing iterative
rendering and refinement of lighting, shadows, and other scene elements for
a particular object or set of objects in the scene. It lets you re-render repeatedly
to view the results of isolated changes without disturbing the rest of the
rendered output.
This setting is also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Subset Pixels
(of selected objects) on page 6081.
Ray-Trace Acceleration: Parameters for the BSP
Method
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout > Raytrace Acceleration group > Choose
BSP as the Raytrace Acceleration method.
When you choose BSP as the Raytrace Acceleration method on the Rendering
Algorithms rollout on page 6277, the parameters described here are displayed.
BSP stands for Binary Space Partitioning.
NOTE If the scene contains too many faces (triangles) to fit in a tree of the size
specified by the Size and Depth parameters, mental ray disregards the Size value
and creates larger leaf nodes. This can significantly slow down rendering. To avoid
this problem, increase the value of Depth.
Interface
Size Sets the maximum number of faces (triangles) in the leaf of a BSP tree.
Increasing the Size value reduces memory consumption but increases rendering
time. Default=10.
Depth Sets the maximum number of levels in the BSP tree. Increasing the
Depth value reduces rendering time, but increases memory consumption and
preprocessing time. Default=40.
6282 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP For large scenes, increasing the Depth value to 50 or more can greatly improve
rendering time.
Camera Effects Rollout (mental ray Renderer)
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel >
Camera Effects rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Camera Effects rollout
Note: The Camera Effects rollout appears only when the mental ray renderer
is the currently active renderer.
The controls in this rollout are for the camera effects depth of field on page
6249 and motion blur on page 6248, as well as for contour shading on page 6269
and adding camera shaders.
Procedures
To use depth of field for a Camera view:
1 On the camera’s Parameters rollout, in the Multi-Pass Effect group, turn
on Enable and choose Depth Of Field (mental ray).
2 Set the camera’s target distance to the range at which you want objects
to be clearly in focus.
For a Target camera, you can select the camera’s target object and move
it. For a Free camera, you adjust the Target Distance on the Parameters
rollout.
3 On the Camera’s Depth Of Field rollout, decrease the f-Stop value to
narrow the depth of field, or increase the f-Stop value to broaden the
depth of field.
You might need to experiment with f-Stop values to get the effect you
want.
4 Render the scene.
To use depth of field for a Perspective view:
1 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Renderer panel > Camera Effects
rollout, and in the Depth Of Field (Perspective Views Only) group, turn
on Enable.
mental ray Renderer | 6283
2 Set the Focus Plane distance to the range at which you want objects to
be clearly in focus.
3 Decrease the f-Stop value to narrow the depth of field, or increase the
f-Stop value to broaden the depth of field.
You might need to experiment with f-Stop values to get the effect you
want. If you have trouble getting good results with f-Stop, use the
drop-down list to change the method to In Focus Limits, then adjust the
Near and Far values to enclose the region of the scene you want to be
clearly in focus.
4 Render the scene.
To use motion blur:
1 Select each object you want to be blurred by motion, right-click and
choose Properties, then on the Object Properties dialog > General panel,
make sure that in the Motion Blur group, Enable is turned on and Object
is chosen.
The mental ray renderer won't generate motion blur if Image is the chosen
type.
2 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Renderer panel > Camera Effects
rollout, and in the Motion Blur group turn on Enable.
NOTE With the mental ray renderer, don't use Motion Blur as a Multi-Pass
Effect.
3 Increase the Shutter value to increase the blurriness caused by motion
blur.
4 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Rendering Algorithms rollout, and
make sure Ray Trace is turned on.
Motion blur is not rendered when the mental ray renderer uses scanlines
only.
5 Render the scene.
To render with contours:
1 Use the mental ray Connection rollout to assign a contour shader to an
object's material.
The mental ray material also lets you assign a contour shader.
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2 On the Render Setup dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout,
in the Contours group, turn on Enable.
3 Change the contour output shader if you so desire.
NOTE By default, only one contour contrast and store shader are provided
with 3ds Max. You can adjust the contour contrast shader's settings; the
contrast store shader has no parameters.
4 Render the scene.
To change a contour output shader:
NOTE By default, only one contour contrast and store shader are provided with
3ds Max. You can adjust the contour contrast shader's settings; the contour store
shader has no parameters.
1 Click the button for the Contour Output shader.
The Material/Map Browser is displayed.
2 Choose a contour output shader from the Browser list, and then click
OK.
To assign a camera shader:
1 Click the button for a camera Lens, Output, or Volume shader.
The Material/Map Browser is displayed.
2 Choose a shader from the Browser list, and then click OK.
To adjust the settings for a contour or camera shader assigned on this rollout:
1
Open the Material Editor.
If you need to, arrange the open dialogs so you can see the Material Editor
and the Render Setup dialog at the same time.
2 Drag the shader button from the Render Setup dialog to an unused sample
slot in the Material Editor.
An Instance (Copy) Map dialog is displayed. Be sure to choose Instance, and
then click OK.
mental ray Renderer | 6285
If you don't choose Instance, changes you make to the shader settings in
the Material Editor won't have any effect on the Render Setup dialog.
TIP If you forgot to choose Instance, change the shader settings as you
choose, and then drag the shader's sample slot or its Type button back to
the button in the Render Setup dialog. This updates the Render Setup dialog
copy of the shader.
The Material Editor displays the shader parameters rollout.
3 Adjust the parameters.
Interface
6286 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Motion Blur group
TIP mental ray motion blur is not recommended for use with particle systems, as
this can increase rendering time considerably. Use a Particle MBlur map on page
5891 instead.
NOTE Motion blur with the mental ray renderer does not always follow curving
trajectories. Increasing the value of Motion Segments can help, but this works
better for rotary motion than for traveling motion.
The Rendering Control Properties (lower-right) quad of the rendering quad
menu (Ctrl+Alt+right-click) has a Motion Blur toggle for a single, selected
object. You can turn on Motion Blur for lights and cameras: moving lights
and cameras can generate motion blur when rendered with mental ray.
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer calculates motion blur on page 6248.
Default=off.
Blur All Objects Applies motion blur to all objects, regardless of their object
property setting. Default=on.
Shutter Duration (frames) Simulates the shutter speed of a camera. At 0.0,
there is no motion blurring. The greater the Shutter Duration value, the greater
the blurring. Default=0.5.
Shutter Offset (frames) Sets the beginning of the motion-blur effect relative
to the current frame. The default value, 0.0, centers the blurring around the
current frame for a photorealistic effect. Default=–0.25.
Motion Segments Sets the number of segments for calculating motion blur.
This control is for animations. If motion blur appears to be tangential to the
actual motion of an object, increase the Motion Segments value. Larger values
result in more accurate motion blur, at a cost of rendering time. Default=1.
Time Samples When the scene uses motion blur, controls the number of
times the material is shaded during each time interval (set by Shutter Duration
on page 6287). Range=0 to 100. Default=5.
By default, the material is shaded only once, and then blurred. If the material
changes rapidly during the shutter interval, it might be useful to increase this
value, in order to obtain more accurate motion blur. Rapid changes in
reflections or refractions might require a higher Time Samples value.
mental ray Renderer | 6287
NOTE When Rendering Algorithms rollout > Use Fast Rasterizer on page 6279 is on,
the label for this parameter changes to Time Samples (Fast Rasterizer) to indicate
that this version of Time Samples is now in effect. The default value for the Fast
Rasterizer version of Time Samples is 1, and the range is 1 to 128. If you change
the value for either version, the software remembers the changed setting when
you switch.
Contours group
These controls enable contours, and let you use shaders to adjust the results
of a contour shader. You assign the primary contour shader to the Contour
component of the mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385 or a mental ray
material (see Advanced Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5646).
NOTE Contour shading does not work with distributed bucket rendering.
Enable When on enables rendering of contours. Default=off.
Click a button to change a shader assignment for adjusting contours. A default
is already assigned to the three components, as the button labels indicate.
Contour Contrast The contour contrast component can be assigned the
following shader:
Shader
Library
Contour Contrast Function Levels
contour
Contour Store This component stores the data on which contours are based.
It can be assigned the following shader, which has no parameters to set:
Shader
Library
Contour Store Function
contour
Contour Output The contour output component can be assigned one of these
shaders:
Shader
Library
Contour Composite
contour
Contour Only
contour
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Shader
Library
Contour PS (PostScript)
contour
To adjust the settings for a shader assigned to one of these components, drag
the shader's button to an unused Material Editor sample slot. When prompted
to use an instance or a copy, be sure to choose Instance. (If you edit a copy of
the shader, you will have to drag the sample slot back to the shader button
on the Camera Effects rollout before you see any changes take effect.)
Camera Shaders group
These controls let you assign mental ray camera shaders. Click a button to
assign a shader to that component. After a shader is assigned, its name appears
on the button. Use the toggle on the left to temporarily disable a shader that
has been assigned.
Lens Click to assign a lens shader. This component can be assigned one of
these shaders:
Shader
Library
Distortion
lume
Night
lume
Shader List on page 6003 (Lens)
3ds Max
Wrap Around
lume
Output Click to assign a camera output shader. These are the output shaders
you can assign:
Shader
Library
Glare Shader (mental ray) on page 5997 (The
lume
default.)
Shader List on page 6003 (Output)
lume
mental ray Renderer | 6289
Volume Click to assign a volume shader to the camera. These are the volume
shaders you can assign:
Shader
Library
Beam
lume
Material to Shader on page 6001
3ds Max
Mist
lume
Parti Volume
physics
Shader List on page 6003 (Volume)
3ds Max
Submerge
lume
NOTE You can also assign Volume shaders to the Volume component of the
mental ray Connection rollout on page 5385 and the mental ray material (see Material
Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5638).
Depth of Field (Perspective Views Only) group
These controls are comparable to the depth-of-field controls for cameras. They
apply only to Perspective viewports. You can render depth-of-field effects for
either Camera or Perspective views. Depth-of-field effects don’t appear when
you render orthographic viewports.
For a Perspective view, use the controls in this group. For a Camera view,
choose “Depth Of Field (mental ray)” as the multi-pass rendering effect, then
adjust the f-Stop setting. See Depth of Field Parameter (mental ray Renderer)
on page 5229.
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer calculates depth-of-field on page
6249 effects when rendering a Perspective view. Default=off.
[method drop-down list] Lets you choose the method for controlling
depth-of-field. Default=f-Stop.
■
f-Stop
Controls depth-of-field with the f-Stop setting.
■
In Focus Limits
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Controls depth-of-field with the Near and Far values.
In most cases, the f-Stop method is easier to use. The In Focus Limits method
can help when the scale of objects in the scene makes it difficult to control
depth of field using the f-Stop value alone.
Focus Plane For Perspective viewports, sets the distance from the camera, in
3ds Max units, at which the scene is completely in focus. Default=100.0.
For Camera viewports, the focus plane is set by the camera's target distance.
f-Stop When f-Stop is the active method, sets the f-stop for use when you
render Perspective views. Increasing the f-stop value broadens the depth of
field, and decreasing the f-stop value narrows the depth of field. Default=1.0.
The f-Stop can have a value less than 1.0. This is not realistic in terms of an
actual camera, but it can help you adjust the depth of field for scenes whose
scale does not use realistic units.
Near and Far When In Focus Limits is the active method, these values set the
range, in 3ds Max units, within which objects are in focus. Objects lose focus
when they are closer than the Near value or farther than the Far value. These
values are approximate, because the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus
is gradual, not abrupt.
The Near and Far values are related to each other and to the value of Focus
Plane. Changing the value of Near changes Far as well, and vice versa.
Specifically, if
H = Hyperfocal distance, the Focus Plane value at which the Far limit becomes
infinity
D = The Focus Plane distance
Dn = The Near distance
Df = The Far distance
Then
Dn = HD / (H + D)
Df = HD / (H − D)
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Shadows & Displacement Rollout (mental ray
Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Renderer
panel > Shadows & Displacement rollout
Note: The Shadows & Displacement rollout appears only when the mental
ray renderer is the currently active renderer.
The controls in this rollout affect shadows on page 6246 and displacement on
page 6268.
NOTE You can disable displacement globally by turning off Displacement in the
Options group on the Common Parameters rollout on page 6121.
Interface
Shadows group
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer renders shadows. When off, no
shadows are rendered. Default=on.
When Enable is off, the other shadow controls are unavailable.
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Mode The shadow mode can be Simple, Sort, or Segments. Default=Simple.
■
Simple
order.
Causes the mental ray renderer to call shadow shaders in a random
■
Sort Causes the mental ray renderer to call shadow shaders in order,
from the object to the light. Sort applies to third-party, external shadow
shaders on page 8123.
■
Segments Causes the mental ray renderer to call shadow shaders in order
along the light ray from the volume shaders to the segments of the light
ray between the object and the light.
TIP Choose Simple for regular shadows, Segments for volume shadows.
Shadow Maps group
These controls specify a shadow map on page 8126 used to render shadows.
When you specify a shadow map file, the mental ray renderer uses the shadow
map instead of ray-traced shadows.
To stop using a shadow map and use ray-traced shadows, delete the map's
name from the file name field.
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer renders shadow-mapped shadows.
When off, all shadows are ray-traced. Default=on.
When Enabled is off, the other controls in this group are unavailable.
If shadows are enabled but shadow maps are not enabled, then shadows for
all lights are generated using the mental ray ray-tracing algorithm. If shadow
maps are enabled, then shadow generation is based on each light’s choice of
shadow generator:
■
mental ray Shadow Map
shadow-map algorithm.
Shadows are generated using the mental ray
■
Shadow Map Settings on the Shadow Parameters rollout are translated
into a mental ray equivalent before shadows are generated. The quality of
shadows generated this way might not always meet expectations.
■
Area Shadows, Advanced Ray Traced Shadows, or Ray Traced
Shadows Shadows are generated using the mental ray ray-tracing
algorithm.
Motion Blur When on, the mental ray renderer applies motion blur on page
6248 to shadow maps. Default=on.
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WARNING Turning on Motion Blur for both cameras and shadows can cause
shadows to shift position. To avoid this effect, turn on motion blur for cameras
only.
Rebuild (Do Not Re-Use Cache) When on, the renderer saves the recalculated
shadow map (.zt) file on page 8177 to the file specified by the Browse button.
Default=on.
■
Use File When on, the mental ray renderer either saves the shadow map
to a ZT file, or loads an existing file. The state of Rebuild determines
whether the ZT file is saved or loaded.
This option is unavailable until you click the ellipsis button (see following)
to provide a name for the ZT file.
■
... [browse] Click to display a file selector dialog, which lets you specify
a name for the shadow map ZT file and the folder where it is saved.
■
File name After you specify a shadow map file (see preceding), this field
displays its name and path.
■
Delete File
Click to delete the current ZT file.
Displacement group
View Defines the space for displacement. When View is on, the Edge Length
specifies the length in pixels. When off, the Edge Length is specified in world
space units. Default=on.
Smoothing Turn off to have the mental ray renderer correctly render height
maps. Height maps can be generated by normal mapping; see Creating and
Using Normal Bump Maps on page 6384.
When using only height maps in the scene, make sure this option is off. If
some objects in the scene use height maps while others use standard
displacement, apply smoothing on a per-object basis (see mental ray Panel
(Object Properties Dialog) on page 322).
When on, mental ray simply smoothes the geometry using the interpolated
normals, making the geometry look better. This result, however, cannot be
used for height map displacement because smoothing affects geometry in a
way that is incompatible with height mapping.
Edge Length Defines the smallest potential edge length due to subdivision.
The mental ray renderer stops subdividing an edge once it reaches this size.
Default=2.0 pixels.
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Max. Displace Controls the maximum offset, in world units, that can be
given to a vertex when displacing it. This value can affect the bounding box
of an object. Default=20.0.
TIP If displaced geometry appears to be “clipped,” try increasing the value of
Maximum Displace.
NOTE When using placeholders (see the Translator Options rollout on page 6316),
if this value is larger than it needs to be, it can reduce performance. If you
experience slow times while displaced objects when Use Placeholder Objects is
on, try lowering the Max. Displace value.
Max. Subdiv. Controls the extent to which mental ray can recursively
subdivide each original mesh triangle for displacement. Each subdivision
recursion potentially divides a single face into four smaller faces. Choose the
value from the drop-down list. Range=4 to 64K (65,536). Default=16K (16,384).
For example, using the default value means that mental ray can subdivide
each displaced mesh triangle into as many as 16,384 smaller triangles.
Indirect Illumination Panel
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Indirect
Illumination panel
Note: The Processing panel appears only when mental ray is the active renderer.
The Indirect Illumination panel controls concern themselves with methods
for rendering bounced light within an environment, including final gathering,
caustics, and photons.
Final Gather Rollout (mental ray Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Indirect
Illumination panel > Final Gather rollout
Note: The Indirect Illumination panel appears only when the mental ray
renderer is the currently active renderer.
Final gathering is a technique for estimating global illumination for a given
point by either sampling a number of directions over the hemisphere over
that point (such a set of samples is called a final gather point), or by averaging
a number of nearby final gather points since final gather points are too
mental ray Renderer | 6295
expensive to compute for every illuminated point. In the former case, the
hemisphere orientation is determined by the surface normal of the triangle
on whose surface the point lies.
For diffuse scenes, final gathering often improves the quality of the global
illumination solution. Without final gathering, the global illumination on a
diffuse surface is computed by estimating the photon density (and energy)
near that point. With final gathering, many new rays are sent out to sample
the hemisphere above the point to determine the incident illumination. Some
of these rays strike diffuse surfaces, and the global illumination at those points
is then computed by the material shaders at these point, using illumination
from the photon map, if available, and from other material properties. Other
rays strike specular surfaces and do not contribute to the final gather color
(since that type of light transport is a secondary caustic). Tracing many rays
(each with a photon map lookup) is very time-consuming, so it is done only
when necessary. In most cases, interpolation and extrapolation from previous
nearby final gathers is sufficient.
Final gathering is also useful without photon tracing; this takes only
first-bounce indirect light into account but often gives good results where
complete physical accuracy is not required.
Interior rendered with final gathering only
Final gathering is useful in scenes with slow variation in the indirect
illumination, such as purely diffuse scenes. For such scenes, final gathering
eliminates photon map artifacts such as low-frequency noise and dark corners.
With final gathering, fewer photons are needed in the photon map and,
6296 | Chapter 20 Rendering
because each final gather averages over many values of indirect illumination,
lower accuracy is sufficient.
In film production work, final gathering increasingly replaces photon mapping,
except for caustics. Without multiple-bounce effects, which are performed by
photons by default and by final gathering only if the shaders adjusts the trace
depth, tends to have far less impact on the final image than the first bounce
that final gathering supports by default. Although physical correctness is lost,
this is often sufficient for film production, and final gathering is easier to
control than photons emanating from distant light sources. However, for
accurate indoor illumination simulations and other CAD-related applications,
photon mapping is still the method of choice.
Procedures
To use an environment map as a final gather light source:
Illumination from which final gathering is derived can be provided by an
actual light source, of course, but it can also be provided by an object to which
a self-illuminated material is applied, or even an environment map. In the
latter case, follow this procedure:
1 Add a skylight on page 5065 to the scene.
2 Do either of the following:
■
On the Skylight Parameters rollout, make sure Sky Color (the default)
is chosen, click the map button (“None”) to open the Material/Map
Browser dialog and then choose a map.
■
On the Skylight Parameters rollout, choose Use Scene Environment.
Use the Environment panel on page 6689 controls to assign an
environment map.
Thereafter, rendering with final gather enabled take the skylight map
into account when calculating final gather illumination.
TIP For extra realism, use an HDR image on page 7334 as a Bitmap map image
on page 5795.
mental ray Renderer | 6297
Interface
Basic group
6298 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Enable Final Gather When on, the mental ray renderer uses final gathering
on page 7978 to create global illumination or to improve its quality. Default=on.
This setting is also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Final Gather
on page 6081.
TIP Without final gathering, global illumination can appear to be patchy. But final
gathering increases rendering time. Leave Final Gather off to preview the scene,
and then turn it on for the finished rendering. (Increasing the number of photons
used to calculate global illumination can also improve global illumination.)
Multiplier / color swatch Use these to control the intensity and color of the
indirect light accumulated by final gathering. The defaults, 1.0 and white,
produce physically correct rendering.
This is useful for adjusting the contribution of the final gather effect, thus
improving the quality of an image.
FG Precision Presets Provides a quick, easy solution for final gather. The
default presets are: Draft, Low, Medium, High, Very High, and Custom (the
default choice). Available only when Enable Final Gather is on.
The presets affect the following settings:
■
Initial FG Point Density
■
Rays per FG Point
■
Interpolate Over Num. FG Points
The preset settings are defined in the text file mentalray_fg_presets.ini, found
in the \plugcfg folder in the program installation. You can modify the existing
presets and add new ones by editing this file.
This setting is also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Final Gather
Precision on page 6083.
Initial FG Point Density A multiplier for the density of final gather points.
Increasing this value increases the density (and thus the quantity) of final
gather points in the image. The points will therefore be closer together and
more numerous. This parameter is useful for solving geometry problems; for
example, near edges or corners. Default=1.0.
TIP When adjusting final render settings it's often helpful to visualize the final
gather points; to do so, turn on Diagnostics on page 6324 and choose the Final
Gather option.
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Rays per FG Point Sets how many rays are used to compute indirect
illumination in a final gather. Increasing this value makes global illumination
less noisy, but also increases rendering time. Default=250.
Interpolate Over Num. FG Points Controls the number of final gather points
that are used for an image sample. It is useful for solving noise problems and
getting smoother results.
For each final gather point, mental ray interpolates (averages) indirect light
values over the nearest N final gather points, with N specified by the value of
this parameter, as opposed to points within the specified radii as with the
alternate method on page 6305. Increasing the value increases the smoothness
of the result, and the required number of calculations, hence the render time
(but not as much as you might expect).
This setting is unavailable when Use Radius Interpolation Method on page
6305 is enabled.
Diffuse Bounces Sets the number of times mental ray calculates diffuse light
bounces for each diffuse ray. Default=0.
Like Maximum Reflections and Maximum Refractions, this value is subject to
the restriction of Max Depth. If you set Diffuse Bounces higher than Max
Depth, the latter setting is automatically raised to the Diffuse Bounces value
in the MI output file, but this is not reflected in the 3ds Max interface.
This setting is also available on the Rendered Frame Window, as Bounces on
page ?.
NOTE When Global Illumination on page 6310 is on, changing this setting has no
effect.
Weight Controls the relative contribution of the diffuse bounces to the final
gather solution. The value scales from "using no diffuse bounces" (value=0.0)
to "use full diffuse bounces" (value=1.0). Default=1.0.
Final Gather Map group
These controls tell mental ray how to calculate the final gather map for indirect
illumination. The map uses the FGM file format on page 7971.
Read/Write File When on, the mental ray renderer saves the final gather map
to the specified FGM file, if it doesn't already exist. If the file exists, mental
ray loads it and uses the map data it contains instead of generating a new one.
This setting is available on the Rendered Frame Window as Reuse > Final
Gather on page 6083.
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Read Only (FG Freeze) Determines whether or not mental ray uses the
final gather map file as is. When off, mental ray can add new final gather
points if necessary. When on, mental ray uses only the data in the specified
file, and does not generate any new final gather points during the
pre-processing stage. It can still generate new final gather points while
rendering when using the radius method. Available only when you've specified
an FGM file. Default=off.
This setting is available on the Rendered Frame Window as Reuse > Lock Final
Gather on page 6083.
... [Browse] Click to display a file selector dialog, which lets you specify a
name for the final gather map (FGM) file, and the folder where it is saved.
[file name] After you specify a final gather map file using the browse control
(see preceding), the name field displays its name and path.
This field can also be filled automatically with the default path and the file
name temp.fgm by turning on the Rendered Frame Window > Reuse group >
Final Gather on page 6083 check box.
Delete File Click to delete the current FGM file.
Generate Final Gather Map Now Processes the final gather pass for
all animation frames (as specified in the Common Parameters rollout > Time
Output group on page 6124). Generates the maps to the specified file without
rendering the scene. To reduce flicker when rendering an animation with a
networked render farm, use this function first to generate the final gather
solution for all frames, and then turn on Read Only (FG Freeze) before
rendering.
Advanced group
Noise Filtering (Speckle Reduction) Applies a median filter using neighboring
final gather rays that are shot from the same point. This parameter lets you
choose a value from a drop-down list. The options are None, Standard, High,
Very High, and Extremely High. Default=Standard.
The practical effect of increasing the Noise Filtering value is to make the scene
illumination smoother, at a cost of render time. However, increasing filtering
can also make the illumination somewhat darker.
Noise Filtering works by eliminating stray rays that are considerably brighter
than most of the rest. For example, in a situation in which most of the rays
mental ray Renderer | 6301
are within 10 percent of each others’ brightness, but a few are 50 percent
brighter than the rest, using Noise Filtering will tend to disregard the latter
rays in computing the Final Gather solution.
As a result, in low-light situations, setting Noise Filtering=None can greatly
increase the overall illumination. In the following rendered image, an interior
scene, lit only by skylight entering through the window, is very dark with
Noise Filtering set to Standard (Diffuse Bounces=1).
Noise Filtering=Standard
In the next illustration, the same scene renders much brighter with Noise
Filtering set to None. Note, however, the unevenness of the illumuniation.
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Noise Filtering=None
In cases like this, you can achieve superior results with slightly longer rendering
times by setting Noise Filtering to Standard and using a sky portal on page
5186 in the window opening, as shown in the following illlustration:
mental ray Renderer | 6303
Noise Filtering=Standard + Sky Portal
The above illustration is also improved by the realistic shadows cast by the
chair and table legs from the Sky Portal light.
Draft Mode (No Precalculations) When on, final gathering skips the
precalculation phase. This results in a rendering with artifacts, but begins
rendering more quickly, so it can useful when you want to do a series of trial
renderings. Default=off.
Trace Depth group
The Trace Depth controls are similar to those for calculating reflections and
refractions, but they refer to the light rays used by final gathering, rather than
to rays used in diffuse reflection and refraction.
Max. Depth Limits the combination of reflection and refraction. Reflection
and refraction of a light ray stop when the total number of both equals the
Maximum Depth setting. For example, if Maximum Depth equals 3 and the
trace depths each equal 2, a ray can be reflected twice and refracted once, or
vice versa, but it can’t be reflected and refracted four times. Default=2.
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Max. Reflections Sets the number of times a ray can be reflected. At 0, no
reflection occurs. At 1, the ray can be reflected once only. At 2, the ray can
be reflected twice, and so on. Default=5.
Max. Refractions Sets the number of times a ray can be refracted. At 0, no
refraction occurs. At 1, the ray can be refracted once only. At 2, the ray can
be refracted twice, and so on. Default=5.
Use Falloff (Limits Ray Distance) When on, uses the Start and Stop values
to limit the length of light rays used for regathering before using the
environment color. This can help improve regathering time, especially for
scenes that are not fully enclosed by geometry. Default=off.
■
Start Specifies the distance, in 3ds Max units, at which rays begin. You
can use this value to exclude geometry that is too close to the light source.
Default=0.0.
■
Stop Specifies the maximum length, in 3ds Max units, of a light ray. If
the ray reaches this limit without encountering a surface, then the
environment is used for shading. Default=0.0.
FG Point Interpolation group
These settings provide access to the legacy method of final gather point
interpolation.
Use Radius Interpolation Method When on, makes the remaining controls
in this group available. Also makes the Interpolate Over Num. FG Points check
box on page 6300 unavailable, indicating that these controls override that setting.
Radius When on, sets the maximum radius within which final gathering is
applied. Reducing this value can improve quality at a cost of rendering time.
If Radii In Pixels is off, the radius is specified in world units, and defaults to
10 percent of the maximum circumference of the scene. If Radii In Pixels is
on, default=5.0 pixels.
If both Radii In Pixels and Radius are off, the maximum radius is the default
value of 10 percent of the maximum scene radius, in world units.
Radii in Pixels When on, the radii values are specified in pixels. When off,
radii units depend on the value of the Radius toggle. Default=off.
Min. Radius When on, sets the minimum radius within which final gathering
must be used. Decreasing this value can improve render quality but increase
rendering time. Unavailable unless Radius is turned on. Default=0.0. If Radii
In Pixels is on, default=0.5.
mental ray Renderer | 6305
TIP In general, increasing the point density on page 6299 is better than decreasing
Min. Radius.
TIP To minimize flickering in animations, keep the two Radius values as close to
each other as possible.
Caustics and Global Illumination Rollout (mental
ray Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Indirect
Illumination panel > Caustics and Global Illumination rollout
Note: The Indirect Illumination panel appears only when the mental ray
renderer is the active renderer.
The controls in this rollout are for the effects of caustics on page 6255 and global
illumination on page 6261.
Procedures
To render with caustics:
1 Select each object you want to generate caustics, either by reflection or
refraction. Right-click and choose Properties, then on the mental ray
panel of the Object Properties dialog, turn on Generate Caustics.
Objects receive caustics by default. If you think this value might have
changed for the objects you want to receive caustics, use those objects’
Object Properties dialog to make sure Receive Caustics is turned on. Also,
to speed rendering time, you might want to turn off Receive Caustics for
those objects that don’t need to show them.
2 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Caustics And Global Illumination
rollout and turn on Caustics.
3 Adjust the caustics parameters to get the effect you want.
4 Render the scene.
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To render with global illumination:
Objects generate and receive global illumination by default. If you think these
settings might have changed for any objects in the scene, use the Object
Properties dialog to make sure the proper settings are enabled.
1 Select each object you want to generate and/or receive global illumination.
Right-click and choose Properties, then on the mental ray panel of the
Object Properties dialog, turn on Generate Global Illumination and/or
Receive Global Illumination. Also, to speed rendering time, you might
want to turn off Receive Global Illumination for those objects that don’t
need it.
2 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Indirect Illumination panel >
Caustics And Global Illumination rollout > Global Illumination (GI)
group and turn on Enable.
3 Adjust the global illumination parameters to get the effect you want.
4 For the final rendering, turn on Final Gather as well as Global
Illumination. See Final Gather Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6295.
5 Render the scene.
mental ray Renderer | 6307
Interface
6308 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Caustics group
IMPORTANT For caustics to render, you must also make sure to set up these other
conditions in your scene:
■
At least one object must be set to generate caustics. This is off by default.
■
At least one object must be set to receive caustics. This is on by default.
■
At least one light must be set to generate caustics. This is off by default.
The settings for generating and receiving caustics are located on the Object
Properties dialog > mental ray Panel on page 322.
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer calculates caustics effects.
Default=off.
Multiplier/color swatch Use these to control the intensity and color of the
indirect light accumulated by caustics. The defaults, 1.0 and white, produce
physically correct rendering.
This is useful for adjusting the contribution of the caustics effect, thus
improving the quality of an image.
Maximum Num. Photons per Sample Sets how many photons are used to
compute the intensity of the caustic. Increasing this value makes caustics less
noisy but also more blurry. Decreasing this value makes caustics more noisy
but less blurry. The larger the Samples value, the greater the rendering time.
Default=100.
TIP To preview a caustic, set Samples to 20, then increase the value for a final
rendering.
Maximum Sampling Radius When on, the spinner value sets the size of
photons. When off, each photon is calculated to be 1/100 of the radius of the
full scene. Maximum Sampling Radius default=off; value default=1.0.
In many cases, the default photon size (Radius=off) of 1/100 the scene size
gives useful results. In other cases, the default photon size might be too large
or too small.
When photon reflections overlap, the mental ray renderer uses sampling to
smooth them together. Increasing the number of samples increases the amount
of smoothing and can create more natural-looking caustics. When photons
have a small radius and don't overlap, the Samples setting has no effect. Low
Radius values with a large number of photons result in dotty caustics.
mental ray Renderer | 6309
Filter Sets the filter to use for sharpening caustics. Can equal Box, Cone, or
Gauss. The Box option requires less rendering time. The Cone option makes
caustics appear sharper. Default=Box.
The Gauss filter uses a Gauss (bell) curve, and can be smoother than the Cone
filter.
Filter Size Controls the sharpness of caustics when you choose Cone as the
caustic filter. This value must be greater than 1.0. Increasing the value makes
caustics more blurry. Decreasing the value makes caustics sharper, but also
slightly more noisy. Default=1.1.
Opaque Shadows when Caustics Are Enabled When on, shadows are opaque.
When off, shadows can be partially transparent. Default=on.
Opaque shadows render more quickly than transparent shadows.
Global Illumination (GI) group
These settings let you control the usage of photons by mental ray for generating
global illumination on page 6261. By default, all objects generate and receive
global illumination. The settings for generating and receiving GI are located
on the Object Properties dialog > mental ray Panel on page 322.
NOTE In order to render global illumination in mental ray, the photons must be
able to bounce among two or more surfaces. This can be accomplished by having
a single object with some concavity in its surface that’s exposed to the light source,
or at least two objects, and at least one object must be set to receive global
illumination (see mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 322).
Otherwise you’ll receive error messages and no photons will be stored.
Enable When on, the mental ray renderer calculates global illumination.
Default=off.
Multiplier/color swatch Use these to control the intensity and color of the
indirect light accumulated by global illumination. The defaults, 1.0 and white,
produce physically correct rendering.
This is useful for adjusting the contribution of the GI effect, thus improving
the quality of an image.
Maximum Num. Photons per Sample Sets how many photons are used to
compute the intensity of the global illumination. Increasing this value makes
global illumination less noisy but also more blurry. Decreasing this value
makes global illumination more noisy but less blurry. The larger the Samples
value, the greater the rendering time. Default=500.
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TIP To preview global illumination, set Samples to 100, then increase the value
for a final rendering.
Maximum Sampling Radius When on, the numeric value sets the size of
photons. When off, each photon is calculated to be 1/10 of the radius of the
full scene. Default=off, 1.0.
In many cases, the default photon size (Maximum Sampling Radius=off) of
one-tenth the scene size gives useful results. In other cases, the default photon
size might be too large or too small.
When photons overlap, the mental ray renderer uses sampling to smooth
them together. Increasing the number of samples increases the amount of
smoothing and can create more natural-looking caustics. When photons have
a small radius and don't overlap, the Samples setting has no effect. For global
illumination, photons should overlap. To get good results, you might need
to turn on Maximum Sampling Radius and increase the photon size.
Merge Nearby Photons (saves memory) Enables reduction of the memory
footprint of the photon map. When on, use the numeric field to specify the
distance threshold below which mental ray merges photons. The result is a
smoother, less-detailed photon map that uses significantly less memory.
Default=off, 0.0.
NOTE Loading a legacy file uses the default value of 0.0. Also, using a value of
0.0 is equivalent to turning the feature off.
Optimize for Final Gather (Slower GI) If turned on before you render the
scene, the mental ray renderer computes information to speed up the
regathering process. Specifically, each photon stores additional information
about how bright its neighbors are. This is particularly useful when combining
Final Gather with Global Illumination, in which case the additional
information allows Final Gather to quickly determine how many photons
exist in a region. The fast lookup computation can take a long time, but it can
greatly reduce the total rendering time. Default=off.
The fast lookup computation can be can be stored as additional data inside a
photon map file on page 8093, and then reused in subsequent renderings.
Volumes group
The controls in this group and the ones that follow are for the photon maps
on page 8090 used to calculate caustics and global illumination. This group
controls volumetric caustics. Volumetric caustics require a material to have a
volume shader assign to its Photon Volume component.
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Maximum Num. Photons per Sample Sets how many photons are used to
shade the volume. Default=100.
Maximum Sampling Radius When on, the numeric setting determines the
size of photons. When off, mental ray calculates each photon to be one-tenth
the size of the scene extents on page 8117. Default: off; value=1.0.
The numeric setting is unavailable when the check box is off.
Photon Map group
These controls tell mental ray how to calculate the photon map for indirect
illumination.
NOTE If you've specified a photon map here, mental ray continues to use that
map instead of generating a new one. To cause the photon map file to be rebuilt,
delete the existing file.
Read/Write File When on, if the specified photon map (PMAP on page 8093)
file does not yet exist, mental ray generates a new map file when rendering.
If the specified file does exist, mental ray loads and uses the file.
This option becomes available after you click Browse (“...”) and provide a
name for the PMAP file.
... [browse] Click to display a file selector dialog, which lets you specify a
name and path for the photon map (PMAP) file. This automatically turns on
Read/Write File.
[file name] When you have used the [...] button to specify a photon map file,
this field displays its name and path.
Delete File Click to delete the current PMAP file.
Generate Photon Map Now Processes the photon-mapping pass for
all animation frames (as specified in the Common Parameters rollout > Time
Output group on page 6124). Generates the photon maps to the specified file
without rendering the scene. To reduce flicker when rendering an animation
with a networked render farm, use this function first to generate the GI solution
for all frames, and then make sure Read/Write File (see preceding) is on before
rendering.
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Trace Depth group
The Trace Depth controls are similar to those for calculating reflections and
refractions, but they refer to the photons used by caustics and global
illumination, rather than to rays used in diffuse reflection and refraction.
Max. Depth Limits the combination of reflection and refraction. Reflection
and refraction of a photon stop when the total number of both equals the
Maximum Depth setting. For example, if Maximum Depth equals 3 and the
trace depths each equal 2, a photon can be reflected twice and refracted once,
or vice versa, but it can’t be reflected and refracted four times. Default=10.
Max. Reflections Sets the number of times a photon can be reflected. At 0,
no reflection occurs. At 1, the photon can be reflected once only. At 2, the
photon can be reflected twice, and so on. Default=10.
Max. Refractions Sets the number of times a photon can be refracted. At 0,
no refraction occurs. At 1, the photon can be refracted once only. At 2, the
photon can be refracted twice, and so on. Default=10.
Light Properties group
Controls in this group affect how lights behave when calculating indirect
illumination. By default, the energy and photon settings apply to all lights in
a scene. Use the mental ray Indirect Illumination rollout on page 5112 for light
objects to adjust an individual light either by multiplying the global values,
or by setting local values (using multipliers is the recommended method).
Average Caustic Photons per Light Sets the number of photons emitted by
each light for use in caustics. This is the number of photons in the photon
map on page 8090 used for caustics. Increasing this value increases the accuracy
of caustics, but also increases the amount of memory used and the length of
render time. Decreasing this value improves memory usage and render time,
and can be useful for previewing caustic effects. Default=10000.
Average GI Photons per Light Sets the number of photons emitted by each
light for use in global illumination. This is the number of photons in the
photon map used for global illumination. Increasing this value increases the
accuracy of global illumination, but also increases the amount of memory
used and the length of render time. Decreasing this value improves memory
usage and render time, and can be useful for previewing global-illumination
effects. Default=10000.
Decay Specifies how photon energy decays as it moves away from each light
source. This value is given by 1/(distancedecay), where distance is the distance
mental ray Renderer | 6313
between the light source and an object, and decay is the value of this setting.
Default=2.0.
The most common values are:
■
0.0 The energy doesn't decay, and photons can provide indirect
illumination throughout the scene.
■
1.0 The energy decays at a linear rate, proportionally to its distance from
the light. That is, a photon's energy is 1/distance, where distance is the
distance from the light source.
■
2.0 (The default.) The energy decays at an inverse square rate. That is, a
photon's energy is the inverse of the square of the distance from the light
source: 1/distance2.
In the real world, light decays at an inverse square rate (Decay=2.0), but this
gives strictly realistic results only if you provide a realistic value for the energy
of the light. Other values of Decay can help you adjust indirect illumination
without worrying about physical accuracy.
NOTE Decay values of less than 1.0 are not recommended, and can cause
rendering artifacts.
Geometry Properties group
All Objects Generate & Receive GI and Caustics When on, at rendering
time, all objects in the scene can generate and receive caustics and global
illumination, regardless of their local object properties settings. When off, an
object's local object properties determine whether it generates or receives
caustics or global illumination. Turning this on is an easy way to ensure that
caustics and global illumination are generated, though it can increase rendering
time. Default=off.
This setting does not alter the object's local object properties settings for mental
ray. When you turn off All Objects Generate & Receive GI And Caustics, the
prior object properties settings are in effect once again.
Processing Panel
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Processing panel
Note: The Processing panel appears only when mental ray is the active renderer.
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The Processing panel is an additional Render Setup dialog on page 6067 panel
whose controls relate to managing how the renderer operates. It also lets you
generate diagnostic renderings in pseudo color.
Interface
The Processing panel contains three rollouts:
Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6316
Diagnostics Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6324
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6326
mental ray Renderer | 6315
Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Processing panel > Translator Options rollout
Note: The Processing panel appears only when the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
Controls in this rollout affect the operation of the mental ray renderer with
respect to translation of the scene to the format the renderer requires. They
also let you save the translated scene to an MI file on page 8044, which you can
then use with a standalone renderer. The translated output uses the mental
ray version 3 (mi3) format. The translator does not support mental ray version
1 (mi1).
See also:
■
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6326
Procedures
To save the mental ray renderer settings:
■
When you have a set of rendering settings you want to keep, go to the
Render Setup dialog and open the Preset drop-down list at the bottom.
Choose Save Preset (at the bottom of the list), enter a file name, and click
Save. Next, use the Select Preset Categories dialog to highlight the parameter
categories to store in the preset and click Save. Thereafter you can choose
your custom setup from the Preset drop-down list.
To create a rendering from multiple passes:
1 Use the Render Type on page 6095 > Selected option to choose only a
portion of the scene to render.
2 On the Translator Options rollout, in the Render Passes group, click the
ellipsis [...] button next to Save.
3 A Save As dialog is displayed. Use it to enter a name and location for the
PASS file.
4 Click Render.
The partial rendering is saved in the PASS file you specified.
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5 Repeat steps 1 through 4 until you have generated all the passes for the
rendering (or all the passes but the last).
WARNING If your scene includes an environment, render it only in the final
pass. Rendering the environment in multiple passes is time consuming, and
can lead to artifacts such as unwanted color changes to the background.
Render all passes but the last one using a default black background.
6 In the Render Passes group, click Add to add the various pass files to the
list.
7 Turn on Merge.
At this point, you might also want to turn off Save, unless you want the
final result to be saved as a PASS file as well as a rendering.
8 Click Render.
The rendering consists of all the passes merged into one.
TIP For some purposes, you might want to create the passes, then create a new
3ds Max scene with no objects, set the rendering resolution to match the passes,
you created, then merge the passes as described in steps 7 and 8 above.
mental ray Renderer | 6317
Interface
Memory Options group
Use Placeholder Objects When on, 3ds Max sends geometry to the mental
ray renderer only on demand. Initially, the mental ray scene database is
populated only with the size (bounding box) and position of objects in the
3ds Max scene. When the mental ray renderer renders a bucket that contains
an object, the object's geometry is sent to the rendering engine only at that
point. Default=off.
This option can improve rendering speed when a large amount of the scene's
geometry is outside of the view you are rendering.
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TIP When you use placeholders, 3ds Max always calculates buckets in Hilbert
order on page 6276.
When the mental ray renderer is low on memory (as defined by the Memory
Limit setting), Use Placeholder Objects enables it to increase available memory
by deleting object geometry from the scene database. This can dramatically
reduce memory usage, but with a possible cost in rendering speed.
Memory Limit The mental ray renderer keeps a count of the memory it uses
at render time. If it reaches the specified memory limit and Use Placeholder
Objects (see preceding) is on, 3ds Max discards the geometry for some objects
in order to allocate memory for other objects. If Use Placeholder Objects is
off, or if after deleting geometry more memory is still needed, the renderer
releases texture-map memory as well. Default=650 MB.
TIP If you’d like to use a different Memory Limit setting on a regular basis without
having to change the value manually every time, store the value in a rendering
preset on page 6114 and then be sure to load that preset before rendering.
Use mental ray Map Manager When on, maps are read from disk and if
necessary, translated to a format that the mental ray renderer can read. When
off, maps are accessed directly from memory, and translation is unnecessary.
Default=off.
Following is a complete list of differences between turning this option on and
off:
When on:
■
mental ray reads textures directly from disk (mental ray is able to flush
textures out of memory when memory is low). Also, textures are loaded
only if needed.
■
mental ray uses its built-in pyramid filtering system. These pyramid lookup
tables can be flushed out of memory when memory is low.
■
Texture formats not supported directly by mental ray are read by 3ds Max
and sent, before rendering begins, as binary data to mental ray.
When off:
■
3ds Max reads the textures from disk, and then sends individual pixel
colors to mental ray as they are needed.
mental ray Renderer | 6319
NOTE 3ds Max reads the textures from disk and keeps them stored in memory
between renders. This can make renders faster, because the bitmaps don’t
need to be reloaded every time. 3ds Max will not read the texture from disk
if it was already loaded previously (for example, in a previous render, for a
Material Editor preview, or for displaying the map in a viewport).
■
Rendering uses a pyramid filter shader that is identical to the standard 3ds
Max pyramid filter system.
Turning this option on is useful for large scenes that take a lot of memory to
render. Turning it off is quicker, because textures already loaded in memory
don’t have to be reloaded by mental ray. But turning it off might use more
memory and doesn’t allow for flushing when memory is low, unless you use
the 3ds Max bitmap pager on page 7768.
NOTE Turning the option on and off might result in very small differences between
rendered images because of the different algorithms used in the mental ray map
manager and the 3ds Max map manager.
You must turn on “Use mental ray Map Manager” when performing these
actions:
■
Using distributed bucket rendering.
See Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page
6326.
When rendered with distributed bucket rendering and the mental ray map
manager, images with textures can look different than when rendered with
3ds Max alone, because the filtering technique is different.
■
Exporting to an MI file.
See below.
Conserve Memory Tells the translator to be as memory efficient as it can.
This can slow down the translation process, but reduces the amount of data
being sent to the mental ray renderer. Default=off.
This option is useful when you are trying to render a huge scene and time is
not necessarily an issue. When you render to an MI file, this option can also
help reduce the size of the output file.
When on, this toggle also tells the mental ray renderer to save frames as
temporary .map files. This allows you to render extremely large frames without
running out of random-access memory.
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The location of the temporary map files is chosen in the following order:
1 If the file \[program folder]\mentalray\rayrc contains a registry entry called
_MI_REG_FBDIR, the renderer uses this directory.
The entry should have the form
registry "{_MI_REG_FBDIR}" value "" end registry
where is the directory you want to use.
2 If the rayrc file has no registry entry, the renderer uses the directory
specified by the TMPDIR environment variable.
3 If there is no TMPDIR environment variable, the renderer uses the
directory specified by the TEMP environment variable.
Geometry Caching group
Geometry caching lets you save the translated scene contents to a temporary
file for reuse in subsequent renders. This can save time by omitting the
translation step, especially with geometry-heavy scenes. Two levels of caching
are available: standard and locked.
Enable When on, rendering uses geometry caching. During the first render,
the translated geometry is saved to the cache file. Then, in subsequent
renderings of the same scene, the renderer uses the cached geometry for any
unchanged objects instead of retranslating it. Any changed geometry is
retranslated. Default=off.
This control is available on the Rendered Frame Window lower panel as Reuse
> Geometry on page 6082.
Lock Geometry Translation When on, sub-object-level changes such
as vertex editing or adjusting a modifier such as Bend are ignored and don’t
cause retranslation. However, object-level changes such as moving or rotating
an object are retranslated.
This control is available on the Rendered Frame Window lower panel as Reuse
> Lock Geometry Translation on page 6082 (
button).
Clear Geometry Cache Deletes the cached geometry.
This control is available on the Rendered Frame Window lower panel as Reuse
> Clear Geometry Cache on page 6083.
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Material Override group
Material Override allows you to render a scene with all its materials replaced
by a single master material. For example, if you need to do a wireframe pass,
you can create a Wire material and then specify it here. When you render, all
surfaces will use the Wire material.
Enable When on, rendering uses the override material for all surfaces. When
off, surfaces are rendered with the material applied to them in the scene.
Default=off.
Material Click to display the Material/Map Browser on page 5290 and choose
a material to use as the override. Once you have chosen an override material,
this button displays the material name.
Export to .mi File group
These controls let you save the translated scene in a mental ray MI file on
page 8044. Before exporting, you must specify an export file by clicking the
ellipsis [...] button.
NOTE Exporting to an MI file is not available when you render to texture on page
6371.
Export on Render When on, saves the translated file to an MI file instead of
rendering when you click Render. Available only after you have clicked the
ellipsis [...] button to specify an MI file. Default=off.
Un-compressed When on, the MI file is not compressed. When off, the file
is saved in a compressed format. Default=on.
Incremental (Single File) When on, exports an animation as a single MI file
that contains a definition of the first frame and descriptors of the incremental
changes from frame to frame. When off, exports each frame as a separate MI
file. Default=off.
When you export an animation, turning on Incremental can save a
considerable amount of disk space.
■
... [browse] Click to display a file selector dialog, which lets you specify
a name for the MI file, and the folder where it is saved.
■
File name After you've used the ellipsis [...] button to specify an MI file,
this field displays its name and path.
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Render Passes group
Controls in this group let you create a rendering out of multiple passes that
render portions a scene. This can be a useful way to render large scenes or
scenes that have complex effects. It can also be a way to divide the labor on
a composited (“merged”) rendering. See the “Procedures” section, above, for
more information.
NOTE You cannot render to passes when you render to texture on page 6371.
Save When on, saves the image currently being rendered (prior to merging)
inside the specified PASS file.
■
... [browse] Click to display a file selector dialog, which lets you specify
a name for the PASS file and the folder where it is saved.
■
File name After you have specified a PASS file, the name field displays
its name and path.
If you are rendering a time segment (that is, an animation), the PASS files are
created with sequence numbers appended to the main file name (for example,
test0000.pass, test0001.pass, and so on).
Merge When on, the PASS files specified in the list will be merged into the
final rendering.
■
List of PASS files Lists the PASS files that will be merged into the final
rendering (possibly including the pass that is currently being rendered and
saved).
■
Add Click to add a PASS file to the list.
If you choose a PASS file with a sequence number appended to its name,
3ds Max asks if you want to use the individual file or the entire sequence.
■
Delete
Click to delete the highlighted PASS file from the list.
Merge Shader Lets you choose the shader used to merge the PASS files. Clicking
the shader button displays a Material/Map Browser so you can choose the
shader (when a shader is chosen, its name appears on the button). When the
toggle is on, this shader is used for merging.
IMPORTANT No merge shaders are provided with 3ds Max. This option is provided
for users who plan to write a custom merge shader appropriate to their particular
compositing project.
mental ray Renderer | 6323
Mapping group
Skip Maps and Textures When on, rendering ignores maps and textures,
including projection maps, and uses only surface colors (diffuse, specular, and
so on). Default=off.
Turning off maps can be useful, and save time, when you are adjusting global
illumination.
Diagnostics Rollout (mental ray Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Processing panel > Diagnostics rollout
Note: The Processing panel appears only when the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
The tools on the Diagnostics rollout can help you understand why the mental
ray renderer is behaving in a certain way. The Sampling Rate tool, in particular,
can help explain the renderer's performance.
Each of these tools generates a rendering that is not a photorealistic view, but
a schematic representation of the functionality you have chosen to analyze.
Interface
Enable When on, the renderer renders the graphic representation for the tool
you have chosen.
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Sampling Rate When chosen, renders an image that shows where samples
were collected during rendering; see Sampling (mental ray Renderer) on page
8112. This can help you adjust the contrast and other sampling parameters.
Coordinate Space Renders an image that shows the coordinate space of
objects, the world, or camera.
■
Object
space.
Shows local coordinates (UVW). Each object has its own coordinate
■
World Shows world coordinates (XYZ). The same coordinate system
applies to all objects.
■
Camera Shows camera coordinates, which appear as a rectangular grid
superimposed on the view.
Size Sets the size of the grid. Default=1.0.
TIP To avoid busy moiré patterns in the grid, increase the value of Size.
Photon Renders the effect of a photon map in the screen. This requires that
a photon map be present (to render caustics or global illumination). If no
photon map is present, the Photon rendering looks just like the nondiagnostic
rendering of the scene: the mental ray renderer first renders the shaded scene,
then replaces it with the pseudocolor image.
■
Density Renders the photon map as it is projected into the scene. High
density is displayed in red, and lower values render in increasingly cooler
colors.
■
Irradiance Similar to the Density rendering, but shades the photons based
on their irradiance. The maximum irradiance is rendered in red, and lower
values render in increasingly cooler colors.
BSP Renders a visualization of the parameters used by the tree in the BSP
ray-trace acceleration method on page 6282. If a message from the renderer
reports excessively large depth or size values, or if rendering seems unusually
slow, this can help you locate the problem.
■
Depth Shows the depth of the tree, with top faces in bright red, and
increasingly deep faces in increasingly cool colors.
■
Size Shows the size of leaves in the tree, with differently sized leaves
indicated by different colors.
NOTE The BSP diagnostic works with the BSP method only; the BSP2 method
does not support it.
mental ray Renderer | 6325
Final Gather Renders the scene with pre-processing final-gather points
displayed as green dots, and tile-rendering (final render) final-gather points
displayed as red dots.
For animation purposes, the presence of red dots is undesirable. To resolve
this, use the Interpolate Over Num. FG Points setting on page 6300 instead of
the Radius Interpolation Method on page 6305, or, if you prefer the latter, keep
the Min. Radius setting as close as possible to the Radius setting; that is, the
maximum radius.
Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray
Renderer)
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog >
Processing panel > Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout
Note: The Processing panel appears only when the mental ray renderer is the
currently active renderer.
Controls on this rollout are for setting up and managed distributed bucket
rendering. With distributed rendering, multiple networked systems can all
work on a mental ray rendering. Buckets are assigned to systems as they become
available.
While distributed bucket rendering can be used for offline rendering of
animation frames, as in standard network rendering, it's best suited for speeding
up the rendering of single images as you work. Especially when rendering
high-resolution still images, you can get much faster results with distributed
bucket rendering.
TIP When you use distributed bucket rendering, be sure to:
■
Turn on Use Placeholder Objects on the Translator Options rollout on
page 6316.
When placeholder objects are enabled, geometry is sent to the renderer
only on demand.
■
Leave Bucket Order set to Hilbert on the Sampling Quality rollout on page
6272.
With Hilbert order, the sequence of buckets to render uses the fewest
number of data transfers.
NOTE Contour shading does not work with distributed bucket rendering.
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NOTE You cannot use distributed bucket rendering when you render to texture
on page 6371.
IMPORTANT To use distributed bucket rendering, you must set up host systems
that are capable of running the mental ray renderer. There are two ways to do so:
set up satellite systems, or install mental ray standalone licensing on remote hosts.
Satellite Systems
“Satellite” processors allow any owner of a 3ds Max license to freely use up
to eight slave CPUs to render an image using distributed bucket rendering
(not counting the one, two, or four processors on the “master” system that
runs 3ds Max).
Each satellite system must have the following files installed:
■
rayrc
■
raysat_3dsmax.bat
■
raysat_3dsmax.exe
■
raysat_3dsmaxserver.exe
where is the current 3ds Max version number.
You can use the 3ds Max installation program to install these files: see the
Installation Guide for more information.
In addition, information about each satellite should be stored in the RAYHOSTS
file on page 8104. You can set up satellite systems by using the Add button on
the Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout, as described in the “Interface”
section, below.
Host Systems with SPM Licenses
When you use mental ray SPM licenses, remote hosts (that is, all systems other
than the one running 3ds Max) must have the mental ray renderer (ray.exe)
and a mental ray SPM license server running. To obtain this, you must run
the mental ray installer on all remote hosts, then configure and run the SPM
license server. Instructions about how to do so are provided with the mental
ray renderer sold by mental images.
Once the remote hosts have been configured to run a licensed instance of
ray.exe, you can use them for distributed rendering simply by naming them
in the RAYHOSTS file on page 8104. You can add hosts to the RAYHOSTS file
mental ray Renderer | 6327
using the Add button described in the “Interface” section, below, just as you
would add a satellite processor.
Batch Rendering (Using Backburner or the Command Line)
You can launch distributed bucket rendering from the command line, using
3dsmaxcmd.exe.
If you use satellite processors, you cannot use Backburner to manage distributed
bucket rendering. When host processors have SPM licenses, you can use
Backburner to manage distributed bucket rendering.
You can use the environment variable MRMAX_OFFLINE_DBR_OVERRIDE to
control whether batch rendering uses distributed bucket rendering. The state
of this variable overrides the “DBR enable” flag. If it is set to “yes,” “true,” or
“on,” distributed bucket rendering is enabled; if it is set to “no,” “false,” or
“off,” distributed bucket rendering is disabled. All other values of this variable
are ignored.
See also:
■
Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6316
Procedures
To use mental ray distributed rendering:
1 On the Render Setup dialog, go to the Processing panel. On the Distributed
Bucket Rendering rollout, turn on Distributed Render.
NOTE The Net Render option on the Common Parameters rollout has no
effect on distributed bucket rendering.
2 Click to select the names of those satellite or host systems you want to
use for distributed rendering.
You can click All to select all the host names in the list, or None to select
none of the hosts.
3 If other host systems have maps installed on them, with exactly the same
file names and path names as on your local host, turn on Distributed
Maps.
With Distributed Maps turned on, remote renderers can use their local
copy of maps, which saves time.
6328 | Chapter 20 Rendering
4 Render the scene.
Each system renders the buckets assigned to it. The final rendering appears
on your local system, with buckets “arriving” in an indeterminate order.
Example: To use mental ray distributed bucket rendering with Backburner:
This procedure demonstrates how to multiply the number of CPUs used for
rendering without having to purchase mental ray standalone licenses, using
the 3ds Max satellite technology.
If you have a few machines with 3ds Max licensed, and many machines
without, you can use both the distributed rendering technology and
Backburner so a rendering job would use 10 CPUs per Backburner server,
thereby increasing the rendering speed.
For the purpose of this procedure, we're using a render farm comprising three
machines named A, B, and C, each running a licensed copy of 3ds Max.
NOTE The number of machines you can use depends on the number of machines
running licensed copies of 3ds Max. You are able to use only eight external (or
satellite) CPUs per licensed copy of 3ds Max: four dual-processor machines or
eight single-processor machines (or equivalent).
1 Choose which machines (other than machines A, B, and C) will serve as
satellites, install 3ds Max on each, and write down each machine's IP
address.
2 Use the Windows Notepad program or a text editor to open the
max.rayhosts file on machine A, located in mentalray subdirectory within
the program folder.
3 In the max.rayhosts file, under the “localhost” entry enter the IP address
of each satellite CPU to be used; up to eight in all (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Example of a rayhost file
mental ray Renderer | 6329
4 Repeat the previous step on machines B and C with the remaining IP
addresses.
5 Launch Backburner Manager on the machine submitting the job or any
other machine. Launch the Backburner Server on machines A, B, and C.
WARNING It is necessary for the machine running the Backburner Server to
have 3ds Max licensed. A mental ray standalone license will not enable you
to use the distributed bucket rendering feature, and Backburner will prompt
you with a license error.
6 On the machine submitting the job choose mental ray as the renderer,
and then turn on Use Placeholder Objects, Use mental ray Map Manager
(see Figure 2), and the Distributed Render (see Figure 3).
Figure 2 – Translator Options
6330 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Figure 3 – Distributed Bucket Rendering
7 Submit the job to the Backburner network rendering farm.
The job is submitted to the network rendering farm and is picked up by
machines A, B, and C. Each machine uses its internal CPU as well as its
satellite CPUs to render the job.
mental ray Renderer | 6331
Interface
Distributed Render When on, the mental ray renderer can use multiple
satellite or host systems for distributed rendering. The list specifies which
systems to use. Default=off.
NOTE The Net Render option on the Common Parameters rollout has no effect
on distributed bucket rendering.
The other distributed rendering controls are unavailable unless Distributed
Render is on.
Distributed Maps When on, specifies that all texture maps can be found on
each of the slave machines doing distributed rendering. This saves time by
avoiding the necessity for mental ray to distribute all the maps to each slave
via TCP/IP. When off, specifies that all maps used in rendering reside on the
local system; that is, the system on which you start rendering. Default=off.
If Distributed Maps is on but the maps are not found on the slaves, those maps
simply will not render on the slaves, and rendered output will be incorrect.
Also, an error message will appear in the mental ray message window.
If you are doing local rendering only, this setting has no effect.
Maps on all systems in distributed rendering must have exactly the same name
and directory path.
6332 | Chapter 20 Rendering
[name field] Displays the RAYHOSTS file's on page 8104 name and path.
[list of hosts] After you choose a RAYHOSTS file, this list shows the host
systems available for distributed mental ray rendering. You can use this list
to choose only those hosts you want to use for this particular rendering. When
you render with Distributed Render on, the mental ray renderer uses only the
hosts whose names are highlighted in this list. Click a host name to select it.
To deselect a selected host name, click it again.
NOTE The RAYHOSTS file, and therefore the host list, can contain duplicate entries.
However, before you render you must select only processors that are not duplicates;
otherwise, at render time 3ds Max will display an error message.
If Distributed Render is on but the list of hosts is empty when you click Render,
3ds Max will not perform distributed bucket rendering.
All Highlights all system names in the hosts list.
None Clears the highlight from all system names in the hosts list.
Add Click to display an Add/Edit DBR Host dialog on page 6334, which lets you
add a host processor to the RAYHOSTS file.
Edit Click to display the Add/Edit DBR Host dialog on page 6334, and edit the
highlighted host processor's entry in the RAYHOSTS file. Available only when
a single list entry is highlighted.
Remove Click to remove the currently highlighted host processors from the
list and the RAYHOSTS file. Available only when one or more list entries are
highlighted.
Clicking Remove displays a Remove Selected Hosts dialog, which warns you
that the host descriptors will be removed from both locations:
To restore a host that you have removed, use the Add button once again.
mental ray Renderer | 6333
Add/Edit DBR Host Dialog
The Add/Edit DBR (Distributed Bucket Rendering) Host dialog opens when
you click Add on the Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout on page 6326. It lets
you add a host (or “satellite”) processor to use when you render using
distributed buckets. As the text on the dialog reminds you, the new host is
added to the text of the RAYHOSTS file on page 8104.
Interface
Port Number Lets you enter a port number for the processor. This control is
unavailable unless you turn off Use Default Port. When Use Default Port is
off, the default port value appears in this field.
Name or IP Address Enter the name or the numeric IP address of the processor
you want to add.
Use Default Port When on, 3ds Max assigns a port number to the new
processor. The Port Number control is unavailable while Use Default Port is
on. Default=on.
VUE File Renderer
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Common panel >
Assign Renderer rollout > Choose VUE File Renderer as the active production
renderer. > Renderer panel > VUE File Renderer rollout
6334 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The VUE File Renderer creates VUE (.vue) files. VUE files on page 8165 use an
editable ASCII format.
Procedures
To create a .vue file:
1 Use the Render Setup dialog > Assign Renderer rollout to assign the VUE
File Renderer as the Production renderer.
You can't assign the VUE File Renderer to be the ActiveShade renderer.
2 Activate a camera viewport.
NOTE You must render from a camera viewport in order to include the
coordinates for the camera itself.
3 Use the VUE File Renderer rollout to specify a file name.
4 Render the scene.
The VUE file is written to disk. The Rendered Frame Window on page
6073 is displayed, but it doesn't display an image.
Interface
... [Browse] Click to open a file selector dialog and then specify a name for
the VUE file to create.
[File name The text field displays the name of the file.
Rendering Elements Separately
Rendering to elements lets you separate various types of information in the
rendered output into individual image files. This can be useful when you work
with some image-processing, compositing, and special-effects software.
Rendering Elements Separately | 6335
Render Elements Panel and Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout
This topic describes the available types of render elements and how to use
them.
These are the elements you can choose to render separately:
■
Alpha: A grayscale representation of the alpha channel, or transparency,
of the scene. Transparent pixels appear in white (value=255) and opaque
in black (value=0). Translucent pixels appear in gray. The darker the pixel,
the more transparent it is.
The alpha channel can be useful when you composite elements.
■
Atmosphere: The atmospheric effects in the rendering.
■
Background: The background of the scene.
Other elements do not include the scene background. Include this element
if you want to use the background in compositing.
The background is not trimmed against geometry, so elements should be
composited over the background. See Compositing Rendered Elements on
page 6342.
■
Blend: A custom combination of the previous elements.
The Blend element displays an additional Blend Element Parameters rollout
on page 6355.
■
Diffuse: The diffuse component of the rendering.
The Diffuse element displays an additional Diffuse Texture Element rollout
on page 6370.
■
Hair and Fur: The component of the rendering created by the Hair and Fur
modifier on page 1119. See Hair and Fur Render Element on page 6356.
■
Illuminance HDR Data: Generates an image containing 32–bit floating-point
data that can be used for analyzing the amount of light that falls on a
surface perpendicular to its normal. The illuminance data ignores material
characteristics such as reflectance and transmittance.
6336 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Illuminance is not related to surface properties.
For best results, render with mental ray or another renderer that supports
32–bit floating-point output and set the output format to PIC, HDR, or
EXR. If using the scanline renderer or another renderer that doesn't support
32–bit floating-point output, set the Scale Factor parameter, which acts as
a multiplier, to adjust the range of values for the output data.
■
Ink: The Ink component (borders) of Ink 'n Paint materials on page 5742.
■
Lighting: The effect of direct and indirect lights and shadows in the scene.
The Lighting element displays an additional Lighting Texture Element
rollout on page 6356.
■
Luminance HDR Data: Generates an image containing 32–bit floating-point
data that can be used for analyzing the perceived brightness of a surface
after light has been “absorbed” by the material of the surface. The
luminance data considers material characteristics such as reflectance and
transmittance.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6337
Luninance takes surface properties into account.
For best results, render with mental ray or another renderer that supports
32–bit floating-point output and set the output format to PIC, HDR, or
EXR. If using the scanline renderer or another renderer that doesn't support
32–bit floating-point output, set the Scale Factor parameter, which acts as
a multiplier, to adjust the range of values for the output data.
■
Material ID: Retains the material ID information assigned to an object.
This information is useful when you are making selections in other
image-processing or special-effects applications, such as Autodesk
Combustion. For example, you could select all of the objects with a given
material ID in Combustion. The material ID corresponds to the value you
set for the material with the material ID channel. Any given material ID
will always be represented by the same color. The correlation between a
specific material ID and a specific color is the same in Combustion. See
Material ID Channel on page 5348.
■
Matte: Renders a matte mask, based on selected objects, material ID channel
(effects IDs), or G-Buffer IDs.
The Matte element displays an additional Matte Texture Element rollout
on page 6357.
■
mr A&D: These elements render various components of the Arch & Design
material to HDR compositors such as Autodesk Toxik. For details, see mr
A&D Elements on page 6358.
6338 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
mr Labeled Element: Renders a branch of a map tree that you specify using
a label. For details, see mr Labeled Element Parameters Rollout on page
6363
■
mr Shader Element: Outputs the raw contribution of any mental ray shader
in the scene. This includes standard 3ds Max materials and maps that are
converted to mental ray shaders in the translation process. For details, see
mr Shader Element Parameters Rollout on page 6365
■
Object ID: Retains the object ID information assigned to the object.
Roughly comparable to the material ID, the object ID information is useful
for selecting objects based on an arbitrary index value in another
image-processing or special-effects application. If you know that you will
want to select several objects at once, at a later time, you can assign them
all the same object ID in 3ds Max. By rendering with the object ID, this
information will be available in other applications.
You assign the object ID with the Object Properties dialog > General panel
> Object Channel parameter on page 315. A given object ID is always
represented by the same (arbitrary) color. The correlation between a specific
material ID and a specific color is the same in Combustion.
When an Object ID entry is highlighted in the element rendering list on
page 6347, the Object ID Element rollout appears on the Render Elements
panel. This rollout lets you choose whether to base the render color of a
given object ID on the object color or the Object ID. If you choose Object
Color, the render color is the object's base color, as shown on the Create
panel > Name And Color rollout and at the top of the other command
panels, and is not based on the Object ID. If you choose Object ID, an
arbitrary color is assigned to each object based on its Object ID.
■
Paint: The Paint component (surfaces) of Ink 'n Paint materials on page
5742.
■
Reflection: The reflections in the rendering.
■
Refraction: The refractions in the rendering.
■
Self-Illumination: The self-illumination component of the rendering.
■
Shadow: The shadows in the rendering. This element saves black-and-white
shadows only. See Compositing Rendered Elements on page 6342.
NOTE The mental ray renderer does not include shadows created by global
illumination on page 6306and final gathering on page 6295 in the Shadow render
element output.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6339
■
Specular: The specular component of the rendering.
■
Velocity: The motion information which can be used in other applications
for things such as creating motion blur or retiming an animation.
The Velocity element displays an additional Velocity Element Parameters
rollout on page 6367.
■
Z Depth: A grayscale representation of the Z depth, or depth within the
view, of objects within the scene. The nearest objects appear in white, and
the depth of the scene in black. Intermediate objects are in gray, the darker
the deeper the object is, within the view.
The Z Depth element displays an additional Z Element Parameters rollout
on page 6369.
When you render one or more elements, a normal complete rendering is also
generated. In fact, the element renderings are generated during the same
rendering pass, so rendering elements costs little extra render time.
Rendering to elements is available only when you do production rendering
with the default scanline renderer on page 6141 or the mental ray renderer on
page 6230.
NOTE The default scanline renderer supports a maximum of 32 render elements
per scene. The mental ray renderer does not limit the number of render elements.
If you're using a third-party renderer, check the product documentation for a
possible limit on the number of render elements.
NOTE When using the default scanline renderer, Antialiasing on page 6146 must
be on in order to render elements. With Antialiasing off, rendering elements is
disabled.
Example
Here is a rendering of a fountain, against a checkered background, and various
elements.
6340 | Chapter 20 Rendering
On the right is the fully rendered fountain.
On the left, from top to bottom, are diffuse, specular, shadow, and reflection elements.
Two more elements not directly related to the objects in the scene, but important
when compositing the image to other sources:
on the left is the background, on the right is the alpha channel.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6341
On the left is an atmosphere element, in this example, a light fog on the back side of
the fountain.
On the right is the Z-depth. The fog uses the depth of the image and objects to
determine its density. The Z-depth element contains these depth values.
Compositing Rendered Elements
In general, you can composite elements using additive composition, which
is independent of the compositing order.
The main exceptions are the background element, atmospheres, and shadows.
■
Background: The background is not trimmed against geometry, the
background should be composited under the other elements.
■
Atmosphere: The atmosphere element should be composited over all other
elements.
■
Black-and-white shadows: Black-and-white shadows should be composited
over the rest of the image (aside from the atmosphere), to dim color in the
shadowed areas. This technique does not take colored lighting into account.
In other words, the layers when you composite using black-and-white shadows
appear like this:
Top: Atmosphere
Second from top: Shadow element
Middle: Diffuse + Specular + ... (other elements)
Bottom: Background
6342 | Chapter 20 Rendering
"Screen" Compositing for Specular and Reflection Elements
The other exception to additive composition is when specular or reflection
elements have been generated by certain material shaders. These shaders
generate specular and reflection elements you must composite differently:
■
Anisotropic
■
Multi-Layer
■
Oren-Nayar-Blinn
Shaders are assigned on a per-material basis, in the Material Editor. If you
render specular or reflection elements in a scene that uses these shaders, then
composite them with the diffuse and other foreground components (aside
from colored shadows, as described above), by overlaying them using an
operation called "Screen" in some compositing programs.
Screen compositing uses this formula to combine elements:
Background * (1 - Foreground) + Foreground
The background is multiplied by the inverse of the foreground color, and then
the foreground color is added to the result.
For more information, see the documentation for the compositing program
you use.
Procedures
To have the Render Elements dialog assign names to the rendered element
files automatically:
1 Assign an output file name and file type for the (entire) rendered scene
using the Files buttonFiles on page 6129 on the Common Parameters rollout
of the Render Setup dialog.
2 On the Render Elements rollout, use the Add button to specify elements
for rendering (see following procedure).
To render elements to files without rendering the entire scene to a file, follow
this procedure, and then turn off Common panel > Common Parameters
rollout > Render Output group > Save File.
To add an element for rendering:
1 Click Add.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6343
2 On the Render Elements dialog, do one of the following:
■
Highlight the name of an element, and then click OK.
■
Double-click the name of an element.
If you have assigned a file name for the entire rendering, the new
element is assigned a file name automatically. Otherwise, use the Files
button in the Selected Element Parameters group to assign an output
file name and file type for the element rendering.
3 If the element is one (such as Blend or Z Buffer) that has additional
parameters, adjust these parameters in the appropriate rollout.
To render the separate elements:
1 Add the elements you want to render.
TIP You can use the Enable button (in the Selected Element Parameters
rollout) to disable individual elements for a particular rendering pass.
2 If you haven't assigned file names automatically (see the first procedure,
preceding), use the Browse [...] button in the Selected Element Parameters
group to assign an output file name and file type for the element
rendering.
3 Make sure Elements Active (at the top of the Render Elements rollout) is
turned on, and then click Render to render the scene.
The rendered elements are also displayed on the desktop, each in its own
window. (The windows cascade on top of each other.)
To generate a Combustion™ workspace (CWS) file that contains the rendered
elements:
1 In the Output to Combustion group, turn on Enable.
If you have assigned a file name for the entire rendering, the new element
is assigned a file name automatically. Otherwise, use the Files button in
the Output to Combustion group to assign an output file name for the
CWS file.
2 If you want to change the file or pathname click ... [ellipsis].
3 Do one of the following:
■
Render the scene. The CWS file is created at the time of the rendering.
■
Create Combustion Workspace Now.
6344 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Use this button to create a Combustion workspace at any time. You
do not have to render for the workspace to be created.
NOTE This only works if there is at least one Render Element selected
and if your Render Output file type (set on the Common panel) is AVI,
RPF, CIN, JPG, PNG, MOV, RGB, RLA, TGA, TIF, or EXR.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6345
Interface
Add Click to add a new element to the list. This button displays the Render
Elements dialog on page 6349.
6346 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Merge Click to merge the render elements from another 3ds Max scene. Merge
displays a file dialog so you can select the scene file to get the elements from.
The list of render elements in the selected file is added to the current list.
Delete Click to delete the selected elements from the list.
Elements Active When on, clicking Render renders the separate elements.
Default=on.
Display Elements When on, each rendered element is displayed in its own
window, which is a feature-reduced version of the Rendered Frame Window
on page 6073. When off, the elements are rendered to files only. Default=on.
The windows for each rendered element open cascaded on top of each other.
Move one element's window to see another's.
Element Rendering list
This scrollable list shows the elements to render separately, and their status.
To resize the columns in the list, drag the border between two columns.
The list includes the following columns:
Name Shows the name o f the element. You can change the default name of
elements, in the Selected Element Parameters group.
To select an element, click its name in the list. Use Ctrl+click to select additional
elements, or Shift+click to select a contiguous group of additional elements.
Enabled Shows whether the element is enabled.
Filter Shows whether the active antialiasing filter is enabled for the element.
Type Shows what type of element this is.
This field is useful if you have changed the name of an element.
Output Path Shows the path and file name for the element.
Render Elements Panel and Rollout | 6347
Selected Element Parameters group
These controls are for editing selected elements in the list.
Enable Turn on to enable rendering the selected elements. Turn off to disable
rendering. Default=on.
The Enabled column of the elements list shows whether or not an element is
enabled.
Enable Filtering When on, applies the active antialiasing filter on page 6146
to the rendered element. When off, the rendered element does not use the
antialiasing filter. Default=on.
The Filter column of the elements list shows whether or not the filter is enabled
for an element.
Disabling antialiasing can improve rendering time, although the rendered
element that results might appear jagged.
NOTE Turning off Enable Filter disables only general antialiasing and map filtering.
Edge blending still occurs when this switch is off.
Name Shows the name of the currently selected element. You can type in a
custom name for the element.
This control is unavailable when multiple elements are selected.
[...] (Browse) The text box lets you enter a path and file name for the element.
Alternatively, click the [...] ( ellipsis) button to open the Render Element
Output File dialog on page 6350, which lets you choose a folder, file name, and
file type for the element.
This control is available only when a single element is highlighted.
NOTE If you first assign a file name and path for the complete rendering on the
Render Setup dialog > Common Parameters rollout on page 6121, the render
elements feature uses this name and path automatically as the basis for names of
the various elements. It appends an underscore (_) and then the name of the
element to the basic file name.
For example, if the render file name is "C:\render\image.jpg", when you add a
Specular render element, the default path and file name for the rendered
specular element is "C:\render\image_specular.jpg".
Similarly, when you enable output to a Combustion workspace (CWS) file on
page 7329, the file name you assigned is the default name of the CWS file.
For example, if the render file name is "C:\image.jpg", when you enable
Combustion output, the default path and file name is "C:\image.cws".
6348 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Output to Combustion group
When on, generates a Combustion Workspace (CWS) file on page 7329 that
contains the elements you are rendering. You can use this file in the
Combustion software, and you can use Combustion workspaces in the
Combustion map on page 5811.
WARNING If you are rendering elements to composite over a background, make
sure that the file format for the Diffuse, Shadows, and Alpha elements supports
an alpha channel. The formats we recommend for this purpose are: RLA on page
7364, RPF on page 7366, PNG on page 7360, or TGA on page 7370.
WARNING 3ds Max supports some file types that Combustion does not. For use
with Combustion, do not render elements as EPS files. If you render to this format,
the CWS file is not saved. See your Combustion documentation for more
information on supported file formats.
Enable When on, creates a CWS file that contains the elements you have
rendered.
[...] (Browse) The text box lets you enter a path and file name for the CWS
file. Alternatively, click the [...] (ellipsis) button to open the Save To
Combustion dialog, which lets you choose a folder and file name for the CWS
file.
Create Combustion Workspace Now When clicked, creates a Combustion
workspace (CWS file). This button makes it possible to create a Combustion
workspace without rendering.
NOTE You must add at least one render element for this file to be created and
the Render Output type on the Common panel must be set to AVI, RPF, CIN, JPG,
PNG, MOV, RGB, RLA, TGA, TIF, or EXR.
Render Elements Dialog
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog
This dialog lets you choose elements to render.
Render Elements Dialog | 6349
Procedures
To choose an element to render separately, do one of the following:
■
Highlight the element's name in the list, and then click OK.
■
Double-click the element's name in the list.
To highlight multiple elements, do any of the following and then click OK:
■
To highlight non-contiguous elements, click an element's name in the list,
and then Ctrl+click further elements.
■
To highlight contiguous elements, drag from the first to the last.
■
To highlight contiguous elements, click the first element's name in the
list, and then Shift+click another element.
Interface
The scrolling list shows the names of elements you can render separately.
These are described in Render Elements Panel and Rollout on page 6336.
Render Element Output File Dialog
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements Rollout > Selected Element Parameters
group > Browse ([...]) button
The Render Element Output File dialog lets you assign a name to a file that
saves one element of the rendering. You can also determine the type of file
6350 | Chapter 20 Rendering
to render, and set up options such as compression, color depth, and quality,
depending on the file type.
See also:
■
Image File Formats on page 7324
Procedures
To specify the render element output file and its settings:
1 Choose Rendering > Render Setup, and then, on the Render Elements
rollout, in the Selected Element Parameters group, click the Browse ([...])
button.
The Render Element Output File dialog opens.
2 In the File Name field, enter the name for the file to be rendered.
3 Navigate the Save In field to choose the directory where you want the
rendered file to be saved.
4 In the Save As Type field, choose the type of file you want to render.
5 Click Save to open the Setup dialog for the specified output file type.
Thereafter, the Setup button becomes available on the Render Element
Output File dialog; you can click this to change the settings.
6 Change any settings as necessary, and then click OK to close the Render
Element Output File dialog. Alternatively, clicking Cancel returns you to
the Render Element Output File dialog.
7 Click Render to render and save the file.
Render Element Output File Dialog | 6351
Interface
History Displays a list of the most recent directories searched. Whenever an
image is selected, the path used is added to the top of the history list as the
most recently used path.
The history information is saved in the 3dsmax.ini on page 83 file.
Save In Opens a drop-down list to browse other directories or drives.
Up One Level Moves to the next-highest level in the directory structure.
Create New Folder Lets you create a new folder while in this dialog.
View Menu Provides several options for how information is displayed
in the list window:
■
Thumbnails: Displays the contents of a directory as thumbnails, without
the details.
■
Tiles: Displays the contents of a directory as large icons, without the details.
If you widen the dialog, these tile across the width.
6352 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Small Icons: Displays the contents of a directory as small icons, tiled across
the width, without the details.
■
List: Displays the contents of a directory without the details.
■
Details: Displays the contents of a directory with full details such as size
and date.
List of files Lists the contents of the directory, in the format specified by the
View menu.
TIP When the active display format is Details, the contents of the directory are
displayed with Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and Attributes. You can sort the
list according to a column's contents by clicking that column's label.
File Name Displays the file name of the file selected in the list.
Save as File Type Displays all the file types that can be saved. This serves as
a filter for the list.
NOTE The choice in this field determines the file type saved, regardless of the
extension entered in the File Name field.
Save Sets the file information for saving upon rendering. Closes the dialog if
you haven't changed the output file type.
If you've changed the file type, clicking Save opens the Setup dialog for the
specified file type. Change the settings as necessary, and then click OK to close
both the Setup and the Output dialogs, or click Cancel to return to the Output
dialog.
Cancel Cancels the selection and closes the dialog.
Devices Lets you choose the hardware output device, for example, a digital
video recorder. To use this function, the device, its driver, and its 3ds Max
plug-in must all be installed on your system.
Setup Click to open a dialog with controls for the output file type. These vary
with each different file format.
NOTE The Setup button becomes available after you specify a file name or type.
If you first choose a type from the Save As Type drop-down list, click anywhere
on the dialog to activate Setup. If you first enter a file name and extension (such
as test.png), press Tab to activate Setup. Also, clicking Setup uses the filename
extension, even if it doesn't agree with the Save As Type setting.
Render Element Output File Dialog | 6353
Info Displays expanded information about a highlighted file such as frame
rate, compression quality, file size, and resolution. The information available
depends on the file type.
View Displays the file at full resolution. If the file is a movie, Windows Media
Player opens to play the file.
Sequence This is not available in the Render Element Output File dialog.
NOTE To render a sequence of still images, choose the Active Time Segment or
define a range of frames on the Common Parameters rollout of the Render Setup
dialog. If you are rendering to a still-image file type, the software appends a
four-digit frame number to the file name name, incremented with each frame.
Preview When on, enables display of the image as a thumbnail in the Image
Window.
Image Window Displays a thumbnail of the selected file, when Preview is
turned on.
Gamma group
To set up gamma options for the output file, Enable Gamma Correction must
be on in the Gamma panel on page 7758 of the Preferences dialog (Customize
> Preferences > Gamma). Otherwise, the Gamma controls are unavailable in
the Render Output File dialog.
■
Use Image’s Own Gamma
This option is not available in this dialog.
■
Use System Default Gamma Uses the system default gamma, as set on
the Gamma panel of the Preferences dialog on page 7758.
■
Override Defines a new gamma for the bitmap that differs from the
system default.
Using Override is not recommended for element bitmaps. Using the system
default gamma value ensures that all elements have consistent renderings.
Statistics/Location
Statistics Displays the resolution, color depth, file type, and number of frames
of the highlighted file.
Location Displays the full path and name of the highlighted file.
6354 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Blend Element Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Blend element to the elements list (or select an existing Blend
element in the list).
The Blend element is a custom combination of several other elements. By
default, all elements are turned on in this rollout, and the Blend rendering is
identical to the full, normal rendering, except for the scene background. Use
the check boxes to choose your own combination of elements to appear in
the Blend rendering.
Interface
Ambient When on, include the ambient color component. Default=on.
Diffuse When on, include the diffuse color component. Default=on.
Specular When on, include the specular color component. Default=on.
Self-Illumination When on, include self-illumination. Default=on.
Reflection When on, include reflections. Default=on.
Refraction When on, include refractions. Default=on.
Apply Atmosphere When on, include atmospheric effects. Default=on.
Apply Shadows When on, include shadows. Default=on.
Paint When on, include the Paint component of Ink 'n Paint materials on
page 5742. Default=on.
Ink When on, include the Ink component of Ink 'n Paint materials.
Default=on.
Blend Element Parameters Rollout | 6355
Hair and Fur Render Element
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Elements panel > Add
> Render Elements dialog > Hair and Fur
The Hair And Fur render element produces an additional image that depicts
only the elements in the scene generated by the Hair And Fur modifier on
page 1119. This image can be used for compositing.
NOTE The Hair And Fur render element supports only the ”buffer” rendering
method on page 6590 using the default scanline and mental ray renderers.
Lighting Texture Element Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Lighting element to the elements list (or highlight an existing
Lighting element in the list).
The lighting element contains the effects of lighting within the scene,
including color, shadows, direct and indirect light.
This rollout lets you determine which parts of the lighting are included in the
rendering.
Interface
Direct Light On When on, the render element includes information from
any direct lights in the scene. The light’s color and projection map should
appear.
NOTE The final color for direct lighting takes surface normals into consideration.
6356 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Indirect Light On When on, the render element includes information from
ambient or bounced lighting in the scene.
NOTE When using radiosity, expect effects such as color bleed.
Shadows On When on, the render element includes shadows.
Matte Texture Element Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Matte element to the elements list (or highlight an existing Matte
element in the list).
The Matte render element displays a matte mask for a selected object, material
effects channel (effect ID) on page 5348, or G-Buffer ID on page 7991. Each
matching element is represented with a white pixel on the mask.
For more info on matte behavior, see Matte Object on page 8042.
WARNING The Matte render element does not work for objects to which the
mental ray material on page 5638 is applied.
Interface
Effect ID Sets the material effects channel on page 5348 to include in the Matte
render element.
G-Buffer ID Sets the G-Buffer ID on page 7991 to include in the Matte render
element.
Include Opens the Exclude/Include dialog on page 5096, where you can select
objects in the scene to exclude or include in your Matte mask.
Matte Texture Element Rollout | 6357
When including, all selected objects are rendered with white pixels.
When excluding, all pixels are white, by default. Selected objects are rendered
as black pixels.
WARNING If you use Exclude, make sure the Effect ID and G-Buffer ID parameters
are not on. These modes provide inferior results when used in combination.
mr A&D Elements
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add one or more mr A&D elements to the elements list (or highlight
an mr A&D entry in the list).
NOTE As their names suggest, these render elements pertain only to objects to
which the Arch & Design material on page 5544 is applied, rendered with mental
ray.
6358 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The mr A&D elements let you specify as render elements the most important
components of the Arch & Design material on page 5544, generally in three
different contribution types: raw, level, and output. You can save these as
HDR image files for subsequent compositing in a program such as Autodesk
Toxik.
With most of the elements, raw is the unscaled contribution, and level is the
scaling, and the output component, calculated by multiplying the raw and
level components, is the resultant contribution of the element to the full
rendered output. The level is often related to an input parameter (or
combinations thereof), and has been modified to abide by the
energy-conservation feature of the Arch & Design material.
Hence the elements contain some redundancy: For example, if you just want
the current reflections in a separate channel, use the Output Reflections
element, but if you want more control over the amount of reflections in
mr A&D Elements | 6359
post-production, you can instead use Raw Reflections and Level Reflections,
multiplying them (with optional, additional processing) in the compositing
phase prior to adding them to the final color.
Reflections: Raw (left) * Level (center) = Output (right)
NOTE In order to maintain a correct compositing equation, the effects of the mr
Photographic exposure control on page 6744 are intentionally excluded from the
A&D render elements output.
TIP When rendering mr A&D elements for compositing in an HDR application
like Toxik, be sure to set Frame Buffer Type on page 6277 to Floating-Point (32 bits
per channel), which allows raw-element values to exceed 1.0, and save output
files in the OpenEXR format on page 7349.
List of All Outputs
Following is a list of all available render elements for the Arch & Design
material (each has the “mr A&D” prefix):
■
Output: Beauty The main, blended output. It is identical to the single
output of the Arch & Design material.
■
Diffuse Direct Illumination Output is the resulting diffuse on page 5547
component after lighting, including textures. Raw is the diffuse lighting
itself, without textures, and Level Diffuse is the diffuse texture color
adjusted by the energy conservation.
■
Diffuse Indirect Illumination Output is the resulting indirect illumination,
including ambient occlusion on page 5564 effects, multiplied by the diffuse
color. Raw is the raw result from indirect illumination. There is no Level
component.
■
Ambient Occlusion
on page 5564.
6360 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Raw is the raw contribution of the ambient occlusion
■
Diffuse Indirect Illumination with AO Xtra is the indirect illumination
affected by ambient occlusion but without being multiplied by the diffuse
color.
■
Opacity Output (Opacity Background) is the final contribution of any
background of the object as a result of the input cutout on page 5578 opacity
(as determined by the assigned map) being less than 1.0. Raw contains the
background without scaling by the opacity. If the cutout opacity is 1.0,
these outputs contain black, because no transparency is rendered in such
cases.
The Level output contains the actual opacity itself. Care must be taken if
opacity equals zero, because this mean that the material has performed no
shading whatsoever and none of the other outputs will contain any value
at all.
■
Reflections Output is the resulting Reflection group on page 5548
component. Raw is the unalloyed (full-intensity) reflection, and Level is
the actual reflectivity, including reflection color and BRDF on page 5557
settings.
WARNING The Arch & Design material samples very-low-level reflections in
the rendering phase at low quality (for performance), so avoid doing huge
modifications to reflection intensity in post.
■
Self Illumination Output contains the Self Illumination (Glow) on page
5559 component.
■
Specular Output is the resulting specular component. Raw is determined
by the Reflection > Glossiness on page 5549 value and the Anisotropy on
page 5556 settings, while Level is determined by the BRDF on page 5557 settings,
the Reflectivity on page 5548 and Reflection > Color on page 5549 values, and
the Relative Intensity of Highlights on page 5571 value.
■
Translucency Translucency is the combined result of the Weight on page
5554 and Color on page 5555 settings. Output is the resulting translucency
component, Raw is the raw translucency, and Level is the actual
translucency level, adjusted by the energy conservation.
■
Transparency Transparency is the combined result of the Refraction
group on page 5569 settings, including the Translucency settings. Output is
the resulting transparency component, Raw is the raw transparency, and
Level is the actual transparency level, adjusted by the energy conservation.
mr A&D Elements | 6361
Proper Compositing
Due to the redundancy available in the outputs, there are several ways to
composite them to yield the same result as the beauty render. Here we outline
two compositing pipelines in equation form. You can use these in Autodesk
Toxik and other HDR compositing applications.
First we have the “simple” variant, which is simply a sum of the various result
parameters. This version allows only minimal post-production changes to the
overall balance between the materials. Its advantage is in not needing as many
files, as well as working reasonably well in non-floating-point compositing.
Beauty = Output Diffuse Direct Illumination + Output Diffuse Indir
ect Illumination + Output Specular +
Output Reflections + Output Transparency + Output Translucency +
Self Illumination
Then we have the more “complex” variant, which uses the various raw and
level outputs, thus allowing much greater control in post production.
Note that the raw outputs need to be stored and composited in floating point
to maintain the dynamic range. The level outputs always stay in the 0.0-1.0
range and do not require floating-point storage.
Beauty = Level Diffuse * (Raw Diffuse Direct Illumination + (Raw
Diffuse Indirect Illumination * Raw Ambient Occlusion)) +
Level Specular * Raw Specular +
Level Reflections * Raw Reflections +
Level Transparency * Raw Transparency +
Level Translucency * Raw Translucency +
Self Illumination
Interface
All mr A&D render elements have the same settings:
Multiplier Scales the brightness of the output.
6362 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP When rendering A&D elements for compositing in Autodesk Combustion,
bear in mind that Combustion does not support HDR imagery, so to avoid clamping
it will be necessary to adjust the Multiplier value for each element.
Apply Shadows When on, the output includes shadows cast on the surface.
mr Labeled Element Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add mr Labeled Element to the elements list (or highlight an mr
Labeled Element entry in the list).
The mr Labeled Element is a render element that lets you output one or more
branches of a material tree to a custom render element. (A branch comprises
a map or shader and any sub-elements, such as maps assigned to the map’s
map slots.)
To use this element, assign the mr Labeled Element shader on page 6003 as the
parent of the branch to render, give it a label, and then use the same label for
the render element. For details, see the following procedure.
Procedure
To use the mr Labeled element:
1 In the Material Editor, determine which branch of a material to output
as a separate element. For example, an Arch & Design material might
contain a Gradient map assigned as a Diffuse > Color shader, and one of
the Gradient maps could be assigned a Checker map, and one of the
Checker maps could be assigned a Noise map. This procedure will assume
you want to render the Checker map and its constituent Noise map to
an element.
So the material structure would be like this:
A&D material > Gradient (Diffuse Color) > Checker (Gradient Color #1)
> Noise (Checker Color #1)
2 In the Material Editor, click the map button at the top of the branch you
want to output. In this example, you’d click the Diffuse > Color map
button in the Arch & Design material to open the Gradient map settings.
You’d then click the first map button (Color #1) on the Gradient
Parameters rollout to open the Checker map settings.
mr Labeled Element Parameters Rollout | 6363
3 Click the map button just above the map rollouts on the right side of the
Material Editor (in this example, Checker) to open the Material/Map
Browser.
4 On the Material/Map Browser, double-click the mr Labeled Element item.
This opens the Replace Map dialog.
5 Make sure “Keep old map as sub-map?” is chosen, and then click OK.
6 You now see the mr Labeled Element Parameters rollout. If you click the
Shader/Map To Store (Passthrough) button, labeled “M”, you can access
the branch that will be output to the render element: the Checker map
containing the Noise map.
7 If you clicked the M button, go back up to the parent mr Labeled Element
shader, and then enter a name for the element in the Label field. In this
example, the name could be checker/marble branch.
The material structure would now be like this (new map in italics):
A&D material > Gradient (Diffuse Color) > mr Labeled Element shader
(Gradient Color #1) > Checker (mr Labeled Element shader map) > Noise
(Checker Color #1)
8 On the Render Setup dialog > Render Elements panel > Render Elements
rollout, click Add. Choose the mr Labeled Element item from the list.
9 On the Parameters rollout for the element, enter the name you specified
in step 7 in the Label field.
10 Set up the other Render Element parameters as necessary and then render
the scene.
Your custom element is rendered to an image file.
The following illustration shows the example described in the preceding
procedure. The left-hand image shows the full material, with the Noise
inside the Checker inside the Gradient, and the right-hand image shows
a labeled element containing only the Noise inside the Checker. The
element renders only the part of the Checker map that is used by the
Gradient map.
6364 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Left: Full rendering; Right: Labeled element
Interface
Label Enter the name of the element you specified in the mr Labeled Element
Shader > Label field.
Multiplier Scales the brightness of the rendered output.
Apply Shadows When on, the output includes shadows cast on the surface.
mr Shader Element Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add mr Shader Element to the elements list (or highlight an mr Shader
Element entry in the list).
The mr Shader element outputs the raw contribution of any mental ray shader
in the scene. This includes standard 3ds Max materials and maps that are
converted to mental ray shaders in the translation process. The output of this
element does not figure into the final rendered output.
mr Shader Element Parameters Rollout | 6365
For example, you could use the mr Shader element to render a few different
ambient occlusion passes (see mental images Shader Libraries on page 5977).
NOTE The mr Shader element is intended primarily for rendering shaders, not
full materials. While you can, in most cases, most "material-style" shaders might
contain their own code to write to render elements, and in some circumstances
this can cause odd conflicts. For example, piping a Standard material through a
Material To Shader shader on page 6001 into the mr Shader element is not
recommended because it could cause the Standard material’s render element to
collide with the original render elements from the main render.
Procedure
To use the mr Shader element:
1 In the Material Editor, determine which shader to output as a separate
element. For example, an Arch & Design material might contain a
Gradient map assigned as a Diffuse > Color shader, and one of the
Gradient maps could be assigned a Checker map, and one of the Checker
maps could be assigned a Noise map. This procedure will assume you
want to render the Checker map and its constituent Noise map to an
element.
So the material structure would be like this:
A&D material > Gradient (Diffuse Color) > Checker (Gradient Color #1)
> Noise (Checker Color #1)
2 On the Render Setup dialog > Render Elements panel > Render Elements
rollout, click Add. Choose the mr Shader Element item from the list.
3 On the Parameters rollout for the element, click the Shader button; this
opens the Material/Map Browser dialog.
4 Make sure Browse From on the dialog is set to Scene. If the object to
which the shader is applied is selected, you could also choose Selected.
In the material tree, highlight the shader to output as an element.
NOTE Any subordinate shaders are also included in the element output.
5 Set up the other Render Element parameters as necessary and then render
the scene.
Your Shader element is rendered to an image file.
The following illustration shows the example described in the preceding
procedure. The left-hand image shows the full material, with the Noise
6366 | Chapter 20 Rendering
inside the Checker inside the Gradient, and the right-hand image shows
a Shader element containing only the Noise inside the Checker. The
element renders the entire Checker map even though only part of it is
used by the Gradient map.
Left: Full rendering; Right: Shader element
Interface
Shader The shader to render as an element. Click the button and then choose
a shader or material from the list in the Material/Map Browser. Typically you’d
want the element to output a shader in the scene, so you’d make sure Browse
From is set to Selected or Scene.
Multiplier Scales the brightness of the rendered output.
Apply Shadows When on, the output includes shadows cast on the surface.
Velocity Element Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Velocity element to the elements list (or highlight an existing
Velocity element in the list).
Velocity Element Parameters Rollout | 6367
The Velocity element generates a rendering that contains information about
the motion of objects in the frame. You can use the Velocity rendering to
generate motion blur when you use a composition application such as
Combustion or Flame. There are plug-ins for compositors that generate motion
blur; for example, those created by RE:Vision Effects, Inc.
The advantages of rendering a Velocity element are that the composition
application might give you finer control over the motion blur than 3ds Max
does; you can render a “beauty” frame that does not contain motion blur;
and the Velocity element is quicker to render than using one of the 3ds Max
motion-blur effects.
Another use of the Velocity element is to re-time clips rendered in 3D. There
are specialized applications that allow you to re-time an image sequence, using
velocity data to generate more accurate inbetween frames.
In the Velocity rendering, the motion information is saved as RGB color
information:.red saves movement on the X axis, green saves Y-axis movement,
and blue saves Z-axis movement, relative to the plane of the rendered frame.
The mental ray renderer supports this element, but the mental ray Motion Blur
camera effect must be turned off. Also, some mental ray materials do not support
render elements.
Controls on the element's rollout let you improve the precision of the motion
data saved in the rendering. See the procedure, following.
Procedures
To render a velocity element for an animation sequence:
1 On the Render dialog > Render Elements panel > Render Elements rollout,
click Add. In the Render Elements dialog that appears, highlight Velocity,
and then click OK.
2 Highlight the Velocity element in the Element Rendering list.
3 On the Velocity Element Parameters rollout, turn on Update, then render
several test frames. (Choose frames where object velocity appears to be
the greatest.)
4 After each test frame, make a note of the Maximum Velocity value. If
you need to do so, enter the largest of these values as the Maximum
Velocity to use.
Having a specific Maximum Velocity value will give you more accurate
velocity data.
6368 | Chapter 20 Rendering
5 Turn off Update.
Now the Maximum Velocity will remain constant.
6 Render the animation.
Interface
Maximum Velocity Enter a Maximum Velocity value based on the result
collected by Update. Setting a Maximum Velocity increases the precision of
the motion information. See the procedure, above: Procedures on page 6368.
Default=1.0.
Update Turn on when you render test frames, as described in the above
procedure. After each rendering, Maximum Velocity is set to the value recorded
by update. Use the largest of these values, and then turn off Update before
you render the full animation. Default=off.
NOTE The Update control does not work with mental ray distributed bucket
rendering.
Z Element Parameters Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Z Depth element to the elements list (or select an existing Z
Depth element in the list).
The Z-depth element is a grayscale representation of the Z depth, or depth
within the view, of objects within the scene. The nearest objects appear in
white, and the depth of the scene in black. Intermediate objects are in gray.
The darker the gray, the deeper the object is, within the view.
This rollout lets you adjust what portion of the scene is shown in the Z-depth
rendering. By default, the rendering includes objects near the front of the
view (Z Min=100.0), and extends for 300 3ds Max units into the scene (Z
Z Element Parameters Rollout | 6369
Max=300.0). If your scene is deeper than 300 units, you need to increase the
value of Z Max.
You can use the Update option to let the software automatically determine
the depth extents of objects in the rendered view.
Interface
Z Min The minimum distance to include in the Z-depth rendering. This is a
value in 3ds Max units, and cannot be less than 0.0. Default=100.0
Z Max The maximum distance to include in the Z-depth rendering. This is a
value in 3ds Max units. Default=300.0
Update Lets the software automatically determine the depth range of objects
in the rendered view. When on, after completion of a rendering, the software
changes the Z Min and Z Max values to reflect what the renderer determined.
Typically, you would make a single test rendering with this on, and then turn
off the check box.
Diffuse Texture Element Rollout
Rendering menu/main toolbar > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render
Elements panel > Render Elements rollout > Add button > Render Elements
dialog > Add Diffuse element to the elements list (or select an existing Diffuse
element in the list).
The Diffuse render element displays the diffuse color component of objects
in the scene.
Interface
6370 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Lighting When on, the diffuse render element displays the color of objects
after lighting has been applied.
When Lighting is turned off, the element displays the diffuse color of objects
before the lighting gets applied. For textured objects, this will look like a 3D
projection of the texture. However, objects with a single color will look “flat”.
Render to Texture
Make sure the default scanline renderer or the mental ray renderer is the active
renderer. > Select one or more objects. > Rendering menu > Render To Texture
Rendering to texture, or "texture baking,” allows you to create texture maps
based on an object's appearance in the rendered scene. The textures are then
“baked” into the object: that is, they become part of the object via mapping,
and can be used to display the textured object rapidly on Direct3D devices
such as graphics display cards or game engines.
You can render to textures using the mental ray renderer on page 6230
Typical Texture Baking Method
1 Set up a scene with lighting.
Banana object in a lighted room
2 Select the objects whose textures you want to bake.
Render to Texture | 6371
Banana object selected
3 Choose Rendering > Render To Texture.
4 A Render To Texture dialog on page 6397 appears. In this dialog, you choose
which elements on page 6376 of the rendering you want to bake. Elements
are aspects of the rendering such as diffuse color, shadows, alpha
(transparency/opacity), and so on.
In this dialog, you can also choose various display options on page 6383
for showing the baked texture in shaded viewports.
TIP If you have a Direct3D graphics display driver, you can use DirectX
viewport shaders on page 5393 to view the baked texture in shaded viewports.
They show how the baked texture will appear on DirectX devices.
5 Click Render.
After you click Render in the Render To Texture dialog, a number of things
happen. (This is a typical set of events; the dialog gives you a lot of control
over how texture baking actually occurs.)
■
The elements you chose are rendered, each to its separate bitmap file.
6372 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Lighting map of the banana
By default, the texture type is Targa on page 7370, and the element maps are
placed in the \images subfolder of the folder where you installed the
program.
The new textures are “flat”: In other words, they are organized according
to groups of object faces.
■
In the modifier stack, a new modifier is applied to the object. It is called
Automatic Flatten UVs. It is simply an Unwrap UVW modifier on page 1841,
automatically applied.
This modifier manages the mapping of the flattened texture to faces of the
object, and lets you adjust that mapping if necessary.
Flattened texture-mapping coordinates for the banana
Render to Texture | 6373
■
A Shell material on page 5732 is applied to the object. This material is a
container for both the object's original material (you don't lose those maps
and settings), and the newly created baked material, with its new textures.
The Shell material lets you access both materials and adjust their settings,
if necessary. It also lets you choose which material to view, the original
material or the texture-baked material, in shaded viewports or in renderings.
New shell material contains the banana's original material (below left) and the
baked texture (below right).
Rendered light map applied to the banana
6374 | Chapter 20 Rendering
With the light map, banana appears lit even when lights are turned off.
That is texture baking in a nutshell.
For best results, Logarithmic exposure control is recommended for Render To
Texture.
If Linear or Automatic exposure controls are used, each object will have
different lighting levels, generating a different histogram. Each object renders
as if it had a different light level and in some cases, you may not get a rendering
at all. This happens because Linear and Automatic exposure controls are view
dependent.
Logarithmic Exposure Control is not view dependent, and will reproduce the
image correctly. See the Exposure Controls on page 6732 topic for more
information about Linear, Automatic and Logarithmic exposure controls.
See also:
■
Baked Texture Elements on page 6376
■
Target Map Slot Assignments on page 6383
■
Render to Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout on page 6399
■
Render to Texture: Objects to Bake Rollout on page 6401
Render to Texture | 6375
■
Render to Texture: Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
■
Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
■
Render to Texture: Add Texture Elements Dialog on page 6415
■
Shell Material on page 5732
■
DirectX Manager Rollout on page 5393
■
LightMap Shader Rollout on page 5760
■
Metal Bump Shader Rollout on page 5761
Baked Texture Elements
Select objects. > Rendering menu > Render to Texture > Render to Texture
dialog > Output rollout > Click Add. > Add Texture Elements dialog > Choose
elements to render.
When you render to texture or “bake” a texture, you choose one or more
elements to render. These elements save aspects of the rendered scene: its
geometry, lighting, shadows, and so on. Some texture elements can display
in shaded viewports; others require a DirectX viewport shader on page 5393 to
view in 3ds Max.
When you add an element to render, it appears in a list in the Objects To Bake
on page 6401 rollout. In the list, you can disable or enable rendering of that
individual map, or select it to adjust which components it will include.
NOTE Automatically generated reflections and refractions do not work well with
rendered textures, although they are included in the Complete and Blend texture
maps.
The available element maps are described in the sections that follow.
Limitations of Composite and Blend Materials
If the object has a Composite or Blend material applied to it, only certain
elements render correctly. Which elements render correctly depend on the
renderer you are using.
6376 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The default scanline renderer renders only these elements of a Composite or
Blend material correctly:
■
Diffuse color
■
Specular color
■
Reflections
■
Ambient color
■
Self-illumination color
■
Refractions
The mental ray renderer renders only these elements of a Composite or Blend
material correctly:
■
Lighting
■
Shadows
■
Normals
Component Options (Unique Settings)
Many element maps let you choose to include or not include components of
the rendered scene. When your element to render is highlighted in the list,
these options appear on the Selected Element Unique Settings group.
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render to Texture Dialog on page 6397
Complete Map
A complete map saves most surface properties of the rendered object;
specifically:
■
Lighting
■
Diffuse color
■
Specular color
Baked Texture Elements | 6377
■
Reflections
■
Shadows
■
Ambient color
■
Self-illumination color
■
Refractions
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For a complete map, you can choose not to render shadows.
Specular Map
A specular map saves only the specular color of the object.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For a specular map, you can choose not to render lighting or shadows.
Diffuse Map
A diffuse map saves only the diffuse color of the object.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For a diffuse map, you can choose not to render lighting or shadows.
Shadows Map
A shadows map saves only the shadows cast onto the object.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
There are no unique settings for a shadows map.
Lighting Map
A lighting map saves only the lighting cast onto the object.
6378 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For a lighting map, you can choose not to render shadows, direct light, or
indirect light.
Normals Map
A normals map saves a color gradient that indicates the direction of normals
on the surface of the object. With a normals map, Direct3D rendering can
make simple geometry appear more complex.
With DirectX 8, you can view a normals map in shaded viewports by using
the Metal Bump Direct3D viewport shader on page 5761.
With DirectX 9, you can view a normals map in any shaded viewport.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
There are two unique settings for a normals map:
Output into Normal Bump When on, assigns a Normal Bump map to the
Target Map Slot, and places the rendered Normal Bump map in the Normal
component of the Normal Bump map on page 6033. Default=off.
Render Height Map into Alpha Channel When on, renders a grayscale height
map and assigns it to the alpha channel of the Normal map. If you are
rendering to a file type that doesn't have an alpha channel, this setting has
no effect. Default=off.
Height Map
A height map is a grayscale map that stores the relative height of the source
object when you render with normal projection. (See Creating and Using
Normal Bump Maps on page 6384.) You can use the height map as a displacement
map on the target object. This is a way to add detail to the edges of the
low-resolution object, because edges are not affected by the normal bump
map itself.
NOTE When using a height map as a displacement map with the mental ray
renderer, be sure to use the Height Map Displacement shader on page 6000. Also,
turn off Smoothing, either globally on page 6294 or for the individual object on the
Object Properties dialog > mental ray panel on page 322. In addition, when
rendering with mental ray, if you're applying the height map to a standard material,
apply the map as a Displacement map on the mental ray Connection rollout on
page 5385 (unlock the map first), not on the Maps rollout.
Baked Texture Elements | 6379
TIP Using a paint program such as Adobe Photoshop on a height map is possible,
but prone to error. The values in the height map depend on the shapes of both
the low-resolution and high-resolution models, and it's easy to damage the
mathematical accuracy. If you paint any changes onto the map, be careful to
preserve the faceted look, and avoid the temptation to blur away the facets. You
might try painting in Additive or Subtractive mode, to add to or subtract from the
displacement, because Normal mode will set a fixed displacement, making it
difficult for an artist to control the result.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
There are no unique settings for a height map.
Blend Map
A blend map is like a complete map, except that all its components, not just
shadows, are optional.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For a blend map, you can choose not to render any of the following
components:
■
Lighting
■
Diffuse color
■
Specular color
■
Reflections
■
Shadows
■
Ambient color
■
Self-illumination color
■
Refractions
Alpha Map
An alpha map saves only the alpha channel of the rendered object.
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
There are no unique settings for an alpha map.
6380 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Ambient Occlusion (MR) Map
Use an ambient occlusion map when you want the surface information to
describe how much ambient light the surface can receive. The ambient
occlusion map considers the obstruction of the light by surface contours and
surrounding objects. By using the ambient occlusion map when rendering,
you do not need to set up special lighting, replace materials on the objects,
or use with global overrides because the ambient occlusion map already
accounts for these settings.
You can use ambient occlusion maps with or without a Projection modifier
and for many different purposes. Use them to mask layers in Adobe Photoshop,
for items such as painted edits and texture maps. Also use them as dirt maps,
or as masks for reflections or specular light.
NOTE By default, the shader used by the Ambient Occlusion bake element excludes
the low-resolution object from the ambient occlusion calculations whenever
performing projection-mapped texture baking. However, if the Projection Mapping
option Include Working Model on page 6419 is enabled, then the occlusion rays will
include the working model. In this case, projection rays also include the working
model. No undesired blank areas appear on the map, because there are no cases
where a projection ray passes though the lo-res model to hit a point on the high-res
model that is completely occluded by the low res.
NOTE This map is available only when the mental ray renderer is active.
Baked Texture Elements | 6381
Original scene surrounded by rendered-to-texture ambient occlusion maps of the floor
object
Top left: Samples=8; Spread=0.8
Top right: Samples=32; Spread=0.8
Bottom left: Samples=16; Spread=0.5
Bottom right: Samples=16; Spread=0.99
Component Options (Selected Elements Unique Settings)
For an ambient occlusion map, you can set the following unique settings:
Samples Sets the number of rays cast. More rays results in a smoother image.
Default=16.
6382 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Spread Sets the spread of the ray, creating a cone shape. With a value of 0.0
a single point is sampled; with a value of 1.0 the entire hemisphere is sampled.
Range=0.0–1.0. Default=0.8.
NOTE You can set Spread to values greater than 1.0, but only values within the
specified range are useful.
Bright Sets the color in the map where no occlusion occurs. The default color
is white. Click the swatch to change the color.
Max distance Sets the range within which geometry is probed. A value of 0.0
samples the entire scene. For non-zero values, only objects within this range
are sampled. Default 0.0.
Dark Sets the color in the map where complete occlusion occurs. The default
color is black. Click the swatch to change the color.
NOTE Colors between the Bright and Dark values are used to indicate partial
occlusion.
Falloff Defines the amount of falloff of the ray. The greater the value, the
greater the falloff. Default=1.0.
Target Map Slot Assignments
Select objects. > Rendering menu > Render to Texture > Render to Texture
dialog > Output rollout > Target Map Slot: drop-down list > Specify how baked
textures appear in the material.
When you bake textures (render to texture), you have more control for how
the baked texture displays in shaded viewports. You set these in the Output
rollout on page 6406 of the Render To Texture dialog. Using the Target Map Slot
assignments, you can specify in detail which maps will be rendered to which
slots of the existing material.
NOTE The first time you use Render To Texture, all Target Map Slot assignments
are blank. After you set them and render the baked texture, those settings become
the default Target Map Slot settings for future modelling sessions. 3ds Max stores
the Target Map Slot assignments in the texturebake.ini file in the plugcfg folder
within the program directory.
Target Map Slot Assignments | 6383
Creating and Using Normal Bump Maps
Normal bump mapping is a way of adding high-resolution detail to
low-polygon objects. It is especially useful for real-time display devices such
as game engines, and it can also be used in rendered scenes and animations.
A normals map is a three-color map, unlike the grayscale maps used for regular
bump mapping (see Bump Mapping on page 5478). The red channel encodes
the left-right axis of normal orientation, the green channel encodes the
up-down axis of normal orientation, and the blue channel encodes vertical
depth.
Basic Workflow
3ds Max provides a number of different ways to create and use normal bump
mapping, but the most straightforward and simplest workflow involves these
steps:
1 Create a detailed, high-resolution model.
2 Create a simpler, low-resolution model.
The low-resolution model should have the general shape and outlines of
the high-resolution model, and typically it should be a bit smaller, so
that projected detail in the high-res model will appear to be above its
surface.
3 Select the low-res model.
4 Choose Rendering > Render to Texture.
The Render To Texture dialog appears.
5 On the Objects To Bake rollout, in the Projection Mapping group, click
Pick.
A selection dialog appears.
6 Choose the high-res object, and then click Add.
3ds Max applies a Projection modifier on page 1628 to the low-res object.
7 In the Projection Mapping group, turn on Enable.
NOTE At this stage, often you will click Options to display the Projection
Options dialog on page 6416, which has a variety of settings for how to generate
the projection.
6384 | Chapter 20 Rendering
8 On the Output rollout, add a NormalsMap element (see Baked Texture
Elements on page 6376). Assign Bump as its target map slot.
9 In the Selected Elements Unique settings group, turn on Output Into
Normal Bump.
10 Click Render.
3ds Max renders the Normals map, which stores normals data from the
high-res object. As for other kinds of texture baking, it creates a Shell
material and applies that to the low-res object, with the Normals map
assigned as the bump component.
Components of Normal Bump Mapping
In the 3ds Max interface, controls for normal bump maps appear in three
locations:
■
The Render To Texture dialog
Specifically, normal projection controls are found on the Objects To Bake
rollout on page 6401 and the Output rollout on page 6406.
■
The Projection modifier on page 1628
You can apply a Projection modifier yourself, or let Render To Texture do
so automatically.
■
The Normal Bump map type on page 6033
Render To Texture creates this automatically if you turn on Output Into
Normal Bump (step 9, above).
Viewing Normal Bump Maps
If your display driver uses DirectX 8, you can view normal maps in viewports
by using the Metal Bump shader on page 5761. If your graphics driver is DirectX
9, you can view normal maps in any shaded viewport. See Direct3D Driver
Setup Dialog on page 7800.
If your display driver is Software or OpenGL, you can't view normal maps in
viewports. However, you can still render them and use normal mapping in
renderings.
Normal Projection with Sub-Object Selections
You can associate different sub-object selections with different high-resolution
geometry. See Reference Geometry Rollout (Projection Modifier) on page 1633.
Creating and Using Normal Bump Maps | 6385
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps
Because of the variety of geometry and different situations that can arise,
normal bump maps sometimes give unexpected results. Usually there is a
workaround for the problem, or more than one. This topic describes some
situations that can arise, and ways to correct them.
Parallel Projection Loses Detail
If the projection cage is set up so projected rays run parallel to part of the
high-resolution geometry, that portion of geometry can be lost in the normal
bump map.
For example, in this scene, the normal bump map is based on a high-resolution
cylinder that has indentations at the top and bottom.
6386 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Default cage around high-res cylinder
However, the normal bump map does not show the end indentations.
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps | 6387
Indentation is missing from top and bottom of the cylinder's normal bump map.
The reason is that with the default projection cage, the rays parallel the sides
of the indentation, and so details are lost.
Projection rays (shown in red) parallel the sides of the indentation.
6388 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To correct the problem, you can move the end of the cage upward, and scale
it inward a little, so the rays don't run so nearly parallel to the side of the
indentation.
Raising and scaling the upper end of the projection cage.
When the cage is adjusted this way, the indentation appears in the normal
bump map.
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps | 6389
With the corrected cage, the upper indentation appears correctly in the normal bump
map.
TIP In situtations like this, another solution can be to use Break on the vertices in
the region of the low-resolution object where detail is missing from the map. This
increases the number of vertices in the cage, and reduces the chances of geometry
being missed. If you use this method, it is likely you will need to make further
adjustments to the projection cage, as well.
6390 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Breaking low-res vertices causes the indentations to render in the normal bump map.
However, projection now misses some areas of the geometry, so the cage needs to be
adjusted further.
Flipped Seams in Tangent Space
When you use tangent space for your normal bump map, usually the values
used for the tangents are consistent between the hardware shader, renderers,
and third-party applications. However, sometimes portions of the geometry
are flipped, relative to each other, causing discontinuities when you render
or use a hardware shader. Tangent space is the default option for normal bump
mapping, and it is the method you should use for objects that both move and
deform, such as animated characters. This problem does not arise when you
use the other coordinate spaces: world, screen, or local.
For example, in the following scene, the pants show discontinuities. They are
flipped relative to each other, as the arrows show.
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps | 6391
Flipped seams in rendering of pants
Left: Left side shows a discontinuous red stripe
Right: Right side shows a discontinuous blue stripe
The arrows show how the maps are misaligned.
When you render a normal bump map, you can generally see flipped areas as
showing a “flare” of reddish color to the right, and of bluish color to the left.
6392 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Uncorrected normal bump map shows blue and red “flares.”
The solution is to use the UVW Unwrap modifier's Flip Horizontal command
for those sub-object selections that show flaring, or an excess of red areas.
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps | 6393
Normal bump maps corrected using Flip Horizontal
Red and blue are more evenly distributed, with blue predominating.
With the maps corrected, the full rendering, whether with 3ds Max or a
hardware renderer, looks better.
6394 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Corrected normal maps render more smoothly, without discontinuity.
The arrows show how the maps are correctly aligned to wrap around the pant legs.
Noise when Rendering a Normal Bump Map with the mental ray
Renderer
If you use the mental ray renderer to render a normal bump map, and the
model has overlapping faces (for example, where the low-resolution and
high-resolution objects overlap in space), then the normal bump map can
show noise where the faces overlap.
Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps | 6395
Red areas show noise from overlapping faces
The workaround is to adjust either the high-res or the low-res object so that
faces are not coincident. One way to do so is to use a Push modifier on page
1646. After you have generated the normal map, you can turn off the Push
modifier.
TIP If another object in the scene continues to cause problems with the map
rendering, you can make it invisible to normal projection by going to its Object
Properties dialog, and in the Rendering Control group, turning off Visible To
Reflection/Refraction.
6396 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Overlapping UV Coordinates
Overlapping UV coordinates can cause rendering errors in Render To Texture.
The problem is especially noticeable on objects that have mirrored UVs, or
symmetrical mapping. If you are working with a character or other model that
has mirrored UVs, we recommend that you follow this procedure:
1 Either add an Unwrap modifier or go into an existing Unwrap modifier
where the symmetry exists.
2 Move half of the overlapping texture coordinates on the W axis so that
they’re slightly offset from the other half.
Render To Texture will use the texture coordinates with the higher W
value.
Edit Normals Modifier Makes Normal Bump Mapping Incorrect
Don't apply an Edit Normals modifier on page 1354 to the low-res object. Normal
bump projection relies on the low-res object having standard normals, and
altering them causes normal bump maps to have unpredictable results.
Render to Texture Dialog
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog
Rendering to texture, or “texture baking,” is controlled by this dialog. Most
of this dialog's controls are contained in its rollouts.
See also:
■
General Settings rollout on page 6399
■
Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6401
■
Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
■
Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
Render to Texture Dialog | 6397
Procedures
To bake an object's texture:
There are a lot of options for rendering to textures. These are the basic overall
steps.
1 Select an object.
Ideally, the object will have a texture assigned to it, or lights and shadows
that fall on it, and so on.
2 Choose Rendering > Render To Texture.
3 In the same dialog, go to the Output rollout.
4 Click Add, and in the Add Texture Elements dialog, choose the element(s)
you want to render.
5 Set Target Map Slots, if necessary.
6 Click Render.
The elements you chose to render are rendered to files, and the baked
texture is displayed in shaded viewports.
To bake the texture of multiple objects:
1 Set up the texture-baking parameters of each object you want to bake.
This corresponds to steps 2 through 5 of the previous procedure.
2 In the Objects To Bake rollout, change All Selected to All Prepared.
3 Click Render.
Textures are rendered for all the objects you previously set up.
6398 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Render Renders the scene, or the elements listed in the Objects To Bake rollout.
Unwrap Only Applies the Automatic Flatten UVs modifier to all selected
objects without rendering anything.
Close Closes the dialog and saves any changes to settings you have made.
Original/Baked When set to Views, the original or baked material is displayed
in the viewports. When set to Render, the original or baked material is used
in the rendering.
Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > General
Settings rollout
This rollout has the texture-baking controls for the current scene. It lets you
control automatic unwrapping of the baked textures, map size, render settings,
and where texture renderings are saved.
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render to Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render to Texture: Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6401
■
Render to Texture: Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
Render to Texture Dialog | 6399
■
Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
Interface
Output group
Text field Specifies the folder where the rendered texture will be saved. You
can enter a different folder name in this field. Default=the \images subfolder
of the folder where you installed 3ds Max.
Click the ellipsis button to display a dialog that lets you browse to the
directory where you want the rendered texture to be saved.
Skip Existing Files Allows you to render only those maps that do not already
exist.
Rendered Frame Window When on, displays the complete map in a Rendered
Frame Window on page 6073 as the elements are rendered. When off, does not
open the Rendered Frame Window. Default=on.
NOTE The Rendered Frame Window does not open when you use Render To
Texture with the mental ray renderer. Instead, 3ds Max displays a progress dialog.
Render Settings group
These controls let you choose and set up Render Presets as well as activate
network rendering.
6400 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Drop menu Lets you choose Load Preset on page 6114. A Render Presets Load
dialog appears where you can select an RPS file.
Setup Displays the Render dialog on page 6067, where you can adjust production
settings, draft settings, or both.
Network Render When on, you can assign the rendering task to Server
systems. If you click Render, the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481
displays where you can specify a server, or multiple servers, to take on the
task. Default=off.
3ds Max can use the Split Scan Lines option on page 6486 when rendering to
textures with a render farm. However, if you enable projection mapping and
turn on Sub-Object Levels, this option is unavailable.
Render to Texture: Objects to Bake Rollout
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Objects to
Bake rollout
This rollout has controls for the texture baking of individual objects. It lets
you choose which map channel the texture will use, which elements will be
rendered, and at what sizes. It also lets you control filename generation, and
assign the format of rendered texture elements.
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render To Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render To Texture: General Settings Rollout on page 6399
■
Render To Texture: Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Render To Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
■
Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
Render to Texture Dialog | 6401
Interface
6402 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Object and Output Settings group
This drop-down list lets you save presets comprising all current Render To
Texture settings, including map types and sizes, from a single object and then
load a preset onto any number of objects. Render To Texture presets use the
RTP filename extension. Presets contain all settings on the Objects to Bake
and Output on page 6406 rollouts and the Projection Options dialog on page
6416. The only exceptions are the Object Level and Sub-Object Levels radio
buttons in the Objects To Bake rollout > Projection Mapping group and the
Use Automatic Unwrap > Channel numeric values in the Objects To Bake
rollout > Mapping Coordinates group.
Preset Use the upper part of the drop-down list to choose an existing preset
to load. The preset is applied to all objects in the objects list. The list contains
up to the last 10 maps in the order that they were loaded or saved, with the
most recent at the top.
After you choose a preset to load, a dialog appears showing you the path and
name of the file containing the preset. Confirm or deny loading the preset by
clicking Continue or Cancel, respectively.
In addition, if Projection Mapping is enabled, the dialog might contain related
messages. For example, if the target object needs a Projection modifier, the
dialog suggests that you use the Pick function to add one.
Load Object Preset Lets you load a preset that’s not on the list. The preset is
applied to all objects in the objects list. This command appears only when
the list of objects contains one or more entries.
Save Object Preset Lets you save the current settings to a preset for later reuse.
NOTE You can save a preset only when the list of objects contains a single entry.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6403
Object list
List of objects Shows all selected objects. Because the dialog is modeless, you
can change the selection while it’s open, and the list updates dynamically.
■
Name column
Lists the object's name.
■
Map Channel column
Lists the object's current map channel setting.
■
Edge Padding column
Lists the object's current edge padding setting.
Selected Object Settings group
Enable When on, the Channel and Padding controls are used for individual,
all selected, and all prepared objects. When off, only selected object texture
rendering uses these settings; “whole scene” rendering does not. Default=off.
Padding The amount, in pixels, that edges are allowed to overlap in the
flattened (“unwrapped”) texture. Default=2 pixels.
If the baked texture shows visible seams when you view it in shaded viewports
or renderings, try increasing this value.
Projection Mapping group
This group contains the controls for generating a normal bump projection.
See Creating and Using Normal Bump Maps on page 6384
Enabled When on, normal bump projection is enabled using a Projection
modifier on page 1628. When off, the Projection modifier is not used. Default=off.
To generate a normal map rather than a normal bump map, leave Enabled
turned off.
Modifier drop-down list When an object has been chosen, this list shows
the Projection modifier. If multiple Projection modifiers have been assigned,
their names are visible in the list as well.
Pick Click to designate the high-resolution object from which the Projection
modifier will derive normals. This opens the Add Targets dialog, which works
like the Select From Scene dialog on page 228 to let let you select one or more
objects on which to base the normal map.
Options Click to open the Projection Options dialog on page 6416, which
contains various normal bump projection settings. When Individual is chosen
(at the bottom of the Objects To Bake rollout), the options affect the selected
object; when All Selected or All Prepared is chosen, the options apply to all
selected or prepared objects.
6404 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Object Level When on, projects from the object level of the high-resolution
object. Default=on.
■
Put to Baked Material (The default.) When chosen, the object-level
projection is rendered in the baked material.
Sub-Object Levels When on, uses the active sub-object selection, and makes
the Mapping Coordinates group > Sub-Objects controls available. Default=on.
■
Put to Baked Material When chosen, the sub-object level projection is
rendered in the baked material.
The following options apply to sub-object rendering, when only a portion of
the geometry is being rendered to the normal bump map:
■
Full Size (The default.) When chosen, the size of the normal bump map
is the same as if all geometry were being rendered.
■
Proportional When chosen, the size of the normal bump map is fitted
to the size of sub-object selection. The Proportional Multiplier on the
Projection modifier's Reference Geometry rollout on page 1633 can change
the default size of the proportional map.
For example, consider a plane that is 4 segments x 4 segments. Each "poly" in
the plane is a separate sub-object, for a total of 16 sub-objects. If the output
Map Size is 64, the object rendering output is 64 x 64 pixels. If Full Size is
chosen, each sub-object rendering is also 64 x 64 pixels. If Proportional is
chosen, each sub-object rendering is 16 x 16 pixels. If you change Proportional
Multiplier to 2.0 in the Projection modifier, each sub-object rendering is now
32 x 32 pixels.
Mapping Coordinates group
Object These controls are for basing the rendered texture on the object level
of the source object.
■
Use Existing Channel
channel.
When chosen, unwrapping uses an existing map
■
Channel When Use Existing Channel is active, lets you choose the
channel to use for unwrapping.
■
Use Automatic Unwrap (The default.) When chosen, uses automatic
unwrapping, and applies an “Automatic Flatten UVs” (Unwrap UVW)
modifier on page 1841 to the objects whose texture is being rendered.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6405
Sub-Objects These controls are for basing the rendered texture on a sub-object
selection of the source object.
■
Use Existing Channel
channel.
When chosen, unwrapping uses an existing map
■
Channel When Use Existing Channel is active, lets you choose the
channel to use for unwrapping.
■
Use Automatic Unwrap (The default.) When chosen, uses automatic
unwrapping, and applies an “Automatic Flatten UVs” (Unwrap UVW)
modifier on page 1841 to the objects whose texture is being rendered.
Clear Unwrappers Clears the unwrap modifiers from the stack.
The radio buttons at the bottom of the rollout let you choose which objects
to bake. See Render To Texture Dialog on page 6397 for procedures.
■
Individual Allows you to select each object and choose a set of output
maps and targets for it. The list will display all selected objects.
■
All Selected
■
All Prepared The list will display all visible and unfrozen objects in the
scene, selected or not, which have unwrapped mapping on them.
(The default.) Displays all the selected objects.
Render to Texture: Output Rollout
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Output
rollout.
This rollout lets you specify the elements to render and their attributes.
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render to Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout on page 6399
■
Render to Texture: Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6401
■
Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
■
Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
6406 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Output List Shows maps names, element names, map sizes and designated
map slots.
■
File Name column
Lists the name of the map that will be generated.
■
Element Name column
Shows the element corresponding to the map.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6407
■
Size column
Displays the map size.
■
Target Map Slot column Shows which map slot will be occupied by the
baked texture in the material.
The output list can display entries in black, gray and blank. If a group of objects
is selected that has already has output assignments, maps that are shared by
all will appear black, maps not shared by all will appear gray. If resolutions or
target types are shared they will appear black, if not they will be blank.
Add Click to display an Add Texture Elements dialog on page 6415 to choose
one or more element types to add to the list.
See Baked Texture Elements on page 6376 for a description of the different
element choices.
Delete Click to remove the currently highlighted element from the list.
Selected Element Common Settings group
Enable When on, renders this element. When off, disables rendering of this
element. Default=on.
Name Enter the element component of the file name. Default=the name of
the element type.
File Name and Type Enter the file name of the rendered texture. Default=the
object name followed by the element name, and TGA format on page 7370.
This field is disabled if All Selected or All Prepared is turned on in the Objects
To Bake rollout on page 6401.
Click this button to display a file dialog you use to choose a name,
directory, and file format for the rendered texture.
NOTE The File Name and Type setting specifies the path and filename only for
the selected element. To set a folder where all baked textures will be stored, set
the path in the Output group on the General Settings rollout on page 6399.
Target Map Slot Display all Map Types available to the materials assigned to
the objects selected minus the ones already slated for output in the current
Render To Texture session.
If more than one object is selected the all map types common to all the selected
objects will be listed. If you choose to Create New Baked on page 6410, then the
slots for the new baked material type will be displayed.
6408 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Element Type This read-only field displays the type of element, such as
CompleteMap, that you specified when you added the element.
By default, the element name is the same as its type, but you can change it
using the Name field. Element Type remains constant.
Element Background Lets you set the background color of the rendered
output for the highlighted element.
Use Automatic Map Size When on, sets the texture size automatically, using
the values on the General Settings rollout on page 6399. When off, the texture
is the size specified by the following controls in this rollout. Default=off.
Width/Height Lets you specify dimensions for the texture. Range=0 to 8192.
Default=256.
NOTE Increasing texture resolution increases render time.
To force the texture to be square, often a requirement with real–time 3D
rendering engines, click the lock button next to Height.
Preset resolution buttons (128x128, ...) Click a button to specify a preset
resolution for the texture.
Selected Element Unique Settings group
The contents of the Selected Element Unique Settings group vary depending
on the active element. But the group always shows a list of toggles for various
components of a scene, and by default, all toggles are on.
The following table shows which components apply to which elements (if
the table shows “none,” the Selected Elements Unique settings group is not
displayed):
Map Type
Components
Complete
Shadows
Specular
Lighting
Shadows
Diffuse
Lighting
Shadows
Render to Texture Dialog | 6409
Map Type
Components
Shadows
(none)
Lighting
Shadows
Direct Light On
Indirect Light On
Normals
Output into Normal Bump
Render Height Map into Alpha Channel
Blend
Lighting
Diffuse
Specular
Reflection
Shadows
Ambient
Self-Illumination
Refraction
Alpha
(none)
Height
(none)
For a fuller description of the rendered texture elements, see Baked Texture
Elements on page 6376.
Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Baked
Material rollout
Material Baking operates on the entire Render To Texture session. It is not set
per individual object.
NOTE When you use Network Rendering, the Render To Baked Material option
is disabled.
6410 | Chapter 20 Rendering
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render To Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout on page 6399
■
Render to Texture: Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6401
■
Render to Texture: Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6413
Interface
Baked Material Settings group
Output Into Source When on, replaces any target map slot in the object’s
existing material. Care should be used with this option, because the material
replacement cannot be undone.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6411
NOTE If a selected object to be rendered has a multi/sub-object material assigned
to it, the workflow will not change and the results will be as follows: output into
source will put the resulting map in all sub-material slots that match, instancing
all identical maps, if a sub-material doesn’t have the selected output type it will
be ignored; duplicate in baked will duplicate the entire Multi/Sub-Object Material
into the baked material and perform the above output; create new baked will
create a new single standard material.
Save Source (Create Shell) Makes a new Shell material and assigns it to the
object. When this option is turned on, you can then choose to either Duplicate
Source To Baked, or to Create New Baked.
Duplicate Source To Baked Makes a copy of the existing material as the Baked
material.
Create New Baked Puts a new material in the Baked Material slot. The type
of the new material is set by the drop-down list below and subsequently
determining the available Target Map Slots in the Output rollout.
Shader list Allows you to specify a shader to be used for the newly baked
texture.
Update Baked Materials Builds a Shell material for all selected objects, and
populates the baked material according to the current Render To Texture
settings.
Clear Shell Materials Removes the Shell material on page 5732 applied to the
texture-baked object, and replaces it with either the original material or the
texture-baked material.
The radio buttons below Clear Shell Materials give you a choice of which
material in the Shell material to retain:
■
Keep Source Materials
Shell material.
When chosen, the original material replaces the
■
Keep Baked Materials
material.
When chosen, the baked material replace the Shell
NOTE If you have already rendered a baked texture and decide you want to render
with a different shader from the list, you must first click Clear Shell Materials and
then re-render.
Render to Files Only When turned on, the baked texture files are rendered
to the folder you've specified in the Output Path field of the General Settings
rollout on page 6399. Default=off
6412 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Render to Texture:Automatic Mapping Rollout
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Automatic
Mapping rollout
These are options specify how Render To Texture should behave when it
automatically flattens UVs or chooses the map size of a baked texture.
See also:
■
Render to Texture on page 6371
■
Render To Texture Dialog on page 6397
■
Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout on page 6399
■
Render to Texture: Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6401
■
Render to Texture: Output Rollout on page 6406
■
Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6410
Interface
Automatic Unwrap Mapping group
These are options for how to flatten UVs when Use Automatic Map is chosen
in the Objects To Bake rollout's Mapping Coordinates group.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6413
NOTE These controls are also provided by the Unwrap UVW modifier's Flatten
Mapping dialog on page 1892.
Rotate Clusters Controls whether clusters are rotated to minimize the size of
their bounding box. For example, the bounding box of a rectangle rotated 45
degrees occupies more area than one rotated 90 degrees. Default=on.
Threshold Angle The angle used to determine the face clusters to be mapped.
Default=45.0.
As faces are gathered to be mapped, the modifier uses this parameter to
determine which faces get put in a cluster. This is the maximum angle that
can exist between faces in a cluster.
The higher this number, the larger the clusters will be, with consequently
greater distortion introduced as a result of texture faces' proportions deviating
from their geometry-equivalent faces.
Fill Holes When turned on, smaller clusters will be placed in empty spaces
within larger clusters to take the most advantage of the available mapping
space. Default=on.
Spacing Controls the amount of space between clusters. Default=0.02.
The higher this setting, the larger the gap that appears between clusters.
Automatic Map Size group
Rendering to texture can choose a map size for you. Automatic map sizing is
enabled or disabled by a toggle on the Output rollout on page 6406. The controls
in this group specify how to create the map, when Automatic Map Size is
enabled. Automatic map sizing computes the total surface area of all objects
in the selection, then multiplies that value by Scale, and creates a square
texture map of those dimensions.
Scale The amount by which to scale the total surface area of generated texture.
Default=0.01.
Nearest power of 2 When on, rounds the map dimensions (length and width)
to the nearest power of 2. Default=off.
Min The minimum size, in pixels, of the length and width of the automatically
sized map. Default=32.
Max The maximum size, in pixels, of the length and width of the automatically
sized map. Default=1024.
6414 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Render to Texture:Add Texture Elements Dialog
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Output
rollout > Click Add to add a texture element. > Add Texture Elements dialog
This dialog lets you choose which elements will be part of a baked material.
Each element is an individual bitmap. When you display a baked texture in
shaded viewports, some elements might not display.
NOTE If the Direct3D display driver on page 7802 is active, you can use a DirectX
viewport shader on page 5393 to enhance baked texture display.
Interface
Available Elements Lists the elements available for rendering. See Baked
Texture Elements on page 6376 for a description of the available elements. Click
an element to select it. Use Ctrl+click to select (or deselect) additional elements
individually. Use Shift+click to select a group of contiguous elements.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6415
You can also double-click a single element name to add it to the list and close
the dialog.
Add Elements Click to add these elements to the list in the Objects To Bake
rollout on page 6401 of the Render To Texture dialog.
Render to Texture: Projection Options Dialog
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render to Texture dialog > Objects
To Bake rollout > Projection Mapping group > Click Options. > Projection
Options dialog
This dialog displays options for normal bump projection.
6416 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Objects and Sources group
The text field displays the name of the projection's source object. If more than
one object is selected, it displays the source option chosen in the Render To
Texture dialog: a single object name for Individual, or “All Selected” (the
default), or “All Prepared.”
Synch All Click to set all Render-To-Texture sources to use the active source
object and the other current Projection Options settings. This button is
available only when there is an individual source object.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6417
Filtering Options group
Crop Alpha Removes antialiasing from the alpha channel.
Global Supersampler When the default scanline renderer is active, the text
field shows the type of global supersampling that is currently in use. When
the mental ray renderer is active, it shows the number of samples per pixel.
Default=None.
■
Setup Click to set up global sampling. When the default scanline renderer
is active, clicking Setup displays the Render dialog's Default Scanline
Renderer rollout on page 6141, whose Global Supersampling group lets you
globally enable supersampling, and choose the supersampling method.
When the mental ray renderer is active, clicking Setup displays the Render
dialog's Sampling Quality rollout on page 6272, which lets you adjust the
level of sampling.
Method group
These controls let you choose how to use normals from the source object.
■
Raytrace (The default.) When chosen, normals are ray-traced between
the source and target objects. The objects need to be perfectly aligned in
world space on page 8175. When you view both high-res and low-res objects
in viewports, they must line up with each other exactly. There are no
special requirements for the mapping coordinates of the high-res objects.
■
UV Match When chosen, normals are obtained by matching the target
object's local UV coordinates to those of the source. The objects' UV
coordinates on page 8161 need to be perfectly aligned. If you look at the
objects using the Unwrap UVW modifier's Edit UVWs dialog on page 1859,
the low-res and high-res objects must be lined up with each other exactly.
The high-res object needs to have mapping coordinates on the same map
channel you are using for the low-res object.
Typically, the high-res object will have an Unwrap UVW modifier assigned
to it, but this is not required.
With this option, the high-res object does not need to be in the same
physical location as the low-res object.
TIP You can reset the cage (on the Cage rollout on page 1635), because UV
Match does not use it.
Use Cage When on, bases projection on the Projection modifier's cage
sub-object. When off, uses an offset instead. Default=on.
6418 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Offset Enabled only when Use Cage is turned off. Offset is the distance above
the surface of the source object from which normals are projected. Default=10.0
units.
Resolve Hit group
The two radio buttons are for scenes that have semitransparent objects, in
which case more than one hit can be found for each ray. The remaining
controls in this group are additional projection controls.
■
Closest
■
Furthest
If there are multiple hits, use the closest object.
(The default.) If there are multiple hits, use the farthest object.
Hit Only Matching Material ID When on, projection is only between material
IDs that match. Turning this option on enables a single map to contain normal
bump projections from different high-res source geometry. Default=off.
Include Working Model When on, bakes from the source object if no target
object can be found. Default=off.
Turning on Include Working Model can be a quick fix when a lot of the
projected rays miss the target object (the Ray Miss Color will be apparent in
the rendered normals map). However, if the low-res object occludes the high-res
object, then Include Working Model will not have the desired effect, and the
normal map will not show high-res details that you want it to. In this case,
adjust the Projection modifier's cage.
This toggle is also useful when the high-res geometry is discontinuous (for
example, a lattice or an array of cylinders).
Ray miss check When on, bakes missed rays as well as rays that hit into the
rendered texture, using the Ray Miss Color. Default=on
■
Ray miss color This color is baked into the texture when projection fails
to hit the target geometry. Click the color swatch to display a Color Selector
on page 391 and change the color used for missed rays. Default=red.
Normal Map Space group
Render to Texture Dialog | 6419
There are four methods for projecting the normals:
■
World Project using world coordinates. This is useful mainly for objects
that don't move or deform; otherwise, a moving object with world-projected
normals will appear to “swim” through the texture.
■
Screen Project using screen coordinates; that is, flat projection in the Z
axis. This method is useful mainly for stationary objects seen from a single
angle only; for example, a statue seen through a window.
■
Local XYZ Project using the object's local coordinates. This method can
be used for stationary or moving objects, but not for objects that deform:
if the object deforms, the projection will appear incorrect at some frames.
■
Tangent (The default.) Project at a tangent to the target object's surface.
This is the method to use for objects that both move and deform, such as
animated characters.
Orientation
The orientation settings determines what the red and green colors will indicate
in your normal map. The orientation settings are different for the Tangent
method than for the other methods.
The correct setting for red and green depend on what kind of hardware shader
or texture will be used to view the map. Different shaders have different
requirements. The Normal Bump map has controls to flip the red and green;
the Normal Bump texture should work correctly if the map was created with
the default X and Y or Left and Right settings, but if the map was created with
different settings, change the Normal Bump settings to make the map render
correctly, instead of rendering a whole new map.
Orientation: Tangent
For the Tangent method red indicates normals that are pointed either left or
right and green indicates normals that are pointed up or down.
As an example, if you use Tangent mode with Red set to right and Green set
to down, areas that are red in your normal map would indicate that the
normals were facing towards the right and areas that were green would indicate
that your normals were facing downwards.
The following are the possible values for the Tangent method:
■
Red
Can be Left or Right. Default=Right.
6420 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Green
Can be Up or Down. Default=Down.
Orientation: World, Screen, and LocalXYZ
For World, Screen, and LocalXYZ, red indicates that the normals are pointed
toward either a positive or negative X value, while green indicates that the
normals are pointed toward either a positive or negative Y value.
Foir example, if you use World mode with Red set to –X and Green set to –Y,
areas that are red in your normal map indicate that the normals face toward
–X, and green areas indicate that the normals face toward –Y.
The following are the possible values for World, Screen, and Local XYZ
methods:
■
Red
■
Green
Can be –X or +X. Default=+X.
Can be –Y or +Y. Default=+Y.
Height Map group
Min Height Sets a minimum height for displaced normals. Default=0.0 units.
Max Height Sets a maximum height for displaced normals. Default=10.0
units.
Min and Max Height eyedropper Enable the eyedropper to pick the
minimum or maximum height for the displaced normals by picking or dragging
in a viewport. With the button enabled, click at the desired height. You can
also drag this value until the desired result is achieved. The minimum or
maximum height value is updated based on your selection.
Buffer min Height After you render a normal bump projection, this value is
set to the minimum distance that a projection ray travelled. Default=0.0.
Buffer max Height After you render a normal bump projection, this value is
set to the maximum distance that a projection ray travelled. Default=0.0.
If you want to use the Height Map texture element, you can render a normal
bump map to obtain the Buffer values, and then set Min Height and Max
Height accordingly, in order to get the best-looking possible Height Map.
Render to Texture Dialog | 6421
Rendering Previews
A preview is an AVI file on page 7326 that can help you preview the animation
in your scene. The preview uses lighting but not materials, so it renders much
more quickly than a fully rendered animation.
The preview commands are on the Animation menu on page 7490.
Make Preview on page 6422
View Preview on page 6425
Rename Preview on page 6425
Make Preview
Animation menu > Make Preview
Make Preview displays the Make Preview dialog, enabling you to create an
AVI on page 7326 file or custom file type preview of the animation in the current
viewport. You can also render a preview to a specified device.
When the preview is complete, the software starts the Media Player with the
preview _scene.avi file ready to play. (If you don't want the Media Player to
start, choose Customize > Preferences > General and, in the UI Display group,
turn off Autoplay Preview File on page 7744.)
NOTE Do not open any other program windows that cover up the viewport while
rendering a preview. Anything that covers the viewport will be rendered into the
preview AVI file.
Procedures
To create a preview:
1 Choose Animation menu > Make Preview.
The Make Preview dialog appears.
2 Change the preview parameters or accept the defaults, and then click
OK.
If the output type is AVI, the software renders the preview and saves it
in a file called _scene.avi, in the path specified by Configure User Paths >
File I/O on page 7733 > Preview. Immediately after rendering the preview,
the software runs Media Player with this animation loaded.
6422 | Chapter 20 Rendering
3 View the preview by clicking Play in Media Player.
If you dismiss Media Player and then want to view the preview again,
choose Animation > View Preview. This restarts Media Player with
_scene.avi.
You can save the preview under a different name, so it won't be
overwritten the next time you make a preview. To do so, use Animation
> Rename Preview on page 6425.
Interface
Make Preview | 6423
Preview Range group
Specifies the frames to be included in the preview, either the active time
segment on page 7898 or a custom range of frames.
Frame Rate group
Specifies the playback frame rate on page 7987 in frames per second. Use Every
Nth Frame to preview a regular sampling of the animation. For example, a
value of 8 includes only every eighth frame in the preview.
Image Size group
Sets the resolution of your preview as a percentage of the current output
resolution. You set the output resolution on the Render Setup dialog. For
example, if the rendering output resolution is 640x480, and you set Percent
Of Output to 50, the preview resolution is 320x240.
NOTE The size of the preview image is limited by the size of the viewpanel region
(the region that contains the viewports). The setting is clamped to the maximum
value that allows the preview image to fit in the viewpanel region.
Display in Preview group
Specifies the types of objects to include in the preview. Frame Numbers prints
a frame number in the upper-left corner of each frame of the AVI file.
Background includes the assigned viewport background in the preview.
Camera View group
Specifies whether the preview should include multi-pass rendering effects on
page 6227.
Rendering Level group
Rendering Level drop-down list Specifies the viewport rendering method
on page 7819 to use in the preview.
Output group
Specifies the preview output format.
AVI When chosen, the preview is output as an AVI file. The button to the
right displays the current AVI codec on page 7936. Click it to adjust the assigned
6424 | Chapter 20 Rendering
codec, or choose a different codec. The quality of your output AVI file depends
on the type of codec you use and the codec settings, which vary. For the
highest visual quality, choose the highest compression quality. The higher
the compression quality, the lower the compression, and the larger the
resultant file.
Custom File Type Outputs the preview to the specified file format. When
this option is chosen, and the Create button is clicked, a file selector appears,
where you name the file and specify the output file type. For example, you
can output the preview as a Quicktime movie by specifying a file name with
a .mov extension. If you specify a single-image format, such as .tga, the preview
is output as a series of sequentially numbered files.
Use Device Lets you output the preview to an external device, such as a digital
recorder. The button at right displays the name of the currently assigned
device. Click it to either change the settings of the device, or assign a different
device.
Render Viewport This list shows the names of the currently visible viewports,
letting you choose which viewport to render from within the Make Preview
dialog. Default=active viewport.
View Preview
Animation menu > View Preview
View Preview displays the Windows-standard Media Player to view the current
preview file.
When you use Make Preview, 3ds Max stores the output preview in a file called
_scene.avi by default. View Preview loads this file. If you want to keep the
preview file, use Rename Preview to save it under another file name, otherwise,
the next Make Preview will overwrite _scene.avi.
The Media Player has its own Help system.
Rename Preview
Animation menu > Rename Preview
Rename Preview renames the _scene.avi preview file.
When you use Make Preview, 3ds Max stores the output preview in a file called
_scene.avi by default. View Preview loads this file. If you want to keep the
View Preview | 6425
preview file, use Rename Preview to save it under another file name; otherwise,
the next Make Preview will overwrite _scene.avi.
Procedures
To rename the preview file:
1 Choose Animation > Rename Preview.
2 Specify a folder and a name for the preview file.
3 Click Save.
Panorama Exporter Utility
Rendering menu > Panorama Exporter
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > Panorama
Exporter
The Panorama Exporter is a rendering utility that lets you create and then
view 360 degree spherical panoramas.
6426 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE You need at least one camera in your scene to use the Panorama Exporter.
Panorama Exporter creates a 360-degree spherical rendering.
Interface
Panorama Exporter Utility | 6427
The Panorama Exporter rollout has two buttons, which let you create or view
a panoramic rendering.
Render Opens the Render Setup dialog on page 6428 for the Panorama Exporter.
Viewer Opens the Panorama Exporter viewer on page 6431.
Panorama Exporter Render Setup Dialog
Rendering menu > Panoramic Exporter > Render button
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > Panorama
Exporter > Render button
The Panorama Exporter Render Setup dialog is a modal on page 8045 version of
the Render Setup dialog on page 6067 specially configured for generating
panoramic output.
NOTE You need at least one camera in your scene to use the Panorama Exporter.
TIP For best results, high resolutions might be necessary. We recommend a
resolution of 2048x1024 or higher unless you're working on drafts.
Interface
This topic covers the main rollout parameters. Additional rollouts might be
available depending on the current renderer. For more information, see Render
Setup dialog on page 6067.
6428 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Output Size group
Choose one of the predefined sizes or enter another size in the Width and
Height fields (in pixels). These controls affect the image's aspect ratio on page
7914.
Width and Height Lets you set the resolution of the output image by
specifying the width and the height of the image, in pixels.
Preset resolution buttons (512x256, 1024x512, and so on) Click one of
these buttons to choose a preset resolution.
Aperture Width Lets you specify an aperture width for the camera that creates
the rendered output. Changing this value changes the camera's Lens value.
This affects the relationship between the Lens and the FOV values, but it
doesn't change the camera's view of the scene.
For example, if you have a Lens setting of 43.0 mm, and you change the
Aperture Width from 36 to 50, when you close the Render Setup dialog (or
render), the camera Lens spinner has changed to 59.722, but the scene still
looks the same in the viewport and the rendering. If you use one of the preset
formats rather than Custom, the aperture width is determined by the format,
and this control is replaced by a text display.
Panorama Exporter Render Setup Dialog | 6429
Options group
Atmospherics Renders any applied atmospheric effects, such as volume fog,
when turned on.
Render Hidden Geometry Renders all geometric objects in the scene, even
if they are hidden.
Effects Renders any applied rendering effects, such as Blur, when turned on.
Area/Linear Lights as Point Lights Renders all area or linear lights as if they
were point lights, speeding up rendering time.
Displacement Renders any applied displacement mapping.
Force 2-Sided 2-sided rendering on page 7893 renders both sides of all faces.
Usually, you'll want to keep this option off to speed rendering time. You might
want to turn it on if you need to render the inside as well as the outside of
objects, or if you've imported complex geometry in which the face normals
are not properly unified. Default=off.
Video Color Check Checks for pixel colors that are beyond the safe NTSC on
page 8059 or PAL on page 8078 threshold and flags them or modifies them to
acceptable values.
By default, "unsafe" colors render as black pixels. You can change the color
check display by using the Rendering panel on page 7768 of the Preference
Settings dialog on page 7743.
TIP This is useful for draft renderings, as point lights render much faster than area
lights.
NOTE Scenes with radiosity on page 6168 are not affected by this toggle, as area
lights do not have a significant effect on the performance of a radiosity solution.
Super Black Super Black rendering on page 8141 limits the darkness of rendered
geometry for video compositing.
TIP Leave this off unless you're sure you need it.
Advanced Lighting group
Use Advanced Lighting When on, the software incorporates a radiosity
solution on page 6168 or light tracing on page 6154 in the rendering.
Compute Advanced Lighting When Required When on, 3ds Max computes
radiosity when required on a per-frame basis.
6430 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Normally, when rendering a series of frames, 3ds Max calculates radiosity only
for the first frame. If, in an animation, it might be necessary to recalculate the
advanced lighting in subsequent frames, turn this option on. For example, a
brightly painted door might open and affect the coloring of a nearby white
wall, in which case the advanced lighting should be recalculated.
Render Output group
Save File Saves the rendered panorama to disk. This is unavailable until you
have defined a file name by clicking the Files button.
Files Lets you specify the name, location, and file type for the rendered
panorama file.
Rendered Frame Window Enables or disables the panorama exporter’s
rendering display.
Display Viewer When on, the Panorama Exporter viewer on page 6431 opens
upon rendering the panoramic rendering.
Viewport Chooses the camera viewport to render. When you render a
panorama, this drop-down list shows only the cameras in the scene.
Render Click to render the panorama.
Cancel Click to cancel the rendering.
Close Click to close the dialog, saving any changes you've made.
Panorama Exporter Viewer
Renderingmenu > Panoramic Exporter > Viewer button
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > Panorama Exporter > Viewer button
The Panorama Exporter viewer lets you navigate a rendered panorama. You
can use the viewer to export the panorama rendering with a cylindrical,
spherical, or QuickTime VR format.
Panorama Exporter Viewer | 6431
NOTE Exporting to QTVR format requires that QuickTime® 5 or higher be installed
on your system. You can download the latest version from
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download. For QTVR export, you must choose
the “Recommended Install” rather than a custom or minimal installation. In
particular, your installation must include these components:
■
QuickTime Authoring
■
QuickTime Internet Extras
■
QuickTime Essentials
Procedures
To navigate a rendered panorama:
1 Hold down the left button to rotate the camera around the panorama.
If you move the mouse, the camera rotates in that direction until you
move the mouse again. (The view of the panorama moves in the opposite
direction from the mouse and camera.)
2 Hold down the middle button and move the mouse up and down to
zoom in and out.
3 Hold down the right button and move the mouse to rotate the camera
around the panorama.
With the right button, you must drag the mouse to see any movement,
and the view of the panorama moves in the same direction as the mouse.
To export a rendered panorama:
1 Open a rendered panorama in the Panorama Exporter Viewer.
2 Click File > Export.
Choose Cylinder, Sphere, or QuickTimeVR to set the format for your
exported file.
A dialog opens, prompting you to enter the name, location, and type of file.
6432 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Network Rendering
Network rendering is a means of mass-processing multiple rendering tasks or
jobs. In order to facilitate network rendering, Autodesk BackburnerTM is
installed with 3ds Max. The Backburner software is responsible for coordinating
how job assignments are processed.
You can perform network rendering with both the default scanline and mental
ray renderers. In its most efficient form, network rendering uses multiple
computers, connected over a network, to perform rendering tasks; typically
the rendering of animations with hundreds or thousands of frames. Even a
small network of three or four PCs can save substantial rendering time and
help you meet deadlines.
However, network rendering can be equally useful if you have only a single
PC and need to render a number of images. You can assign the jobs that need
to be rendered and Backburner can manage the rendering of each job while
you're away from the computer. Commonly, jobs are assigned submitted just
before you leave the office. when you arrive the next morning, all your
rendering are waiting for you to review.
Network rendering is designed to render whatever is set up in your scene; that
is, it will render the viewport, part of a viewport, camera view, and so on, as
saved in the scene file. You can also pass batch-rendering tasks to Backburner
from the Batch Render tool on page 6553. You can queue up tasks from any
number of cameras in a scene. Each task can load a save scene state or use a
particular rendering preset.
The requirements and procedures presented here assume you are the
administrator of a closed network set up exclusively for network rendering.
In practice, you can use the network for file sharing and other purposes, but
if conflicts arise, you might need to cancel those uses. The easiest network to
set up, operate, and maintain is one dedicated to rendering.
NOTE For specific information about setting up network rendering on a single
system, refer to Basic Procedure 1: Single-System Network Rendering on page 6436.
If you're a system administrator for a more complex network, you can use the
information in this file as a guideline. The basic approach is the same for any
network.
IMPORTANT It is strongly recommended that you follow these procedures for
setting up and running network rendering. Do not attempt network rendering
without reading the instructions that follow.
Network Rendering | 6433
The links on this page are ordered like chapters in a manual: a sequence of
major topics containing more specific nested topics. Links marked Next Step
indicate the next topic in the sequence. Moving from one topic to the next
takes you through the necessary steps to set up your network for rendering.
NOTE Network rendering functions are also available from MAXScript. See
“Network Render Interface” and “Interface: NetRender” in the MAXScript
Reference.
About Backburner
Network rendering is performed by software named Backburner. Functionality
is primarily the same as in previous versions of 3ds Max with the addition of
the following:
■
The Batch Render tool on page 6553 can pass a queue of rendering tasks to
the Network Job Assignment dialog. When submitted, Backburner manages
the rendering of all the active tasks and
■
You can now assign various servers to groups in Backburner. From the
Network Job Assignment dialog you can choose a group as the current set
of servers.
Backburner Documentation
The following table summarizes the Backburner Documentation set.
For Information About:
See:
Using Autodesk Backburner with 3ds Max
This Network Rendering section.
Autodesk Backburner User Interface (Manager, Server, and Monitor), Troubleshooting, and Administering Autodesk Backburner
Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide (In 3ds
Max go to Help > Additional Help > Backburner User's Guide)
Autodesk Backburner Configuration
Autodesk Backburner Installation Guide (In
3ds Max go to Help > Additional Help >
Backburner Installation Guide)
6434 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Installing Autodesk Backburner with 3ds
Max
3ds Max Install Guide (Click the Documentation link on the Autodesk 3ds Max 2009
Install DVD 1.)
About Mental Ray
Network rendering with the mental ray Renderer
The mental ray renderer supports network rendering via Backburner and the
command line. The steps for setting up and submitting jobs are exactly the
same as those you'd use for the scanline renderer. No additional licensing or
fees are necessary.
Next Step
How Network Rendering Works on page 6448
See also:
■
Checking Requirements on page 6461
■
Setting Up for Network Rendering on page 6463
■
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering on page 6435
■
Network Job Assignment Dialog on page 6481
■
The Queue Monitor Application on page 6522
■
Installing Network Services on page 6503
■
Batch Rendering on page 6548
■
Troubleshooting Guide on page 6455
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering
This topic contains basic procedures to follow when network rendering with
3ds Max. The following conditions are assumed:
■
3ds Max has been installed on all machines to use as rendering servers.
Note: You needn't license the software on machines to be used only as
rendering servers.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6435
■
All network communications and protocols are installed and operating
correctly.
■
The computers run Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000, or NT 4.0. Limitations
of other operating systems could cause network rendering to be unreliable.
■
All of the computers have names that start with letters. Machine names
that start with a number will fail.
■
You haven't previous attempted network rendering. If you have already
attempted network rendering and want to return to the original state,
delete everything in the \Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\Network folder
except nrres.dat.
■
Manager and Server have not been installed as services.
Summary of Procedures
■
Procedure 1 - Use this procedure for configuring a single system to render
jobs to itself; in other words, to perform batch rendering that is managed
by Backburner.
■
Procedure 2 - Use this procedure for configuring a Backburner Manager
system to render to one or more Backburner Server systems. The Manager
system will not be involved in the rendering tasks.
■
Procedure 3 - Use this procedure for configuring the Backburner Manager
and Backburner Server systems to render tasks together.
Special Consideration for Procedures 2 and 3
To use a render farm, you must output a frame sequence in a still-image file
format; for example, a series of BMP files. You cannot render animated file
formats such as AVI or MOV to multiple systems. You must render animated
files to a single system. When rendering to an animated file format, the Use
All Servers check box in the Network Job Assignment dialog is unavailable.
Basic Procedure 1: Single-System Network Rendering
This procedure describes usage of network rendering on a single computer.
The main advantage to this method over standard rendering is that you can
6436 | Chapter 20 Rendering
submit multiple rendering jobs for the computer to render. In effect, this lets
you perform batch rendering.
1
Go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner and choose
the Manager menu item.
This starts Manager and creates the backburner.xml file in the
Backburner\Network folder.
When you run Manager for the first time, you will see the Backburner
Manager General Properties dialog, shown below.
Backburner Manager General Properties dialog.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6437
2 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Manager dialog displays.
3
Go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner and choose
the Server menu item.
This starts Server and creates the server data that is stored in the
backburner.xml file.
You will see the Backburner Server General Properties dialog, shown
below, when you run Server for the first time.
Backburner Server General Properties dialog.
4 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Server dialog displays. After a few moments, messages
appear in both the Server and Manager windows indicating that the Server
has successfully registered with the Manager.
5 Start 3ds Max and load the first scene you want to render.
6
From the Rendering menu, choose Render Setup, or click the
toolbar Render Setup button.
6438 | Chapter 20 Rendering
7 Set the rendering parameters and specify an output file name. In the
Render Output group on the Common tab, turn on Net Render, and then
click the Render button.
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
Network Job Assignment dialog showing the server station that is also running
Manager.
8 Enter a job name (it's a good idea to change the default name) and then
click the Connect button.
The name of your computer (that is, the Server) appears in the Server
window to the right. It has a green dot next to it meaning that it is a
Server system that is ready to start rendering.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6439
9 Click the Server name to highlight it in the list window, and then click
the Submit button.
The Manager submits the job to the Server, both running only on this
system, and the Server begins rendering each still frame or the animation.
10 To render additional jobs, load each into 3ds Max, and then repeat steps
6-9.
You can submit as many jobs as you like. The software will queue the
jobs up and render them in the order that you submitted them.
Basic Procedure 2: Network Rendering from Server (not Manager)
When rendering across a network, you first assign one machine to be Manager,
and then any number of others as Servers. In this procedure, you won't use
the Manager as a rendering Server.
1
Go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner and choose
the Manager menu item.
This starts Manager and creates the backburner.xml file in the
Backburner\Network folder.
When you run Manager for the first time, you will see the Backburner
Manager General Properties dialog, shown below; this is normal.
6440 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Backburner Manager General Properties dialog.
2 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Manager dialog displays.
3 Move to a Server system.
4
Go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner and choose
the Server menu item.
This starts Server and creates the server data that is stored in the
backburner.xml file.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6441
You will see the Backburner Server General Properties dialog box, shown
below, when you run Server for the first time.
Backburner Server General Properties dialog.
5 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Server dialog displays. After a few moments, messages
appear in both the Server and Manager windows indicating that the Server
has successfully registered with the Manager.
6 Repeat steps 3-5 on all the Server systems you intend to make available
for your rendering jobs.
7 Return to the Manager system, start 3ds Max, and load the first scene
you want to render.
8
From the Rendering menu, choose Render Setup, or click the
toolbar Render Setup button.
9 Set the rendering parameters and specify an output path and file name.
6442 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP So that the Servers can find the output path, specify the path in the
Render Output File dialog starting with Save In > My Network Places. Then
navigate to the output folder, specify a file name and output format (Save
As Type), and click Save.
10 In the Render Output group, turn on Net Render, and then click the
Render button.
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
Network Job Assignment dialog showing all the server stations. The manager
station is excluded.
11 Enter a job name (it's a good idea to change the default name) and then
click the Connect button.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6443
The names of all Servers appear in the Server window to the right. Those
with green dots next to their names are ready to start rendering.
By default, all the Servers that are listed will take part in the rendering
job. To assign a specific Server to render a job, first turn off Use All Servers
in the Options group, and then highlight the server(s) that you want to
render the job.
12 Click the Submit button.
The Manager submits the job to the Servers, which begin rendering .
At this point, you can load and submit additional scenes. When the first
job is complete, the next job will automatically begin rendering on the
Servers.
Basic Procedure 3: Network Rendering from Manager and Servers
When rendering across a network, you first assign one machine to be Manager,
and then any number of others as Servers. In this procedure, you'll use the
Manager computer as a rendering Server as well.
1
Go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner and choose
the Manager menu item.
This starts Manager and creates the backburner.xml file in the
Backburner\Network folder.
When you run Manager for the first time, you will see the Backburner
Manager General Properties dialog, shown below; this is normal.
6444 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Backburner Manager General Properties dialog.
2 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Manager dialog displays.
3
On the same computer, go to Start menu > Programs > Autodesk
> Backburner and choose the Server menu item.
This starts Server and creates the server data that is stored in the
backburner.xml file.
You will see the Backburner Server General Properties dialog box, shown
below, when you run Server for the first time.
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6445
Backburner Server General Properties dialog.
4 Click OK to accept the default settings.
The Backburner Server dialog displays. After a few moments, messages
appear in both the Server and Manager windows indicating that the Server
has successfully registered with the Manager.
5 Repeat steps 3-4 on all the Server systems you intend to make available
for your rendering jobs.
6 Return to the Manager system, start 3ds Max, and load the first scene
you want to render.
7
From the Rendering menu, choose Render Setup, or click the
toolbar Render Setup button.
8 Set the rendering parameters and specify an output path and file name.
TIP So that the Servers can find the output path, specify the path in the
Render Output File dialog starting with Save In > My Network Places. Then
navigate to the output folder, specify a file name and output format (Save
As Type), and click Save.
6446 | Chapter 20 Rendering
9 In the Render Output group, turn on Net Render, and then click the
Render button.
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
Network Job Assignment dialog showing all the server station plus the manager
station that is running Server.
10 Enter a job name (it's a good idea to change the default name) and then
click the Connect button.
The names of all Servers appear in the Server window to the right. Those
with green dots next to their names are ready to start rendering.
By default, all the Servers that are listed will take part in the rendering
job. To assign a specific Server to render a job, first turn off Use All Servers
Basic Procedures for Network Rendering | 6447
in the Options group, and then highlight the server that you want to
render the job.
11 Click the Submit button.
The Manager submits the job to the Servers, which begin rendering .
At this point, you can load and submit additional scenes. When the first
job is complete, the next job will automatically begin rendering on the
Servers.
How Network Rendering Works
Rendering networks are sometimes called “render farms.”
In the software, one computer is set up as the network Manager. The Manager
"farms out" or distributes the work to rendering Servers. You can also have
the same computer function simultaneously as both Manager and Server, so
computing cycles don't go to waste.
Once rendering is under way, the Queue Monitor program lets you directly
monitor and control the operation of the network rendering workload. The
Queue Monitor allows you to edit job settings as well as to activate, deactivate,
and reorder both jobs and servers involved in your render farm.
Important: When rendering using a render farm, it is recommended to render
with single-frame formats such as BMP or PNG. Movie file formats such as
AVI output all frames into a single file which cannot be split between different
servers to take advantage of network rendering.
How Work Is Divided
The software breaks up the task of network rendering among the rendering
Servers, assigning one frame at a time to each Server. The completed output
of the Servers accumulates in a common, shared directory.
Rendered frame files can also be written to a local directory on each machine,
if the same path defines the directory. Frame files are sequentially numbered,
making them easy to assemble later.
The Manager takes a number of different factors into account in determining
how to assign frames and jobs, always striving for the most efficient usage of
the rendering network. An idle rendering Server is automatically detected by
the Manager and is considered for job or frame assignment. If a Server goes
6448 | Chapter 20 Rendering
off-line for some reason, the Manager reclaims the Server's current frame and
reassigns the frame to the next available rendering Server.
The Basic Process
Following is a step-by-step description of the sequence of events when you
use network rendering:
1 The user submits a job to the network Manager.
2 On the submitting machine, the MAX file gets zipped up. If the user
turned on Include Maps, all maps and XRefs are also zipped up.
3 Once the file is zipped up, the ZIP file is copied to the Manager machine's
Backburner\Network\Jobs\ folder. In the folder is an XML file
describing the job itself, specifying frame size, output filename, frame
range, render settings, etc.
4 Once the Manager receives the ZIP and XML files, it looks to see which
servers are sitting idle and can render jobs. It assigns the job to four servers
at a time. (This is the Max Concurrent Assignments setting on the
Manager General Properties dialog. See Starting Network Rendering on
page 6450 ).
5 Each Server machine receives the ZIP and XML files into the
Backburner\Network\jobtemp folder.
6 The MAX file gets unzipped, along with the maps and XRefs if they were
included.
7 3ds Max is launched and loads the MAX file. If the maps and XRefs were
not included, the software searches for them as they are defined in the
MAX file. For instance, if an XRef is in d:\foo\xref.max, the Server will look
for xref.max in d:\foo\ on the local machine. If there are additional map
paths set in the 3dsmax.ini on page 83 file on the rendering server, it will
search in those paths as well. If it does not find the maps and XRefs, the
server fails for that particular job.
This is why it is important to use UNC paths for all maps and XRefs in
your scene file, so that all render servers can find them. However, if the
maps and XRefs were included, then 3ds Max will get the ones that were
unzipped into the \jobtemp folder.
8 When a frame is finished rendering, 3ds Max on the Server saves the
frame to the location specified via the Render Setup dialog before you
submitted it.
How Network Rendering Works | 6449
9 Once a Server successfully renders one frame, the Manager assigns a block
of frames to the server to render; it might assign 20 consecutive frames.
This minimizes the amount of communication needed between the Server
and Manager.
10 The Server continues rendering frames for the job until the job is done.
11 The Server then closes 3ds Max, and goes idle. If the queue contains
additional jobs, the Server picks up the next job and starts the process
all over again.
You can use this explanation to help determine the basic requirements
for your network rendering setup, based on the type of usage. If your
frames render quickly, you'll need a fast file server machine to handle
the constant output from a number of different rendering servers. The
same holds true of your scene uses a large quantity of map files that are
stored in a central location. If you typically render large files, rendering
will take longer, and most of the bandwidth will be required at the start,
when the files are distributed to the rendering servers.
Next Step
Checking Requirements on page 6461
Starting Network Rendering
Once you've set up the network rendering system and software on page 6474,
there are two steps to starting a network rendering session:
■
Start the Manager program on one machine and the Server program on
every other machine in the network. See Basic Procedures for Network
Rendering on page 6435. The machine being used as a manager can also be
used as a rendering server.
■
Start a rendering job from the software on a networked machine with an
authorized copy of 3ds Max.
The Manager and Server programs need to be started and left running during
a network rendering session. Either program remains in operation until you
shut it down or shut down the machine.
6450 | Chapter 20 Rendering
When you've set up the Manager and Server network services, you're ready to
submit an animation to the network rendering queue. There are two stages
to starting network rendering:
■
On the Render dialog, set all desired rendering parameters, including
resolution and rendered output file type, and render the scene. In 3ds Max,
you can render from the Render Setup dialog on page 6067, or the Render
To Texture dialog on page 6397.
■
In the Render dialog, set all desired rendering parameters, including
resolution and rendered output file type, and render the scene.
■
Turn on Net Render, found in the Render Output, Render Settings or Output
groups, and then click Render to open the Network Job Assignment dialog
on page 6481, which lets you make final decisions about the job and submit
your animation to the rendering servers.
Next Step
Network Rendering Manager on page 6509
Network Rendering Server on page 6516
Procedures
These procedures explain how to start and submit a network rendering job in
3ds Max.
This procedure explains how to render a job over the network, once the
Backburner Manager and Server are running. (See the Autodesk Backburner
Installation Guide for information on setting up the Backburner Manager and
Server.)
To start the Manager program:
1 Run the Manager program from the Start menu > Programs > Autodesk
> Backburner folder.
The first time you run the Manager after installation or after deleting the
backburner.xml file, the Manager Properties dialog appears. In most cases,
you can accept the default settings and click OK to continue.
Thereafter, when you start the Manager, its window appears and the
"Starting Network Manager" message is displayed in the window. The
machine is now running the Manager in Desktop mode. You can leave
this window open to see messages relating to what the Manager and
Servers are doing as they appear, or you can minimize it, whereupon it
Starting Network Rendering | 6451
resides in the taskbar tray. To reopen the window when minimized, click
its icon in the taskbar tray.
NOTE If you're running Windows 2000 and have the NetBEUI protocol
installed, and you have unplugged your network cable, when you start the
manager, you'll see an error message, "Error starting network subsystem,
cannot start manager." If this happens, reconnect the network cable and try
again.
2 Alternatively, you can run the Manager as a service, as described in
“Setting Up Backburner Manager as a Windows Service” in the Autodesk
Backburner Installation Guide. Once set up, the Manager automatically starts
when you boot the system and it's always available.
To start the Server program:
1 Run the Server program from the Start menu > Programs > Autodesk >
Backburner folder.
The first time you run the Server after installation or after deleting the
backburner.xml file, the Server Properties dialog appears. By default,
Automatic Search is turned on, and the subnet mask is set to
255.255.255.0. This should work with most networks. Alternatively, turn
off Automatic Search and enter the manager name or its IP address in
the Manager Name or IP Address field.
Thereafter, when you start the Server, its window appears and the "Starting
Backburner Server" message is displayed in the log window. After a few
seconds you should also see the "Registration to (manager IP address)
accepted" message in the Server window. This message indicates that the
server has found the manager and is correctly communicating with it. If
you do not see the "Registration to ..." message in the Server window, see
“Troubleshooting Backburner” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide.
The machine is now running as a rendering Server in Desktop mode. You
can leave this window open to see other messages as they appear, or you
can minimize it to the taskbar tray. To reopen the window when
minimized, click its icon in the taskbar tray.
2 Alternatively, you can run the Server as a service, as described in Network
Rendering Server on page 8058. Just running the Manager as a service, once
it's installed and started, it's always available, even after rebooting.
6452 | Chapter 20 Rendering
To start a network rendering job:
1 Start the Backburner Manager and Backburner Server.
2 Start the software on a machine with an authorized copy of the program.
3 Open the scene you want to render.
4 Choose Rendering menu > Render Setup to display the Render Setup
dialog.
You can also render from the Execute Video Post dialog or the Render To
Texture dialog.
5
In the Render Output group, click the ellipsis button to display the
Render Output File dialog.
6 In the File Name field, enter the Universal Naming Convention (UNC)
on page 8160 name of the output directory, followed by the name of the
output file. For example:
\\machine1\project1\images\output.tga
As an alternative to entering the UNC name from the keyboard, you can
go to Save In > My Network Places and navigate to the machine and
shared directory where you want the servers to write the rendered frames.
After selecting the machine and shared directory in the Map Network
Drive dialog, enter the output file name (for example, output.tga), and
then click OK. The software automatically converts the shared directory
to the UNC format.
If the output directory is mounted, enter the name and extension of the
output file and choose the drive mounted for the output directory from
the Save In list.
7 Click OK to display the Setup Options dialog for the file format type you
have selected.
8 Make the desired settings and click OK.
9 Click OK again to return to the Render Setup dialog.
Save File is turned on once you assign an output file.
10 After setting any other rendering parameters, turn on Render Output
group > Net Render and click Render.
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
Starting Network Rendering | 6453
If you use Video Post, set the file location with an Add Image Output
Event. After you click Execute Sequence, be sure to turn on Net Render
before you click Render.
To submit a network rendering job:
1 Start the Backburner Manager and Backburner Server.
2 On the Network Job Assignment dialog, make sure the Automatic Search
option is on, and then click Connect.
In most cases, the software detects the Manager machine and displays
its attached Servers in the Server list. If auto-detect fails, turn off Automatic
Search and manually enter the name or IP address of the network machine
acting as the Manager, and then click Connect.
All rendering Servers running under the network Manager should be
listed with green dots next to them. Even if a server is running an
interactive session of the software, it will still render an assigned job by
launching a second copy of the software.
3 By default, the job will use all available Servers. To use only specific
Servers, turn off Use All Servers and choose the machines you want to
use from the Server list.
4 Click Submit.
The job is submitted to the Manager, which then distributes the job to
the machines assigned in the Network Job Assignment dialog. Network
rendering begins.
When network rendering begins on a rendering Server, the Rendering
dialog appears on machines running serverapp.exe. If a machine is running
the service version, no dialog appears.
6454 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Troubleshooting Guide
This is a guide to solving common problems associated with network rendering.
Solutions to these problems vary, depending on whether you are using the
Troubleshooting Guide | 6455
network rendering programs as installed Windows Services, or running them
in Desktop mode. Also see “Troubleshooting Backburner” in the Autodesk
Backburner User’s Guide.
PROBLEM:When I try to assign a job in the Network Job Assignment
dialog, some of the servers display a gray or yellow icon.
SUGGESTION
Regardless of their state in the Network Job Assignment dialog, servers can
always be assigned new jobs.
The gray icon means that the server is currently not available to render a job.
This state can occur for several reasons, including:
■
The server has not been correctly started. (See “Setting Up Backburner
Server” in the Autodesk Backburner Installation Guide.)
■
The server has been disallowed for the current time period in the Properties
dialog of the Monitor. (See “Setting the Availability for Rendering Nodes”
in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide.)
■
The server has experienced abnormal termination.
If you've checked for and corrected these conditions and the servers are
still unavailable, stop running Server on each of the problem machines,
and restart the service after a few seconds. This "purges" the server and
may solve the problem. Then click Refresh in the Network Job Assignment
dialog to display the most recent information about the server.
The yellow icon means that the server is busy rendering another job. If the
server should not be busy, verify that the queue is clear of jobs by opening
the Queue Monitor and connecting to the Manager. If the queue is clear of
rendering jobs and the server is still flagged as busy, stop running server on
each of the problem machines, and restart the service after a few seconds.
PROBLEM:When I submit a job to be rendered, the server fails.
SUGGESTION
Servers can fail for a variety of reasons during a network render job. Many of
these reasons are covered in “Troubleshooting” in the Autodesk Backburner
User’s Guide. One reason that is specific to 3ds Max which can cause a server
to fail is the presence of a scene which does not contain texture coordinates.
6456 | Chapter 20 Rendering
All errors are recorded in the appropriate log file. You can learn more about
log files in “Configuring Backburner Log Files” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s
Guide.
Here are some of the error messages related to 3ds Max, along with a likely
cause, that you will see in the Errors tab of the Queue Monitor when a failed
server is selected:
ERR: ----- Render Error:
ERR: D:\MAPS\3DS.CEL [where this is the location of a map in the submitted
scene]
The Server could not find 3ds.cel in the local path specified, which means that
the path to this map is not been correct for network rendering. To fix the
problem, do one of the following:
■
If all maps are being shared from a single directory, make sure the directory
is correctly shared with full permissions. See Sharing a Directory on page
6477.
■
Make sure that you have used either the full UNC path name for the
bitmaps or that the maps directory has been mounted to the same drive
letter on each machine. In this case, verify that particular path has been
added to the Configure User Paths dialog > External Files panel on page
7735 of every server's local version of the software or that the particular path
was used when assigning bitmaps in the scene to be rendered.
■
Verify the bitmaps still reside in the shared directory.
■
Add an Alternate Map Path on the Network Job Assignment dialog that
points to the folder containing the missing map.
ERR: Object (UVW 1): Sphere01 requires texture coordinates and may not
render correctly
Open the scene and make sure the errant object is assigned texture coordinates.
This can be as simple as adding a UVW Map modifier to the object.
ERR: Frame error
Texture coordinates must be applied to the specified object to render it on
the server.
ERR: Load Error: Missing DLL'S
Following this error, you will also receive a listing of each of the missing DLLs
in the scene. Files needed by the server are not available to render the job.
Troubleshooting Guide | 6457
Make sure that all the plug-in DLLs used in a job reside on each of the servers
rendering the job.
ERR: Job not found. Ok if just deleted
When you delete a job, the Manager sends out a notification to all clients
(Monitors) telling that the job has changed. This is the same message sent
when the job completes, gets suspended, resumed, etc. The monitors in turn
request the job status from the manager. The manager doesn’t find the job (it
was just deleted) and returns this error to the monitor.
ERR: Targa - The device is not ready. (0x15)
ERR: Frame error
The server could not write the output file. "Targa" represents the file output
type, and will change depending on the output file type you selected. This
problem can occur for several reasons:- If you are running the Backburner
Server as an installed Windows service, make sure that the user account that
the service is logged to has adequate permissions. Administrative permissions
are recommended.
■
Check to make sure the target output directory is shared, with both read
and write permissions.
■
Verify that the path for saving file output on the Render Setup dialog (or
the Output Event dialog in Video Post) is set to a valid UNC path name.
■
If you are writing to a shared directory mounted locally on each server,
verify that the directory is mounted to the same drive letter on each server,
and that the file output path is set for that drive letter.
PROBLEM:The Server fails to render a frame and displays the
following error:
Rebooting 3ds Max by force due to load timeout.
SUGGESTION
The Server has exceeded either the Wait For 3ds Max To Load or Wait For 3ds
Max To Render value. This is usually caused by attempting to render large
files over the network. Increase these values in the Advanced Settings dialog
on page 6497.
6458 | Chapter 20 Rendering
PROBLEM: I cannot assign more than one server to a job in the
Network Job Assignment dialog.
If the output of a network-rendering job is an AVI or MOV file, or a single
user device, the job can be assigned to a single server only. The Network Job
Assignment dialog changes, depending on the file output type of a job. For
example, if you are network rendering to one of the file formats above, the
All and None buttons do not appear and the dialog title bar contains the word
"Single."
If a job that has an AVI or MOV file output type is stopped for any reason (to
deactivate it, or because a machine goes down), re-rendering the file restarts
at the first frame. Frames cannot be appended later to these file types.
SUGGESTION
To take advantage of the distributed power of network rendering we suggest
you first render to a series of Targa files. Then use the Targa files as either an
animated background in an empty 3ds Max scene, or as an image input event
in Video Post and render the sequence out to the desired output type (for
example, AVI).
PROBLEM:When I click the Render button on the Render Setup
dialog, I get an error dialog stating:
Error Retrieving Configuration File
This error usually is the result of a corrupt installation of the Backburner
applications which caused an errant registry setting.
SUGGESTION
Try reinstalling the Backburner components of the program or manually edit
the system registry.
Editing the registry:
1 Choose Start > Run.
2 Enter RegEdit and click OK
3 Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Autodesk >
Backburner > 2008.1
4 Check the CfgPath entry. Make sure the value is set to c:\Program
Files\Autodesk\Backburner\Network\nrapi.conf.
Troubleshooting Guide | 6459
5 Close the Registry Editor.
PROBLEM: Backburner not found message when clicking Render
button:
Cannot network render. Backburner not found or not installed.
This error dialog appears because the path to Backburner is either not set
properly in the Path environment variable or Backburner is missing altogether.
SUGGESTION
Verify that the Path variable is set properly and make sure you've installed the
latest version of Backburner.
PROBLEM: Clicking Render button results in Backburner plugin error:
Error creating 3ds Max plugin instance for Backburner.
The path to 3ds Max is not set in the PlugPath section of the
\Backburner\Network\nrapi.conf file.
SUGGESTION
Verify the presence of the \Backburner\Network\nrapi.conf file and check the
PlugPath. It should look like this:
PlugPath=C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Backburner/
PROBLEM:The manager and server windows display strange, garbled
text:
Your error message includes @#$$#@.
This error occurs if the nrres.dat file is missing or damaged. This file is located
in: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\Network
SUGGESTION
Copy the nrres.dat file from another system that is not exhibiting the problem,
or reinstall Backburner.
6460 | Chapter 20 Rendering
System Setup
Checking Requirements
Checking Requirements
Setting up even a small render farm can require a substantial amount of time.
As a first step, verify that your proposed network meets the basic requirements.
You should also be acquainted with the software required to render over the
network.
Hardware Requirements
■
One machine on the network must have the software set up and authorized.
This system is used to submit network rendering jobs.
■
One machine runs a network manager to communicate with rendering
servers. You can set up any machine in the network for this purpose. No
authorization is required if this machine will not run as a 3ds Max
Workstation.
■
To install the software, at least one machine needs a DVD-ROM drive
mounted for access over the network. Instructions for setting up the
network-rendering software are found in the Setting Up Rendering Software
on page 6474 section.
■
Other machines operate as rendering servers. No authorization is required
on these machines.
Rendering servers should meet the minimum requirements for running
the software. To improve rendering performance, use machines with faster
processors, additional memory, and more swap space. A rendering server
does not require a monitor while rendering, although it's helpful to have
one for setup. Display adapters and accelerators make no difference in
rendering performance.
Network Requirements
For operating system requirements, see “Backburner Component Requirements”
in the Autodesk Backburner Installation Guide. You must also be connected over
a network with TCP/IP protocol properly installed. See Instructions for
configuring TCP/IP for network rendering on page 6466.
System Setup | 6461
Software Requirements
One authorized copy of the software is the minimum requirement. With this
one copy, you can set up the software on multiple machines for the purpose
of network rendering. Later topics provide explicit details for doing a custom
setup on each machine. During this setup, programs required to render over
a network are installed and registered.
Four separate programs interact to accomplish network rendering. The
following descriptions identify these programs and provide an overview of
their use.
■
3dsmax.exe
3ds Max is used to launch job assignments. You submit a network rendering
job from the Render Setup, Render to Texture, or Execute Video Post dialog.
The application is also used by the rendering servers to render the job.
■
manager.exe
When run, this application sets up one computer as a network manager.
Alternatively, you can run Manager as a service by installing managersvc.exe.
See Installing Network Services on page 6503.
The manager program manages communication with the rendering servers
during a network rendering job. This can be set up on any machine in the
network. However, if large files are to be submitted and many rendering
servers are going to be used, a fast computer with a large amount of disk
space is the best choice. In almost all network-rendering scenarios, you
only have a single manager running on the entire network.
■
server.exe
When run, this application sets up the computer it's run on to be used as
a rendering server. Alternatively, you can run Server as a service by
installing serversvc.exe. See Installing Network Services on page 6503.
The server program sends its local IP address to the Manager program,
which in turn registers the Server so it will be available for network
rendering a job assignment. When the server receives a job from the
network manager, it launches a local copy of the software to perform the
rendering. The server then sends the completed frame to a target directory
and begins rendering the next frame sent to it by the manager. The server
shuts down the 3dsmax.exe3dsviz.exe process when it is no longer needed.
■
monitor.exe
This standalone program, named Queue Monitor, provides a Windows
interface that lets you monitor and schedule network rendering. Since the
Queue Monitor is a standalone program, you can start it at any time from
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any computer in your network. The only requirement is that you establish
a TCP/IP connection with the computer running the manager.
You can load Queue Monitor on each rendering server and use it to monitor
rendering progress locally. You can also connect with Queue Monitor
remotely using Windows NT Remote Access.
Setting Up for Network Rendering
Whenever different groups need to cooperate on a project, accurate
communication and common procedures are essential. A rendering farm is
such a project.
Network setup can be difficult to configure, but you only need to do it once.
Take your time to get the right setup. Read each topic in order and complete
the steps described.
These instructions are for creating a new network dedicated specifically to
network rendering. If you are configuring network rendering for an existing
network or for a network that will be used for other purposes, these instructions
are intended as a reference example only.
Next Step
Setting Up TCP/IP on page 6463
See also:
■
Setting Up Rendering Software on page 6474
■
Setting Up Directories on page 6475
■
Initial Setup for Manager and Server Programs on page 6501
Setting Up TCP/IP
The software uses the standard network protocol, TCP/IP, for network
rendering. TCP/IP is a two-part acronym. TCP (Transport Control Protocol)
communicates data between applications. IP (Internet Protocol) communicates
data between an application and the physical network. Each computer in your
rendering network needs to be configured for this protocol.
System Setup | 6463
Before continuing, be sure that:
■
You have administrative privileges on each machine.
■
The network is operational, with network adapter cards installed in each
machine.
The TCP/IP protocol requires a device, called a network adapter or Network
Interface Controller (NIC), to bind with in order to communicate with other
machines. Typically, the network adapter is a network card, but if you are
linked to the Internet by modem, a dial-up adapter (the modem) is used.
TCP/IP uses IP addresses to identify the computers on a network. For
convenience, you can assign real names to computers. An IP address is a serial
number of four integers separated by periods, for example, 192.100.100.1.
IP addresses can be fixed (as in the example above) or automatic, supplied
dynamically each time you connect to the network by a system known as
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
The software uses the NIC number, which can be thought of a unique serial
number assigned to each network card, to identify each machine in the
network. This allows the use of DHCP since the IP address usually changes
when a machine using DHCP is rebooted.
In some cases, you may want to specify a fixed IP address, for example:
■
When you have more than one Manager running on the same network,
each with its own set of dedicated Servers, you need to specify which
Manager to use. DHCP can be used in this case, but you will have to specify
the Manager name instead of its IP address.
■
The second case is when the Server or Queue Monitor is outside the local
network (as in the case of a WAN or a multi-segmented network connected
through a router). In this case, Servers connected to the same network can
still use DHCP, provided the Manager has a fixed name and IP address.
■
If your network is set peer-to-peer without an NT server (as is the case with
most home networks), it is easier to set the machines with permanent,
fixed IP addresses.
■
Finally, you can use batch rendering on page 6548 without being connected
to a network. In that case, you will need to set up a fixed TCP/IP address
and configure the Microsoft Loopback adapter.
In the case of fixed addresses, it is important that IP addresses be properly
assigned. In this step, you make up a list of machine names and their
6464 | Chapter 20 Rendering
corresponding IP addresses to use during TCP/IP configuration. The list will
also be used when installing the software’s rendering services.
Using the Manager name is particularly useful when its IP address is assigned
dynamically via DHCP, and can change from session to session.
On a closed network, you don't have to worry much about conflicts with the
IP addresses of other network domains. However, the addresses need to follow
a consistent pattern and each must be unique within your network.
WARNING On an open network, such as those in many large corporations, do
not alter IP addresses in any way. In such cases, to avoid potentially disastrous
consequences, always work with your system administrator to make IP address
changes.
Procedures
To create machine names and IP addresses:
■
Create a list of machine names and IP addresses.
Unless you have specific needs for later compatibility with another network,
use the following list as a model.
Since the Manager machine can also act as a server, start naming your
servers to match their IP addresses as shown in the list below. Remember,
any one machine can act as a manager under network rendering. Like an
IP address, each name must be unique. Also keep in mind that you must
not use the numbers 0 or 255 in the last group (or octet) of an IP address
as they are reserved.
WARNING Machine names should not start with numbers or have spaces or
underscores in them, as those will result in illegal names in TCP/IP. This will cause
unexpected behavior in the network rendering system.
Machine Name
IP Address
server001
192.100.100.1
server002
192.100.100.2
server003
192.100.100.3
...
...
System Setup | 6465
Machine Name
IP Address
server254
192.100.100.254
Configuring TCP/IP
From the previous step, Setting Up TCP/IP on page 6463, you should have a list
of machine names and IP addresses. With that list, go to each machine and
follow these procedures.
On an open network, such as those in many large corporations, do not alter
IP addresses, machine names, workgroup names, or domain names in any
way. In such cases, to avoid potentially disastrous consequences, always work
with your system administrator to make IP address changes.
Procedures
Some of the following procedures are for Windows XP Professional; others
are for Windows 2000. Find your operating system at the end of the procedure
heading and follow that set of instructions.
NOTE During the writing of these procedures, Windows XP was set to display a
Classic Windows interface.
To assign a name and workgroup or domain (Windows 2000):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Control Panel
> System.
This displays the System Properties dialog.
2 Click the Network Identification tab, and then click the Properties button
to display the Identification Changes dialog.
If you've already assigned a name to the computer, the name should
appear in the Computer Name field on the Network Identification tab.
Check this name against your list.
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3 To change the name, in the Computer Name field, enter a name for the
machine.
■
The first character of a valid machine/host name must not be a
numeral.
■
Do not use underscores or spaces in the machine/host name.
4 In the Member Of group, enter either a workgroup or domain name,
depending on how your network is going to be set up.
Workgroup An organizational unit that is used to group computers that
don't belong to a domain. If you are setting up a simple network for the
purpose of Network Rendering, use the Workgroup option.
Domain A more complex way of grouping servers that share a common
security policy and user account database. A domain requires you to set
up a Primary Domain controller. You should select the Domain option
only if your Network Administrator has a Domain already set up and
functioning correctly.
To assign a name and workgroup or domain (Windows XP):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Control Panel
> System.
This displays the System Properties dialog.
2 Click the Computer Name tab, and then click the Change button to
display the Computer Name Change dialog.
If you've already assigned a name to the computer, the name should
appear in the Computer Name field on the Computer Name tab. Check
this name against your list.
3 To change the name, in the Computer Name field, enter a name for the
machine.
■
The first character of a valid machine/host name must not be a
numeral.
■
Do not use underscores or spaces in the machine/host name.
4 In the Member Of group, enter either a workgroup or domain name,
depending on how your network is going to be set up.
Workgroup An organizational unit that is used to group computers that
don't belong to a domain. If you are setting up a simple network for the
purpose of Network Rendering, use the Workgroup option.
System Setup | 6467
Domain A more complex way of grouping servers that share a common
security policy and user account database. A domain requires you to set
up a Primary Domain controller. You should select the Domain option
only if your Network Administrator has a Domain already set up and
functioning correctly.
To add the TCP/IP protocol (Windows 2000):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network and
Dial-up Connections > Local Area Connection.
This opens the Local Area Connection Status dialog.
2 Click the Properties button.
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog.
3 Check the list for "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)".
If you find this listing, TCP/IP is installed on this machine. Go on to
either of these procedures in the current topic:
■
To configure TCP/IP in DHCP mode on page ?
■
To configure TCP/IP with fixed IP addresses on page ?
If TCP/IP is not installed, make sure none of the list items is
highlighted (click in a blank area of the list), and complete the
remaining steps in this procedure.
4 Click the Install button.
This opens the Select Network Component Type dialog.
5 In the list, click Protocol, and then click the Add button.
6 In the Select Network Protocol dialog, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
and then click OK.
A message appears: "Do you want to use DHCP?". Consult your system
administrator to see if your network is DHCP-compatible; if it is, click
"Yes". If you are unsure, click "No" and proceed to set your workstations
with fixed IP addresses.
TCP/IP is added to the list of installed protocols.
7 Click the Close button.
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To add the TCP/IP protocol (Windows XP):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network
Connections.
This opens the Network Connections dialog.
2 Right-click Local Area Connection and click the Properties button.
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog.
3 Check the list for "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)".
If you find this listing, TCP/IP is installed on this machine. Go on to
either of these procedures in the current topic:
■
To configure TCP/IP in DHCP mode on page ?
■
To configure TCP/IP with fixed IP addresses on page ?
If TCP/IP is not installed, make sure none of the list items is
highlighted (click in a blank area of the list), and complete the
remaining steps in this procedure.
4 Click the Install button.
This opens the Select Network Component Type dialog.
5 In the list, click Protocol, and then click the Add button.
6 In the Select Network Protocol dialog, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
and then click OK.
A message appears: "Do you want to use DHCP?". Consult your system
administrator to see if your network is DHCP-compatible; if it is, click
"Yes". If you are unsure, click "No" and proceed to set your workstations
with fixed IP addresses.
TCP/IP is added to the list of installed protocols.
7 Click the Close button.
To configure TCP/IP in DHCP mode (Windows 2000):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network and
Dial-up Connections > Local Area Connection.
This opens the Local Area Connection Status dialog.
2 Click the Properties button.
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog. You should see
your network adapter card listed as "Connect Using" at the top of this
System Setup | 6469
dialog. If your adapter is not listed, follow the instructions in Windows
2000 documentation on adapter setup.
3 In the list, highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog appears.
4 Make sure the option "Obtain an IP address automatically" is chosen.
5 Click OK to close each dialog in turn.
Windows 2000 finishes configuring the software.
6 Reboot the computer to complete the configuration.
7 Repeat all the steps on this page on every machine in your network.
To configure TCP/IP in DHCP mode (Windows XP):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network
Connections.
This opens the Network Connections dialog.
2 Right-click Local Area Connection and click the Properties button.
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog. You should see
your network adapter card listed as "Connect Using" at the top of this
dialog. If your adapter is not listed, follow the instructions in Windows
XP documentation on adapter setup.
3 In the list, highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog appears.
4 Make sure the option "Obtain an IP address automatically" is chosen.
5 Click OK to close each dialog in turn.
Windows XP finishes configuring the software.
6 Reboot the computer to complete the configuration.
7 Repeat all the steps on this page on every machine in your network.
To configure TCP/IP with fixed IP addresses (Windows 2000):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network and
Dial-up Connections > Local Area Connection.
This opens the Local Area Connection Status dialog.
2 Click the Properties button.
6470 | Chapter 20 Rendering
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog. You should see
your network adapter card listed as "Connect Using" at the top of this
dialog. If your adapter is not listed, follow the instructions in Windows
2000 documentation on adapter setup.
3 In the list, highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog appears.
4 Choose “Use The Following IP Address”.
5 In the box for IP Address, enter the address for that machine.
Check your list to make sure the entry is correct.
6 In the box for Subnet Mask, type these numbers (these are the same for
every machine):
255.255.255.0
If you are on a large corporate network, this subnet mask might be
different. In this case, use the mask that your network administrator
specified. Also, change the network mask when setting up a server to
connect to a manager as well as in the Network Job Assignment dialog
to match the subnet mask in order for Automatic Search to work.
7 Click OK to close each dialog in turn.
Windows 2000 finishes configuring the software.
8 Reboot the computer to complete the configuration.
9 Repeat all the steps on this page on every machine in your network.
Remember that each machine needs to have a unique IP Address and
machine name so no conflicts arise.
To configure TCP/IP with fixed IP addresses (Windows XP):
1 From the Windows taskbar, open Start menu > Settings > Network
Connections.
This opens the Network Connections dialog.
2 Right-click Local Area Connection and click the Properties button.
This opens the Local Area Connection Properties dialog. You should see
your network adapter card listed as "Connect Using" at the top of this
dialog. If your adapter is not listed, follow the instructions in Windows
2000 documentation on adapter setup.
3 In the list, highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
System Setup | 6471
The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog appears.
4 Choose “Use The Following IP Address”.
5 In the box for IP Address, enter the address for that machine.
Check your list to make sure the entry is correct.
6 In the box for Subnet Mask, type these numbers (these are the same for
every machine):
255.255.255.0
If you are on a large corporate network, this subnet mask might be
different. In this case, use the mask that your network administrator
specified. Also, change the network mask when setting up a server to
connect to a manager as well as in the Network Job Assignment dialog
to match the subnet mask in order for Automatic Search to work.
7 Click OK to close each dialog in turn.
Windows XP finishes configuring the software.
8 Reboot the computer to complete the configuration.
9 Repeat all the steps on this page on every machine in your network.
Remember that each machine needs to have a unique IP Address and
machine name so no conflicts arise.
Creating a Special User Account
If you run the Server as a Service, you should create a special user account,
which gives the Server the right to access other machines on the network for
necessary maps, xrefs and output directories. This account must be identical
across all rendering server machines.
By assigning a user to the rendering Server service, you configure the rendering
server to operate with the permissions and access rights of that user account.
Without this assignment, the rendering server operates with system
permissions, which do not let the server service access map, xref, image, or
output directories on other machines.
NOTE These steps require you to have administrative privileges on every machine
where you set up this account.
For the following procedures, Windows XP was set to display a Classic Windows
interface.
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Procedures
To create a new user (Windows 2000 and XP):
1 From the Start menu, select Settings > Control Panel > Administrative
Tools > Computer Management.
2 In the Computer Management dialog, go to System Tools > Local Users
and Groups > Users.
3 In the right-hand pane, right click in a blank area and choose New User
to display the New User dialog. If the New User option is unavailable,
you don't have the required administrative privileges.
4 In the New User dialog, do the following:
■
Enter a user name for the new account in the Username text box. This
can be any name, but it should be the same across all network
rendering machines.
■
Enter a password for the new account in the Password and Confirm
Password boxes. Like the user name, this password needs to be the
same for all rendering servers.
■
Turn off “User Must Change Password At Next Logon” and turn on
“Password Never Expires”.
This will bypass errors when you assign this special user account to
the rendering service.
■
Click Create to create the new user and password.
When the network is part of a domain it is a good idea to have your
network administrator create a special user account on the domain.
This user account would have read/write access to the network servers
where maps, xrefs and frames are stored.
■
Click Close.
5 Do not close Administrative Tools.
To assign a user to a rendering service (Windows 2000 and XP):
Do the following on every computer used as a rendering server:
1 Make sure each server system is set up with the Network Rendering Server
on page 6516 running as a service.
2 From the Administrative Tools windows, choose Services to display the
Services dialog.
System Setup | 6473
3 From the Service list, right-click the Backburner Server item.
4 Choose Properties to display the Properties dialog.
5 On the Log On tab, choose This Account and enter the name of the new
user you created for the special user account.
If a user account was created on the domain, you would enter [domain
name]\[user name] as This Account, or you can browse the domain for
the user.
6 In Password and Confirm Password fields, enter the password for the
special user account.
7 Click OK to exit the Properties dialog.
8 If the service is started, stop it by right-clicking the item and choosing
Stop.
9 Right-click the item and choose Start to restart the service with the newly
assigned user.
NOTE If you did not turn off “User Must Change Password At Next Logon”
when setting up the new account, you will encounter errors. You will need
to re-login the newly assigned user so you can first change the password.
Once the password is changed, the Backburner Server should start.
10 Close the Services dialog
Setting Up Rendering Software
When you've configured the computers on your rendering network for TCP/IP,
you're ready to load the software.
You need to install 3ds Max on each system you plan to use for network
rendering. After you've installed 3ds Max on all the systems, at least one of
them needs to be authorized. This is the copy of the software that you will
run interactively and is used to submit jobs for network rendering.
Refer to the Installation Guide for details about installing 3ds Max.
NOTE A system using the scanline renderer, that is intended to act a dedicated
rendering server, does not require authorization for 3ds Max.
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Setting Up Directories
During network rendering, common directories (directories that are shared
across the network) allow access to files needed by all the rendering servers.
You can organize, share, and (if necessary) mount these directories.
There are two types of common directories:
■
Map directories One or more directories where maps and images are
stored. These can be both project-specific and general locations.
■
Output directory A single directory where completed frames are sent
from each rendering server, also called the target directory. You specify
this directory for each job. This can also be a local directory on each
machine.
The network rendering system uses the Universal Naming Convention (UNC)
to identify directories and files. UNC names begin with a double backslash
and do not include a drive letter. This is the convention:
\\machine_name\directory\subdirectory\filename
IMPORTANT To simplify network rendering, use UNC names whenever possible
within a 3ds Max scene, even if the directory is on the local machine.
TIP When entering UNC names, omit the \\ before the computer name until
you've entered the entire path and file name. This eliminates search delays when
entering UNC path names into file selection dialogs.
Some networks require drive letters instead of UNC names. Directories on
such networks can be mounted as drive letters and shared over the network.
See Mounting a Directory on page 6478.
Organizing Directories
Correctly organizing directories is critical to the success of your rendering
farm. Every element in a scene needs to be available to each server for a
complete rendering. The goal is to give every machine in your network the
same "picture" of where files are located. Follow these rules when organizing
your directories:
■
Share directories on page 6477 to make them available to the network.
■
Use UNC file specification when assigning maps files and output directories,
even when the directory is on a local machine.
Setting Up Rendering Software | 6475
Creating Map Directories
As you assign materials in a scene, the software stores the complete path to
each map you use. The program searches for that particular location. If
necessary, the program continues to look through the directory containing
the scene file and its subdirectories.
Maps, specific to a project, should be kept in a dedicated directory that has
been set up for that project. You can create subdirectories below this directory
to organize files. This directory needs to be shared using Windows Explorer.
Maps for general use, such as texture libraries, can be organized as you choose.
The computers containing such libraries need to be on the network, and the
directories need to be shared.
Creating a Common Output Directory
A common output directory is a single directory on one hard disk where
rendered frames accumulate during network rendering. When creating a
common output directory, follow these guidelines:
■
Decide on a machine to accept final output. It should have enough disk
space to store the largest completed animation file you're likely to render.
■
Create or choose a directory for final output.
■
Share that directory as a resource available to the network.
Creating a Local Output Directory
A local output directory lets you use available storage on each rendering server.
Rendered frame files are sequentially numbered when assigned by the network
manager. When you collect the finished frames, they automatically sort in
the proper order. When creating a local output directory, follow these
guidelines:
■
Use the same path and name for all local directories. For example, use
\3dsmax_files\images\.
■
Use the same path and name for all local directories. For example, use
\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 2008\images.
■
Specify this path for the output directory when you start network rendering.
All rendering servers will then send their output to this local directory.
6476 | Chapter 20 Rendering
On any one rendering job, use either a common or local output directory.
They cannot be mixed.
See also:
■
Mounting a Directory on page 6478
■
Using Configure User Paths on page 6479
Sharing a Directory
You share a directory from the machine where the directory is located. This
gives other machines on your network access to that directory. The instructions
below are general. See your Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000
documentation for details.
Next Step
Initial Setup for Manager and Server Programs on page 6501
See also:
■
Mounting a Directory on page 6478
■
Using Configure User Paths on page 6479
Procedures
To share a directory:
1 Go to the machine that contains the directory you want to share.
2 In Windows Explorer, right-click the directory to share, and then choose
Sharing from the right-click menu.
3 If using Windows XP or Windows 2000, on the Sharing tab, choose the
Share This Folder option.
4 If using Windows NT4, on the Sharing tab, select the Shared As option.
5 Use the default Share Name.
6 Click Permissions and make sure permissions are set to Everyone/Full
Control. Click OK to exit the Permissions dialog.
Setting Up Rendering Software | 6477
7 Click OK to accept the changes.
NOTE If you plan to use more than 10 rendering servers, both the output
path and location of all scene maps should be on a system running Windows
XP or Windows 2000 Server, as both Windows XP Professional and Windows
2000 Professional have a limit of 10 simultaneous connections.
Mounting a Directory
You can mount a directory to a drive letter as an alternative to using UNC
names on page 8160. In mixed UNIX/XP/2000 networks, for example, you might
need to mount the output directory.
For network rendering, you mount (or map) the directory on all machines in
the network. This gives all rendering servers access to the shared directory.
Before beginning this setup, choose a common drive letter for all servers to
mount. If you have other drives mounted, you might need to switch
assignments to free the drive letter for this mount.
If a Map or Target directory is on a rendering server, mount the directory on
this machine like all the others, even if the directory is on the local disk.
When using a mounted directory, be sure that the directory to be mounted
is correctly shared. When assigning bitmaps, always use the path with the
common drive letter.
The steps below are general. See your Windows XP or 2000 documentation
for more details.
NOTE During the writing of these procedures, Windows XP was set to display a
Classic Windows interface.
See also:
■
Sharing a Directory on page 6477
■
Using Configure User Paths on page 6479
6478 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Procedures
To map a directory to a drive letter (Windows 2000 or XP):
1 In Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Map Network Drive to display the
Map Network Drive dialog.
2 Set the Drive drop-down menu value to the common drive letter you've
chosen.
3 In Folder, enter the exact location of the output directory, using UNC
convention.
You can also map a directory to a drive letter by choosing the machine
and shared directory with the Browse button in the Map Network Drive
dialog.
4 Click Finish to complete the mount.
NOTE If the drive maps to a server on a large corporate network, you may
be required to enter your user name and password to gain access.
Using Configure User Paths
Render-only machines do not require any form of authorization. However,
you cannot use unauthorized versions of the software to access the Configure
User Paths dialog on page 7729 to specify alternative locations for servers to
search for bitmap files.
If you do not want to concern yourself with configuring paths on render-only
machines (servers), then turn on the Use Alternate Map Path or Include Maps
option on the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481.
The Use Alternate Map Paths option lets you specify an alternate folder where
the rendering server can look for bitmaps if they are not found in the primary
bitmap path.
If using Include Maps, network rendering will take care of making copies of
the bitmaps and send them to the server assigned for rendering. When the
rendering job is done, the copies are erased from the server hard drive. The
files are placed in a \network\serverjob subdirectory of the software.
If a server cannot find a bitmap image in the path specified in the file, it then
searches the paths listed in its own Bitmaps panel. Only after searching in all
locations will the server fail due to missing maps. If you have followed
Setting Up Rendering Software | 6479
instructions in the previous topics (Setting Up Directories on page 6475, Sharing
a Directory on page 6477, and Mounting a Directory on page 6478), then you know
that a common map directory on the network is the best way to proceed. Use
the following steps to properly configure your paths on the machine running
the authorized copy of the software and on the servers meant for render-only
purposes.
See also:
■
Sharing a Directory on page 6477
■
Mounting a Directory on page 6478
Procedures
To add bitmap paths to the External Files panel from within the software:
1 Run the software on a machine running an authorized copy of the
program.
2 Choose Customize > Configure User Paths to open the Configure User
Paths dialog, and then click the External Files tab, if necessary.
3 Use the Add button to specify the paths (UNC on page 8160 or mounted)
to every directory on the network where bitmap files are stored for
rendering. Make sure you use UNC or mounted directories, even if the
maps are on the local drive.
4 Click OK.
To add bitmap paths to render-only machines using the initialization file:
Use the following steps if you do not want to authorize the software on the
server machine(s).
1 Install the 3ds Max core software on the server station(s).
2 Copy the 3dsmax.ini on page 83 file from your authorized 3ds Max
workstation to the program directory of each of your server(s).
If you followed the previous procedure, the copied initialization file contains
information about UNC or mounted directories that stores the required bitmap
files.
6480 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE To prevent mishaps, it is usually a good idea to edit the INI file once it is
copied to the server. Remember that the server machine can be configured
differently than your 3ds Max workstation: The drive letter, program directory,
and subdirectories may be different. Use a word processor to edit all entries under
the [Directories] section to match entries of the server machine.
For example:
[Directories]
Fonts=d:\3dsmax\fonts
Scenes=d:\3dsmax\scenes
Import=d:\3dsmax\meshes
Export=d:\3dsmax\meshes
...
Network Job Assignment Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Turn on Net Render
(Render Output group) > Render
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render To Texture dialog > Turn on
Net Render (Render Settings group) > Render
Rendering menu > Video Post > Set up a sequence with an Image Output Event
> Turn on Net Render (Output group) > Render
Use the Network Job Assignment dialog to name rendering jobs, specify the
computers that will participate in the rendering, and submit jobs to the
rendering servers.
You can submit as many jobs as you like in a single session. Open each file
you want to render and submit it following the standard procedure. Each job
is placed behind the last one submitted. If you submit a job in which the
frame output name is the same as another job in the queue, a warning dialog
asks you if you want to overwrite the output frames from the other job.
You can divide the work of rendering a single image among any number of
rendering servers. This is particularly useful when rendering a single, extremely
high-resolution image intended for print. To use this feature, turn on the Split
Scan Lines option on page 6486.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6481
Procedures
To use the Network Job Assignment dialog:
The Network Job Assignment dialog is accessible when you turn on the Net
Render toggle. The Net Render toggle can be accessed from three different
dialogs used for rendering.
1 Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render Output
group
2 Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render Setup dialog > Render
Settings group
3 Video Post dialog > Execute Sequence > Execute Video Post dialog >
Output group
4
In the Render Setup dialog > Render Output group, click the ellipsis
button and then specify an output file name and path using Universal
Naming Convention (UNC) on page 8160. The easiest way to specify a UNC
path is to start with Save In > My Network Places.
5 Turn on Net Render.
6 Click the Render button.
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
7 On the Network Job Assignment dialog, specify a job name.
By default, this is the file name of the current scene. Click the plus (+)
button next to the Job Name field to increment the job name. Unlike the
plus button in the file dialogs, this button does not automatically launch
the job.
NOTE The software does not let you submit multiple jobs with the same
name.
8 Determine whether to find the Manager automatically or manually. By
default, the software searches automatically for the Manager using a
network mask that you specify in the dialog. Alternatively, turn on Manual
Search and enter the name or IP address of the computer running the
Manager program.
9 Click Connect to continue.
You see a listing of all servers available for network rendering. Each server
is marked with a colored icon to denote its current status:
6482 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Green Running and not rendering any jobs.
Yellow Rendering another job. You can assign jobs to busy servers, and
the jobs will be rendered in the order received.
Red Failed. Try rebooting the server or see Troubleshooting on page 6455
for more information on failed servers.
Gray Absent. Verify that the Server is currently running and that it has
not been "Disallowed" in the Week Schedule. See “Scheduling the
Availability of a Render Node Using the Backburner Monitor” in the
Autodesk Backburner User’s Reference.
If a rendering Server is running on a workstation that also has an
interactive session of the software, you can still select that machine for
rendering. A second copy of the software is launched to execute the
network render.
You can view statistics of a particular Server by right-clicking its name
and choosing Properties.
10 Determine whether you will use the selected server, all servers, or a group
of servers.
11 Click Submit to send the job to the rendering queue.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6483
Interface
Job Name Provides a field for you to name the job (mandatory). The + button
beside the field adds incremental numbering (Job01, Job02, and so on).
NOTE The software does not let you submit multiple jobs with the same name.
Description Enter an optional description of the job.
Enter Subnet Mask/Enter Manager Name or IP Address group
Enter Manager Name or IP Address When Automatic Search is turned off,
enter the name of the Network Manager on page 8057 machine or its IP address.
6484 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Enter Subnet Mask When Automatic Search is on, enter a subnet mask for
automatic search. For information on using subnet masks.
Connect/Disconnect Connects to the network Manager. The software
preserves the connection as a global setting so that you need to change it only
when you want to specify an alternative Manager. If connected to the network
manager, click Disconnect to disconnect from the current manager so you
can choose a different manager.
Automatic Search Determines whether the software connects to a specific
manager or searches for one using a subnet mask when you click Connect.
When off, the software attempts to connect to the manager you specify in
this group. When on, it searches the network for a manager using the specified
subnet mask.
Refresh Updates the Server and Job lists.
By default, all servers are used for the job. When the Options group > Use All
Servers check box is turned off, you can choose one or more servers to render
the job. If rendering to a multiple-frame file format, such as an AVI or MOV
file, you can choose only one server.
Priority group
Priority Specifies a priority ranking for the job. The lower this setting, the
higher the job priority. Default=50.
For example, consider a job with priority 1 (Job B) that is submitted to a
network manager that's already rendering a job with priority 2 (Job A). Because
Job B has a higher priority, Job A will be suspended and Job B rendered. When
Job B is finished, the software will resume rendering Job A.
If two or more jobs have the same priority, they're executed in order of
submission.
Critical Sends the job to the head of the queue, preempting the existing jobs.
If a server is currently rendering and a critical job is sent to the queue, the
server will stop rendering its current job and begin rendering the new, critical
job. When finished with the critical job, the server returns to the next job it
has been assigned in the queue.
Dependencies Opens the Job Dependencies dialog on page 6490, which you
can use to specify existing jobs that must finish before the current job can
start.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6485
Options group
Enabled Notifications Lets the software send rendering-related messages via
email. When this is on, its Define button becomes available. For information,
see the Notifications dialog on page 6492 topic.
Define Opens the Notifications dialog, which lets you set notifications
parameters.
Split Scan Lines Lets you subdivide the rendering of each frame among the
rendering servers. This is useful when rendering a single, extremely
high-resolution image intended for printing. For information, see the Strips
Setup dialog on page 6494 topic.
When Split Scan Lines is on, its Define button becomes available.
NOTE This feature does not support Render Elements. Also, it's unavailable when
rendering to textures with projection mapping enabled and Sub-Object Levels on.
Define Opens the Strips Setup dialog, which lets you set parameters for the
Split Scan Lines option.
Ignore Scene Path When off, the server attempts to copy the scene file from
the manager to the server. If the manager is running on Windows 2000
Professional, only 10 servers will copy the file from the manager; any machines
over the limit 10 will use TCP/IP to retrieve the file. When turned on, the
servers get the file via TCP/IP only. Default=off.
Rendered Frame Window During rendering, displays the Rendered Frame
Window on all servers running serverapp.exe (not serversvc.exe). Default=on.
Include Maps Archives the scene, with all of its maps, any inserted Xrefs and
their maps, into a proprietary-format compressed file. The compressed file is
sent to each Server, where it is uncompressed into a temporary directory named
serverjob in the \network subdirectory of the program and rendered. Default=off.
Use this feature if you have access only to Servers that exist over the Internet
or if you have a slow network setup. It is not meant for heavy production use.
However, if you don't use it, you must first ensure that all network servers
have access to all map and Xref paths referred to in the scene.
Initially Suspended Adds the named job to the queue in an inactive state.
The job is not started until you activate it manually from the Backburner
Monitor. See “Monitoring and Managing Jobs” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s
Guide.
6486 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Server Usage Group
You choose between using all available servers, all servers in a group, or selected
servers. See “Configuring Server Groups” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide
for an explanation of how to set up server groups. In a 3ds Max setup it can
be useful to set up servers in groups. For example, during busy times you can
assign high priority jobs to a group of high performance servers.
Use Selected Uses only the servers that you have highlighted in the Server
list.
Use Group Uses all of the servers in a group.
TIP Note that the servers are assigned to a group in the Autodesk Backburner
monitor.
Group drop-down list Choose the group of servers that you want to use for
your render.
Use All Servers Uses all Servers in the active Server group for rendering the
job. Available only after you submit a multi-frame rendering job.
Path File Group
Use Alternate Path File Allows you to specify an alternate path file in the
MXP format that rendering servers can use to find bitmaps that are not found
on the primary map paths. When on, you can manually enter the path and
file name in the field below the check box, or click the ellipsis button and
browse to the MXP file.
NOTE Create MXP files with Configure User Paths on page 7729.
Status group
Displays text messages describing the current status of the job assignment.
Server list
The Server list, located on the upper-right side of the Network Job Assignment
dialog, displays all network rendering servers on page 8058 registered with the
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6487
network manager after you connect to the manager. There are two types of
tabs in the Server list:
■
All Servers Lists all of the available servers that can be used for your
render. When this tab and Use All Servers are enabled, all servers will be
used to render the job.
■
[group name] Lists all of the servers assigned to a group. When this tab
and Use Group are enabled, all servers listed on the tab will be used to
render the job.
NOTE If a server is unavailable it will be skipped and the next available server will
be used.
If more groups are available than can fit in the space above the list, arrow
buttons for scrolling the group list horizontally appear above the list's top-right
corner. Click these arrow buttons to scroll the list left or right to view
additional group tabs.
By default, each Server is marked with a colored status icon:
■
Green
Running and not rendering any jobs.
■
Yellow Rendering another job. You can assign jobs to busy Servers, and
the jobs will be rendered in the order received.
■
Red Failed. Try rebooting the Server or see Troubleshooting on page 6455
for more information on failed Servers.
■
Gray Absent. Verify that the network Server is currently running and
that it has not been "Disallowed" in the Backburner Monitor. See
“Launching the Backburner Monitor” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide
for information on viewing activities in the monitor.
NOTE You can change the height of the server list window relative to the job list
window below it by dragging the partition vertically.
Server list right-click menu
By default, servers are listed by name only. To see more information about a
server, right-click its name in the list. A menu appears with these options:
Properties Displays the Server Properties dialog, which shows aspects of the
server hardware and operating system, including memory and disk space.
6488 | Chapter 20 Rendering
All Server Details This toggle, when on, displays all details about each server
to the right of its name. When off, restores the last saved set of partial server
details unless the last saved set was All Server Details, in which case it restores
the default set: name only. See the following item for the list of available
details.
NOTE You can see more details by scrolling the list with the horizontal scroll bar
at the bottom, or by widening the dialog by dragging its right side with the mouse.
Partial Server Details Opens the Set Server Property Tabs dialog, which lets
you specify which details are shown in the Server list. The dialog provides
check boxes for turning on and off the display of these details:
■
Status: See Server list on page 6487 for status details.
■
Number of CPUs
■
Total Physical Memory - in bytes
■
Operating System
■
Work Disk Space - in megabytes
■
Historical Performance Index - see note below
■
Handle - a hexadecimal identification number for the machine
■
User - current user name
NOTE The Historical Performance Index value, listed under the Perf. Index heading
in the Server list window, offers information on the relative speed of the listed
servers. The fastest machine is rated at 1.0, while the other servers are rated as
fractions of the fastest. A machine whose average is twice as long would receive
a .50 index. Each machine is rated by measuring the time it takes to complete
each frame, and the accumulated time is divided by the number of frames, resulting
in the average time per frame, in seconds.
Several factors can affect a machine's performance. CPU power isn't necessarily
a concern when large file transfers are involved. For example, if a certain job
uses several map files from a centralized server, the performance of the network
throughput plays a much larger part than CPU performance, as most machines
will spend the majority of the time reading maps. On the other hand, if the
machine has all maps locally it will have a huge advantage (local access versus
network access) regardless of which CPU it is using. The performance index
provides you with information regarding your servers' rendering performance
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6489
to help analyze your network rendering setup and better distribute the
workload.
Job list
The job list, located on the lower-right side of the Network Job Assignment
dialog, displays all jobs submitted to the network manager. Also shown are
each job's priority, status, and output file path.
To change job settings and manage jobs, use the Backburner Monitor. See
“Modifying Job Settings” and “Monitoring and Managing Jobs” in the Autodesk
Backburner User’s Guide.
Advanced Opens the Advanced Settings dialog on page 6497, where you can
make settings for Per-Job Timeouts, TCP port number, Pre-Render MAXScripts
and Job Handling.
Submit Click Submit to exit this dialog and send the current job to the
Network Manager, which places it in the queue for rendering.
When you submit a rendering job, if the output file name to be used by the
job is the same as that used by an existing job, you're asked if you want to
overwrite the existing file(s). Also, if the name of the submitted job replicates
one already in the rendering queue, an alert notifies you; click OK, change
the job name, and submit it again.
NOTE Submitting a job creates a folder for the job on the manager machine in
the \Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\Network\jobs\ folder. In that folder is a
compressed file with a .maz extension containing the scene file. You can extract
the scene from the command prompt using the maxunzip.exe program, found in
the 3ds Max program directory. For example, to extract a file named testfile.maz,
assuming the program is installed in a folder named \3ds Max 2009\, open the
command prompt, navigate to the \Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\Network\jobs
folder, and enter this: “\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\maxunzip”
testfile.maz. You must specify the .maz file-name extension; otherwise you'll get
an error message.
Cancel Discards changes and exits the dialog.
Job Dependencies Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Turn on Net Render
(Render Output group). > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog > Connect
to a Manager. > Priority group > Dependencies
6490 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render To Texture dialog > Turn on
Net Render (Render Settings group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog
> Connect to a Manager. > Priority group > Dependencies
Rendering menu > Video Post > Set up a sequence with an Image Output Event
> Turn on Net Render (Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment
dialog > Connect to a Manager. > Priority group > Dependencies
This dialog lets you specify jobs that shouldn't begin rendering until other
jobs finish. Use the two lists and the Add and Remove buttons to build a list
of jobs that must finish rendering before the current job can start.
Interface
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6491
Existing Jobs list Lists all previously submitted jobs. To specify a dependency
for the current job, add one or more of these to the Jobs Your Job Depends
On list.
Add Select one or more jobs your job is to depend on, and then click Add to
add them to the Jobs Your Job Depends On list.
Add All Adds all jobs in the Existing Jobs list to the Jobs Your Job Depends
On list.
Remove Removes highlighted jobs from the Jobs Your Job Depends On list.
Remove All Removes all jobs from the Jobs Your Job Depends On list.
Jobs Your Job Depends On list Lists all previously submitted jobs. To specify
a dependency for the current job, add one or more of these to the Jobs Your
Job Depends On list.
Notifications Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Turn on Net Render
(Render Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog > Options
group > Turn on Enabled Notifications. > Define
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render To Texture dialog > Turn on
Net Render (Render Settings group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog
> Options group > Turn on Enabled Notifications. > Define
Rendering menu > Video Post > Set up a sequence with an Image Output Event
> Turn on Net Render (Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment
dialog > Options group > Turn on Enabled Notifications. > Define
This dialog lets a network rendering job send notifications via email. Such
notifications can be useful when you launch a lengthy render, such as an
animation, and don't care to spend all your time near the network manager
system.
See also:
■
“Configuring Backburner Log Files” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide
6492 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Categories group
Notify Progress Triggers a notification to indicate rendering progress. A
notification is triggered every time the number of frames specified in Every
Nth Frame has completed rendering. Default=off.
Every Nth Frame The number of frames used by Notify Progress. Default=1.
Notify Failures Sends an email notification only if something occurs to prevent
the completion of a rendering. Default=on.
Notify Completion Sends an email notification when a rendering job is
complete. Default=on.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6493
Email Options group
Send Email Notifies via email.
Include Summary Includes a summary of the network rendering progress
with the notification email. Available only when Send Email is turned on.
From Enter the email address of the person who initiates the rendering job.
To Enter the email address of the person who needs to know the rendering
status.
SMTP Server Enter the numeric IP address of the system you use as a mail
server.
Strips Setup Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Common tab > Turn
on Net Render (Render Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment
dialog > Options group > Turn on Split Scan Lines. > Define
The Strips Setup dialog lets you specify how to split up the rendering of a
single, large image among several different servers on the network. The software
automatically subdivides the rendering based on settings you provide, and
then fits the pieces together into the final image.
NOTE A version of this feature was known as Region Net Render in previous
versions of the software.
Procedures
To render a large image with a networked render farm:
1 Set up a scene to render.
2 Set up your system for network rendering on page 6433.
3 From the Rendering menu, choose Render Setup.
The Render Setup dialog opens, with the Common tab active.
4 In the Output Size group, specify the size to render.
5 In the Render Output group, specify an output file name and location,
and turn on Net Render.
6 Click the Render button.
6494 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The Network Job Assignment dialog appears.
7 In the Options group, turn on Split Scan Lines, and then click Define.
The Strips Setup dialog appears. The dialog displays the output resolution,
and lets you determine how to split up the rendering job by specifying
the number of horizontal strips into which the image will be subdivided.
8 Specify the vertical size of each strip in pixels or as a percentage of the
total image height, or set the number of strips. Changing one also changes
the other.
9 Set the overlap in pixels or as a percentage.
Using overlap isn't always necessary, but if you notice anomalies where
the strips meet, increase this value.
10 Connect to the manager, specify a job name, choose one or more servers
on which to render, and then click Submit.
The job is sent to the network rendering manager, which supervises the
network rendering job. The job consists of first rendering each slice, and
then combining, or “stitching,” the slices into the final image.
11 Monitor the job via the Backburner Monitor. See “Monitoring and
Managing Jobs” in the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide.
Rendering and stitching passes are designated “Slice Pass” and “Stitch
Pass,” respectively. When all slices are finished, the job status will be
Complete.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6495
Interface
Output Resolution This read-only field displays the horizontal and vertical
resolution of the final image, in pixels.
Strip Height Sets the height of each horizontal strip in pixels or as a percentage
of the total height. Default=10 percent of the total image height, in pixels.
This setting is interdependent with and inversely proportional to the Number
Of Strips setting; increase one, and the software decreases the other.
Number of Strips Sets the number of horizontal strips to be rendered by the
available servers. Default=10.
The value determines the maximum number of machines to which the job
can be farmed out. For example, if you use the default setting of 10 strips, the
job can be performed by 10 machines at most. In that case, assuming equal
performance of all 10, rendering would take approximately one-tenth the
time required by one machine.
6496 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP For optimal results with render farms that comprise machines of different
speeds, use a value high enough that the job can be completed most efficiently.
For example, consider a two-server network with one machine four times as fast
as the other. If you set Number Of Strips to 2, the job won't be finished until the
slower machine renders its half of the final image. But if you set Number Of Strips
to 4, the faster machine can render three of the strips while the slower machine
renders one, effectively halving the total render time.
This setting is interdependent with and inversely proportional to the Strip
Height setting; increase one, and the software decreases the other.
Overlap Set the amount by which each strip overlaps the adjoining one(s).
You can set this in pixels or as a percentage of the final image height.
A certain amount of overlap is necessary to compensate for image artifacts
created by antialiasing and render effects. If you notice anomalies where the
image slices meet, try increasing the Overlap setting.
Pixels/Percentage Determines whether the Strip Height and Overlap settings
represent pixels or a percentage of the final image height. Choosing a different
option automatically changes the two values accordingly.
Delete Temporary Images Upon Completion Deletes the “slice” images after
the final image is created. Default=off.
Advanced Settings Dialog
Rendering menu > Render Setup > Render Setup dialog > Render Output group>
Turn on Net Render > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog > Advanced
Rendering menu > Render To Texture > Render To Texture dialog > Turn on
Net Render (Render Settings group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog
> Advanced
Rendering menu > Video Post > Set up a sequence with an Image Output Event
> Turn on Net Render (Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment
dialog > Advanced
The Advanced Settings dialog lets you set job timeouts on a per-job basis,
assign the TCP port number, specify pre-render scripts and affect job handling
and archive settings.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6497
Interface
Per Job Timouts Group
Enable Turns on the ability to set timeouts on a per-job basis. The remaining
settings in this group become available only when Enable is turned on.
Wait for MAX to Load Specifies the amount of time after a job is submitted
that the Manager waits for a server to report that it received the frame and is
6498 | Chapter 20 Rendering
rendering. If this value is exceeded, an error message is logged for a failed
frame, and the frame is assigned to a different server.
Wait for MAX to Render Specifies the amount of time the manager waits
between when a server reports that it has started and finished rendering a
frame. If a server exceeds the specified value, it is flagged as "failed" by the
manager, and no more frames from that job are sent to it.
Wait for MAX to Unload When a job is complete, the manager tells the server
to unload the software, then waits for a reply from the server saying 3ds Max
is down and it's ready for a new job. This spinner specifies the amount of time
the Manager will wait for the Server to reply to this notification. If a server
exceeds the specified value, it is flagged as "failed" by the manager, and no
more frames are sent to it.
Connection to Manager group
Use this setting to specify the Manager for this job.
TCP Port Number Specifies the port number of the Manager to which this
job is to report.
Submit Job As radio button Specifies which platform your scene is rendered
on. Use this button when you want to render your scene on a different platform
(either 32- or 64-bit) from the platform where you created your scene. This is
particularly useful in situations where you are working on a given platform
which differs from the platform of the render farm. The most consistent results
are achieved when you submit jobs are created and rendered on the same
platform.
NOTE This is an advanced option provided to accommodate specific render farm
configurations. By default this option is set to the most compatible platform that
avoids rendering to platforms where data-loss may result.
Server Assignment Limit
Enable Limit Sets the maximum number of servers that will be allocated for
a specific job. This limit can be overridden with the Use Server Limit field in
the Backburner Manager General Properties dialog , so that the administrator
of a render farm can control job sharing globally.
MAX server count Specifies the number of servers.
Network Job Assignment Dialog | 6499
Job Handling group
Enable Task Blocking Allows the job to override the task blocking set in the
Manager. Some jobs will have their frames processed more efficiently if task
blocking is turned off. Default=on.
Override Global Settings This switch lets you override job archiving settings
made in the Backburner Manager General Properties dialog. It lets you set the
archive settings for the job about to be submitted. When Override Global
Settings is turned on, the following three switches become active. Default=off.
NOTE Any setting made while Override Global Settings is turned on, remains
active from one 3ds Max session to the next. For example, if you choose to leave
jobs in the queue, submit the job and exit 3ds Max, the setting will be active when
you choose to submit jobs in the future.
Leave It In The Queue This switch tells the network manager to leave the
job in the queue without deleting it or archiving it.
You might use this switch if you are submitting a job that might need to be
re-rendered at a higher resolution without making any other changes to the
scene.
Archive It When turned on, the job is archived when the rendering is
complete. Default=on.
Archiving is useful when you submit a final version of the scene and you know
that there won't be any more changes to the scene. Before submitting the job,
you set the job to archive upon completion.
Delete It Upon completion, the job is deleted from the queue when this switch
is turned on.
If the scene you're network rendering is just a test shot and you're just doing
a quick test of the scene, you don't really want to keep the job in the queue
once it's completed. Before submitting the job, turn on this switch.
Defaults Returns all settings to their defaults.
OK Accepts any changes and closes the dialog.
Cancel Closes the dialog without saving changes.
6500 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Manager and Server
Initial Setup for Manager and Server Programs
The files necessary for network rendering are copied to the Backburner root
directory when you install the software. Two of these files, manager.exe and
server.exe, require initialization before they can be run. Set up the Manager
program first, then the Server. When you're finished, you can start network
rendering. After setup, you can run both Manager and Server as services by
installing managersvc.exe and serversvc.exe, respectively.
You need to initialize only one machine as network Manager. This can be any
machine on the network, and can be used on a machine running the Server,
3ds Max, or both.
You need to initialize every machine used as a rendering Server. This is done
once to establish the connection between the rendering Server and the network
Manager.
The Manager and Server programs can be run in application mode as explained
in the procedures that follow, or as Windows 2000 or XP services, in which
case they run in the background and provide less feedback on the progression
of the rendering job. To learn more about installing these programs as services,
see Installing Network Services on page 6503.
Initialization is done only once for each service. Each initialization process
creates or updates the following:
■
A subdirectory called \Network under the Backburner root directory,
containing several further subdirectories, including \Jobs, \Servers, and
\ServerJob. By default, the Backburner directory is called Backburner, and is
found in the \Program Files\Autodesk\ directory.
■
A file with initialization parameters (backburner.xml).
■
A log file that keeps track of what the services do (backburner.log).
Next Step
Starting Network Rendering on page 6450
Manager and Server | 6501
Procedures
To initialize the Manager program:
Run the Manager program from the Start menu > Programs >
Autodesk > Backburner menu.
The first time you launch the Manager, it creates the backburner.xml file,
which stores the manager configuration settings.
■
The Backburner Manager General Properties dialog also appears the first time
you run Manager. In most cases, you can safely proceed by accepting the
default settings and clicking OK. Thereafter, you can modify the configuration
settings by choosing Edit menu > General Settings to open the General
Properties dialog. For the new settings to take effect, you need to close the
manager and restart it.
The settings in the General Properties dialog are described in depth in
Backburner Manager General Properties Dialog on page 6512.
To initialize the Server program:
1
Run the Network Rendering Server program from the Start menu
> Programs > Autodesk > Backburner menu.
The first time you run Server, its General Properties dialog appears.
2 By default, the Subnet Mask field is set to 255.255.255.0 with the
Automatic Search option turned on. In most cases, you should leave this
option on. The software detects the machine acting as the manager.
At this point, do not make any other changes in the software’s Backburner
Server General Properties dialog. Settings in the this dialog are described
in detail in Backburner Server General Properties Dialog on page 6520.
3 Click OK on the Backburner Server General Properties dialog to save the
current configuration.
4 The Server starts, and attempts to connect to a Manager automatically.
If no Manager is found on the network, the Server times out and reports
that the Manager is not responding.
5 If the Server eventually fails to connect to the Manager:
■
Check the subnet mask setting in your TCP/IP network configuration.
If it is set to something other than 255.255.255.0, in the Server
6502 | Chapter 20 Rendering
application, go to Edit menu > General Settings, in the dialog, set the
subnet mask to match it and click OK. You will need to shut down
the Server application and restart it for the changes to take effect.
■
If you do not want the Server to connect automatically or the Server
will not connect automatically to the Manager, go to Edit menu >
General Settings and turn off Automatic Search. Click in the Manager
Name Or IP Address field and enter the name or IP address of the
workstation running Manager, and then click OK. You will need to
shut down the Server application and restart it for the changes to take
effect.
This updates the backburner.xml on page 6508 file, which now stores
the Server configuration settings. The next time the Server is run, the
application is launched and the configuration settings are used.
This completes Server initialization.
Installing Network Services
To install the network Manager and network Server as network services under
Windows 2000 or XP, start by doing the following:
1 Run the Application versions of the Manager and Server to properly
configure the applications and make your rendering network operational.
2 Use your network in production so you are sure it is running reliably.
Do not proceed unless these conditions are met.
Installing the network Manager and rendering Servers as Windows 2000 or
XP services allows background rendering and is convenient, but it also means
that you have less information on the rendering server’s screen about problems
when they occur. This is why your network needs to be running smoothly
before taking this step. Running the Manager and Server as services does not
change the information shown in the Queue Monitor.
In the procedures that follow, the Manager and Server services are installed
and registered under Windows 2000 or XP. This installation replaces the use
of application mode (running the Manager and Server manually each time
you want to use them). The services are started automatically every time you
boot the computer, but can also be set for manual startup. The \Network
subdirectory and initialization and LOG files from application mode remain
Manager and Server | 6503
in place, but the services operate under Windows 2000 or XP instead of in a
separate process.
You can run the Manager and Server as services directly from a Command
Prompt window or the Run dialog using the -i switch (install as a service).
Then go to Services and start the Manager and/or Server, or reboot.
To remove the Manager or Server once it has been installed as a service, you
must run the program directly from a Command Prompt window or the Run
dialog using the -r switch (remove service).
See also:
■
Creating a Special User Account on page 6472
Procedures
To set up the Manager as a service:
1 Go to the machine on which you will install the Manager as a service.
2 Open a Command Prompt window and change the directory to the
program’s root directory (for example, \Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\.
3 Type managersvc -i
The following message should be displayed:
Backburner Manager ... Service Installed
4 Go to Windows Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services,
right-click Backburner Manager, and choose Start.
If you choose Properties from the right-click menu, you can also set users,
passwords, and other parameters.
To set up the Server as a service:
1 Go to the machine on which you will install the Server as a service.
2 Open a Command Prompt window and change the directory to the
Backburner root directory.
3 Type serversvc -i
The following message should be displayed:
Backburner Server ... Service Installed
6504 | Chapter 20 Rendering
4 Go to Windows Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services,
right-click Backburner Server, and choose Start.
If you choose Properties from the right-click menu, you can also set users,
passwords, and other parameters.
5 Repeat these steps on every machine on which you want to set up Server
as a service.
Logging Properties Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Manager or Server
> Edit menu > Log Settings
The Logging Properties dialog lets you specify the types of messages that appear
in the list window on the Manager or Server window and those that are sent
to a log file. Each type of log message is explained below.
Log Message Types
Error
Fatal errors that halt a server's rendering of a job. These errors are preceded
by a red "ERR" in the Manager or Server list window, and include the following:
■
Failed Renderings and Frame Errors (caused by missing bitmaps, missing
texture coordinates, invalid output directory, etc.)
■
Manager not found
■
Error registering server(s)
■
Error writing output file
■
Error Starting 3ds Max
■
Loading timeouts
NOTE You can see a more detailed explanation for server failure in the Queue
Monitor's Server list window.
Manager and Server | 6505
Warning
Non-fatal warning information. These errors are preceded by a brown "WRN"
in the Manager or Server list window, and include the following:
■
Manager and/or Servers shutting down
■
Server(s) flagged as failed
■
Loading timeout set too low
■
Rendering timeout set too low
Info
General information about the current status of the Manager or Server. These
errors are preceded by a aqua "INF" in the Manager or Server list window, and
include the following:
■
Booting Network Manager/Server
■
Connection to Server(s)
■
Registration to Manager
■
Job Submitted
■
Job Received
■
Frame Complete
Debug and Debug Extended
Detailed information about TCP/IP packets and the current state of the
Manager and Server. Debug Extended provides a more verbose listing than
Debug. When in doubt, use both. These messages are preceded by a blue "DBG"
in the Manager or Server list window, and include the following:
■
TCP/IP Packets sent and received
■
TCP/IP Packet collection
■
Command Line Arguments used to launch 3ds Max
■
Frames Assigned
■
Log files creation and sent
6506 | Chapter 20 Rendering
■
Assignment Threads
Interface
Log To Screen group
The Log To Screen options determine which types of messages are displayed
in the list window of the Manager or Server window.
Turn on each type of message that you want to be displayed. Error, Warning,
and Info are on by default.
Log To File group
The Log To File options determine which messages saved to log files. These
are the same messages that appear on the screen. Turn on any of the following
categories to save it in a log file. When any one of these categories is turned
on, a manager.log file or server.log file is created in your \network directory.
Error, Warning, and Info are on by default.
Buffer Limit Specifies the maximum size of the buffer holding the messages.
Clear Log Clears the buffer holding the messages in the list window.
Manager and Server | 6507
Clear Log File Deletes the associated manager.log and/or server.log file.
WARNING Log files are cleared only when you click the Clear Log File button.
When categories are enabled for either or both log files, the files will continue to
grow in size each time you render.
The backburner.xml File
When you run the Manager, Server, or Queue Monitor application, or access
the Network Job Assignment dialog, the software creates or updates an
initialization file named backburner.xml in the \Network subdirectory of the
Backburner directory.
You can change most of the settings in the backburner.xml file using the
Manager Properties dialog on page 6512 and Server Properties dialog on page
6520.
You can change the parameters listed here only by editing the XML file in a
text editing application, such as Notepad. Do so only if you are experiencing
network problems with the network renderer.
Make sure the Manager and Server applications are shut down (or services
uninstalled) before editing the backburner.xml file. The changes will take place
when the Manager and/or Server are restarted.
backburner.xml
■
MaxBlockSize Located under the heading, this value is the
maximum size of a data packet sent when transferring large blocks, such
as projects. For slow connections like modems, it uses a smaller packet
size, for example, 1024.
■
Acknowledgment Timeout Located under the heading as
AckTimeout, this value is the amount of time (in seconds) that the system
will wait for an acknowledgment of commands (like Ping) sent back and
forth between the Manager and Server. Default=20 seconds.
■
Acknowledgment Retries Located under the heading as
AckRetries, this value determines how many times the sender retries if no
acknowledgment is received. The default is six tries. After that, the machine
is considered down and is put off-line.
6508 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Network Rendering Manager
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Manager
The application version of the network rendering Manager provides a graphical
user interface for control and monitoring purposes. It runs as a foreground
process on your desktop, and remains active unless specifically shut down.
Its components include a menu bar, list window, and status bar.
Once you initially set up the Manager using the application version, you can
run it as a service from then on. The service version provides no user interface,
but once it's installed as a service and started, it's always available when the
system is booted. Whichever version you use, you can monitor and control
the rendering queue and system with the Queue Monitor on page 6522.
To start the Manager service, execute the following from a Command Prompt
window or the Start menu > Run function:
“[drive letter]:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\managersvc.exe” -i
Replace "[drive letter]" with the letter of the drive the software is installed on.
If you used a different install path, change the command line accordingly.
Then either reboot the computer or go to Control Panel > Administrative
Tools > Services and start the service. Thereafter the service will remain resident
and active, even surviving reboots.
NOTE When you run the Manager program, you might see this warning message:
Job share not defined. This happens if neither the program folder nor the drive
on which it resides is shared on page 6477. Normally, the servers copy files to be
network rendered from the source machine using standard Windows file-copy
routines, which require sharing to be in effect. If sharing is not in effect, the
manager issues the warning, and then the servers use TCP/IP to copy the files. To
avoid getting the warning message, you can implement sharing, but it's not really
necessary.
To remove the manager service from memory, execute the following from a
Command Prompt window or the Start menu > Run function:
“[drive letter]:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\managersvc.exe” -r
Manager and Server | 6509
TIP You can run multiple Managers on the same network. This is especially useful
when using many rendering Servers, to lessen the burden on individual Managers.
When using multiple Managers, it is best to turn off Automatic Search on the
rendering servers and specify a Manager to which to connect, otherwise the
rendering servers will connect to the first Manager they find.
Interface
Menu bar
The menu bar provides access to the functions available in the Network
Rendering Manager application.
File menu
Close Closes the window and minimizes the application to the taskbar tray.
The application remains active when you close it with this menu item or the
close box (X) in the upper-right corner.
Shutdown Quits the application and removes it from memory.
Edit menu
General Settings Opens the Backburner Manager General Properties dialog
on page 6512.
Log Settings Opens the Backburner Manager Logging Properties dialog on
page 6505, which lets you filter the types of messages to appear in the list
6510 | Chapter 20 Rendering
window, and specify whether the messages are sent to the list window or a
log file.
View menu
Status Bar Toggles the display of the status bar, which appears at the bottom
of the Server window. When on, a check mark appears next to this menu item.
Default=on.
Font Size Lets you choose the size of text that appears in the list window.
Choices range from Smallest to Largest.
Autoscroll List Toggles automatic scrolling of the list window. When on, new
items that appear in the list window cause previous contents to scroll up.
When off, you must scroll the window manually to see the latest entries after
it fills up. Default=on.
Help menu
About Manager Displays information about the Manager program, including
version and copyright.
List Window
This area of the Manager interface lists different types of information regarding
the current status of the Manager. Depending on the selections made in the
Logging Properties dialog on page 6505, messages are displayed alerting the user,
for example, to the following:
■
Connection and registration between the Manager and Server(s)
■
New job assignments
■
Which machine is the queue controller (that is, running Queue Monitor)
■
Frames assigned/rendered
■
Acknowledge packets sent between the Manager and Server(s)
■
Manager/Server(s) shutting down
■
Any rendering errors encountered
This information can be filtered using the Logging Properties dialog on
page 6505.
Manager and Server | 6511
Manager General Properties Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Manager > Edit
menu > General Settings > General Properties dialog
The Manager Properties dialog contains the configuration settings for the
Network Manager. The default settings should work in most cases, but certain
situations may require adjustments. The information specified in the Manager
Properties dialog is written to and contained in backburner.xml (in the \Network
subdirectory). If you run the Manager and the backburner.xml file does not
exist, you're prompted to configure it with this dialog. When configuration
is complete, click OK to run the Manager.
6512 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
TCP/IP group
The two spinners in the TCP/IP group box specify the port numbers to be used
by the software. These numbers must be unique to the software, but every
Server must have the same number.
Manager Port Specifies the port number used by the network Manager.
Server Port Specifies the port number used by the network Server(s).
Manager and Server | 6513
NOTE Port numbers are like extensions for different users of the same phone
number. They represent two channels of communication between the Server and
the Manager. Only a trained network administrator should change these settings.
General group
Max(imum) Concurrent Assignments Specifies the number of jobs the
Manager sends out at once. This number is dependent upon the speed of the
processor on the Manager machine, the size of the jobs being sent out, and
the speed of the network system. Generally, a default value of 4 is adequate.
You may want to decrease the value in case the jobs are huge and you have
a modest setup. Similarly, you may want to increase this value if you have a
high-end setup and the jobs are small. Be aware that too high a value may
result in an increased number of timeouts because the jobs are sent faster than
the Servers can handle them. In such a case, decrease the value or leave it at
the default.
User Server Limit Sets the maximum number of servers that will be allocated
for a specific job. This feature overrides the server limit settings in the 3ds
Max Advanced Settings Dialog on page 6497.
Task Error Limit Defines the number of times a server will retry a task before
suspending the task. This option is available only in the Manager General
Properties dialog.
Failed Servers group
This option allows the Manager to automatically restart Servers that have
failed jobs.
Restart Failed Servers Activate to enable automatic Server restarting. If this
option is turned off, the Server will not attempt to render the job again after
the first failure. Default=on.
Number of Retries Specifies the number of times the Manager attempts to
restart a failed Server. Default=3. Range=1 to 1024.
Seconds Between Retries The time, in seconds, between each retry.
Default=30.
6514 | Chapter 20 Rendering
NOTE The state of a Server is kept on a per-job basis. If Restarts Failed Servers is
turned on, the Manager keeps track of when a Server fails a particular job. The
Manager regularly goes through the list of Servers for that job, checking for failures.
If one is found, the Manager checks how long it has been since it failed. If the time
elapsed is greater than the specified Seconds Between Retries, the Manager
decreases the Number of Retries by one and resets the failed flag from the Server.
If a Server fails repeatedly on a specific job (failures are monitored on a per-job
basis), the failure count reaches the specified Number of Retries, and the
Manager stops trying to restart that Server for that particular job. If, on the
other hand, a Server restarts and completes a frame, it is flagged as active and
resumes rendering until the job is complete.
Direct Access To Jobs Path group
Job paths can be useful when dealing with situations where it's not conducive
to have jobs placed on the manager system. Such situations might be as follows:
■
You have a lack of drive space on the C: drive where Backburner is installed.
Drive D: has plenty of space so you set up a folder called MyJobs where jobs
will be placed when submitted. Enter a UNC path such as
\\machinename\MyJobs.
■
You're running a large render farm that causes a lot of network traffic on
the manager system that you use concurrently to build models. To alleviate
the traffic, you set up a shared job folder, backburnerJobs for example, on
a file server that is separate from the manager system. The UNC job path
would be set to \\fileserver\backburnerJobs and jobs you submit will be placed
on the file server.
Use Jobs Path Turning on this switch allows you to define the location of
jobs to be somewhere other than on the manager machine. This tells the
render servers to get the job files from the new location, therefore minimizing
the file I/O traffic on the manager.
Win32 Path Enter the path where jobs are located into this field or click the
Browse button to the right to search your system for the job location.
Unix Path This field functions the same as the Win32 path except you can
enter a Unix path structure.
Manager and Server | 6515
Default Job Handling group
The settings in the Default Job Handling group allow a user to archive a
completed job to a specified location after x number of days, delete a completed
job after x number of days or just leave the job indefinitely in the queue.
Using these controls lets you maintain the job queue, clearing completed jobs
that can cause excess overhead and stress to the manager system, thus
instigating performance problems. The archiving functionality allows you to
automatically store files used for completed jobs.
NOTE These settings can be overridden from the Advanced Settings dialog on
page 6497 accessed from the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481.
Do Nothing When turned on, a completed job is left in the queue.
Use this switch if you are submitting a job that may need to be re-rendered
at a higher resolution without making any other changes to the scene.
Delete It Upon completion, the job is deleted from the queue when this switch
is turned on.
If the scene you're rendering is just a test shot and you're just doing a quick
test of the scene, you don't really want to keep the job in the queue once it's
completed.
Delete After ... Day(s) Upon completion, the job is kept in the queue for the
specified number of days. Once the number of days are exceeded, the job is
then deleted from the queue.
Archive It When turned on, the job is archived when the rendering is
complete. Default=on.
Archiving is useful when you submit a final version of the scene and you know
that there won't be any further changes.
Archive After ... Day(s) Upon completion, the job is kept in the queue for
the specified number of days. Once the number of days are exceeded, the job
is archived.
Network Rendering Server
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Server
The application version of the network rendering Server provides a graphical
user interface for control and monitoring purposes. It runs as a foreground
6516 | Chapter 20 Rendering
process on your desktop, and remains active unless specifically shut down.
Its components include a menu bar, list window, and status bar.
Once you initially set up the server using the application version, you can run
it as a service from then on. The service version provides no user interface,
but once it's installed as a service and started, it's always available when you
boot the system. Whichever version you use, you can monitor and control
the rendering queue and system with the Queue Monitor on page 6522.
To start the server service, execute the following from a Command Prompt
window or the Start menu > Run function:
“[drive letter]:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\serversvc.exe” -i
Replace "[drive letter]" with the letter of the drive the software is installed on.
If you used a different install path, change the command line accordingly.
Then either reboot the computer or go to Control Panel > Administrative
Tools > Services and start the service. Thereafter the service will remain resident
and active, even surviving reboots.
NOTE In order for the rendering servers to be able to save the frames to the
specified location, set the logon for the installed service to a user name and
password that exists on the network. Also, that user name must have sufficient
read/write permissions to get the required bitmaps and xrefs for the scene to
render as well as write the frames to specified location.
To remove the server service from memory, execute the following from a
Command Prompt window or the Start menu > Run function:
“[drive letter]:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\serversvc.exe” -r
Procedures
To start/stop the server service upon logoff/logon:
If you work on a computer that's part of a render farm, you probably don't
want the computer to be available for rendering while you're using it. By
following this procedure, you can have the computer automatically turn off
the server service while you're logged on, and turn it back on when you log
off.
1 Install the Backburner Server as a service that starts automatically at
startup, as described above. This is the default setup for the server service.
You'll start by creating two batch files.
2 Open a text editor such as Notepad and enter the following line:
Manager and Server | 6517
net start backburner_srv_200
3 Save this as a text file named Netstart_BB_Server.bat.
4 Create a new file containing the following line:
net stop backburner_srv_200
5 Save this as a text file named Netstop_BB_Server.bat.
Next, you'll to edit the logon and logoff policy for the system.
6 Go to the Windows Start menu, choose the Run command, and enter
gpedit.msc.
The Group Policy dialog appears. It lets you edit and manage the Group
Policy for the system.
7 In the dialog, expand User Configuration > Windows Settings, and then
click Scripts (Logon/Logoff).
The right-hand pane lists Logon and Logoff.
8 In the right pane, right-click Logon and choose Properties.
9 In the Properties dialog, click Add, click Browse, and browse to the
Netstop_BB_Server.bat file you created. Click OK twice to close the Logon
Properties dialog.
10 Similarly, open the Properties dialog for Logoff and specify the
Netstart_BB_Server.bat file.
11 Close the Group Policy dialog.
You have now set up the system to stop the Backburner service at any
user logon, and to start it at any user logoff.
6518 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
Menu bar
The menu bar provides access to the functions available in the Network
Rendering Server application.
File menu
Close Closes the window and minimizes the application to the taskbar tray.
The application remains active when you close it with this menu item or the
close box (X) in the upper-right corner.
Shutdown Quits the application and removes it from memory.
Edit menu
General Settings Opens the Network Server General Properties dialog on page
6520.
Log Settings Opens the Network Server Logging Properties dialog on page 6505,
which lets you filter the types of messages to appear in the list window, and
specify whether the messages will be sent to the list window, a log file, or
both.
Manager and Server | 6519
View menu
Status Bar Toggles the display of the status bar, which appears at the bottom
of the Server window. When on, a check mark appears next to this menu item.
Default=on.
Font Size Lets you choose the size of text that appears in the list window.
Choices range from Smallest to Largest.
Autoscroll List Toggles automatic scrolling of the list window. When on, new
items that appear in the list window cause previous contents to scroll up.
When off, you must scroll the window manually to see the latest entries after
it fills up. Default=on.
Help menu
About Server Displays information about the Server program, including
version and copyright.
List Window
This area of the Server interface lists different types of information regarding
the current status of Server. Depending on the selections made in the Logging
Properties dialog on page 6505, messages are displayed alerting the user, for
example, to the following:
■
Connection and registration between the Manager and Server(s)
■
New job assignments
■
Frames assigned/rendered
■
Acknowledge packets sent between the Manager and Server(s)
■
Manager/Server(s) shutting down
■
Any rendering errors encountered
This information can be filtered using the Logging Properties dialog on
page 6505.
Server General Properties Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Server > Edit
menu > General Settings > General Properties dialog
6520 | Chapter 20 Rendering
The Server General Properties dialog contains configuration settings for the
Network Rendering Servers. The default settings in this dialog work in most
cases, but certain situations may require adjustment of these settings, mostly
the Manager or IP settings in case the Automatic detection fails. The
information specified in the Server Properties dialog is contained in the
backburner.xml file (in the \Network subdirectory). If you run Server and the
backburner.xml file does not exist or does not contain information pertinent
to the Server, the backburner.xml file is created or updated.
Interface
TCP/IP group
Manager Port Specifies the port number used by the Network Manager.
Server Port Specifies the port number used by the Network Server(s).
These settings specify the port number to be used by the software. These
numbers must be unique to the software, but every Server must have the same
number.
NOTE Port numbers are like extensions for different users of the same phone
number. They represent two channels of communication between the Server and
the Manager. Only a trained network administrator should change these settings.
Manager and Server | 6521
Automatic Search When on, starting the Server searches for a Manager using
the default subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. In most cases, you should leave
this option on. The software will detect the machine acting as a Manager. The
Server may fail to detect a Manager if the network subnet mask (in the
Windows TCP/IP Network Configuration dialog) is set to some other value
than the standard 255.255.255.0.
If that is the case, change the subnet mask setting in the Server General
Properties dialog to match the system setting. Start the Server again and it
should detect the Manager. When multiple Managers are running on the same
network, you may want to turn off Automatic Search and specify which
Manager the Server should connect to. Otherwise, the Server connects to the
first Manager it finds.
Enter Subnet Mask/Manager Name or IP Address With Automatic Search
turned on, specifies the subnet mask used to search for the Manager. With
Automatic Search turned off, specifies the IP address or DNS name of the
Manager to which to connect. Use the Manager system's name or IP address
when multiple Managers are running on the same subnet. Use the Manager
system's IP address to avoid any problems or conflicts caused by improper
implementation of the Domain Name System.
Queue Monitor
The Queue Monitor Application
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor
The Queue Monitor application (monitor.exe) lets you manage, view, and receive
status updates about all jobs currently submitted to the network rendering
queue. This executable file is copied to the Backburner root directory during
setup, and is available from the Start menu.
NOTE In previous versions of 3ds Max, this program was called Queue Manager.
Queue Monitor helps you adapt to changing needs and priorities. Jobs can be
activated, deactivated, reordered, and removed, and servers can be unassigned
to free up resources on workstations, or brought back online as they become
available again.
6522 | Chapter 20 Rendering
You can run Queue Monitor from any computer connected to the rendering
network. Once started, you can connect to any available network Manager.
You can launch as many Queue Monitors as you want from anywhere on your
network and connect to a Manager machine. All except the first Queue Monitor
connecting to the Manager appear in "read only" mode. If there is already a
Queue Monitor connected to the Manager, subsequent connections alert you
that you are in read-only mode, and "Read Only" appears in the title bar. In
read-only mode, you can view network render activity, but cannot change
anything in the queue unless you obtain queue control on page 6526.
To view all current jobs in the rendering queue, you first connect to the
Manager that all of the servers are "talking to." To do this, you can either
connect automatically to the Manager by searching with a subnet mask, or
connect to a specific Manager by supplying the IP address or machine name
of the machine where you started the Manager.
See also:
■
Viewing Jobs and Servers with the Queue Monitor on page 6540
■
Activating and Deactivating Jobs in the Queue on page 6544
■
Activating and Deactivating Servers in the Queue on page 6545
■
Managing Jobs in the Queue on page 6546
Procedures
To view all current jobs in the rendering queue:
1
On the Queue Monitor toolbar, click the Connect button.
The Connect To Manager dialog appears.
2 After you connect to a Manager once, the dialog remembers the Manager
information and you can just click OK to connect to the same Manager.
If this is the first time you're connecting, or you're connecting to a
different Manager, and you're using Automatic Search, just click OK. If
you're not using Automatic Search, you need to specify the Manager to
connect to. In the text field, enter the name or IP address of a network
Manager. This is the same information you specified in the Server General
Properties dialog on page 6520.
3 Click OK.
Queue Monitor | 6523
The Queue Monitor connects to the network Manager and activates its
various display windows.
To suspend a job:
As requirements change, you can temporarily deactivate an active or pending
job in the rendering queue, or reverse the process and restart jobs that are
inactive.
When you suspend a job, the Servers assigned to the job either drop the frame
they are rendering or finish writing the frame, depending on where they are
in the rendering process. The next pending job becomes active and begins to
render.
NOTE You can activate or deactivate multiple jobs at the same time.
1 Select one or more active or pending jobs in the Job list.
2 Do one of the following:
■
Click the Suspend button on the toolbar.
■
Choose Suspend from the Jobs menu.
■
Right-click a highlighted job name in the Job list to display a pop-up
menu, and then choose Suspend.
If necessary, use Refresh to view the new queue status.
To activate a suspended job:
1 Select the suspended job (denoted by a gray movie-frame icon).
The Activate button on the toolbar becomes active.
2 Click Activate, or use the menu bar or right-click menu.
The job becomes either Started or pending in the queue (Active),
depending on whether or not another job is currently rendering.
6524 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Interface
The Queue Monitor user interface comprises a menu bar, a toolbar, a status
display, and four windows: job list, job information, server tree view (or
hierarchical list), and server list.
Menu bar
The menu bar includes these menus and functions:
Manager menu
Use to control aspects of the Queue Monitor and the network Manager.
Connect Connects to a Manager using the Connect To Manager dialog. In
the dialog, turn on Auto Search to search for a Manager using the specified
subnet mask, or turn off Auto Search to search for a Manager using a specific
Manager name or IP address. Click OK to perform the search, or Cancel to
exit without connecting.
If the Manager is found, current Servers and jobs appear in their respective
lists in the Queue Monitor. If the Manager cannot be found, an alert appears.
Disconnect Disconnects from the current Manager. Available only after a
connection is made.
Queue Monitor | 6525
Auto-Connect When this switch is turned on, you can automatically connect
to a manager without the Connect To Manager dialog appearing. Whatever
setting have been made in the Connect To Manager dialog will be used.
Request Queue Control Lets you gain control over the rendering queue.
Available only when Queue Monitor is running on two or more machines in
the network, and your copy was not the first one run.
When you request queue control, a dialog appears on the controlling machine
informing that user of the request. The dialog counts down 10 seconds, and
if no response is made during that time, or the OK button is clicked, control
transfers to the requesting Queue Monitor, which then informs the requestor
of the transfer. If the request is denied, the requesting user is informed of that
fact.
Request Client List Displays a dialog listing the rendering servers on the
network, and showing which is the controller (i.e., the active Queue Monitor)
and the user name. Use this to determine which server is currently controlling
the queue.
Auto-Refresh When on, Queue Monitor automatically updates the information
in its windows every 20 seconds, or whenever information changes if
information changes less frequently. When off, to update the windows you
must click the toolbar Refresh button on page 6529. Default=on.
Unless you are the only person managing the queue, we recommend leaving
Auto-Refresh on. The danger of turning it off is the possibility of getting out
of sync with the state of the queue. For instance, if another person deletes a
job and you decide to edit that job, when you finish editing that job, the
Manager will send you an error message saying the job no longer exists.
Module Info Report Choosing this command opens the Module Info Report
dialog on page 6533. For troubleshooting purposes, this command lets you
generate a delimited file that shows you the version and location of Backburner
plug-ins and the Backburner application itself for each network rendering
system.
Properties Opens a window that displays information about the current setup
of the machine that is running the network Manager, including job and server
statistics, the Manager's system configuration, and TCP/IP statistics.
Exit Quits the Queue Monitor program.
6526 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Jobs menu
Use to obtain information about rendering jobs. Most Jobs menu functions
are available only when at least one job is highlighted in the Job list, and
many require that only one job be highlighted.
These commands are also available by right-clicking a job in the job list.
Edit Settings Opens the Job Settings dialog on page 6535, with settings for
job-related functions such as frame range and output size.
Change Priority Opens the Change Job Priority dialog, which lets you set a
new priority or set the job to be critical.
If you change a job's priority so that a different job moves to the beginning
of the list, the software pauses the current job and begins rendering the newly
elevated job.
Clone Job Makes an identical copy of the highlighted job and adds it to the
end of the list.
Dependencies Opens the Job Dependencies dialog on page 6490, which you
can use to specify existing jobs that must finish before the current job can
start.
Report Opens the Job Report dialog on page 6541 for generating text files
containing job reports.
Column Chooser Opens the Job Columns dialog, with additional columns
you can drag into the Job list title row. As you drag a column over the title
row, arrows appear indicating where the column will be inserted.
To remove a column, right-click its title and then choose Remove This Column.
You cannot remove the Job or Order column.
Activate Starts a suspended job or jobs.
Suspend Pauses an active job or jobs.
Restart Job Starts a job over at the first frame set in Job Settings.
Archive Job Archives a job currently stored in the queue. Archived jobs are
removed from the Job queue and stored in the Job Archives.
Job Archives Accesses the Job Archives where jobs are stored after clicking
the Archive Jobs command or if they're assigned to automatically archive
upon completion. Choosing this command opens the Job Archive dialog on
page 6543 where you can choose to Delete, Activate or Refresh jobs.
Delete Removes the highlighted job or jobs from the queue.
Queue Monitor | 6527
Servers menu
Use to control and obtain information about job servers.
These commands are also available by right-clicking a server in the server list.
Assign to Selected Jobs Assigns the highlighted servers or servers to the
highlighted job or jobs.
Remove from Selected Jobs Removes the highlighted job or jobs from the
highlighted servers or servers.
Remove from Selected Group Removes the highlighted server or servers from
the highlighted group in the tree view.
Column Chooser Opens the Server Columns dialog, with additional columns
you can drag into the Server list title row. As you drag a column over the title
row, arrows appear indicating where the column will be inserted.
To remove a column, right-click its title and then choose Remove This Column.
You cannot remove the Job or the Order column.
Week Schedule Opens the Week Schedule dialog on page 6547 for the
highlighted server, for defining when the server is available to render jobs.
Delete Server Lets you remove the current server from the server list, making
it unavailable for rendering jobs.
Properties Opens a window that displays information about the current setup
of the machine that is running the network Manager, including job and server
statistics, the Manager's system configuration, and TCP/IP statistics.
Reset Server Index Lets you set the Performance parameter back to 0. Use
this if you've changed the server setup (for instance, you've added memory
or substituted a faster machine) and want to reevaluate the servers' relative
performance during a rendering job.
View menu
Toolbar Toggles display of the Queue Monitor toolbar.
Status Bar Toggles display of the Queue Monitor status bar. When on, the
status bar appears at the bottom of the Queue Monitor window and displays
status prompts on page 6533.
Save View... Saves the current window view with column and filter settings.
Load View... Loads a saved view.
6528 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Help menu
About Queue Monitor Displays information about the Queue Monitor
program, including version and copyright.
Toolbar
Contains buttons for performing various common Queue Monitor functions.
Connect See Connect on page 6525.
Disconnect See Disconnect on page 6525.
Refresh Forces the Queue Monitor to update the information shown
in its windows.
The software automatically refreshes the windows every 10 seconds when
information is changing.
Delete Removes the highlighted job or jobs from the queue.
Activate Starts a suspended job or jobs.
Suspend Pauses an active job or jobs.
Assign Server Assigns the highlighted servers or servers to the
highlighted job or jobs.
Remove Server Removes the highlighted job or jobs from the
highlighted servers or servers.
Queue Monitor | 6529
Job List
The Job List window lists all current jobs, along with progress and status.
Additionally, a status icon before each job's name provides a graphical
indication of its status. See Viewing Jobs and Servers with the Queue Monitor
on page 6540.
Right-click a job name to access the Jobs menu on page 6527.
Click a column title to sort the list by the column contents (alternating clicks
sort in ascending and descending order). Right-click a column title to access
a menu that lets you sort the column, specify its alignment, remove the column
(if it's optional), access the Column Chooser for adding optional columns,
and display only the default columns.
Job Information Window
The Job Information window contains tabs for viewing information about
different aspects of a single highlighted job in the Job List window. If no job
is highlighted or multiple jobs are highlighted, this window is blank.
You can sort and filter columns in the Job Information Window. Click
in the column you wish to filter and select the Column Filter options.
Job Summary Lists important job-related information, including Job Options
settings and Output settings.
Task Summary Lists frames in the job (under “Task ID”), along with each
frame's status, rendering time, rendering server, and date and time of
assignment.
Right-click the frame you wish to view under “Task ID” to view its output file.
This is available only for completed tasks.
6530 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Job Details Lists the job's rendering parameters, scene statistics, and gamma
settings.
Errors Lists each frame for which an error occurred, which server registered
the error, and a description of the error, including missing maps, missing
texture coordinates, and invalid output directories.
Server Tree View
This window presents a hierarchical list of all Server groups, lets you create,
delete, and rename global and local Server groups, and see which Servers can
render your job.
Server groups are logical combinations of Servers that you can use to easily
assign specific Servers to render a job. Global groups are available to all
machines in the rendering network, while local groups are available only on
the computer on which they are created. To create a global or local Server
group, right-click any item in the Server Tree view, and choose Create Global
Group or Create Local Group. After you choose either command, the new
group appears in its respective category with the name New Global/Local
Group; at this point, you can rename it by typing a new name.
After you define a group, its name shows up as a tab in the Server list in the
Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481. Only global groups appear on
machines other than the one on which they're created.
To remove a Server group, right-click its name in the Server Tree view and
choose Delete Group. To rename a Server group, right-click its name in the
Server Tree view, choose Rename Group, and then enter a new name.
Following is a list of default list entries in the view. Click the item for the
described result.
All Servers Shows all Servers assigned to the current manager.
Global Groups Click the + icon next to this entry, if it exists, to display global
Server groups. To see the Servers in a global group, click the group name.
Local Groups Click the + icon next to this entry, if it exists, to display local
Server groups. To see the Servers in a local group, click the group name.
Plugins Shows which applications can be controlled with the render network.
Click the + icon next to this entry, if it exists, to display applications available
on the render network. To see the Servers that have a particular rendering
application installed, click the renderer name.
Queue Monitor | 6531
Server List
The Server List window shows all Servers in the current group (selected in the
Server Tree view). For each listed server, the windows displays, by default, its
status, the job it's currently rendering (if any), and the last message it sent to
the Manager. Additional, optional details can be shown using the Column
Chooser command.
Click a column title to sort the list by the column contents (alternating clicks
sort in ascending and descending order). Right-click a column title to access
a menu that lets you sort the column, specify its alignment, remove the column
(if it's optional), access the Column Chooser for adding optional columns,
and display only the default columns.
You can sort and filter columns in the Server List Window. Click
column you wish to filter and select the Column Filter options.
in the
A status icon before each server's name provides a graphical indication of its
status. See Viewing Jobs and Servers with the Queue Monitor on page 6540.
Right-click a server name to access the Servers menu on page 6528.
6532 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Status Prompt
Visible at the bottom of the Queue Monitor window, the status prompt
provides a non-interactive display of activity in the Queue Monitor and
provides help information on the command over which the mouse cursor is
positioned.
Module Info Report Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > Jobs menu > Report
You can generate delimited ASCII reports containing detailed statistics about
the version and location of Backburner plug-ins and the Backburner application
itself for each network rendering system.
Queue Monitor | 6533
Interface
Header group
Specifies the type of header to include in the report file, in addition to the
body information.
Long Adds a heading to the report.
Short Includes only the column titles in the report.
Record Delimitation group
Specifies the type of delimiter used between the fields. For example, if you use
a tab delimiter, the report will import correctly into Microsoft's Excel or Access
applications.
Tab Inserts a tab between fields in the report.
Space Inserts a space between fields in the report.
Comma Inserts a comma between fields in the report.
Use Quotes Brackets each field with double quotes.
Output File group
(Text Field) Specifies the report's file name. You can specify a complete path,
if you want. By default, the path is the directory containing the monitor.exe
file.
6534 | Chapter 20 Rendering
TIP If you use a shortcut icon to launch Queue Monitor, you can specify the path
for your report's output file in the Start In field in the Properties dialog for the
shortcut.
Browse Displays a file selector where you can specify a file path for the report.
Queue Monitor: Job Settings Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > Jobs menu > Edit Settings
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > right-click menu > Edit Settings
NOTE This topic covers the 3ds Max-specific aspects of the Queue Monitor on
page 6522.
Use the Job Settings dialog to change job-related settings such as frame range,
output size, and output directory, without having to use the Render Setup
dialog and resubmit the job.
You can change job settings for a job while it's suspended or while it's
rendering. By default in either case, after you click OK to exit the dialog, the
rendering job restarts from the first frame. You can turn this feature off with
the Restart Job option.
Most settings are either toggle switches or editable from the keyboard. To
change a toggle setting, double-click its entry (in the right-hand column). If
a setting is editable, its value turns green when you click it. To change an
editable setting, click it to get the keyboard cursor, and then enter a new value
from the keyboard. If you double-click the value when it's green, it highlights,
and anything you type replaces it.
NOTE Your machine must have control of the network for this Job Settings Dialog
to be accessible.
Queue Monitor | 6535
Interface
6536 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Job Name group
The job name cannot be changed from this dialog.
Job Description Displays a brief description of the job. Editable from keyboard.
Restart Job When on (Yes), changing one or more job settings in the middle
of a rendering job causes the job to restart at the first frame in the range, so
all frames are rendered with the same settings. When off (No), the job
continues rendering without restarting. Toggled by double-clicking the entry.
Default=No.
You might want to turn this off if you're rendering an animation test and
change a relatively minor setting, such as Video Color Check, in the middle
of a job. For final renderings, you should always restart a job from the
beginning after changing job settings.
Override Global Blocking Tasks This setting corresponds with the Override
Global Settings as set in the Advanced Setting dialog on page 6497. Default=Yes.
Enable Blocking Tasks A Yes/No toggle that controls task blocking as set in
the Advanced Setting dialog. When set to Yes, the task blocking set in the
Manager General Properties dialog is active. Toggled by double-clicking the
entry. Default=Yes.
Use All Available Servers Uses all servers in the active Server group for
rendering the job.
[program name] General Settings group
Frame Sequence This toggle setting alternates between Frames and Range,
and, by default, uses the Range and Frames settings in the Render Setup dialog
on page 6067. When set to Range, the job uses the First/Last Frame and Every
Nth settings; when set to Frames, the job uses the Frames setting. Toggled by
double-clicking the entry. Default=Range.
First Frame Displays the first frame in the range to be rendered. Defaults to
the first frame as submitted. Editable from keyboard.
Last Frame Displays the last frame in the range to be rendered. Defaults to
the last frame as submitted. Editable from keyboard.
Every Nth Regular sample of frames. For example, enter 8 to render every 8th
frame. Editable from keyboard.
Frames Non-sequential frames separated by commas (for example, 2,5) or
ranges of frames separated by hyphens (for example, 0-5). Editable from
keyboard.
Queue Monitor | 6537
Width/Height Lets you set the resolution of the output image by specifying
the width and the height of the image, in pixels. Defaults to the output size
as submitted. Editable from keyboard.
Render Options group
These settings are the same as those found on the Render Setup dialog >
Options group on page 6127, with several additions:
Skip Existing Frames When on, the software checks the output path for
existing rendered frames, and doesn't render them again. When off, starting
or restarting a job always begins rendering with the first frame, overwriting
any existing frames. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
Display RFW Displays the Rendered Frame Window on all servers during
rendering. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=Yes.
Gamma Correction When enabled, lets you defines a new gamma for the
bitmap, using the Input/Output Gamma settings. Toggled by double-clicking
the entry. Default=Disabled.
Input/Output Gamma Change system input and output gamma settings for
processing bitmaps. See Gamma Preferences Settings on page 7758 > Bitmap
Files group. Editable from keyboard.
Pixel Aspect Ratio Sets the shape of the pixels for display on another device.
The image may look squashed on your display but will display correctly on
the device with differently shaped pixels. Editable from keyboard.
Render Elements When enabled, renders any render elements on page 6349 in
the scene. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=Enabled.
Video Color Check Checks for pixel colors that are beyond the safe NTSC or
PAL threshold. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
Two Sided 2-Sided rendering renders both sides of all faces. Toggled by
double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
Render Hidden Renders all geometric objects in the scene, even if they are
hidden. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
Render Atmosphere Renders any applied atmospheric effects, such as volume
fog, when set to Yes. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=Yes.
Super Black Limits the darkness of rendered geometry for video compositing.
Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
6538 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Dither 256 Intersperses pixels when rendering to an eight-bit image format
for a greater apparent color range. Toggled by double-clicking the entry.
Default=Yes.
Dither True Color Intersperses pixels when rendering to a 24-bit (or higher)
image format for a greater apparent color range. Toggled by double-clicking
the entry. Default=Yes.
Render Fields Renders to video fields rather than frames when creating
animations for video. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No.
Displacements Any displacement mapping is rendered. Toggled by
double-clicking the entry. Default=Yes.
Scene Effects Any applied rendering effects, such as Blur, are rendered when
turned set to Yes. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=Yes.
Multithread Causes the software to treat the rendering task as separate threads.
This option works with multiprocessor systems. Toggled by double-clicking
the entry. Default=Yes.
Field Order Selects the field on page 7973 order of rendered images when the
Render Fields option is turned on. Default=Odd.
Some video devices require that the even field be first, other video devices
require that the odd field be first. Determine the correct field order for your
video device. If the video output of your device is strobing or appears jittery,
it may be due to incorrect field order. Try changing this parameter and
re-rendering your animation.
Alternate Paths group
Comparable to setting the alternate paths in the Network Job Assignment
dialog on page 6481.
Alt Bitmap Path Lets you enter an alternate path where the servers search
for bitmaps. Editable from keyboard.
Alt XRef Path Lets you enter an alternate path where the servers search for
XRefs. Editable from keyboard.
Timeouts group
These settings are covered in Advanced Settings Dialog on page 6497.
Queue Monitor | 6539
Notifications group
These settings are covered in Notifications Dialog on page 6492.
Viewing Jobs and Servers with the Queue Monitor
All rendering jobs submitted to the network rendering queue are shown in
the Job list window, located on the upper-left side of the Queue Monitor
dialog, immediately below the toolbar. Below it is the Server list window,
which shows all servers attached to the manager and their status.
Interface
Each job is denoted by an icon reflecting its current status. The servers are
also denoted by specific icons that reflect their current status.
Job Icons
Job is started and has rendered one or more frames. The job is either
currently rendering or is awaiting an available server.
Job is active, but has not yet rendered any frames.
Job is suspended.
The job was submitted as suspended or was suspended with the Queue Monitor.
Suspended jobs must be manually reactivated to give them a started or active
status.
Job is in an error condition.
In the Queue Monitor, check the Errors tab in job information window, to
the right of the jobs list, for details regarding the error, such as missing bitmaps,
plug-ins, texture coordinates. See Troubleshooting on page 6455.
Job is completed.
All frames in the sequence have been rendered successfully. You may delete
this job from the queue if you want.
6540 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Server Icons
A bar through the server icon indicates that it's assigned to the currently
highlighted job or jobs.
Server is active.
The server is rendering the current started job.
Server is absent.
The server is assigned to the rendering task but is not currently rendering.
This can occur, for example, when the server is turned off or is not running
the Server application.
Server is in an error condition.
Check the Server list Job Status column in the Queue Monitor for details
regarding the error, such as missing bitmaps, plug-ins, texture coordinates.
See Troubleshooting on page 6455.
Server is idle.
The server can be assigned the highlighted job with the toolbar Assign Server
button.
Job Report Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > Jobs menu > Report
You can generate ASCII reports containing detailed statistics about a particular
job selected in the Job Queue list.
See also:
■
Week Schedule Dialog on page 6547
Queue Monitor | 6541
Interface
Header group
Specifies the type of header to include in the report file, in addition to the
body information.
Long Includes information above the body of information, including Job
Name, Submitted by, Frame Start/End, Output Width/Height, Pixel Aspect
Ratio, and Image Aspect Ratio.
Short Includes only the column titles in the report.
Record Delimitation group
Specifies the type of delimiter used between the fields. For example, if you use
a tab delimiter, the report will import correctly into Microsoft's Excel or Access
applications.
Tab Inserts a tab between fields in the report.
Space Inserts a space between fields in the report.
Comma Inserts a comma between fields in the report.
Use Quotes Brackets each field with double quotes.
6542 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Output File group
(Text Field) Specifies the report's file name. You can specify a complete path,
if you want. By default, the path is the directory containing the monitor.exe
file.
TIP If you use a shortcut icon to launch Queue Monitor, you can specify the path
for your report's output file in the Start In field in the Properties dialog for the
shortcut.
Browse Displays a file selector where you can specify a file path for the report.
Job Archives Dialog
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > Jobs menu > Job Archives
Windows Start menu > Programs > Autodesk > Backburner > Monitor >
Highlight a job. > right-click menu > Job Archives
Use the Job Archives dialog to delete, activate and refresh jobs that have been
archived. Jobs are placed here when you select a job from the Job list on the
Queue Monitor and click the Archive Job command. This brings up the
Backburner Job Archives dialog Jobs are also placed in the Job Archives if you
set them to automatically archive when the rendering is completed.
Interface
This dialog consists of a toolbar and list of archived jobs.
Queue Monitor | 6543
Toolbar
The Job Archives toolbar has three commands.
Delete Deletes a selected job from the archive. You are warned and must
accept confirmation before the deletion to occurs. This button is active only
when a job is selected.
Activate When you select a job from the list, you can click the Activate button.
When a job is activated, it is removed from the Job Archives and placed back
in the Job list in the Queue Monitor on page 6522. Then you can choose to Edit
Settings on page 6535 and restart the job.
Refresh Forces the Job Archives dialog to update the information shown in
the job list
Job List
The Job List shows the Job Name, Owner, Description, Type (render plugin),
original Submission date, and Completion date. Unlike other lists in the Queue
Monitor, you cannot add or remove columns. You can make multiple selections
of jobs by holding down either the SHIFT or CTRL keys.
Activating and Deactivating Jobs in the Queue
As requirements change, you can deactivate an active or pending job in the
rendering queue, or reverse the process and restart jobs that are inactive.
When you deactivate a job, the servers assigned to the job either drop the
frame they are rendering or finish writing the frame, depending on where
they are in the rendering process. The next pending job becomes active and
begins to render.
You can reactivate a suspended job, or a job that was submitted as Initially
Suspended from the Network Job Assignment dialog.
Procedures
To deactivate a job:
1 Select a started or active job in the Job list.
6544 | Chapter 20 Rendering
2 Do one of the following:
■
Click the Suspend button on the toolbar (the red light-bulb icon).
■
Choose Jobs menu > Suspend.
■
Right-click the job name to display a pop-up menu, and then choose
Suspend.
If necessary, click the toolbar Refresh button to view the new queue
status.
To activate a suspended job:
1 Select the inactive job (denoted by a gray box).
The Activate button on the toolbar becomes active.
2 Click Activate, or use the menu bar or right-click menu.
The job becomes either started or active in the queue, depending on
whether or not another job is currently rendering and whether or not
any of the job's frames have already rendered.
Activating and Deactivating Servers in the Queue
When prioritizing jobs and dividing up the network render load, you might
need to pull individual servers off one job and place them on another.
When you remove a server from the current rendering job, and the server is
assigned to another started or active job, it is used by that job. If the server
has no further job assignments, it stops rendering.
You can assign machines that become available for network rendering to any
job.
You can tell whether a server is assigned to a particular job by highlighting
the job in the Queue Monitor > Job list and looking at the server's icon in the
Server list. If a horizontal bar appears through the server icon, then it is
assigned to the job; if no bar appears, then it isn't assigned to the job.
Alternatively, just highlight the job and then click Selected Job in the Server
Tree view, to list only servers assigned to that job.
Next Step
Managing Jobs in the Queue on page 6546
Queue Monitor | 6545
Procedures
To remove a server or servers from the highlighted rendering job or jobs:
■
Highlight the server in the Server list and click the Remove Server icon on
the toolbar.
To assign an unassigned server or servers to highlighted rendering job(s), do
one of the following:
1 Highlight the unassigned server(s) in the servers list and choose Assign
To Selected Jobs from the Servers menu.
2 Right-click the server name in the queue list to display the pop-up menu
and choose Assign To Selected Jobs.
Managing Jobs in the Queue
Reordering lets you change the job order in the queue to meet changing
deadlines or priorities. You can delete jobs from the queue at any time.
Procedures
To re-order a job in the queue:
1 In the Job list window of the Queue Monitor, right-click the job to move.
2 Choose Change Priority, and use the Change Job Priority dialog to set a
new Priority value.
NOTE You can reorder multiple jobs at the same time. They will end up with
the same priority.
To delete a single job from the job queue, do one of the following:
1 Highlight the job and then click Delete on the toolbar.
2 Use the right-click menu > Delete command.
You can delete multiple jobs by first highlighting the jobs by using the CTRL
or SHIFT keys and then clicking the Delete button or Jobs menu > Delete.
6546 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Week Schedule Dialog
Queue Monitor > Highlight a Server and right-click. > Week Schedule
Queue Monitor > Highlight a Server. > Servers menu > Week Schedule
By default, all servers are available at all times. Using the Queue Monitor's
Week Schedule feature, you can arrange the hours during which each server
is available for network rendering.
You can specify certain hours for any day of the week. This is useful, for
example, if the server is used as a modeling workstation during normal business
hours and you do not want it being used as a network render server during
this time.
Procedures
To schedule a set of active hours for a server or servers:
1 In Queue Monitor's Server list, right-click a Server and choose Week
Schedule, or select one or more Servers and choose Servers menu > Week
Schedule.
Queue Monitor | 6547
2 In the dialog that appears, select a time using one of the following
methods:
■
Select a one-hour block for network rendering by clicking one of the
top buttons.
■
Select an entire day by clicking a side button.
■
Select the entire week by clicking the large top-left button.
The selection is shown in white.
3 Click the Allow button. The selection is shown in green. (By default, all
hours are allowed).
4 To apply the time selection to the selected Server, click OK.
To schedule hours when servers are unavailable:
1 In Queue Monitor's Server list, right-click a Server and choose Week
Schedule, or select a Server and choose Servers menu > Week Schedule.
2 In the dialog that appears, select a time using one of the following
methods:
■
Select a one-hour block for network rendering by clicking one of the
top buttons.
■
Select an entire day by clicking a side button.
■
Select the entire week by clicking the large top-left button.
The selection is shown in white.
3 Click the Disallow button. The selection is shown in red.
4 To apply the time selection to the selected Server, click OK.
Batch Rendering
“Batch rendering” is a term used to describe the process of rendering a series
of tasks or jobs that have been assigned to a queue. Batch rendering is useful
when you need to render images without supervision or when you want to
render a number of test studies showing different day or night lighting, or for
producing shadow studies of various sun angles. Batch rendering can also be
used when you want to see how your project looks from different camera
viewpoints.
6548 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Several methods for setting up batch rendering are available in 3ds Max. These
methods entail using the Batch Render tool on page 6553 or network rendering
on page 6433 with Backburner, or a combination of the two.
The three available methods for setting up batch rendering are as follows:
■
Build a queue of camera tasks that are managed by the Batch Render tool.
If you have a MAX file that contains one or more cameras and saved scene
states on page 7399, you can set up a camera queue to render different camera
viewpoints. Each camera can be set to automatically load a scene state to
give you several visualizations of your model.
■
Set up a series of jobs as network rendering assignments to be coordinated
by Backburner.
If you have a number of separate scenes that are part of a single project or
part of several projects, use network rendering even if you're rendering to
a single computer. Use this method also if you have scenes that don't have
a camera set up and you want to render a Perspective, Front, Left or Right
viewport view.
■
Use the Batch Render tool to set up a queue of camera tasks to render
different views and pass them to Backburner for rendering management.
The Batch Render tool has an option to send each camera task in the batch
render list as a separate network rendering job. Use this method if you
want to split the rendering of the different views among multiple
computers.
See also:
■
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog on page 6553
Quick Start Batch Rendering
The following provides bare-bone steps on how to set up and use the
Backburner Manager and Server utilities to perform batch rendering.
If your system is already properly configured for TCP/IP protocols (for example,
your computer has an internet connection), information in this topic will
help you get started with batch rendering in a few basic steps.
Quick Start Batch Rendering | 6549
Procedures
To render in batch mode:
You need Windows XP (Home or Professional) Service Pack 1 (or higher) or
Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
NOTE Backburner rendering is not supported under Windows 95, 98 or ME.
1 Run the Backburner Manager and Server applications from the Start menu,
in the same program group as 3ds Max.
2 Start 3ds Max, and load the first scene you want to batch render.
3 Open the Render Setup dialog and adjust the various rendering parameters
for the way you want to render the scene, including active viewport, file
output, etc.
4 Turn on Net Render in the Render Output group, and then click Render.
5 In the resulting Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481, click the
Connect button.
6 Click the Submit button.
NOTE Each job should have a unique output file name and/or path to avoid
overwriting output files. If you get an alert dialog that says, "Another job is
using the same output name…," you can click the No button, click Cancel
to exit the Network Job Assignment dialog, and then change the output
name and/or path. Otherwise, you can click the Yes button and let the job
overwrite the frames from the other job in the queue.
7 Load the next scene you want rendered, and then repeat steps 4 through
7.
Once you’ve submitted all rendering jobs, you can exit 3ds Max, if you want.
If power is lost before all jobs are rendered (either by accident or by intentional
powering down of your computer), when you restart the Backburner Manager
and Server programs, the rendering process will resume where it left off.
Using Backburner for Batch Rendering
Using Backburner for batch rendering is a simple matter of starting the
software, running the Backburner Manager and Server programs, specifying
6550 | Chapter 20 Rendering
the scenes you want rendered, and then proceeding with the rendering. In
this case, Backburner coordinates a series of rendering tasks that are network
rendered on a single computer.
The process is very similar to rendering over a network. With network
rendering, the scenes you submit to the rendering queue are called 'jobs'. The
following steps show how to submit multiple jobs to the rendering queue.
Your system has to be properly configured in the TCP/IP protocol (see “TCP/IP
Settings” in the Autodesk Backburner Installation Guide) to perform Backburner
batch rendering. If you do not have a network card or if you are not connected
to the internet, then you may need to configure TCP/IP with the Microsoft
Loop Back Adapter.
NOTE
Batch rendering by means of Backburner differs from batch rendering
with the Batch Render tool on page 6553. However, you can use the Batch Render
tool to create a queue of rendering tasks and then pass the tasks to Backburner
to coordinate the rendering process.
Network Files
When Backburner Manager begins a job, a series of files are created in the
\network\jobs folder of your Backburner folder. Among other things, this means
that you can shut down your computer completely (either on purpose or by
accidental power failure), and when you next start Backburner Manager and
Server, they’ll pick up where they left off and continue with your rendering
queue.
NOTE The exception to the above rule is when rendering multiframe file formats,
such as AVI and MOV. Due to limitations in these file formats, if you stop in the
middle of rendering one of these files, when you begin rendering again, the entire
file will have to be rendered from the beginning.
Procedures
To batch render several jobs:
1 Start 3ds Max.
2 Start Backburner Manager.
The Backburner Manager window appears. Its window displays the words:
“Starting Network Manager.”
3 Start Backburner Server.
Using Backburner for Batch Rendering | 6551
The Backburner Server window appears. Its window displays the words:
“Starting Backburner Server,” followed by additional startup messages.
4 In 3ds Max, load the first scene you want rendered.
5 Activate the viewport you want rendered, and click the Render Setup
button on the toolbar.
6 Set up the various rendering parameters as you would if you were
rendering only this scene.
7 In the Render Output group, turn on Net Render.
8 Click Render.
To assign network jobs:
At this point, the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481 appears. Its main
purpose is submit the current job to the Backburner Manager with all its render
settings, including job name and net rendering specifics. The Backburner
Manager then takes over and begins the rendering process.
1 In the Job Name field, either accept the default name (the name of the
scene), or specify a new one.
2 Click the Connect button to connect the software to the Manager. After
a moment, your TCP/IP address appears in the field over the window,
and the Server appears in the window.
3 Click the server in the window so that its icon displays a green circle with
an arrow through it.
4 Click the Submit button.
NOTE Each job should have a unique output file name and/or path to avoid
overwriting output files. If you get an alert dialog that says, "Another job is
using the same output name…," you can click the No button, click Cancel
to exit the Network Job Assignment dialog, and then change the output
name and/or path. Otherwise, you can click the Yes button and let the job
overwrite the frames from the other job in the queue.
5 The Job Assignment dialog goes away, and the rendering begins. The
Manager reports: “Job (job name) submitted.” The Server reports that it
has received the job, and then begins reporting each frame it’s completed.
6 At this point, you can open the next scene to be rendered, and then
repeat the steps, beginning with step 4 in the previous procedure.
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Once you’ve submitted the jobs you want rendered, you can exit 3ds Max (do
not shut down the Backburner Manager or Server), or you can begin working
on a new scene, or editing an old scene. Keep in mind, however, that your
processor is spending most of its time working on rendering, so your computer
will slower than usual.
If you need to monitor the batch render processes, you can use the Backburner
monitor for that purpose. (See “Understanding the Backburner Monitor” in
the Autodesk Backburner User’s Guide.)
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog
Rendering menu > Batch Render
The Batch Render tool offers you an efficient, visual approach to setting up a
sequence of different tasks or scene states to render automatically. From the
Batch Render dialog, you control the following:
■
Image resolution, pixel aspect ratio or time sequence if it differs from the
default rendering settings found on the Render Setup dialog on page 6067.
■
Whether to render a specific camera view or the active viewport.
■
Which camera view to render.
■
The output path where rendered images get stored.
■
Which scene state on page 7399 is restored prior to rendering.
■
Which rendering preset on page 6114 is used per rendered view.
■
Whether all the batch rendering tasks should be sent to Backburner for
network rendering on page 6433 by multiple systems for even faster rendering.
■
Exporting the batch rendering tasks and all parameters set in the Batch
Render dialog to a BAT file for later command line rendering on page 6562.
NOTE The Batch Rendering dialog is for rendering different aspects of the same
scene, such as views from different cameras. To batch-render a number of different
scenes, use Backburner on page 6550 or command-line rendering on page 6562.
Batch Render Completed
If a problem is encountered by the Batch Renderer, you will be notified by
means of the Batch Render Completed dialog. This is an error dialog that
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog | 6553
appears and notifies you about which batch renders did not complete and, if
possible, provides a description of why the failure occurred.
If the cause of the error cannot be identified, then the error entry will simply
state Failed. The most common causes for failure are:
■
Missing texture maps for materials that are assigned to objects in the scene.
This shows up as Failed. Missing External File. Once the texture map is found
or map paths are properly set, this error will not occur.
■
Missing UVW coordinates for objects that have texture mapped materials
assigned to them. This is reported as Failed. Missing Map Coordinates on Object
and can be alleviated by making sure new objects are created with the
Generate Mapping Coords switch turned on and by assigning a UVW Map
modifier to the object that is not displaying its texture mapping.
Procedures
To use the Batch Render tool:
1 Open or create a MAX scene.
2 Choose Rendering menu > Batch Render.
The Batch Render dialog opens.
3 On the Batch Render dialog, click the Add button.
This adds your first rendering task to the batch render queue.
By default, the Camera parameter is set to Viewport, which means that
the task will render the active viewport. To change to a set view, make
6554 | Chapter 20 Rendering
sure the scene contains at least one camera, and then choose the camera
view to render from the Camera drop-down list on page 6559.
4 Review the Selected Batch Render Parameters settings and, if necessary,
turn on Override Preset and then change the Frame Start, Frame End,
Width, Height, and Pixel Aspect settings.
5 Click the Output Path button to set a drive location, file name and file
format for the rendered image.
6 If you've saved any scene states with the model, you can choose which
one is loaded during the rendering operation by opening the Scene State
drop list.
7 Repeat steps 3 through 6 to continue adding rendering tasks to the batch
render queue, as necessary.
8 When all your tasks are set, click the Render button.
To use the Batch Render tool with Backburner:
Before attempting to use the Batch Render tool with Backburner for network
rendering, make sure the Backburner Manager is running on your managing
workstation and that Backburner Server is running on all the other workstations
that will receive the rendering assignments. For more information on setting
up Backburner Network Rendering, refer to Network Rendering on page 6433.
1 Set up a series of rendering tasks in the Batch Render queue as documented
in the previous procedure.
2 Turn on Net Render and then click the Render button.
The Network Job Assignment dialog opens.
3 Enter a subnet mask, or, with Automatic Search off, enter the Manager
name or IP address, and then click Connect.
The available rendering servers show up in the list on the right side of
the Network Job Assignment dialog.
4 Click the Submit button to send all the Batch Render camera tasks to
Backburner for network rendering to all the workstations that are running
Backburner Server.
If you are running the Backburner Queue Monitor, you'll see all the
camera tasks listed as rendering jobs in the Job section of the Queue
Monitor.
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog | 6555
Interface
Add Adds a new rendering task to the queue, using the default settings. By
default, a new task is set to render the active viewport. To set it to render a
particular camera, choose the camera from the Camera drop-down list on
page 6559.
Duplicate Adds a copy of the highlighted rendering task to the queue.
All rendering parameters that were part of the original task are duplicated for
the new task.
Delete Deletes the highlighted rendering task.
6556 | Chapter 20 Rendering
No warning appears to confirm deletion and you cannot undo a deletion.
[Task Queue] This is a listing of all the camera tasks that have been chosen
for batch rendering. The task queue consists of eight columns that show all
the parameters that have been set for a particular camera task. You can control
which tasks are rendered by toggling the check boxes in the list.
Selected Batch Render Parameter group
By default, any tasks you've designated for batch rendering use the current
Time Output and Output Size parameters from the Render Setup dialog on
page 6067.
For example, if the Output Size settings on the Render Setup dialog shows
that you have a Time Output settings of Single and an of 800 width and 600
height, when you add a camera, its Selected Batch Render Parameters will
mimic those settings. Likewise, if the Render Setup dialog has a Time Output
set to Range and frame 0 to 25, the Frame Start and Frame End settings on
the Batch Render dialog will default to those Time Output settings.
This group gives you access to changing those default parameters.
Override Preset When on, you can override any of the default settings for
the highlighted task via the Frame Start, Frame End, Width, Height, and Pixel
Aspect settings. Default=off.
Frame Start The first frame to be rendered for the highlighted task. The default
setting for this parameter matches the Time Output group settings on the
Common panel of the Render Setup dialog.
Frame End The last frame to be rendered for the highlighted task. Its default
state also matches the Time Output group settings on the Common panel of
the Render Setup dialog.
The default Frame Start and Frame End parameters correspond to the Render
Setup dialog parameters as follows:
Render Setup dialog
>Time Output
Batch Render dialog
Frame Start/End
Single
Defaults to the frame set
by the time slider.
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog | 6557
Render Setup dialog
>Time Output
Batch Render dialog
Frame Start/End
Active Time Segment
Defaults to 0 (zero) and
the last frame of the animation as set in the Time
Configuration dialog on
page 7565.
Range
Defaults to the range of
frames specified, such as 0
(zero) To 14 or 6 To 11.
The Frame Start and End settings also conform to the current time
configuration format; i.e. Frames, SMPTE, Frame:Ticks, or MM:SS:Ticks.
Width Allows you to specify a new image width setting if Override Preset is
on. If Override Preset is off, this value matches the width set on the Render
Setup dialog.
Height Allows you to specify a new image height setting if the Override Preset
is on. If Override Preset is off, this value matches the height set on the Render
Setup dialog.
Pixel Aspect Sets the aspect ratio of the pixels for display on another device.
The image might look squashed on your display but will display correctly on
the device with differently shaped pixels. By default, this mimics the value
set on the Render Setup dialog.
Name Lets you change the default name of the highlighted task. The default
naming structure for camera tasks uses “View” plus an incremented view
number, such as View01 or View02. If you want, you can change the task's
name to something more descriptive.
NOTE After changing the name, you must press Enter for the change to register.
NOTE If you're rendering elements on page 6336 as part of the batch, the task name
is appended to each rendered element's specified file name. For example, if the
task name is View01 and the render element output file name is Test_Diffuse.tga,
then the batch-rendered element output becomes Test_Diffuse_View01.tga.
If you're rendering an element without specifying a file name for the element,
the batch renderer appends the element type to the batch output file name.
6558 | Chapter 20 Rendering
For example, if the batch output file name is MyBatch.png, and you're rendering
an Atmosphere element, then the element output name becomes
MyBatch_Atmosphere.png.
Output Path The ellipsis (...) button opens the Render Output File dialog on
page 6086 where you can specify the output path, file name and file format for
the rendered image of the selected camera task.
Once set, the output path and file name appears in the output path field and
the file name appears in the Output Path column of the task queue.
X [Clear Output Path] Removes the output path and file name from the
Output Path field and task queue.
Camera This drop-down list shows any cameras in the scene.
By default, a task is set to render the active viewport, as indicated by the
“Viewport” entry in the Camera column of the task queue. You can use this
list choose a camera from any in the scene for the highlighted task. The new
camera is shown in the Camera column of the task queue.
To set the highlighted task to render the active viewport, choose the dashed
line (-------------------------) from the top of the drop-down list.
Choose the dashed line to render the active viewport.
NOTE Choosing a camera changes only the camera the task uses. It does not
change the name of the task.
Scene State This drop-down list displays the scene states on page 7399, if any,
that you can assign to the highlighted task. If no scene state is active then
current scene settings are used.
Preset Lets you choose a render preset for the highlighted task. If no render
preset is active and there is no override, then the current render settings are
used.
If you choose Load Preset from the drop-down list, the Render Presets Load
dialog opens.
Net Render When on, opens the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6481
when you click the Render button.
Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog | 6559
Each camera task in the Batch Render dialog is passed to the Network Job
Assignment dialog as an individual rendering job instead of a single job. By
default, the Network Job Assignment dialog uses the name of the MAX file as
its job name, and it then appends the name of the camera task. For example,
if you have a scene named Athena_High_Rise and camera tasks for three
cameras, the jobs will look like this in the monitor: Athena_High_Rise Camera02
View01, Athena_High_Rise Camera01 View02 and Athena_High_Rise Camera01
View03.
Export to .bat Creates a batch file for command line rendering. This button
opens the Batch Render Export To Batch File dialog where you can specify a
drive location and name for the batch file that is saved.
Render Starts the batch rendering process or opens the Network Job
Assignment dialog if Net Render is turned on.
Batch Render Tool - Batch Render Warning Dialog
Rendering menu > Batch Render > Click Render to render tasks that do not
have an output path set.
Rendering menu > Batch Render > Click Render to render tasks that could
overwrite previously saved files.
The Batch Render Warning dialog informs you of certain conditions you may
have overlooked while assigning the rendering tasks. The dialog that displays
is context-sensitive, meaning that the warning will indicate when either of
these two conditions exist:
■
When you risk overwriting an existing file or if you have not specified an
output path and output file name.
■
When the output path that was specified has been renamed or no longer
exists.
Interface
Task Queue
Both formats of the Batch Render Warning dialog include the Task Queue
columns that are shown in the in the Batch Render dialog. The key difference
is the exception of the check boxes that let you specify which cameras are use
in the render. This Task Queue only shows the cameras that may overwrite a
6560 | Chapter 20 Rendering
saved file, or do not have a path/file name set for output, or if they show an
output path that is invalid.
Missing Output Path/Filename or File Overwrite
This version of the Batch Render Warning dialog appears if you click the
Render button on the Batch Render dialog and one or more of the tasks to be
rendered does not include an output path/file name. The dialog also appears
if there is a chance you will overwrite a previously rendered image.
OK Allows you to continue with the batch rendering tasks even though there
are some tasks without an output path/file name or some files could be
overwritten. Tasks without an output path/file name are not automatically
saved and only appear in the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073.
Cancel Cancels the batch rendering.
Invalid Output Path
This version of the Batch Render Warning dialog only appears if you are
rendering to a file that has invalid output paths. For example, if you're
rendering a client's model and they've set their own output paths.
Batch Render Tool - Batch Render Warning Dialog | 6561
Update Path Allows you to browse to a new directory and reassign the output
path for all the entries in the Task Queue. The specified output file name
remains the same.
NOTE If you don't want to assign the same path to all the cameras shown in the
dialog, you should Cancel and set the correct paths for each camera from the
Batch Render dialog.
Continue Allows you to continue with the batch rendering tasks even though
there are some tasks without an output path. Tasks without an output path
are not automatically saved and only appear in the Rendered Frame Window
on page 6073.
Cancel Cancels the batch rendering.
Command-Line Rendering
The command-line rendering tool lets you perform batch rendering jobs
without having to manipulate parameters by hand in a MAX file. Simple,
“one-shot” rendering jobs can be submitted from the Start > Run dialog. More
elaborate, batched jobs can be rendered through the use of text files; for
example, MyRender.bat or MyRender.xml. The ability to edit text files is what
provides the power to this tool. You can quickly make changes to your
rendering parameters, or output formats, simply by opening your text editor
and editing the batch settings.
Command-line rendering is provided by the 3dsmaxcmd.exe program, found
in your program install folder.
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You can submit command-line rendering jobs that are rendered on a single
workstation, or you can take advantage of network rendering on page 6433 and
let the Backburner utility manage the jobs across multiple systems.
The Batch Render tool on page 6553 is another way to quickly create BAT files
that can be used with the command-line rendering. The Batch Render tool
lets you create a queue of camera tasks with specific output parameters,
rendering presets or automatic loading of scene states. Once your queue is
complete, you can export the tasks to a BAT file that is stored in the \scenes
folder.
WARNING Command-line rendering is a professional feature and can perform
destructive operations. You will not see messages or warning dialogs informing
you about potential mistakes, such as overwriting an existing frame on your drive.
See also:
■
Command-Line Rendering Switches on page 6566
Procedures
To view the 3dsmaxcmd help file:
The 3dsmaxcmd.exe file contains a built-in help system that you can access
from a command prompt.
1 Open a command prompt window (for example, Windows Start > Run
> enter CMD).
2 Enter the following: “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\3dsmaxcmd” -? and press Enter.
The list of switches and options will scroll on to the window.
To view a list of sample command lines with descriptions of what they do:
The 3dsmaxcmd.exe file also has an extensive list of sample text strings that
describe many of the most common scenarios you'd use command-line
rendering to accomplish.
1 Open a command prompt window.
2 Enter the following: “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\3dsmaxcmd” -x and press Enter.
Command-Line Rendering | 6563
Setting up the simplest rendering:
In its simplest form, just a render command using all the settings that are
stored with a scene, would look like this:
1 Open a command prompt window.
2 Enter the following: “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\3dsmaxcmd” “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\scenes\myscene.max” and press Enter.
Example: Rendering to a JPG file at 800x600 resolution:
Perhaps the last time you rendered your scene, you had the output resolution
set to 320x240 and rendered a BMP file. Re-rendering the scene using different
output settings is fast and efficient with command-line rendering.
1 Open a command prompt window.
2 Enter the following:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-outputName:“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.jpg” -w 800 -h 600 “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
and press Enter.
NOTE The specified output path must already exist. If it doesn't, the image
doesn't render and you get an error message.
Network rendering from the command line:
If you have your system networked and have access to other systems, you can
take advantage of network rendering.
NOTE A command-line job cannot be run on a system already running the
Backburner server.
1 Open a command prompt window.
2 Enter the following:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd” -submit
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\scenes\myscene.max”
and press Enter.
6564 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Example: Rendering from a text file:
Command-line rendering gives you the ability to set a series of common
switches that can be quickly re-used for rendering a single job from Start >
Run, or for rendering a group of scenes specified in a BAT file. You can build
your text file using any text editor.
NOTE A TXT file can specify only a single scene to render. For multiple scenes,
use a BAT file.
1 Open your text editor.
2 Enter your list of commands, such as:
-bitmapPath=\\mapServer\maps\myMaps
-cam=myCamera
-width=800
-height=600
-vfb=true
-frames=all
-force2Sided=true
3 Once all the switches are entered, save the files as a TXT file, such as
myrender.txt.
4 To render the scene, open the Windows Start > Run dialog.
5 Enter the following:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
@c:\myrender.txt -o=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.tga” “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
and click OK.
Using a TXT file that contains your favorite settings, in conjunction with
a command line that specifies the output file format and scene of your
choice, gives you the flexibility to re-use the TXT file without having to
edit it each time you want to render. You can create several TXT files
with settings for different stages of scene development, such as
testrender.txt or finalrender.txt.
Example: Rendering from a BAT file:
If you want to render several scenes in a batch process, you can create a BAT
file containing all the scenes and switches needed to get the results you want.
Just like a text file, you can build your BAT file using any text editor. For this
Command-Line Rendering | 6565
example, let's say you have three scenes, in various stages, and you want each
rendered using different settings.
1 Open your text editor.
2 On the first line, enter the following text. This example assumes that the
scene is far from finished, but that you want to test a chunk of animation.
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-o=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\scene1.jpg” -w=320 -h=240 -frame=1-33
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\scene1.max”
The second scene is almost ready, but you need to test the look of some
materials and do a video color check:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-o=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\scene2.jpg” -w=640 -h=480 -force2Sided=true
-videoColorCheck=true “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\scenes\scene2.max”
The last scene is complete, and you want to render a higher-resolution
image using settings you've saved in a TXT file that you always use for
final renderings:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
@c:\finalrender.txt -o=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\scene3.jpg” “c:\program files\autodesk\[program
folder name]\scenes\scene3.max”
3 After entering these three command lines, save your file as a BAT file.
4 From the Windows Start > Run dialog, browse to the BAT file and click
Open.
5 Click OK to start rendering.
Command-Line Rendering Switches
In order to use command-line rendering, you should be familiar with DOS
and understand the structure of command lines.
6566 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Command-Line Switches
You can use the following switches after 3dsmaxcmd on the command line
of a command prompt window, or as entries in a text file. The following tables
show switches and their effects.
NOTE Switches are not case sensitive.
At Verbosity level 5, the output message from command-line rendering includes
both a timestamp and a date stamp. The timestamp is separated from the
main message by a semicolon, and the elapsed time message is separated from
the Frame Completed message by a semicolon. This lets you pipe the message
to a file, and then open it in a spreadsheet program with appropriate columns
by setting the delimiter character.
Separators
Many switches are displayed in the following charts with trailing colons, such
as -w: or -h:. The use of a colon separator is optional, and can be replaced with
a space or an equal sign (=). Therefore, command lines such as:
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-outputName:“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.jpg” -w:640 -h:480 “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-outputName “c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.jpg” -w 640 -h 480 “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-outputName=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.jpg” -w=640 -h=480 “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
will give you the same results. The use of the equal sign can give your
command-line files more of an INI file appearance.
NOTE The switch -submit:[manager_name] is the only case where a colon is
necessary.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6567
On/Off Command-Line Switches
Many of the switches you'll use are simple on/off toggles, such as the -rfw:
and -renderFields: switches. If you prefer, instead of using a 1 or 0 to designate
their states, you can use True or False. For example, to render a scene to a
specified file type and display the Rendered Frame Window, your command
line might look like this;
“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder name]\3dsmaxcmd”
-outputName=“c:\program files\autodesk\[program folder
name]\renderoutput\myImage.jpg” -rfw=true “c:\program
files\autodesk\[program folder name]\scenes\myscene.max”
Basic Options
Switch
Effect
-?
Displays a list of these switches in
the DOS window.
-x
Shows a list of example command
lines.
-v:#
Sets the verbosity level, where # is
an integer from 0 (least verbose)
to 5 (most verbose).
@command_file
or -cmdFile:command_file
Points to a separate file containing
command-line options.
-preset: or rps:
Uses a render preset file where
is the name of the preset file.
-sceneState:
Loads the specified scene state file
before rendering the image.
-batchRender
Renders all enabled tasks in the
Batch Render dialog.
6568 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-batchRender:
Renders batch renders in the file
named batch-render-name.
-preRenderScript: or script:
Uses a pre-render script where is the name of the script
file.
-postRenderScript:
Uses a post-render script where
is the name of the
script file.
-workPath:
Root location for job data folders.
-pathFile:
Path configuration file (MXP
format).
-bitmapPath:
(obsolete) Provides an extra bitmap path. Multiple paths can be
entered and UNC naming conventions can be used.
-xrefPath:
(obsolete) Lets you specify extra
XRef paths. Multiple paths can be
entered and UNC naming conventions can be used.
-split:
Split render: number of strips,
overlap amount.
-strip:
Split render: number of strips,
overlap amount, strip number
(starting with 1). This is similar to
the -split switch, but lets you
render a specific, individual strip.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6569
Switch
Effect
NOTE The strip value has no effect when submitting the job to
Backburner. The job will still
render all strips. Split and Stitch
functionality is intended for local
rendering only.
-stitch:
Stitches strips (see above), combining them into a single image:
number of strips, overlap amount.
Stitch functionality is intended for
local rendering only.
-dateFormat:
Specifies a date format to be used
in message timestamp, at verbosity level 5. Defaults to locale-dependent format. For details, use
the 3dsmaxcmd3dsvizcmd -x option.
-timeFormat:
Specifies a time format to be used
in message timestamp, at verbosity level 5. Defaults to locale-dependent format and 24–hour
clock. For details, use the 3dsmaxcmd -x option.
Render Parameters
NOTE Any command-line switches that are on/off toggles can be switched by
entering either 1, 0, on or off.
Switch
Effect
-outputName: or -o:
Sets an output file name
and format.
6570 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-camera: or cam:
Specifies a camera name.
-width: or w:
Sets the output width in
pixels.
-height: or h:
Sets the output height in
pixels.
-pixelAspect:
Sets the pixel aspect ratio.
-start:
Sets the rendering sequence start frame.
-end
Sets the rendering sequence end frame.
-nthFrame
Sets the Every Nth Frame
value.
-frames
Lets you specify a frame
list; for example, (1,3,5-12)
or all.
-stillFrame or -sf
Indicates that this is a stillframe render; no frame
suffix will be added.
-imageSequenceFile:<0/1/2>
Image-sequence file creation: 0=none; 1=.imsq;
2=.ifl
-gammaCorrection:<1/0>
Toggles gamma correction.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-gammaValueIn:
Sets the Input Gamma
value.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6571
Switch
Effect
-gammaValueOut:
Sets the Output Gamma
value.
-continueOnError
If an error is encountered,
the software attempts to
continue rendering.
-videopostJob:<1/0>
Turns Video Post on page
6773 on or off for the job.
Render Flags
Switch
Effect
-showRFW:<1/0> or rfw:<1/0>
Toggles the Rendered
Frame Window. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-skipRenderedFrames:<1/0>
Toggles Skip Existing Images. “1”=On, “0”=Off.
-videoColorCheck:<1/0>
Toggles Video Color
Check. “1”=On, “0”=Off.
-force2Sided:<1/0>
Toggles Force 2-Sided.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-renderHidden:<1/0>
Toggles Render Hidden.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-atmospherics:<1/0>
Toggles Atmospherics.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-superBlack:<1/0>
Toggles Super Black.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
6572 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-renderFields:<1/0>
Toggles Render Fields.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-fieldOrder:even or odd
Toggles Field Order. Default=”Odd”.
-displacements:<1/0>
Toggles Displacement
Mapping. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-effects:<1/0>
Toggles Render Effects.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-useAreaLights:<1/0>
Toggles area lights/shadows. “1”=On, “0”=Off.
-useAdvLight:<1/0>
Toggles use advanced
lighting. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-computeAdvLight:<1/0>
Toggles compute advanced lighting. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-ditherPaletted:<1/0>
Toggles Output Dithering
(paletted). “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-ditherTrueColor:<1/0>
Toggles Output Dithering
(true-color). “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-renderElements:<1/0>
Toggles render elements
(true-color). “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6573
Backburner Job Submission
These switches concern submitting a rendering job for network rendering. For
further information, see Network Rendering on page 6433. Also, for a different
method of network rendering via the command line, see Backburner Command
Line Control on page 6579.
Switch
Effect
-submit[:manager_name] or s[:manager_name]
Submits the scene,
to a specific manager system for
network rendering.
NOTE This is the only switch
that requires a colon separator.
-port:
Specifies a manager port number.
-netmask:
Lets you specify a network mask
other than 255.255.255.0.
-jobName:
Lets you specify a job name to
render.
-priority
Sets job priority.
-suspended:<1/0>
Toggles initially suspended.
“1”=Yes, “0”=No.
-writeJobFile
Writes all job settings to an XML
file. The file uses the same name
as the MAX file, so, for example,
test.max produces test.xml.
-readJobFile:
Reads all job settings from an
XML file.
-waitLoad:
The amount of time to wait for
3ds Max to load, in minutes.
Default=20.
6574 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-waitRender:
The amount of time to wait for
3ds Max to render, in minutes.
Default=600.
-waitUnload:
The amount of time to wait for
3ds Max to unload, in minutes.
Default=10.
–platform:32 or
64
The platform (either 32– or
64–bit) that your scene will be
rendered on. Use this switch
when you want to render your
scene on a different platform
from the platform where you
created your scene.
Bitmap Parameters
Switch
Effect
-BMP_TYPE:2 or 8
Sets the type of BMP file being
rendered. “2”=paletted,
“8”=true 24-bit.
-JPEG_QUALITY:1
to 100
Sets the JPG quality value.
Ranges from 1 to 100.
-JPEG_SMOOTHING:1 to 100
Sets the JPG smoothing value.
Ranges from 1 to 100.
-TARGA_COLORDEPTH:16, 24
or 32
Sets the color depth for TGA
files.
-TARGA_COMPRESSED:<1/0>
Toggles TGA Compression.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6575
Switch
Effect
-TARGA_ALPHASPLIT:<1/0>
Toggles TGA Alpha Split.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-TARGA_PREMULTALPHA:<1/0>
Toggles TGA Pre-Multiplied Alpha. “1”=On, “0”=Off.
-TIF_TYPE:<0/1/2/3/4>
Sets the TIF type. “0”=mono,
“1”=color, “2”=logl, “3”=logluv,
“4”=16–bit color.
-TIF_ALPHA:<1/0>
Toggles TIF file alpha. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-TIF_COMPRESSION:<1/0>
Toggles TIF Compression.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-TIF_DPI:
Sets the dots-per-inch value for
TIF files.
For each of the following -RLA_xxxx switches, there is a corresponding
-RPF_xxxx option.
Switch
Effect
-RLA_COLORDEPTH:8, 16 or
32
Sets the RLA color
bitdepth.
-RLA_ALPHA:<1/0>:
Toggles RLA Alpha.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-RLA_PREMULTALPHA:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Premultiplied Alpha. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-RLA_DESCRIPTION:
Lets you specify an
RLA description (in
quotes).
6576 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-RLA_AUTHOR:
Lets you specify an
RLA author name (in
quotes).
-RLA_ZDEPTHCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Z-Depth
Channel. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-RLA_MTLIDCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Material
Effects Channel.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-RLA_OBJECTIDCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Object
Channel. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-RLA_UVCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA UV Coordinates Channel.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-RLA_NORMALCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Surface
Normals Channel.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
-RLA_NONCLAMPEDCOLORCHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA NonClamped Color
Channel. “1”=On,
“0”=Off.
-RLA_COVERAGECHANNEL:<1/0>
Toggles RLA Coverage Channel.
“1”=On, “0”=Off.
Command-Line Rendering Switches | 6577
The following -RPF_xxxx switches do not have corresponding -RLA_xxxx options.
Switch
Effect
-RPF_NODERENDERIDCHANNEL
Turns on RPF Node
Render ID Channel.
-RPF_COLORCHANNEL
Turns on RPF Color
Channel.
-RPF_TRANSPCHANNEL
Turns on RPF Transparency Channel.
-RPF_VELOCCHANNEL
Turns on RPF Velocity
Channel.
-RPF_WEIGHTCHANNEL<1/0>
Turns on RPF Sub-Pixel
Weight Channel.
-RPF_MASKCHANNEL
Turns on RPF Sub-Pixel
Mask Channel.
Switch
Effect
-EXR_USEEXPONENT
EXR use exponent
on/off
-EXR_EXPONENT
EXR exponent value
(decimal)
-EXR_PREMULTALPHA
EXR premultiplied alpha
on/off
-EXR_ALPHA
EXR save alpha component on/off
-EXR_RED
EXR save red component on/off
6578 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Switch
Effect
-EXR_GREEN
EXR save green component on/off
-EXR_BLUE
EXR save blue component on/off
-EXR_BITDEPTH
EXR bit depth: 0=8–bit
integers; 1=half float;
2=float
-EXR_USEFRAMENUMDIGITS
EXR use number of
frame digits on/off
-EXR_FRAMENUMDIGITS
EXR number of frame
digits (integer)
-EXR_COMPRESSIONTYPE
EXR compression type:
0=no compression;
1=RLE; 2=ZIP (1 scanline); 3=ZIP (16 scanlines); 4=PIZ
-EXR_USEREALPIX
EXR use RealPix RGB
data on/off
Backburner Command Line Control
The Backburner command line plug-in allows you to submit batch, executable,
or script files to Backburner as “custom” jobs. This cmdjob.exe tool, found in
the Backburner program folder, provides more flexibility in running custom
jobs than is offered by the 3ds Max 3dsmaxcmd.exe plug-in.
For a list of the command-line switches that you can use with the Backburner
command line plug-in, see Command-Line Rendering Switches on page 6566.
Some examples of how these commands can be used with 3ds Max are listed
below.
Backburner Command Line Control | 6579
NOTE In order to use command-line rendering, you should be familiar with DOS
and understand the structure of command lines.
Examples of a CmdJob Usage
Please see the online version of the Help for details.
See also:
■
Command-Line Rendering on page 6562
6580 | Chapter 20 Rendering
Effects and Environments
21
A variety of special effects, such as film grain, depth of field, and lens simulations, are available
as rendering effects on page 6583. Another set of effects, such as fog, are provided as environment
effects on page 6687. Also available in the environment settings are exposure controls on page
6732, also known as tone mappers.
The fog environment effect adds atmosphere to a street scene.
In 3ds Max, rendering effects and environments are accessed from a single Environment and
Effects dialog on page 6582.
6581
Environment and Effects Dialog
Rendering menu > Environment
Rendering menu > Effects
Rendered Frame Window > Environment and Effects Dialog Toggle
You apply effects and environments by using the Environment and Effects
dialog.
Interface
The Environment and Effects dialog has two panels, described in the following
topics:
6582 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Effects Panel and Rollout on page 6585
Environment Panel on page 6689
Rendering Effects
Rendering Effects enable you to add post-production effects without having
to render the scene to see the results. Through the Effects panel on page 6585
on the Environment and Effects dialog, you can add various effects and view
them prior to final rendering of an image or animation.
Rendering Effects let you work interactively. As you adjust an effect's
parameters, the Rendered Frame Window on page 6073 is updated with the final
output image of both the scene geometry and the applied effects. You can
also choose to continually work with an effect and then update the effect
manually.
The following topics explain each Rendering Effect in detail.
Hair and Fur Render Effect on page 6588
Lens Effects Rendering Effects on page 6594
Blur Rendering Effect on page 6664
Brightness and Contrast Rendering Effect on page 6673
Color Balance Rendering Effect on page 6675
Depth of Field Rendering Effect on page 6683
File Output Rendering Effect on page 6676
Film Grain Rendering Effect on page 6679
Motion Blur Rendering Effect on page 6681
Rendering Effects and 32–bit Floating-Point Output
Most rendering effects in 3ds Max are not compatible with 32-bit floating-point
output, such as that provided optionally by the mental ray renderer (see Frame
Buffer Type on page 6277). If you render using one or more unsupported effects,
the following dialog appears:
Rendering Effects | 6583
You can choose to continue rendering without the unsupported effects, or
cancel the render.
The only supported effects are File Output and Color Balance; the rest (shown
in the dialog above) are unsupported.
Rendering Effects Command
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel
Effects displays the Effects panel on page 6585 on the Environment and Effects
dialog, which lets you set parameters for post-rendering effects.
From this panel, you can select and assign a class of plug-in called Render
Effect, which is a post-rendering image-processing effect. This lets you apply
image processing without using Video Post.
Render Effects have the added advantage of allowing animated parameters
and references to scene objects. You can also adjust and view the effects
interactively.
6584 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Effects Panel and Rollout
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel
Rendered Frame Window > Environment and Effects Dialog Toggle > Effects
panel
You can use the Effects panel to:
■
Assign a Render Effects plug-in.
■
Apply image processing without using Video Post.
■
Adjust and view effects interactively.
■
Animate parameters and references to scene objects.
Interface
Effects Panel and Rollout | 6585
The Effects panel has one main rollout, Effects, with the following options:
Effects Displays a list of selected effects.
Name Displays the name of the selected effect. Edit this field to rename the
effect.
Add Displays a dialog listing all available rendering effects. Select the effect
you want added to the window list, and then click OK.
Delete Removes a highlighted effect from the window and from the scene.
Active Specifies whether the selected effect is active in the scene. On by default;
you can deactivate an effect without actually removing it by selecting it in
the window and turning off Active.
Move Up Moves the highlighted effect up in the window list.
Move Down Moves the highlighted effect down in the window list.
Merge Merges rendering effects from scene (.max) files. Clicking Merge displays
a file dialog from which you can choose a .max file. A dialog then appears
listing all rendering effects in that scene.
Preview group
Effects When All is chosen, all of the active effects are applied to the preview.
When Current is chosen, only the highlighted effects are applied to the
preview.
Interactive When on, changes occur interactively in the Rendered Frame
Window on page 6073 as you adjust the parameters of an effect. When Interactive
is not activated, you can click one of the update buttons to preview the effect.
Show Original/Show Effects toggle Click Show Original to display the original
rendered image without any of the effects applied. Click Show Effects to display
the rendered image with the effects.
Update Scene Updates the Rendered Frame Window with all changes made
in Rendering Effects as well as any changes made to the scene itself.
Update Effect Manually updates the preview Rendered Frame Window when
Interactive is not on. What is shown in the Rendered Frame Window is only
an update of any changes made in Rendering Effects. Any changes made to
the scene itself will not be rendered.
6586 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Merging Effects
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Merge
The Merge button on the Effects panel on page 6585 lets you merge effects from
other 3ds Max (.max) scene files.
See also:
■
Merge on page 7058
■
Replace on page 7070
■
Merge Animation on page 7063
Procedures
To merge an atmospheric effect:
1 Choose Rendering menu > Effects to display the Effects panel.
2 On the Effects rollout, click Merge.
A Merge Effect dialog appears for file selection.
3 Choose a MAX file.
A Merge Atmospheric Effects dialog lists the effects in the specified file.
4 Select one or more of the effects, and then click OK to merge them into
the scene.
Only atmospheric effects appear in the merge list, but when an effect is
merged, any lights or gizmos bound to the effect are merged as well.
Merging Effects | 6587
To resolve conflicts when merged effects have the same name:
■
If an effect of the same type and name already exists in the scene, an alert
appears. Choose from among these options:
■
Name field
Allows you to rename the incoming effect.
■
Merge
■
Delete Old
■
Apply To All Duplicates
matching effects.
Results in two effects in the scene with the same name.
Removes the existing effect in the scene.
Performs the same action on all subsequent
Hair and Fur Render Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment And Effects dialog > Effects panel
> Add > Add Effect dialog > Hair and Fur
Hair and Fur modifier > Tools rollout > Render Settings button
To render hair, the scene must contain a Hair And Fur render effect. The render
effect is automatically added to the scene the first time you apply the Hair
And Fur modifier to an object, or 3ds Max adds one (with default values) at
render time if an active Hair And Fur modifier is applied to an object. If for
some reason the render effect doesn't exist in the scene, you can add one by
clicking the Render Settings button. This opens the Environment And Effects
dialog and adds a Hair And Fur render effect. You can change the settings, or
simply accept the default settings by closing the dialog after it opens.
6588 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
Hair and Fur Render Effect | 6589
Hair Rendering Options group
Hairs Sets the method to be used for rendering hair:
■
buffer (The default) Procedural hair generated by Hair at render time
based on the modifier parameters. Buffer hair is generated by a special
renderer within Hair and offers the benefit of being able to create millions
of hairs with minimal memory requirements. Only one hair is in memory
at a time. Also, using Buffer render offers a variety of compositing options
(described below).
■
geometry Creates actual geometry for the rendered hair at render time.
This geometry is assigned the material ID set by the Hair And Fur modifier
> Geom Mat ID parameter on page 1168.
NOTE “Geometry” hair derives its texture from the growth object, not from
any maps applied via the Material Parameters rollout.
Compositing options aren't available with “geometry” hair.
The “geometry” option works with both the default scanline renderer and
the mental ray renderer.
■
mr prim Hair is generated by a procedural mental ray shader that
generates mental ray curve primitives directly into the mental ray rendering
stream at render time.
Choose this option only when you are rendering hair with the mental ray
renderer on page 6230.
mr Voxel Resolution Available only for the “geometry” and “mr prim” Hairs
options. At render time, hair boundaries are subdivided into volume cubes or
“voxels.” 3ds Max calculates which hairs are in each voxel, and when a ray
enters a voxel, it calculates for those hairs. This allows unneeded voxels to be
removed from memory during calculation.
With “geometry” rendering, voxels are used only for calculating instanced
hairs.
This value gives the resolution of the subdivision. For example, a value of 3
subdivides the volume into 3 x 3 x 3 voxels, for a total of 27. The higher this
value, the more efficient calculations can be. Default=5.
Lighting
■
native
(The default.) Uses standard 3ds Max calculations for light falloff.
■
emulation Performs a simpler internal calculation for light falloff within
the buffer render. It applies only to the buffer hair rendering itself, not the
3ds Max scene. This mode omits features such as illumination textures on
6590 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
the hair, and light falloff calculation might be slightly inaccurate, but
rendering is somewhat faster.
Raytrace the Reflections/Refractions Available only for the “buffer” Hairs
option. When on, reflections and refractions are ray-traced. When off, they
are calculated as usual. Turning this option on can increase realism at the cost
of render time. Default=off.
Motion Blur group
In order to render motion-blurred hairs, Motion Blur must be enabled for the
growth object.
Duration The number of frames over which motion blur is calculated for each
frame.
Interval The point in the duration at which the “snapshot” of the hair is
captured, before blurring. The choices are “start”, “middle”, and “end”. The
default is “middle”, which causes blurring to occur at the start and end of the
duration.
Buffer Rendering Options group
This setting applies only to the ”buffer” rendering method on page 6590.
Oversampling Controls the level of antialiasing applied to the Hair “buffer”
render. The available choices are “draft”, “low”, “medium”, “high”, and
“maximum”. The “draft” setting uses no antialiasing; “high” is suitable for
most final renders; in extreme cases, use “maximum”. The higher the
Oversampling level, the greater the memory requirements and render time.
Default=”low.”
Tile Memory Usage Sets the maximum amount of main memory to
be used by a “tile.” Hair And Fur renders hair one tile at a time. Default = 70
Megabytes.
Transparency Depth Sets a maximum depth for rendering transparent
or translucent hairs. Default=30.
Hair and Fur Render Effect | 6591
Composite Method group
This option lets you choose the method by which Hair composites hair with
the rest of the scene. Compositing options are available only with the “buffer”
rendering method.
■
None Renders the hair only, with occlusion. The resulting image is ready
to composite.
■
Off
■
Normal (The default.) Does standard rendering and composites the
occluded hair with the rest of the scene in the Rendered Frame Window.
Because of the occlusion, hair will not appear behind (through) transparent
objects.
■
GBuffer Buffer-rendered hair appears behind most transparent objects.
Transparent refractive objects aren't supported.
Renders hair shadows but not the hair.
Occlusion Objects group
This setting lets you choose which objects will occlude hair in the scene; that
is, if the object is closer to the camera than part of the hair array, the hairs
behind it won't render. By default, all objects in the scene occlude hair behind
them.
■
Auto (The default.) All renderable objects in the scene occlude hair behind
them.
■
All All objects in the scene, including non-renderable objects, occlude
hair behind them.
■
Custom Lets you specify the objects that will occlude hair. Choosing this
option makes the buttons on the right slide of the list available. If you
choose Custom but don't specify any occlusion objects, no objects will
occlude the hair; that is, the hair will appear in front of all objects, whether
or not it's closer to the camera than the objects.
List The list of custom occlusion objects. To edit this list, choose Custom and
then use the buttons on the right side of the list.
Add Adds a single object to the list. Click Add and then in a viewport, click
the object to add.
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Add List Adds multiple objects to the list. Click Add List and then in a
viewport, click each object to add in turn. To finish, right-click the viewport
or click Add List again to turn it off.
Replace To replace an object in the list, highlight its name in the list, click
Replace, and then in a viewport click the replacement object.
Delete To remove an object from the list, highlight its name in the list and
then click Delete.
Global Illumination group
Apply Skylight When on, Hair And Fur supports takes sky light into account,
provided it is present in the scene. Default=off.
Multiplier Available only when Skylight is turned on. This Multiplier value
lets you adjust the amount of sky light that is used when rendering hair.
Lighting group
These settings control the illumination of hair and shadow-casting from hair
by supported lights in the scene.
The following light types are not supported when rendering hair with the
“buffer” method: Skylight, mr Area Omni, mr Area Spot, IES Sun, IES Sky, mr
Sky and mr Sun. However, mr Area Omni, mr Area Spot, mr Sky, and mr Sun
are supported for hair when you use the “mr prim” method and the mental
ray renderer.
NOTE For the purposes of rendering shadows in hair, Direct lights are treated as
point (omni) lights.
Shadow Density Specifies the relative darkness of the shadows. At the default,
highest value, 100.0, shadows are darkest. At the lowest value, 0.0, shadows
are fully transparent, so they don't render. Range=0.0 to 100.0. Default=100.0.
Use all lights at render time When on, causes all supported lights in the
scene to illuminate and cast shadows from hair when the scene is rendered.
(Shadows are cast only from lights whose Shadows toggle is on.) When off,
for a light to cast shadows from hair, you explicitly must add hair properties.
In either case, shadow maps for hair use the settings from the Hair Light
Attr(ibutes) rollout on page 5094 Default=on.
NOTE These settings apply only to “buffer”-rendered hair (the default type, set
in the Hair Rendering Options group, as described above).
Hair and Fur Render Effect | 6593
Add hair properties Adds the Hair Light Attr(ibutes) rollout on page 5094 to
selected lights in the scene. If you want to assign hair-specific shadow
properties on a per-light basis, this rollout is necessary. Available only when
at least one supported light is selected.
When Use All Lights At Render Time is off, only lights with hair properties
can illuminate hair.
Remove hair properties Removes the Hair Light Attr(ibutes) rollout on page
5094 from selected lights in the scene. Available only when at least one light
with hair properties added is selected.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects
Lens flares added as lens effects
Lens Effects is a system used to create real-life effects commonly associated
with a camera. These effects include Glow on page 6599, Ring on page 6606, Ray
6594 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
on page 6616, Auto Secondary on page 6623, Manual Secondary on page 6631, Star
on page 6638, and Streak on page 6645.
Procedures
To add an effect:
1 Select the desired effect from the list on the left side of the Lens Effects
Parameters rollout.
2 Click the (>) arrow button to move it into the column on the right.
To delete an applied effect:
1 Select the effect from the list on the right side of the Lens Effects
Parameters rollout.
2 Click the (<) arrow button to remove it from the list.
Interface
Lens Effects Parameters rollout
The Lens Effects system allows you to apply effects to your rendered image
by choosing a particular effect from the list on the left and adding it to the
list on the right. Each effect has its own rollout of parameters, but all effects
share two panels of global parameters.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6595
Lens Effects Globals rollout, Parameters panel
Load Displays the Load Lens Effects file dialog that enables you to open an
LZV file. The LZV file format contains information saved from a previous
configuration of Lens Effects. This allows you to load and use Lens Effects that
have been saved from previous sessions of the software.
Save Displays the Save Lens Effects file dialog that enables you to save an LZV
file. The LZV file format contains information saved from a previous
configuration of Lens Effects. This allows you to save several types of Lens
Effects and use them in multiple 3ds Max scenes.
NOTE Saving an effect as an LZV file will only save the attributes of the effect on
the frame that it is saved at. The LZV file format doesn’t save the animation keys
of an animated parameter.
Size Affects the size of the overall Lens Effect. This value is a percentage of
the size of the rendered frame.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the Lens Effect. Higher
values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces a dim,
transparent effect.
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Seed Gives the random number generator in Lens Effects a different starting
point, which creates a slightly different Lens Effect without changing any
settings. Using Seed guarantees a different Lens Effect, even if the differences
are very small. For example, if you set up a Ray effect, you will get slightly
different rays in the lens flare if you adjust the seed value.
Angle Affects the amount that the Lens Effect rotates from its default position,
as the position of the effect changes relative to the camera.
Squeeze Squeezes the size of the overall Lens Effect, either horizontally or
vertically to compensate for different frame aspect ratios. Positive values stretch
the effect horizontally, and negative values stretch it vertically. The value is
a percentage of the size of the flare. Range=100 to -100.
Lights group
Allows you to choose lights to apply Lens Effects to.
Pick Light Enables you to select a light directly through the viewports. You
can also select a light by pressing H to open the Pick Object dialog.
Remove Light Removes a selected light.
Drop-down list Provides quick access to lights that you have added to the
Lens Effect.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6597
Lens Effects Globals rollout, Scene panel
Affect Alpha Specifies whether or not the Lens Effect affects the alpha channel
of an image when the image is rendered in a 32-bit file format. The alpha
channel is an extra 8 bits of color (256 colors) that indicate transparency in
an image. Alpha channels are used to composite one image seamlessly over
the top of another. If you want to composite a Lens Effect, or an image that
contains a Lens Effect, over the top of another image, enable this option. If
you are not rendering to a 32-bit file, do not enable this option.
Affect Z Buffer Stores an object's distance from the camera. The Z-Buffer is
useful for optical effects. When this option is enabled, the linear distance of
the Lens Effect is recorded, and can be used in special effects that make use
of the Z-Buffer.
Distance Affects Allows distance from the camera or viewport to affect the
size and/or the intensity of the effect.
Off-Center Affects Allows an effect that is off-center from the camera or
viewport to affect the size and/or the intensity of the effect.
Direction Affects Allows direction of spot lights with respect to the camera
or viewport to affect the size and/or the intensity of the effect.
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The size and intensity of the effect are at a maximum when the light is pointed
at the camera (or viewport).
Occlusion group
Occlusion is used to determine when a Lens Effect will be affected by an object
that comes between the effect and the camera. By using two spinners to
determine occlusion you can have scene objects realistically affect the look
of your effect. The outer radius will determine when another scene object will
begin to occlude and the inner radius will determine when the scene object
will cause the effect to reach maximum occlusion.
Inner Radius Sets the inner radius around the effect that another scene object
must intersect in order to completely occlude the effect.
Outer Radius Sets the outer radius around the effect that another scene object
must intersect in order to begin to occlude the effect.
Size Decreases the size of the effect when being occluded.
Intensity Decreases the intensity of the effect when being occluded.
Affected by Atmosphere Allows Atmospheric Effects to occlude Lens Effects.
Glow Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Glow, and click the (>) arrow
button.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6599
Adding glow to the light
Glow lets you add a glowing aura around any assigned object. For example,
for an exploding particle system, adding a glow to the particles makes them
seem as though they are brighter and hotter.
WARNING This effect is not supported by the mental ray renderer on page 6230.
6600 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
Glow Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
is often necessary to name them to make sure that when you change
parameters you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated.
Size Determines the size of the effect.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6601
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Glow Behind Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in
your scene.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to and the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular Color
parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
You can also use bitmaps such as Gradient or Cellular to determine the radial
color.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
Circular Color group
Circular Color determines the color of the effect by using four different color
swatches that are matched to the four quadrants of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine circular color.
Mix Mixes colors set in Radial Color and colors set in Circular Color. Setting
the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color while setting the
spinner at 100 will only use values set in Circular Color. Any value between
0 and 100 will mix between the two values.
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Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Circular Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
Glow Element rollout, Options panel
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6603
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner. This parameter can be animated.
6604 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6605
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Ring Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Ring, and click the (>) arrow
button.
6606 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Adding a ring to the light
The ring is a circular color band that surrounds the center of the source object.
WARNING This effect is not supported by the mental ray renderer on page 6230.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6607
Interface
Ring Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
is often necessary to name them to make sure that when you change
parameters you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on.
Size Determines the size of the effect.
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Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Plane Sets the location of the effect along the axis of the effect which extends
from the center of the effect through the center of the screen.
Thickness Determines the thickness, in pixels, of the effect.
Glow Behind Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in
your 3ds Max scene.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to with the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular
Color parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
You can also use bitmaps such as gradient or cellular to determine the radial
color.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6609
Ring using radial colors as seen in lower left inset
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff.
Circular Color group
Circular Color determines the color of the effect by using four different color
swatches that are matched to the four quadrants of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine circular color.
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Ring using circular colors as seen in lower right inset
Mix Mixes colors set in Radial Color and colors set in Circular Color. Setting
the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color while setting the
spinner at 100 will only use values set in Circular Color. Any value between
0 and 100 will mix between the two values.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6611
Ring using radial and circular colors mixed 50/50
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Circular Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
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Ring Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6613
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
6614 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6615
Ray Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Ray, and click the (>) arrow
button.
Adding rays to the light
Rays are bright lines that radiate from the center of the source object, providing
the illusion of extreme brightness for the object. Rays let you emulate scratches
in the lens elements of a camera.
6616 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
Ray Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
is often necessary to name them to make sure that when you change
parameters you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6617
Size Determines the size of the effect.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Num Specifies the overall number of rays that appear in the lens flare. Rays
are randomly spaced around the radius.
Angle Specifies the angle for the rays. You can enter both positive and negative
values so, when animated, the rays rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise
direction.
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the rays. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear rays. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary glow
look. Range=0 to 10.
Glow Behind Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in
your 3ds Max scene.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated, the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to and the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular Color
parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
You can also use bitmaps such as Gradient or Cellular to determine the radial
color.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
6618 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Circular Color group
Circular Color determines the color of the effect by using four different color
swatches that are matched to the four quadrants of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine circular color.
Mix Allows you to mix between colors set in Radial Color and colors set in
Circular Color. Setting the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color
while setting the spinner at 100 will only use values set in Circular Color. Any
value between 0 and 100 will mix between the two values.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Circular Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6619
Ray Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
6620 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6621
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Edge filter applied to rays emanating from object
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
6622 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Auto Secondary Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Auto Secondary, and click
the (>) arrow button.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6623
Adding secondary flares to the light
Secondary flares are the small circles you would normally see coming out from
the source of the lens flare along an axis relative to the camera position. These
are caused by light refracting off the different lens elements in the camera. As
the camera position changes relative to the source object, the secondary flares
move.
6624 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
Auto Secondary Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6625
is necessary to name them to make sure that when you change parameters
you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on.
Min Controls the minimum size of secondary flares in the current set. This
number is defined as a percentage of the overall image.
Max Controls the maximum size of secondary flares in the current set. This
number is defined as a percentage of the overall image.
Axis Defines the overall length of the axis the automatic secondary flares will
be distributed along. Increasing the value creates more space between the
flares, while decreasing the value creates less space between the flares. You
can set the axis from 0 to 10 degrees.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Qty Controls the number of secondary flares that appear in the current set of
flares.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to with the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular
Color parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Sides Controls the shape of the secondary flares for the current set. The default
is circular, but you can choose from 3- to 8-sided secondary flares.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Presets (drop-down list) Displays a list of preset values that can be selected
and applied to the rendered scene.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated, the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
6626 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Each color swatch has a percentage spinner that determines at what point
that color should stop and the next should start. You can also use bitmaps
such as gradient or cellular to determine the radial color.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
Circular Color group
Circular Color determines the color of the effect by using four different color
swatches that are matched to the four quadrants of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine circular color.
Mix Allows you to mix between colors set in Radial Color and colors set in
Circular Color. Setting the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color
while setting the spinner at 100 will only use values set in Circular Color. Any
value between 0 and 100 will mix between the two values.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Circular Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6627
Auto Secondary Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
6628 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6629
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
6630 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Manual Secondary Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Manual Secondary, and click
the (>) arrow button.
Manual secondary flares are additional secondary flares that are individually
added to the lens flare. These can be used in addition to, or in place of auto
secondary flares on page 6623.
You use Manual Secondary flares when you want to add unique flares that
you don't want repeated.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6631
Interface
Manual Secondary Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
6632 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
is necessary to name them to make sure that when you change parameters
you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on.
Size Determines the size of the effect.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Plane Controls the distance, in degrees, between the flare source and the
manual secondary flare. By default, the flare plane exists at the center of the
chosen node source. Positive values place the flare in front of the source, while
negative values place the flare behind the flare source.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to and the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular Color
parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Sides Controls the shape of the secondary flares for the current set. The default
is circular, but you can choose from 3- to 8-sided secondary flares.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Presets (drop-down list) Displays a list of preset values that can be selected
and applied to the rendered scene.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated, the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
You can also use bitmaps such as gradient or cellular to determine the radial
color.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6633
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
Circular Color group
Circular Color determines the color of the effect by using four different color
swatches that are matched to the four quadrants of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine circular color.
Mix Mixes colors set in Radial Color and colors set in Circular Color. Setting
the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color while setting the
spinner at 100 will only use values set in Circular Color. Any value between
0 and 100 will mix between the two values.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Circular Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
6634 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Manual Secondary Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6635
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
6636 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6637
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Star Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Star, and click the (>) arrow
button.
Adding a star to the light
A Star is larger than a Ray effect on page 6616 and is composed of 0 to 30 spokes,
instead of hundreds like a ray.
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Interface
Star Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects, you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
is necessary to name them to make sure that when you change parameters
you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6639
Size Determines the size of the effect.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Width Specifies the width of the individual spokes, as a percentage of the
overall frame.
Angle Sets the starting angle in degrees in which the star spokes point. You
can enter both positive and negative values so, when animated, the star spokes
rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
Taper Controls the taper of the individual spokes of the star. Taper widens
or narrows the tips of the individual star points. Low numbers create a sharp
point, while high numbers flare the points.
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the star. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear stars. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary glow
look. Range=0 to 10.
Qty Specifies the number of spokes in the star effect. The default is 6. Spokes
are spaced at equidistant points about the center of the flare.
Glow Behind Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in
your 3ds Max scene.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated, the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to and the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular Color
parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Radial Color group
The Radial Color settings affect the inner and outer colors of the effect. You
can set the color swatches to set the inner and outer colors of the Lens Effect.
6640 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
You can also use bitmaps such as gradient or cellular to determine the radial
color.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
Section Color group
Selection Color determines the color of the effect by using three different color
swatches that are matched to the three sections of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine section color.
Mix Mixes colors set in Radial Color and colors set in Section Color. Setting
the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color while setting the
spinner at 100 will only use values set in Section Color. Any value between 0
and 100 will mix between the two values.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Section Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6641
Star Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to the rendered image using parameters set in Image
Sources.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
6642 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6643
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
6644 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Streak Lens Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose Streak, and click the (>) arrow
button.
Adding a streak to the light
A streak is a wide band that runs through the center of the source object. In
real camera work, it is produced when using anamorphic lenses to film a scene.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6645
Interface
Streak Element rollout, Parameters panel
Name Displays the name of the effect. With Lens Effects, you can have many
different effects under one instance of Lens Effects. To keep them in order, it
is necessary to name them to make sure that when you change parameters
you are changing the parameters to the correct effect.
On Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated.
Size Determines the size of the effect.
6646 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the individual effect.
Higher values produce a bright, more opaque effect, and lower values produces
a dim, transparent effect.
Width Specifies the width of the streak, as a percentage of the frame.
Angle Specifies the angle for the streak. You can enter both positive and
negative values so, when animated, the streak rotates in a clockwise or
counterclockwise direction.
Taper Controls the taper of the individual spokes of the streak. Taper widens
or narrows the tips of the individual streak points. Low numbers create a sharp
point, while high numbers flare the points.
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the streak. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear streaks. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary
glow look. Range=0 to 10.
Glow Behind Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in
your 3ds Max scene.
Occlusion Determines how much the Lens Effects Scene Occlusion parameters
will affect the particular effect. The value entered determines what percentage
of occlusion set in the Lens Effects Globals panel will be applied.
Squeeze Determines whether the effect will be squeezed. When activated, the
effect will be squeezed according to Lens Effects Globals under the Parameters
panel in the Squeeze spinner.
Use Source Color Mixes the source color of the light or object you are applying
the effect to and the color or mapping set in the Radial Color or Circular Color
parameters. A value of 0 uses only the values set in the Radial Color and
Circular Color parameters while a value of 100 uses only the light or objects
source color. Any value between 0 and 100 will render a mix between the
source color and the effect’s color parameters.
Radial Color group
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6658 in which you can
set weights for the colors used in Radial Color. By manipulating the Falloff
Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than the other.
You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used as a Lens
Effects source.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6647
Section Color group
Section Color determines the color of the effect by using three different color
swatches that are matched to the three sections of the effect. A map can also
be used to determine section color.
Mix Mixes colors set in Radial Color and colors set in Section Color. Setting
the spinner at 0 will only use values set in Radial Color while setting the
spinner at 100 will only use values set in Section Color. Any value between 0
and 100 will mix between the two values.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6652 in which you
can set weights for the colors used in Section Color. By manipulating the
Falloff Curve you can make the effect use more of one color or map than
another. You can also use a map to determine the falloff when a light is used
as a Lens Effects source.
Radial Size group
Determines the radial size around the particular Lens Effect. Clicking the Size
Curve button displays the Radial Size dialog on page 6661. Using the Radial Size
dialog you can create points on a line and move those points along a graph
to determine where the effect should be placed around the light or object.
You can also use a map to determine where the effect should be placed. A
check box is used to activate the map.
6648 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Streak Element rollout, Options panel
Apply Element To group
Lights Applies the effect to lights picked in Lens Effects Globals under the
Parameters tab in the Lights group box.
Image Applies the effect to objects that have a corresponding Object ID
channel.
Image Centers Applies to the center of an object or to portions of an object
as determined by the Image Filters.
Image Sources group
Object ID Applies the Lens Effect to particular objects in your scene that have
a corresponding G-Buffer on page 7991 (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer is a geometry
buffer and can be defined when you right-click any object and select Properties
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6649
from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID under the G-Buffer ID
controls.
Material ID Applies the Lens Effect to an object or part of an object with a
specific Material ID channel on page 5348 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID
channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page
5350. The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID channel is present.
TIP In some cases you might want to apply different Lens Effects settings to
different pieces of geometry or IDs. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
entries to the Lens Effects Parameters list. Then set each different Lens Effect entry
to affect a different Material ID or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamp An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255). The
software keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that the Lens Effect is applied to. Pure white
has a pixel value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value
above 255 will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button
to the right of the spinner.
Surf Norm Applies the Lens Effect to part of an object, based on the angle of
the surface normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the
screen. A value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf
Norm to 45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner.
Whole Applies the Lens Effect to the whole scene, not just a particular piece
of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential Lens
Effect source. The areas of the scene that have the Lens Effect applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Image Filters group box.
Alpha Applies the Lens Effect to the alpha channel of an image. The
transparency of an alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask
channel. Range=0 to 255.
Z Hi/Z Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance) from
the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is the
minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be
highlighted.
6650 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Image Filters group
Filters the Image Sources selections to let you control how the Lens Effect is
applied. For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the
same Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Image Source as the Object
ID of the spheres, which selects all of the spheres, these will be the only objects
in the scene that Lens Effects will apply an effect to.
However, now that Lens Effects knows where the pixels are that effects can be
applied, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the effect to. Lens
Effects uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
effect to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies the Lens Effect to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies the Lens
Effect to them. Applying a Lens Effect along the edges of objects produces a
soft halo that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perim(eter) Alpha Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object
based on its alpha channel. Selecting this option applies the effect only on
the outside of an object without any spill on the interior. Whereas filtering
by Edge produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges
clean because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive its effect.
Perim(eter) Applies the Lens Effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge interference. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. The effect
is only applied to objects with a brightness above the spinner setting This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
Additional Effects group
Additional Effects allows you to apply maps such as Noise to your Lens Effect.
You can display the Material/Map browser by clicking the long button next
to the Apply check box.
Apply Applies the selected map when activated.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6651
Radial Density Determines where and how much you would like the
additional effects applied. Clicking the Radial Density button displays the
Radial Density dialog on page 6655. Using the Radial Density dialog you can
create points on a line and move those points along a graph to determine
where the additional effect should be placed around the light. You can also
use a map to determine where the additional effect should be placed.
Lens Effects Dialogs
Circular Falloff Graph (Lens Effects)
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose any effect, and click the (>)
arrow button. > Parameters tab of the rollout for that effect > Falloff Curve
(under the Circular or Section Color group)
The Circular Falloff graph allows you to add weight to a particular color applied
to your Lens Effect. By weighting the colors that you apply you can choose
to display more of one color than another. You can also make the transition
of colors gradual from one color to the next or you can create a sharp edge to
the transition.
6652 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Rings with different Circular Falloff settings
The Circular Falloff graph has controls at the top for creating and moving
points on a curve on the graph below. The curve represents the range of colors
you have selected in the Circular Color group box to apply to the current Lens
Effect. When you open the graph you will notice that there is already a line
with a point on each end which represents the linear transition from one
color to the next. By placing points along the curve, you can drag these points
to increase or decrease a colors intensity or to eliminate it altogether.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6653
Buttons are available at the bottom of the graph that allow you to change the
display of the graph. You can also manually enter a horizontal or vertical
position by entering a value into the two entry boxes.
Interface
Move Moves selected points in any direction. Click and hold the Move button
to display the flyout where you can select a button to move in any direction,
move only in the horizontal direction, or move only in the vertical direction.
The Move function remains active until you click another button. The button
is yellow while it is active.
Scale Point Scales a point vertically. Click once to enable Scale Point. The
Scale Point function remains active until you click another button. The button
is yellow while it is active.
Add Point Allows you to add points anywhere along the Circular Falloff curve.
Click and hold the Add Point button to display the flyout from which you
can choose a button to add either a Corner Point or a Bezier-Smooth Point.
Click once to enable Add Point. The Add Point function remains active until
you click another button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Delete Point Deletes selected points.
Horizontal Position Allows you to manually enter a horizontal position value
for a selected point.
Vertical Position Allows you to manually enter a vertical position value for
a selected point.
6654 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Pan Allows you to click and drag the Circular Falloff graph window to move
it left and right or up and down. Click once to enable panning. Pan remains
active until you click another button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Zoom Extents Fits the curve within the graph window both vertically and
horizontally so that the entire curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontal Extents Fits the curve horizontally within the graph window
so that the full length of the curve is visible.
Zoom Vertical Extents Fits the curve vertically within the Circular Falloff
graph window so that the full height of the curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontally Scales the width of the Circular Falloff graph window.
Zoom Vertically Scales the length of the Circular Falloff graph window.
Zoom Zooms in and out of the entire Circular Falloff graph window.
Zoom Region Allows you to drag a region in the Circular Falloff graph window
and scale that region to fill the window.
Radial Density Dialog (Lens Effects)
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose any effect, and click the (>)
arrow button. > Options tab of the rollout for that effect > Radial Density
(under the Additional Effects group)
The Radial Density dialog allows you to add weight to any additional effect
applied to the Lens Effect. By weighting the density of the additional effect
that you apply you can choose particular areas in the effect to display more
of the additional effect or to eliminate it altogether. You can also use Radial
Density to gradually fade the additional effect from maximum density down
to zero or you can create a sharp edge to the transition.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6655
Object with different Ray effects due to different Radial Density settings
The Radial Density dialog has controls at the top for creating and moving
Points on a curve on the graph below. The curve represents the density of the
additional effect being applied to the Lens Effect. When you open the dialog
you will notice that there is already a line with a Point on each end which
represents the density of the effect. The default falloff is a fade from a density
value of 1 starting from the center of the effect toward the outer edges which
has a value of 0. This produces an effect with more density being rendered at
the center of the effect and a gradual fading out to no density at the edges.
By placing Points along the curve, you can drag these points to increase or
decrease the density of an additional effect or eliminate it in some areas
altogether.
Buttons are available at the bottom of the dialog that allow you to change the
display of the dialog. You can also manually enter a horizontal or vertical
position by entering a value into the two entry boxes.
6656 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
Move Moves selected points in any direction. Click and hold the Move button
to display the flyout where you can select a button to move in any direction,
move only in the horizontal direction, or move only in the vertical direction.
The Move function remains active until you click another button. The button
is yellow while it is active.
Scale Point Vertically scales a point up or down. Click once to enable Scale
Point. The Scale Point function remains active until you click another button.
The button is yellow while it is active.
Add Point Allows you to add points anywhere along the Radial Density curve.
Click and hold the Add Point button to display the flyout where you can select
a button to add either a Corner Point or a Bezier Point. Click once to enable
Add Point. The Add Point function remains active until you click another
button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Delete Point Deletes selected points.
Horizontal Position Allows you to manually enter a horizontal position value
for a selected point.
Vertical Position Allows you to manually enter a vertical position value for
a selected point.
Pan Allows you to click and drag the Radial Density dialog window to move
it left and right or up and down. Click once to enable panning. Pan remains
active until you click another button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Zoom Extents Fits the curve within the dialog window both vertically and
horizontally so that the entire curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontal Extents Fits the curve horizontally within the dialog
window so that the full length of the curve is visible.
Zoom Vertical Extents Fits the curve vertically within the Radial Density
dialog window so that the full height of the curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontally Scales the width of the Radial Density dialog window.
Zoom Vertically Scales the length of the Radial Density dialog window.
Zoom Zooms in and out of the entire Radial Density dialog window.
Zoom Region Allows you to drag a region in the Radial Density dialog window
and scale that region to fill the window.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6657
Radial Falloff Dialog (Lens Effects)
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose any effect, and click the (>)
arrow button. > Parameters tab of the rollout for that effect > Falloff Curve
(under the Radial Color group)
The Radial Falloff dialog allows you to add weight to a particular color applied
to your Lens Effect. By weighting the colors that you apply you can choose
to display more of one color than another. You can also make the transition
of colors gradual from one color to the next or you can create a sharp edge to
the transition.
6658 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Rings with different Radial Falloff settings
The Radial Falloff graph has controls at the top for creating and moving Points
on a curve on the graph below. The curve represents the range of colors you
have selected in the Radial Color group box to apply to the current Lens Effect.
When you open the dialog you will notice that there is already a line with a
Point on each end which represents the linear transition from one color to
the next. The default falloff is a fade from one color at a value of one to the
other color which ends at a value of zero. This produces an effect with more
intensity on the first color and a considerable fading out of the second color.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6659
By placing Points along the curve, you can drag these points to increase or
decrease a colors intensity or to eliminate it altogether.
Buttons are available at the bottom of the dialog that allow you to change the
display of the dialog. You can also manually enter a horizontal or vertical
position by entering a value into the two entry boxes.
Interface
Move Moves selected points in any direction. Click and hold the Move button
to display the flyout where you can select a button to move in any direction,
move only in the horizontal direction, or move only in the vertical direction.
The Move function remains active until you click another button. The button
is yellow while it is active.
Scale Point Vertically scales a point up or down. Click once to enable Scale
Point. The Scale Point function remains active until you click another button.
The button is yellow while it is active.
Add Point Allows you to add points anywhere along the Circular Falloff curve.
Click and hold the Add Point button to display the flyout where you can select
a button to add either a Corner Point or a Bezier Point. Click once to enable
Add Point. The Add Point function remains active until you click another
button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Delete Point Deletes selected points.
Horizontal Position Allows you to manually enter a horizontal position value
for a selected point.
Vertical Position Allows you to manually enter a vertical position value for
a selected point.
6660 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Pan Allows you to click and drag the Radial Falloff graph to move it left and
right or up and down. Click once to enable panning. Pan remains active until
you click another button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Zoom Extents Fits the curve within the dialog window both vertically and
horizontally so that the entire curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontal Extents Fits the curve horizontally within the dialog
window so that the full length of the curve is visible.
Zoom Vertical Extents Fits the curve vertically within the Radial Falloff graph
so that the full height of the curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontally Scales the width of the Radial Falloff graph.
Zoom Vertically Scales the length of the Radial Falloff graph.
Zoom Zooms in and out of the entire Radial Falloff graph.
Zoom Region Allows you to drag a region in the Radial Falloff graph and scale
that region to fill the window.
Radial Size Dialog (Lens Effects)
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Lens Effects > Choose any effect, and click the (>)
arrow button. > Parameters tab of the rollout for that effect > Falloff Curve
(under the Radial Size group)
The Radial Size dialog gives you the ability to determine the size of your Lens
Effect. The Radial Size dialog displays a curve with a point on each end which
represents the Radial Size of your Lens Effect. The default position of the curve
is one which means the Lens Effect will have the same radius around the
center of the effect.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6661
Objects with different Radial Sizes settings applied to Glow
By adding and moving points along the curve you can make areas of the effect
extend further by moving a point above a value of one on the graph. You can
also diminish areas of the effect by moving a point between one and zero on
the graph. Finally, you can eliminate areas of the effect by moving a point
below zero on the graph.
6662 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Buttons are available at the bottom of the dialog that allow you to change the
display of the dialog. You can also manually enter a horizontal or vertical
position by entering a value in the two entry boxes.
Interface
Move Moves selected points in any direction. Click and hold the Move button
to display the flyout where you can select a button to move in any direction,
move only in the horizontal direction, or move only in the vertical direction.
The Move function remains active until you click another button. The button
is yellow while it is active.
Scale Point Vertically scales a point up or down. Click once to enable Scale
Point. The Scale Point function remains active until you click another button.
The button is yellow while it is active.
Add Point Allows you to add points anywhere along the Radial Size curve.
Click and hold the Add Point button to display the flyout where you can select
a button to add either a Corner Point or a Bezier Point. Click once to enable
Add Point. The Add Point function remains active until you click another
button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Delete Point Deletes selected points.
Horizontal Position Allows you to manually enter a horizontal position value
for a selected point.
Vertical Position Allows you to manually enter a vertical position value for
a selected point.
Lens Effects Rendering Effects | 6663
Pan Allows you to click and drag the Radial Size graph to move it left and
right or up and down. Click once to enable panning. Pan remains active until
you click another button. The button is yellow while it is active.
Zoom Extents Fits the curve within the dialog window both vertically and
horizontally so that the entire curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontal Extents Fits the curve horizontally within the dialog
window so that the full length of the curve is visible.
Zoom Vertical Extents Fits the curve vertically within the Radial Size graph
so that the full height of the curve is visible.
Zoom Horizontally Scales the width of the Radial Size graph.
Zoom Vertically Scales the length of the Radial Size graph.
Zoom Zooms in and out of the entire Radial Size graph.
Zoom Region Allows you to drag a region in the Radial Size graph and scale
that region to fill the window.
Blur Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Blur
The Blur effect allows you to blur your image in three different methods:
Uniform, Directional, and Radial. Blur works on individual pixels according
to selections made in the Pixel Selections panel. You can blur an entire image,
non-background scene elements, by luminance value, or by using a map mask.
Blur can give your animation added realism by rendering the illusion of object
or camera movement.
6664 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Object before and after adding midrange Blur effect.
Blur Rendering Effect | 6665
Interface
Blur Parameters rollout, Blur Type panel
Uniform Applies the Blur effect evenly across the entire rendered image.
Pixel Radius Determines the intensity of the Blur effect. Increasing the value
increases the number of surrounding pixels that each pixel will use to compute
its blur. The more pixels used means a greater blur for the image.
Affect Alpha Applies the Uniform Blur effect to the alpha channel when
turned on.
Directional Applies the Blur effect in any direction according to the Directional
parameters. The U Pixel Radius and Trail blur the pixels horizontally while
the V Pixel Radius and Trail blur the pixels vertically. Rotation is used to rotate
the axis of the horizontal and vertical blurring.
U Pixel Radius Determines the horizontal intensity of the Blur effect.
Increasing the value increases the number of surrounding pixels that each
pixel will use to compute its blur. The more pixels used means a greater
horizontal blur for the image.
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U Trail Adds “direction” to your blur by weighting more blur to either side
of the U axis. This adds a streaking effect and creates the illusion that your
objects or your camera are rapidly moving in a particular direction.
V Pixel Radius Determines the vertical intensity of the Blur effect. Increasing
the value increases the number of surrounding pixels that each pixel will use
to compute its blur, and creates a greater vertical blur for the image.
V Trail Adds “direction” to your blur by weighting more blur to either side
of the V axis. This adds a streaking effect and creates the illusion that your
objects or your camera are rapidly moving in a particular direction.
Rotation Rotates the axis of the U and V pixels that will be blurred by the U
and V Pixel Radius spinners. By using Rotation with the U and V Pixel Radius
spinners you can have the Blur effect applied to any direction in your rendered
image. When rotation is 0, U corresponds to the image’s X axis and V
corresponds to the image’s Y axis.
Affect Alpha Applies the Directional Blur effect to the Alpha channel when
turned on.
Radial Applies the Blur effect radially. Using the Radial parameters you can
define a point within your rendered image to use as the center of the Radial
Blur. You can use an object as the center or an arbitrary location set by the X
and Y Origin spinners. The Blur effect will apply the least amount of blur to
the center origin of the effect and gradually increase the blur to the pixels
further away from the center. This can be used to simulate motion blur caused
by camera zoom.
Pixel Radius Determines the intensity of the Radius Blur effect. Increasing
the value increases the number of surrounding pixels that each pixel will use
to compute its blur. The more pixels used means a greater blur for the image.
Trail Adds “direction” to your blur by weighting more or less blur toward the
center of the Blur effect. This adds a streaking effect and creates the illusion
that your objects or your camera are rapidly moving in a particular direction.
X/Y Origin Specifies the center of the blur, in pixels, with respect to the
dimensions of the rendered output.
None Lets you specify an object whose center serves as the center of the blur
effect. Click this, select an object, and then turn on Use Object Center. The
object name appears on the button.
Clear Removes the object name from the button above.
Use Object Center When on, the object specified by the None button (tooltip:
Pick an object to center on.) serves as the center of the blur effect. If no object
Blur Rendering Effect | 6667
is specified and Use Object Center is on, no blur is added to the rendered
image.
Affect Alpha Applies the Radial Blur effect to the Alpha channel when turned
on.
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Blur Parameters rollout, Pixel Selections panel
Blur Rendering Effect | 6669
Whole Image Affects the entire rendered image when chosen. This is useful
when the Blur effect dims your rendered image. By using Brighten and Blend
you can maintain the original colors of the scene.
Brighten Brightens the entire image.
Blend Blends the Blur effect and the Whole Image parameters with the original
rendered image. This can be used to create a soft-focus effect.
Non-Background Affects everything but the background image or animation
when chosen. This is useful when the Blur effect has dimmed your scene
objects but not the background. By Using Brighten, Blend, and Feather Radius,
you can maintain the original colors of the scene.
Brighten Brightens the rendered image except for the background image or
animation.
Blend Blends the Blur effect and the Non-Background parameters with the
original rendered image.
Feather Radius Feathers the Blur effect applied to the Non-Background
elements of your scene. When using Non-Background as a Pixel Selection you
will notice that the scene objects have a hard edge to their blur since the
objects are being blurred but the background is not. Use the spinner to feather
the blur and eliminate the hard edge of the effect.
Luminance Affects any pixels that have luminance values that fall between
it’s Min and Max spinners.
Brighten Brightens pixels that fall between the Minimum and Maximum
luminance values.
Blend Blends the Blur effect and the Luminance parameters with the original
rendered image.
Min Sets the minimum luminance value necessary for each pixel in order for
the Blur effect to be applied to the pixel.
Max Sets the maximum luminance value a pixel can have in order for the
Blur effect to be applied to the pixel.
Feather Radius Feathers the Blur effect applied to pixels that fall between the
Minimum and Maximum luminance values. When using Luminance as a Pixel
Selection the Blur effect can create a hard edge on the effect. Use the spinner
to feather the blur and eliminate the hard edge of the effect.
Map Mask Applies the Blur effect according to the channel selected and mask
applied through the Material/Map Browser. After selecting a mask you must
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select a channel from the Channel list. Blur then examines the mask and
channel according to the values set in the Minimum and Maximum spinners.
Any pixels in the mask that are of the selected channel and between the Min
and Max values will have the Blur effect applied. This is useful for blurring
selected portions of a scene such as a winter morning as seen through a frost
covered window.
Channel Selects a channel that the Blur effect will be applied to. After selecting
a particular channel, use the minimum and maximum spinners to determine
the value a mask pixel must have in order to have the effect applied to it.
Brighten Brightens the portions of the image that the Blur effect is applied
to.
Blend Blends the Map Mask Blur effect with the original rendered image.
Min The minimum value (RGB, Alpha, or Luminance) a pixel must have in
order to have the Blur effect applied to it.
Max The maximum value (RGB, Alpha, or Luminance) a pixel can have for
the Blur effect to be applied to it.
Feather Radius Feathers the Blur effect applied to pixels that fall between the
Minimum and Maximum channel values. When using map mask as a Pixel
Selection, the Blur effect can create a hard edge on the effect. Use the spinner
to feather the blur and eliminate the hard edge of the effect.
Object ID Applies the Blur effect to an object or part of an object with a specific
Object ID (in the G-Buffer on page 7991), if the object matches the Filter settings.
To add or replace an Object ID, use the spinners or enter a value in the ID text
box and then click the appropriate button.
Min Lum The minimum luminance value a pixel must have in order to have
the Blur effect applied to it.
Max Lum The maximum luminance value a pixel can have for the Blur effect
to be applied to it.
Brighten Brightens the portion of the image that the Blur effect is applied to.
Blend Blends the Object ID Blur effect with the original rendered image.
F. Radius Feathers the Blur effect applied to pixels that fall between the
Minimum and Maximum luminance values. When using Luminance as a Pixel
Selection, the Blur effect can create a hard edge on the effect. Use the spinner
to feather the blur and eliminate the hard edge of the effect.
Blur Rendering Effect | 6671
Material ID Applies the Blur effect to a material or part of a material with a
specific Material Effects Channel on page 5348, if the material matches the Filter
settings. To add or replace a Material Effects channel, use the spinners or enter
a value in the ID text box and then click the appropriate button.
Min Lum The minimum luminance value a pixel must have in order to have
the Blur effect applied to it.
Max Lum The maximum luminance value a pixel can have for the Blur effect
to be applied to it.
Brighten Brightens the portion of the image that the Blur effect is applied to.
Blend Blends the Material Blur effect with the original rendered image.
F. Radius Feathers the Blur effect applied to pixels that fall between the
Minimum and Maximum luminance values. When using Luminance as a Pixel
Selection, the Blur effect can create a hard edge on the effect. Use the spinner
to feather the blur and eliminate the hard edge of the effect.
General Settings group
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Feather Falloff control curve
The Feather falloff curve allows you to determine the feather falloff off the
Blur effect based on a graph. You can add points to the graph to create a falloff
curve, and adjust the interpolation in those points.
Move Lets you move the points on the graph. This button is a flyout, providing
free movement (the default), horizontal, and vertical movement.
Scale Point Lets you scale the points on the graph. This moves each selected
point vertically, in proportion to its previous value. Click a point to scale, or
draw a selection rectangle around several contiguous points to select them,
and then drag any point in the selection to scale them all.
Add Point Lets you create additional points on the falloff curve. This button
is a flyout, providing linear points (the default) and Bezier points with handle.
Delete Point Removes points from the graph.
Brightening These radio buttons let you select additive or multiplicative
brightening. Additive brightening is brighter and more distinct than
multiplicative brightening. Additive brightening is useful when you use blur
in combination with a Glow effect on page 6599. Multiplicative brightening
provides a soft highlight to the Blur effect.
Brighten Curve Lets you edit the brightening curve in the Feather Falloff
curve graph.
Blend Curve Lets you edit the blend curve in the Feather Falloff curve graph.
Brightness and Contrast Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Brightness and Contrast
Brightness and Contrast Rendering Effect | 6673
Above: Original rendering is too dark.
Below: Increasing both brightness and contrast improves clarity of the rendering.
Brightness and Contrast allows you to adjust the contrast and brightness of
an image. This can be used to match rendered scene objects with background
images or animations.
Interface
The Brightness and Contrast Parameters rollout contains the following
parameters.
Brightness Increases or decreases all color components (red, green, and blue).
Range=0 to 1.0.
6674 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Contrast Compresses or expands the latitude between maximum black and
maximum white. Range=0 to 1.0.
Ignore Background Applies the effect to everything in your 3ds Max scene
except the background.
Color Balance Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Color Balance
The Color Balance Effect allows you to manipulate additive/subtractive color
tinting through independent control of RGB channels.
Above: Color balance effect used to correct the color cast.
Below: Original rendering has a yellow cast.
Color Balance Rendering Effect | 6675
Interface
The Color Balance Parameters rollout contains the following parameters:
Cyan/Red Adjusts the red channel.
Magenta/Green Adjusts the green channel.
Yellow/Blue Adjusts the blue channel.
Preserve Luminosity When on, retains the luminosity of the image while
correcting the color.
Ignore Background When on, allows you to image correct a model without
affecting the background.
File Output Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > File Output
File Output allows you to take a “snapshot” of a rendering before some or all
of the other Render Effects are applied, depending on the placement of File
Output in the Render Effects stack. You can save different channels such as
Luminance, Depth, or Alpha to a separate file while rendering an animation.
6676 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
You can also use File Output to convert an RGB image into a different channel
and send that image channel back into the Render Effects stack. The rest of
the effects can then be applied to that channel.
Interface
Destination group
Files Opens a dialog so you can save the rendered image or animation to disk.
The rendered output can be a still image or an animation, in one of the
following file formats:
AVI File on page 7326 (AVI)
File Output Rendering Effect | 6677
BMP Image file on page 7328 (BMP)
Encapsulated PostScript on page 7332 format (EPS, PS)
JPEG File on page 7347 (JPG)
Kodak Cineon on page 7328 (CIN)
MOV QuickTime file on page 7348 (MOV)
PNG Image File on page 7360 (PNG)
RLA Image File on page 7364 (RLA)
RPF Image File on page 7366 (RPF)
SGI Image File Format on page 7369 (RGB)
Targa Image File on page 7370 (TGA, VDA, ICB, UST)
TIF Image File on page 7372 (TIF)
Devices Opens a dialog so you can send the rendered output to a device such
as a video recorder.
Clear Clears any file or device selected in the Destination group box.
Driver group
These buttons are available only when you choose a device as the image source.
About Provides information on the source of the image-handler software used
to bring the image into the software.
Setup Displays a setup dialog specific to the plug-in. Some plug-ins may not
use this button.
Parameters group
Channel Lets you choose which channel you wish to save or send back in to
the Render Effects stack. Choose Whole Image, Luminance, Depth, or Alpha
to display more options in the Parameters group box.
Affect Source Bitmap When activated, this will take in an image with any
effects previously applied, convert it to the channel selected, and send it back
into the stack for the rest of the effects to be applied. Your rendered image
will be saved in the channel selected. This parameter is not available to the
Whole Image channel.
Active Turns the File Output feature on and off. Unlike the Active check box
available in the Render Effects rollout, this check box is animatable allowing
you to save only desired portions of a rendered scene.
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Depth Parameters
When Depth is selected as a channel, new parameters are available for
determining what parts of the scene should be rendered into the Depth channel
image.
Copy After choosing a camera with the None button, click Copy to use the
camera’s clipping planes to determine which part of the scene should be
rendered into the Depth channel image file.
None Enables you to select a camera to use for copying clipping planes. Click
the none button to activate it. The None button will turn green until a camera
has been selected in the viewport. The camera’s name will then be displayed
on the button instead of None.
Near Z Specifies the beginning distance from the camera that should be used
in determining where to start rendering the scene’s geometry in the depth
channel image file.
Far Z Specifies the ending distance from the camera that should be used in
determining where to stop rendering the scene’s geometry in the depth channel
image file.
Fit Entire Scene Makes all other Depth parameters unavailable and will render
the entire viewport’s scene geometry in the Depth channel image file,
automatically calculating the near and far Z required.
Film Grain Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Film Grain
Film Grain is used to recreate the look of film grain in your rendered scene.
Film Grain also allows you to match film grain from source material used as
a background, such as an AVI, to the rendered scene created in the software.
When applied, Film Grain automatically randomizes to create the look of
moving frames.
Film Grain Rendering Effect | 6679
Before and after applying Film Grain to a scene
6680 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
The Film Grain Parameters rollout contains the following controls.
Grain Sets the amount of grain added to your image. Range=0 to 1.0.
Ignore Background Masks the background so that grain is applied only to
geometry and effects in the scene. Choose this option when you use film
(which already contains grain) as the background image.
Motion Blur Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Motion Blur
Motion Blur Rendering Effect | 6681
Motion blur enhances the movement of the sword.
Motion Blur applies an image motion blur on page 8010 to your rendered scene
by blurring moving objects or the entire scene. Motion blur can enhance the
realism of a rendered animation by simulating the way a real-world camera
works. A camera has a shutter speed, and if significant movement of objects
in the scene, or of the camera itself, occurs during the time the shutter is open,
the image on film is blurred.
NOTE In addition, you must set motion-blur characteristics for objects to be
blurred using the Object Properties dialog on page 315.
6682 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
The Motion Blur Parameters rollout contains the following controls.
Work with transparency When on, motion blur is applied to objects behind
transparent objects. When off, objects behind transparent objects receive no
motion blur. Turning off this toggle can improve rendering speed. Default=on.
Duration Specifies how long the "virtual shutter" is open. When this is set to
1.0, the virtual shutter is open for the entire duration between one frame and
the next. The higher the value, the greater the motion blur effect. Default=1.0.
Depth of Field Rendering Effect
Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel >
Add > Add Effect dialog > Depth of Field
Depth of Field Rendering Effect | 6683
Depth of field emphasizes the scooter.
The Depth-of-Field effect simulates the natural blurring of foreground and
background scene elements when viewed through a camera lens. Depth of
Field works by separating the scene in Z order into foreground, background,
and in-focus images. The foreground and background images are then blurred
according to the values set in the Depth of Field effect parameters and the
final image is composited from the processed originals.
NOTE When additional Render Effects are being applied to an image or animation,
the Depth-of-Field effect should be the last effect to be rendered. The order of the
rendered effects is listed in the Effects tab of the Environment and Effects dialog.
TIP To minimize sampling artifacts in out-of-focus areas with the default scanline
renderer, try using the Blend filter in the Render Setup dialog on page 6067 >
Renderer panel > Antialiasing group.
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Before and after applying Depth of Field effect to scene.
Depth of Field Rendering Effect | 6685
Interface
The Depth of Field Parameters rollout contains the following parameters.
Affect Alpha Affects the alpha channel of the final rendering when on.
Cameras group
Pick Cam Enables you to interactively select from the viewport which camera
you want the Depth of Field effect applied to.
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Remove Deletes the camera currently selected in the drop-down list.
Camera Selection List Lists all of the cameras to be used in the effect. You
can use this list to highlight a specific camera and remove it from the list using
the Remove button.
Focal Point group
Pick Node Enables you to select an object to use as the focal node. When
activated you can select an object directly from the viewports to use as the
focal node. You can also press H to display the Pick Object dialog, which lets
you select a focal node from a list of objects in the scene.
Remove Removes the object selected as the Focal Node.
Use Camera Specifies that the focal length from the camera selected in the
Camera Selection list be used to determine the focal point.
Focal Parameters group
Custom Uses the values set in the Focal Parameters group box to determine
the properties of the Depth of Field effect.
Use Camera Uses the values from the camera highlighted in the Camera
Selection list to determine focal range, limit, and blur.
Horiz Focal Loss Determines the amount of blur along the horizontal axis
when Custom has been chosen.
Vert Focal Loss Controls the amount of blur along the vertical axis when
Custom has been chosen.
Focal Range Sets the Z distance, in units, to either side of the focal point in
which the image will remain in focus when Custom has been chosen.
Focal Limit Sets the Z distance, in units, to either side of the focal point where
blur will reach its maximum as specified by the Loss spinners when Custom
has been chosen.
Environment and Atmosphere Effects
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel
Environment displays the Environment panel on page 6689, which is used for
setting up atmospheric and background effects.
Environment and Atmosphere Effects | 6687
You can use the environment functions to:
■
Set and animate the background color.
■
Use an image in the background of the rendered scene (screen environment)
or use texture maps as spherical, cylindrical, or shrink-wrap environments.
■
Set and animate the ambient light on page 7906.
■
Use atmospheric plug-ins, such as volumetric light, in the scene.
■
Apply exposure controls to renderings.
Atmospheres
Atmospheres are plug-in on page 8092 components that create lighting effects
such as fog, fire, and so on.
Fire Environment Effect on page 6696
Fog Environment Effect on page 6707
Volume Fog Environment Effect on page 6713
Volume Light Environment Effect on page 6721
See Environment dialog on page 6689 for all environment parameters.
Exposure Controls
One of the limitations of rendering perceptually accurate images is the limited
dynamic range of computer monitors. Dynamic range is the ratio of the highest
to lowest intensity a monitor can produce. In a dark room this ratio is
approximately 100 to 1. In a bright room, this drops to approximately 30 to
1. Real environments can have dynamic ranges of 10,000 to 1, or larger.
Exposure Controls on page 6732 map light-energy values to colors in a process
known as tone mapping. They affect the brightness and contrast of both
rendered images and viewport displays. They don’t affect the actual lighting
levels in the scene, but only how those levels are mapped to a valid display
range.
■
Automatic Exposure Control on page 6735
■
Logarithmic Exposure Control on page 6740
■
Linear Exposure Control on page 6738
■
mr Photographic Exposure Control on page 6744
6688 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
■
Pseudo Color Exposure Control on page 6753
Environment Panel
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel
Rendered Frame Window > Environment and Effects Dialog Toggle >
Environment panel
Use the Environment panel to:
■
Set and animate the background color.
■
Use an image in the background of the viewport and rendered scene (screen
environment) or use texture maps as spherical, cylindrical, or shrink-wrap
environments.
■
Set and animate the tint and ambient light on page 7906 globally.
■
Use atmospheric plug-ins, such as volumetric light, in the scene.
Atmospheres are plug-in components on page 8092 that create light effects
such as fire on page 6696, fog on page 6707, volume fog on page 6713, and volume
light on page 6721.
■
Apply exposure controls on page 6732 to renderings.
Procedures
To access environment functions, do one of the following:
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
2 On the Environment and Effects dialog, click the Environment tab.
To set the background color:
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
The Environment panel appears.
2 In the Background group, click the color swatch.
A Color Selector on page 391 appears.
3 Use the Color Selector to change the background color.
Environment Panel | 6689
The Renderer now uses this color as a background.
To choose an environment map:
1 Display the Material Editor.
You adjust the map's parameters with the Material Editor.
2 Choose Rendering > Environment.
3 Under Background on the Environment panel, do one of the following:
■
Click the Environment Map button. The Material/Map Browser
appears. Choose a map type from the list.
■
Drag a map to the Environment Map button. You can do this from a
map displayed in one of the Material Editor's sample slots, or from
any map button that has been assigned, either in the Material Editor
or from a projection light, and so on.
Drag a bitmap from the Material Editor's map preview to the
Environment Map button.
On the Environment panel, the name of the Environment Map button changes
to show the type of map you chose, and Use Map turns on.
After you have set up the map, you can later turn off Use Map to test rendering
the scene without the mapped background.
You have set up the environment map, but to assign a bitmap or adjust map
parameters, you need to use the Material Editor.
You can also create a standalone map in the Material Editor first, and then
choose it with the Material/Map Browser.
To put the map in the Material Editor:
■
Drag the Environment Map button to a sample slot.
The map is now in the Material Editor where you can adjust it by changing
its parameters.
To change the color and tint of global lighting:
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
2 Click the color swatch labeled Tint.
A Color Selector on page 391 appears.
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3 Use the color selector to set the tint applied to all lighting except ambient
light.
4 Use the Level spinner to multiply the overall lighting of the scene.
Shaded viewports update to show global lighting changes.
5 Close the Environment dialog.
3ds Max uses the global lighting parameters when you render the scene.
To change the color of ambient light:
TIP You don't need to adjust ambient light if you are using radiosity on page 6168.
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
2 Click the color swatch labeled Ambient.
A Color Selector on page 391 appears.
3 Use the color selector to set the ambient color.
Shaded viewports update to show ambient color changes.
3ds Max also uses the new ambient color when you render the scene.
The color of ambient light tints the scene. For most renderings, the color
of ambient light should be black.
4 Close the Environment dialog.
To change the intensity of ambient light:
TIP You don't need to adjust ambient light if you are using radiosity on page 6168.
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
2 Click the color swatch labeled Ambient Light.
A Color Selector on page 391 appears.
3 Change the Value setting (the V component of the ambient light's HSV
description) to increase or decrease intensity.
Shaded viewports update to show changes in the ambient light intensity.
4 Close the Color Selector.
The intensity of ambient light affects contrast as well as overall
illumination (the higher the intensity of ambient light, the lower the
Environment Panel | 6691
contrast). This is because ambient light is completely diffuse, so the angle
of incidence is equal for all faces. Ambient light alone cannot show depth.
NOTE 3ds Max has a default ambient light setting. You can change the
default by using the Rendering panel of the Preference Settings dialog.
To add an atmospheric effect:
1 Choose Rendering > Environment.
The Environment and Effects dialog is displayed, with the Environment
panel visible.
2 Under Atmosphere on the Environment panel, click Add.
The Add Atmospheric Effect dialog appears.
3 Choose the kind of effect you want to use, and then click OK.
The effect has now been added. Use the Atmosphere rollout to adjust
parameters.
Interface
Common Parameters rollout
Background group
Color Sets the color for the scene background. Click the color swatch, then
select the color you want in the Color Selector. You can animate the color
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effect by changing the background color at a nonzero frame with the Auto
Key button on.
Environment Map The button for Environment Map on page 7964 displays the
name of the map, or “None” if none has been assigned. The map must use
Environmental mapping coordinates on page 8034 (spherical, cylindrical, shrink
wrap, and screen).
To assign an environment map, click the button and use the Material/Map
Browser to choose a map, or drag a map from a sample slot or map button in
the Material Editor (or anywhere else in the software; for example, a Projector
Map button) and drop the map on the Environment Map button. A dialog
asks if you want the environment map to be a copy (independent) or an
instance of the source map.
NOTE If your scene includes animated bitmaps, including materials, projector
lights, environments, and so on, the animation file is reloaded once per frame.
Rendering performance slows down when your scene uses multiple animations,
or the animations are themselves large files.
To adjust the environment map's parameters, for example to assign a bitmap
or change the coordinate settings, open the Material Editor, drag the
Environment Map button, and drop it over an unused sample window.
Use Map Uses a map for the background rather than the background color.
Global Lighting group
Tint Tints all lights in the scene (except for ambient light) if this color is
anything other than white. Click the color swatch to display the Color Selector,
on which you can choose the tint color. You can animate the tint color by
changing it at a nonzero frame with the Auto Key button on.
Level Multiplies all lights in the scene. A Level of 1.0 preserves the original,
individual light settings. Increasing the Level raises the lighting for the overall
scene, and decreasing the Level lowers the overall lighting. This parameter is
animatable. Default=1.0.
Ambient Sets the color for the ambient light. Click the color swatch, and
choose the color you want in the Color Selector. You can animate the light
effect by changing the ambient light color at a nonzero frame with the Auto
Key button on.
Environment Panel | 6693
Atmosphere rollout
Effects Shows the queue of effects that were added. The effects are evaluated
in linear order within the scene during rendering. Depending on the selected
effect, the Environment dialog adds the appropriate rollout for the effect's
parameters.
Name Gives a custom name to effects in the list.
For example, you might have different custom settings for different kinds of
fire, that you could name Spark and Fireball.
Add Displays the Add Atmospheric Effect dialog (all currently installed
atmospheric effects). Select an effect and click OK to assign an effect to the
list.
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Delete Deletes a selected atmospheric effect from the list.
Active Sets the on/off state for the individual effects in the list. This is a
convenient way to isolate effects within a list of complicated atmospheric
functions.
Move Up / Move Down Moves the selected item in the list up or down to
change the order in which the atmospheric effects are applied.
Merge Merges effects from other 3ds Max scene files.
When you click Merge, the Merge Atmospheric Effects dialog appears. Choose
a 3ds Max scene, and then click Open. The Merge Atmospheric Effects dialog
then lists the effects in the scene that can be merged. Select one or more of
the effects, and then click OK to merge them into the scene.
The list shows the names of the atmospheric effects only, but when you merge
an effect, the lights or gizmos bound to that effect are merged as well. If one
of these objects you’re merging has the same name as one already in the scene,
an alert appears giving you the following choices:
■
You can rename the incoming object by changing its name in the editable
field.
■
You can Merge the incoming object without renaming, resulting in two
objects in the scene with the same name.
Environment Panel | 6695
■
You can delete the existing object in the scene by selecting the Delete Old
button.
■
You can select Apply To All Duplicates, which performs the same action
to all subsequent matching objects.
NOTE To control whether or not the renderer uses the environment map's
alpha channel in creating the alpha for the rendered image, choose Customize
> Preferences > Rendering, and then turn on Use Environment Alpha in the
Background Antialiasing group.
If Use Environment Alpha is turned off (the default) the background receives
an alpha of 0 (completely transparent). If Use Environment Alpha is turned
on, the alpha of the resulting image is a combination of the scene and
background image's alpha. Also, when writing TGA files with Pre-Multiplied
Alpha set to off, turning on Use Environment Alpha prevents incorrect results.
Note that only background images with alpha channels or black backgrounds
are supported when compositing in other programs such as Photoshop®.
NOTE To control whether or not a background image is affected by the renderer's
antialiasing filter, choose Customize > Preferences > Rendering and then turn on
Filter Background in the Background Antialiasing group. Default=off.
Fire Environment Effect
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Atmosphere rollout > Add > Fire Effect
6696 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Scene using fire
Use Fire to produce animated fire, smoke, and explosion effects. Possible uses
for Fire effects include campfires, torches, fireballs, clouds, and nebula.
You can add any number of fire effects to a scene. The order of effects is
important because effects near the bottom of the list are layered in front of
effects near the top of the list.
Each effect has its own parameters. When you select a fire effect in the Effects
list, its parameters appear in the Environment dialog.
Fire renders only in Camera or Perspective views. Orthographic or User views
don’t render Fire effects.
TIP Fire doesn't support completely transparent objects. Set the transparency of
Fire objects accordingly. Use visibility rather than transparency to make Fire objects
disappear.
NOTE The Fire effect does not cast any light or shadows in the scene. To simulate
illumination, you must also create lights. To cast shadows, you need to go to the
Shadows Parameters rollout on page 5099 of your lights, and turn on Atmosphere
Shadows.
Fire Environment Effect | 6697
Procedures
To create fire effects:
1 Create one or more atmospheric apparatus objects to locate the fire effect
in your scene.
2 Define one or more fire atmospheric effects on the Environment panel.
3 Assign atmospheric apparatus objects to the fire effects.
Sample fire effects
Example: To create a campfire:
1 Click Helpers on the Create panel and choose Atmospheric Apparatus on
page 6761 from the subcategory list.
2 Click Sphere Gizmo. Drag the cursor in the Top viewport to define an
apparatus radius of about 20 units. Turn on the Hemisphere check box
in Sphere Gizmo Parameters.
3 Click Non-Uniform Scale. Click Yes in the Warning dialog (this warning
doesn't apply to atmospheric gizmos), and scale the apparatus 250 percent
along its local Z axis only. You can then model logs, embers, and rocks
around the base of the apparatus.
4 Open the Modify panel of the Sphere Gizmo. On the Atmosphere rollout,
click Add and choose Fire from the Add Atmosphere dialog.
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5 Highlight Fire in the Atmospheres list under the Atmospheres & Effects
rollout. Click Setup.
6 Set the following parameters under Shape and Characteristics:
■
Flame Type=Tendril
■
Stretch=0.8
■
Flame Size=18.0
■
Flame Density=30.0
7 Turn on Auto Key and advance to the end of the animation.
8 Set the following parameters under Motion:
■
Phase=300.0
■
Drift=200.0
The Fire effect doesn’t cast any light in the scene. If you want to simulate
illumination from the fire effect, you must create lights as well.
Example model with fire
Fire Environment Effect | 6699
Interface
6700 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
You create a fire apparatus, or "gizmo," to position the effect in your scene
and to define the maximum boundaries of the effect. The apparatus is a Helper
object found in the Atmospheric Apparatus subcategory.
There are three kinds of apparatus: BoxGizmo on page 6762, SphereGizmo on
page 6768, and CylGizmo on page 6765.
You can move, rotate, and scale the apparatus, but you cannot apply modifiers.
Using non-uniform scale is a good way to change the shape of the apparatus
for effects. (You will see a warning when you use this transform. Because you
don't modify atmospheric apparatus, you can safely ignore the warning.)
Fire Parameters rollout
You must assign an atmospheric apparatus to a fire effect before you can render
the effect. Use buttons in the Gizmos area to manage the list of apparatus
objects.
Gizmos group
Gizmo for the fire in the scene shown at the beginning of this topic
Fire Environment Effect | 6701
Pick Gizmo Click to enter Pick mode and click an atmospheric apparatus in
the scene. The apparatus displays the fire effect when you render. The name
of the apparatus is added to the apparatus list.
Multiple apparatus objects can display the same fire effect. For example, torches
on a wall can all use the same effect. Assign a different seed to each apparatus
to vary the effect.
You can assign single apparatus to multiple fire effects. For example, one
apparatus can display both a fireball and a tendril flame effect.
You can choose multiple gizmos. Click Pick Gizmo and press H. This opens
the Pick Object dialog, which lets you choose multiple objects from the list.
Remove Gizmo Removes the gizmo selected in the gizmo list. The gizmo
remains in your scene but it no longer displays the fire effect.
Gizmo List Lists apparatus objects assigned to the fire effect.
Colors group
You can set three color properties for a fire effect using the color swatches
under Colors. Click a color swatch to display the software’s Color Selector on
page 391.
Inner Color Sets the color of the densest part of the effect. For a typical fire,
this color represents the hottest part of the flame.
Outer Color Sets the color of the sparsest part of the effect. For a typical fire,
this color represents the cooler, dissipating edge of the flame.
The fire effect is colored using a gradient between the inner and outer colors.
The dense areas of the effect use the inner color and gradually blend to the
outer color near the edges of the effect.
Smoke Color Sets the color of smoke for use with the Explosion option.
If you turn on Explosion and Smoke, the inner and outer colors animate to
the smoke color. If you turn off Explosion or Smoke, the smoke color is
ignored.
Shape group
You control the shape, scale, and pattern of flames within the fire effect using
controls under Shape.
Two options set the direction and general shape of flames.
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Tendril Creates directional pointed flames with veins along their center. The
flames orient along the local Z axis of the fire apparatus. Tendril creates
campfire-like flames.
Fireball Creates round puffy flames. Fireballs are well suited for explosions.
Stretch Scales flames along the Z axis of the apparatus. Stretch works best
with Tendril flames, but you can use it to give Fireballs an oval shape.
Values less than 1.0 compress flames, making them shorter and thicker.
Values greater than 1.0 stretch flames, making them long and skinny.
You can combine Stretch with non-uniform scaling of the apparatus. Use
non-uniform scale to change the boundary of the effect and scale the shape
of the flames.
Use the Stretch parameter to scale only the flames inside the apparatus. You
can also use Stretch values to reverse the effect that scaling the apparatus had
on the flames.
Effect of changing Stretch
Value=0.5, 1.0, 3.0
Non-uniform scaling of an apparatus
Stretch=0.5, 1.0, 3.0
Fire Environment Effect | 6703
Regularity Modifies how the flames fill the apparatus. Range=1.0 to 0.0.
A value of 1.0 completely fills the apparatus. The effect fades near the edges
of the apparatus, but the overall shape is still very noticeable.
A value of 0.0 produces a very irregular effect that might occasionally reach
the boundary of the apparatus, but usually gets trimmed back and is smaller.
Effect of changing Regularity
Value=0.2, 0.5, 1.0
Characteristics group
You set the size and appearance of flames using parameters under
Characteristics. All of these parameters depend on the apparatus size and are
interdependent on each other. Changing one parameter affects the behavior
of the other three.
Flame Size Sets the size of individual flames inside the apparatus. The size of
the apparatus affects the flame size. A larger apparatus requires a larger flame
size. Use a range from 15.0 to 30.0 for the best results.
Large values work best for Fireballs.
Small values work best for Tendrils.
If the flame size is very small, you might need to increase Samples to see
individual flames.
6704 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Effect of changing Flame Size
Value=15.0, 30.0, 50.0
Radius of apparatus=30.0
Flame Detail Controls the amount of color change and edge sharpness seen
within each flame. Range=0.0 to 10.0.
Low values produce smooth, fuzzy flames and render faster.
High values produce patterned, sharp flames and render slower.
Use higher detail values for large flame sizes. If the detail value is greater than
4, you might need to increase Samples to capture the detail.
Effect of changing Flame Detail
Value=1.0, 2.0, 5.0
Density Sets the opacity and brightness of the fire effect. The size of the
apparatus affects the density. A large apparatus with the same density as a
small apparatus appears more opaque and brighter because of its larger size.
Low values make the effect less opaque and use more of the outer color. High
values make the effect more opaque and brighten the effect by gradually
replacing the inner color with white. The higher the value, the more white
the center of the effect is.
Fire Environment Effect | 6705
If you turn on Explosion, Density animates from 0.0 at the start of the
explosion to the set density value at the peak of the explosion.
Effect of changing Flame Density
Value=10, 60, 120
Samples Sets the rate at which the effect is sampled. Higher values produce
more accurate results but take longer to render.
You might consider raising the samples value under the following conditions:
■
Flame Size is small.
■
Flame Detail is greater than 4.
■
Any time you see color banding in the effect. The chance of color banding
increases if a flat surface intersects the fire effect.
NOTE 100 percent transparent objects that intersect the effect become partially
visible. To use particles with Fire, consider using 3D particles instead of
opacity-mapped particles.
Motion group
Use the parameters in the Motion group to animate the churning and rise of
flames.
Phase Controls the rate of change for the fire effect. Turn on Auto Key and
change the phase value at different times.
Drift Sets how flames are rendered along the Z axis of the fire apparatus. The
value is the amount of rise in units.
Low values give a slow-burning, cool fire.
High values give a fast-burning, hot fire.
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For the best fire effects, drift should be a multiple of the height of the fire
apparatus.
You can also animate the location and size of the fire apparatus and most of
the fire parameters. For example, a fire effect can animate color, size, and
density.
Explosion group
Use the parameters in the Explosion group to automatically animate
explosions.
Explosion Animates size, density, and color automatically based on the
animation of the Phase value.
Smoke Controls whether or not the explosion creates smoke.
When on, fire colors change to smoke between Phase values 100 to 200. Smoke
clears between Phase values 200 to 300. When off, fire colors remain at full
density between Phase values 100 to 200. Fire fades away between Phase values
200 to 300.
Fury Varies the churning effect of the Phase parameter.
Values greater than 1.0 cause faster churning. Values less than 1.0 cause slower
churning.
Set Up Explosion Displays the Set Up Explosion Phase Curve dialog. You
enter a start time and end time, and then click OK. The Phase value animates
automatically for a typical explosion effect.
Fog Environment Effect
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Atmosphere rollout > Add > Fog
Fog Environment Effect | 6707
Fog added to a scene
This command provides fog and smoke atmospheric effects. This plug-in on
page 8092 provides effects such as fog which causes objects to appear to fade as
they increase in distance from the camera (standard fog), or layered fog that
envelops all or parts of objects in a blanket of mist.
Fog renders only in Camera or Perspective views. Orthographic or User views
don’t render Fog effects.
Procedures
To use standard fog:
1 Create a Camera view of your scene.
2 In the camera's creation parameters, turn on Show in the Environment
Ranges group.
Standard fog is based on the camera's environment range values.
3 Set Adjust Near Range and Far Range to include the objects you want to
fog in your rendering.
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As a general guideline, set Far Range just beyond the objects, and Near
Range to intersect the object geometry closest to the camera.
4 Choose Rendering > Environment.
5 Under Atmosphere on the Environment panel, click Add.
The Add Atmospheric Effect dialog is displayed.
6 Choose Fog, and then click OK.
7 Make sure you choose Standard as the type of fog.
To use layered fog:
1 Create a Camera or Perspective view of your scene.
2 Choose Rendering > Environment.
3 Under Atmosphere on the Environment panel, click Add.
The Add Atmospheric Effect dialog is displayed.
4 Choose Fog, and then click OK.
5 Choose Layered as the fog type.
6 Set the parameters for layered fog.
You can have multiple fog layers in the scene by adding multiple Fog
entries to the list and choosing Layered.
Fog Environment Effect | 6709
Interface
The Fog Parameters rollout appears when you select Fog under Effects in the
Environment dialog. The Fog Parameters rollout has the following controls.
Fog group
Color Sets the color for the fog. Click the color swatch, and then select the
color you want in the Color Selector on page 391. You can animate the color
6710 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
effect by changing the fog color at a nonzero frame with the Auto Key button
on.
Environment Color Map Derives the fog color from a map. You can map the
background and the fog color, you can animate the procedural map parameters
in Track View or Material Editor, and you can opacity-map the fog.
The large button displays the name of the color map, or None if no map is
assigned. The map must use Environmental mapping coordinates on page 8034
(spherical, cylindrical, shrinkwrap, and screen).
To assign the map you can drag a map from a Sample slot or Map button in
the Material Editor (or anywhere else in the software; for example, a projector
map button) and drop it on the Environment Color Map button. A dialog
asks if you want the environment map to be a copy (independent) or an
instance of the source map.
Clicking the Environment Color Map button displays the Material/Map
Browser, where you can choose a map type from the list. To adjust the
environment map's parameters, open the Material Editor and drag the
Environment Color Map button over an unused sample slot.
Use Map Toggles the effect of this map on or off.
Environment Opacity Map Alters the density of the fog.
You assign the opacity map, edit it, and toggle its effect in the same way as
the Environment Color Map.
Fog Background Applies the fog function to the background of the scene.
Type When you choose Standard it uses the parameters in the Standard section
and when you choose Layered is selected it uses the parameters in the Layered
section.
Standard Enables the Standard group.
Layered Enables the Layered group.
Standard group
Thins and thickens the fog based on the distance from the camera.
Exponential Increases density exponentially with distance. When turned off,
density increases linearly with distance. Activate this check box only when
you want to render transparent objects in volume fog.
TIP If you turn on Exponential, this increases the Step Size value to avoid banding.
Fog Environment Effect | 6711
Near % Sets the density of the fog at the Near Range (Camera Environment
Range parameter).
Far % Sets the density of the fog at the Far Range (Camera Environment Range
parameter).
Layered group
Thins and thickens the fog between an upper and lower limit. You can have
multiple layers of fog by adding multiple fog entries to the list. Because you
can animate all the fog parameters, you can also animate fog rising and falling,
changing density and color, and add horizon on page 8005 noise.
Top Sets the upper extent (in world units) of the fog layer.
Bottom Sets the lower extent (in world units) of the fog layer.
Density Sets the overall density of the fog.
Falloff (Top/Bottom/None) Adds an exponential falloff effect so that the
density is reduced to 0 at either the Top or Bottom of the fog extent.
Horizon Noise Turns on the horizon noise system. Horizon Noise perturbs
just the horizon of the fog layer to add realism.
Size Scale factor applied to the noise. Larger scale values make the fog tendrils
larger. Default=20.
TIP If you want tendrils to really pop out, try making the density greater than
100.
Angle Determines the affected angle off the horizon line. For example, if the
angle is set to 5 (a reasonable value), then starting at 5 degrees below the
horizon, the fog will begin to break up.
This effect is mirrored above and below the horizon, which can produce strange
results when the height of the fog layer traverses the horizon. Typically you'd
want the fog to be either above or below the actual camera horizon. (You can
use the horizon line in the camera parameters as an aid to help you position
this.)
Phase Animating this parameter animates the noise. If Phase is moving in the
positive direction, then the fog tendrils will drift upward (and deform at the
same time). If your fog is above the horizon you may want to animate Phase
in the negative direction to make the tendrils fall downward.
6712 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Volume Fog Environment Effect
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Atmosphere rollout > Add > Volume Fog
Volume fog added to a scene
Volume Fog provides a fog effect in which the fog density is not constant
through 3D space. This plug-in on page 8092 provides effects such as puffy,
cloudy fog that appears to drift and break up in the wind.
Volume Fog renders only in Camera or Perspective views. Orthographic or
User views don’t render Volume Fog effects.
Procedures
To use volume fog:
1 Create a Camera or Perspective view of your scene.
2 Choose Rendering > Environment.
3 Under Atmosphere on the Environment panel, click Add.
Volume Fog Environment Effect | 6713
The Add Atmospheric Effect dialog is displayed.
4 Choose Volume Fog, and then click OK.
5 Set the parameters for volume fog.
NOTE If there are no objects in your scene, rendering shows only a solid fog
color. Also, with no objects and Fog Background turned on, volume fog
obscures the background.
To create a volume fog gizmo:
Volume fog gizmo surrounds the scene.
1 In the Helpers category of the Create panel, choose Atmospheric Apparatus
from the pop-up menu.
2 Click one of the buttons to choose a gizmo shape: SphereGizmo,
CylGizmo, or BoxGizmo.
3 Drag the mouse in the viewport to create the gizmo.
You create Gizmos in much the same way as their matching geometry
types. Drag the mouse to create the initial dimensions. The Sphere gizmo
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has an additional Hemisphere check box that turns the sphere into a
hemisphere.
In addition, each gizmo has a Seed spinner and a New Seed button.
Different seed values generate different patterns. Clicking the New Seed
button randomly generates a new seed value for you.
To assign volume fog to a gizmo from an apparatus modify panel:
1 Open the Modify panel of an apparatus.
2 Open the Atmospheres & Effects rollout.
3 Click Add.
4 Select Volume Fog from the Add Atmospheres dialog and click OK.
5 Highlight Volume Fog from the Atmospheres list and click setup to adjust
the Volume Fog parameters.
To assign a gizmo to volume fog from the Environment panel:
1 On the Volume Fog Parameters rollout, click the Pick Gizmo button.
2 Click a gizmo in the viewport.
The name of the gizmo appears in the list field at right.
When you render, the volume fog will be confined to the shape of the
gizmo.
To remove an assigned gizmo:
1 In the Environment dialog, go to the Volume Fog Parameters rollout
2 Select the gizmo name from the pop-up list.
3 Click Remove Gizmo.
This action doesn’t delete the gizmo from the scene, but simply unbinds
it from the fog effect.
Volume Fog Environment Effect | 6715
Interface
The Volume Fog Parameters rollout appears when you select Volume Fog
under Effects in the Environment dialog. The Volume Fog Parameters rollout
has the following controls.
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Gizmos group
By default, volume fog fills the entire scene. However, you can choose a gizmo
(an atmospheric apparatus) to contain the fog. The gizmo can be a sphere, a
box, a cylinder, or some combination of these.
Pick Gizmo Click to enter Pick mode and click an atmospheric apparatus in
the scene. The apparatus contains the volume fog when you render. The name
of the apparatus is added to the apparatus list.
Multiple apparatus objects can display the same fog effect.
You can pick multiple gizmos. Click Pick Gizmo and then press H. This opens
the Pick Object dialog, which lets you choose multiple objects from a list.
Changing the dimensions of a gizmo changes the region that fog affects, but
doesn't change the scale of the fog and its noise. For example, reducing the
radius of a spherical gizmo crops the fog, and moving the gizmo changes the
fog's appearance.
Remove Gizmo Removes a gizmo from the volume fog effect. Select the gizmo
in the list, and then click Remove Gizmo.
Soften Gizmo Edges Feathers the edges of the volume fog effect. The higher
the value, the softer the edges. Range=0 to 1.0.
TIP Don't set this value to 0. At 0, Soften Gizmo Edges can cause aliased edges.
Volume group
Color Sets the color for the fog. Click the color swatch, and then select the
color you want in the Color Selector on page 391.
You can animate the color effect by changing the fog color at a nonzero frame
with Auto Key on.
Exponential Increases density exponentially with distance. When turned off,
density increases linearly with distance. Activate this check box only when
you want to render transparent objects in volume fog.
TIP If you turn on Exponential, increase the Step Size value to avoid banding.
Density Controls the fog density. Range=0 to 20 (anything over that tends
to obliterate the scene).
Volume Fog Environment Effect | 6717
Left: Original scene
Right: Increased fog density
Step Size Determines the granularity of the fog sampling; the "fineness" of
the fog. A large step size creates coarse (and to some extent, aliased) fog.
Max Steps Limits the amount of sampling so that computing the fog doesn't
take forever (literally). This is especially useful when the fog is of low density.
When both Step Size and Max Steps have low values, aliasing results.
Fog Background Applies the fog function to the background of the scene.
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Noise group
Left: Original scene
Right: Noise added to the fog
Noise options for volume fog are comparable to the noise options for materials.
Type Choose one of three types of noise to apply.
Regular The standard noise pattern.
Fractal An iterative fractal noise pattern.
Turbulence An iterative turbulence pattern.
Invert Reverses the noise effect. Dense fog becomes translucent and vice versa.
Noise Threshold Limits the noise effect. Range=0 to 1.0. When the noise
value is above the Low threshold and below the High threshold, the dynamic
range stretches to fill 0-1. This makes for a smaller discontinuity (First order
instead of 0 order) at the threshold transition, and thus produces less potential
aliasing on page 7904.
High Sets the high threshold.
Low Sets the low threshold.
Volume Fog Environment Effect | 6719
Left: Fog with noise
Right: Changing uniformity creates "blobby" fog
Uniformity Ranges from -1 to 1 and acts like a high-pass filter. The smaller
the value, the more transparent the volume is with discrete blobs of smoke.
Around -0.3 or so your image begins to look like specks of dust. Because the
fog becomes thinner as this parameter gets smaller, you'll probably need to
increase the density or the volume will start to disappear.
Levels Sets the number of times the noise is iteratively applied. Range=1 to
6, including fractional values. Enabled only for Fractal noise or Turbulence.
Size Determines the size of the tendrils of smoke or fog. Smaller values give
smaller tendrils.
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Left: Fog with noise
Right: Decreasing the size
Phase Controls the speed of the wind. If you have Wind Strength also set to
greater than 0, the fog volume animates in accordance with the wind direction.
With no Wind Strength, the fog churns in place. Because there's an animation
track for phase, you can use the Function Curve editor to define precisely how
you want your wind "gusts" to occur.
Wind Strength Controls how fast the smoke moves away from the wind
direction, relative to phase. As mentioned above, if the phase is not animated
then the smoke won’t move, regardless of the wind strength. By having the
phase animate slowly with a large wind strength, the fog moves more than it
is churns.
Wind from the Defines the direction the wind is coming from.
Volume Light Environment Effect
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Atmosphere rollout > Add > Volume Light
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6721
Volumetric light used in a complex environment with shadows and noise.
Volume Light provides light effects based on the interaction of lights with
atmosphere (fog, smoke, and so on).
This plug-in on page 8092 provides effects such as radial glows for omni lights
on page 8066, conical glows for spotlights, and parallel beams of fog for
directional lights. Objects within the light volume can cast shadows within
the spotlight's cone, if using shadow maps as a shadow generator.
A simplified example where the light cone is clearly visible on the right.
Volume Light renders only in Camera and Perspective views. Orthographic
or User views don’t render Volume Light effects.
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Procedures
To use Volume Light:
1 Create a scene with lights.
2 Create a Camera or Perspective view of your scene.
TIP Avoid making the view axis parallel to the cone of a spotlight. This tends
to create only a washed-out scene, possibly with rendering artifacts.
3 Choose Rendering > Environment.
4 On the Environment panel, under Atmosphere , click Add.
The Add Atmospheric Effect dialog is displayed.
5 Choose Volume Light, and then click OK.
6 Click Pick Light, and then select a light in a viewport to add the light to
the list of volume lights.
You can also use the Pick Object dialog to select multiple lights from a
list. Click Pick Light, and then press H to open the dialog.
7 Set the parameters for volume light.
To add a light to the list:
1 Click Pick Light.
2 Click the light in a viewport.
To remove a light from the list:
1 Open the list of volume lights.
2 Choose the light you want to remove the volume light effect from.
3 Click Remove Light.
To assign volume light to a light through the Modify panel:
1 Open the Modify panel of a light.
2 Open the Atmospheres & Effects rollout.
3 Click Add.
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6723
4 Select Volume Light from the Add Atmosphere or Effect dialog and click
OK.
5 Highlight Volume Light from the Atmospheres & Effects list and click
setup to adjust the Volume Light parameters.
NOTE Volume Lights don’t support negative multiplier values.
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Interface
The Volume Light Parameters rollout appears when you select Volume Light
under Effects in the Environment dialog. It has the following controls.
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6725
Lights group
Pick Light Click the light that you want to enable for volume light in any
viewport.
You can pick multiple lights. Click Pick Light and then press H. This opens
the Pick Object dialog, which lets you choose multiple lights from a list.
Remove Light Deletes a light from the list.
Volume group
Fog Color Sets the color for the fog that makes up the volume of the light.
Click the color swatch, and then choose the color you want in the Color
Selector on page 391.
You can animate the color effect by changing the fog color at a nonzero frame
with the Auto Key button on.
Unlike the other fog effects, this fog color combines with the color of the
light. Possibly the best effect is to use white fog and then color it with a colored
light.
Attenuation Color Attenuates volume light over distance. The volume light
ramps from the Fog Color to the Attenuation color over the light's Near and
Far attenuation distances. Clicking the color swatch displays a color selector
so you can change the attenuation color.
Attenuation Color interacts with Fog Color. For example, if your fog color is
red and your attenuation color is green, in the rendering your fog will shade
to purple. Typically the attenuation color should be very dark and
neutral—black is a good choice.
Use Attenuation Color Makes attenuation color active.
Exponential Increases density exponentially with distance. When turned off,
density increases linearly with distance. Activate this check box only when
you want to render transparent objects in volume fog.
Density Sets the density of the fog. The denser the fog, the more the light
reflects off it inside the volume. Densities of 2 to 6 percent probably make the
most realistic fog volumes.
6726 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Left: Original scene
Right: Increasing the density
Max Light% Represents the maximum glow effect that you can achieve
(defaults to 90 percent). By turning this down, you can limit the brightness
of the glow so that it doesn't get denser and denser as it gets farther away from
the light and "whites out."
NOTE When your scene includes transparent objects inside a volume light, set
Max Light to 100 percent.
Min Light% Similar to an ambient light on page 7906 setting. If Min Light% is
greater than 0, areas outside the light volume will glow also. Note that this
means areas of open space (where the light ray can travel forever) will end up
the same as the fog color (just as with normal fog).
Without objects behind the fog, the scene will always be as bright as the fog
color if the Min Light% is greater than 0 (no matter what the actual value is).
This is because the fog goes to infinity and is accumulated infinitely. If you're
going to use min light% values greater than 0, you should make sure that you
enclose your scene by geometry.
Atten. Mult. (Attenuation Multiplier) Adjusts the effect of the attenuation
color.
Filter Shadows Allows you to get better quality volume-light rendering by
increasing the sampling rate (at the cost of some increased rendering time).
These are the options:
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6727
Low The image buffer is not filtered but directly sampled instead. This option
is fine for 8-bit images, AVI on page 7326 files, and so on.
Medium Adjacent pixels are sampled and averaged. This produces a very
significant improvement in cases where you’re getting banding types of
artifacts. It is slower than Low.
High Adjacent pixels and the diagonal pixels are sampled, and each are given
different weights. This is the slowest method and provides somewhat better
quality than Medium.
Use Light Smp Range Blurs the shadows cast in the volume based on the
Sample Range value in the light's shadow parameters. Because increasing the
Smp Range value blurs the shadow cast by the light, this makes shadows in
the fog better match cast shadows, and helps prevent aliasing in the fog
shadows.
TIP With the Use Light Smp Range option, the higher the light's Smp Range value,
the slower the rendering. However, with this option you can usually get good
results with a lower Sample Volume % setting (such as 4), which reduces rendering
time.
Sample Volume % Controls the rate at which the volume is sampled. Ranges
1 through 10,000 (where 1 is the lowest quality and 10,000 is the highest
quality).
Auto Controls the Sample Volume % parameter automatically and disables
the spinner (this is the default). The preset sampling rates are as follows:
low=8; medium=25; high=50
Because the parameter ranges up to 100 there's still room to set it higher.
Increasing the Sample Volume % parameter definitely slows things down, but
in some cases you may want to increase it (for extremely high sample quality).
6728 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Left: Original scene
Right: Increasing sample volume to improve quality
Attenuation group
The controls in this section are contingent upon the settings of the Start Range
and End Range attenuation on page 7915 parameters for the individual light.
NOTE Rendering Volume Light at some angles can introduce aliasing problems.
To eliminate aliasing problems, activate the Near and Far Attenuation settings in
the light object that the Volume Light applied to.
Start % Sets the start attenuation of the light effect, relative to the actual light
parameter's attenuation. It defaults to 100 percent, which means that it starts
attenuating at the Start Range point. When you reduce this parameter, it starts
attenuating the light at a reduced percentage of the actual Start Range value
that is, closer to the light itself.
Because you usually want a smooth falloff on page 8007, you can keep this value
at 0, and no matter what the light's actual Start Range, you'll always get a
smooth glow without hotspots on page 8007.
End % Sets the end attenuation of the lighting effect, relative to the actual
light parameter's attenuation. By setting this lower than 100 percent, you can
have a glowing attenuating light that casts light much farther than it actually
glows. Default=100.
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6729
Left: Original scene
Right: Attenuation limits the range of the light.
Noise group
Noise On Turns the noise on and off. When noise is on there is a slight increase
in render time.
Amount The percentage of noise applied to the fog. If the amount is 0, there
is no noise. If the amount is 1, the fog becomes pure noise.
Left: Original scene
Right: Noise added
6730 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Link To Light Links the noise effect to its light object, rather than to world
coordinates.
Usually you want noise to look like fog or dust motes in the atmosphere, in
which case, as the light moves, the noise should remain with the world
coordinates. For certain special effects, however, you might want the noise
linked to the light's coordinates. In these cases, turn on Link to Light.
Type Choose one of three types of noise to apply.
■
Regular
The standard noise pattern.
■
Fractal
■
Turbulence
An iterative fractal noise pattern.
An iterative turbulence pattern.
Invert Reverses the noise effect. Dense fog becomes translucent and vice versa.
Noise Threshold Limits the noise effect. When the noise value is above the
Low threshold and below the High threshold, the dynamic range stretches to
fill 0-1. This makes for a smaller discontinuity (first order instead of 0 order)
at the threshold transition and thus produces less potential aliasing on page
7904.
■
High
■
Low
Sets the high threshold. Range=0 to 1.0.
Sets the low threshold. Range=0 to 1.0.
Uniformity Acts like a high-pass filter: the smaller the value, the more the
volume is transparent with discrete blobs of smoke. By around -0.3 or so your
image begins to look like specks of dust. Because the fog becomes thinner as
this parameter gets smaller, you'll probably need to increase the density or
the volume will start to disappear. Range=-1 to 1
Levels Sets the number of times the noise is iteratively applied. This parameter
is animatable. Enabled only for Fractal noise or Turbulence. Range=1 to 6,
including fractional values.
Size Determines the size of the tendrils of smoke or fog. Smaller values give
smaller tendrils.
Volume Light Environment Effect | 6731
Left: Volume light with noise
Right: Reducing the size value
Phase Controls the speed of the wind. If you have Wind Strength also set to
greater than 0, the fog volume animates in accordance with the wind direction.
With no Wind Strength, the fog churns in place. Because there's an animation
track for phase, you can use the Function Curve editor to define precisely how
you want your wind "gusts" to happen.
Wind Strength Controls how fast the smoke moves away from the wind
direction, relative to phase. As mentioned above, if the phase is not animated
then the smoke won’t move, regardless of the wind strength. By having the
phase animate slowly with a large wind strength, the fog moves more than it
churns.
Wind from the Defines the direction the wind is coming from.
Exposure Controls
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Exposure Control rollout
Exposure controls are plug-in components that adjust the output levels and
color range of a rendering, as if you were adjusting film exposure. This process
is known as tone mapping. These controls are especially useful for renderings
that use radiosity on page 6168, and when dealing with high-dynamic-range
(HDR) imagery.
6732 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Exposure control compensates for the limited dynamic range of computer
displays, which is typically about two orders of magnitude: The brightest color
that appears on a display is about 100 times brighter than the dimmest. The
eye, by comparison, can perceive a dynamic range of about 16 orders of
magnitude. In other words, the brightest color we can perceive is about 10
million-billion times brighter than the dimmest. Exposure control adjusts
colors so they better simulate the eye's great dynamic range, while still fitting
within the color range that can be rendered.
The exposure controls included with 3ds Max are:
■
Automatic Exposure Control on page 6735 samples the rendered image and
builds a histogram to give good color separation across the entire dynamic
range of the rendering. It can enhance some lighting effects that would
otherwise be too dim to see.
■
Linear Exposure Control on page 6738 samples the rendering and uses the
average brightness of the scene to map physical values to RGB values.
Linear Exposure Control is best for scenes with a fairly low dynamic range.
■
Logarithmic Exposure Control on page 6740 uses brightness, contrast, and
whether the scene is outdoors in daylight to map physical values to RGB
values. Logarithmic Exposure Control is better for scenes with a very high
dynamic range.
■
mr Photographic Exposure Control on page 6744 gives you camera-like
controls including shutter speed, aperture, and film speed, as well as image
control over highlights, midtones, and shadows.
■
Pseudo Color Exposure Control on page 6753 is actually a lighting analysis
tool. It maps luminances to pseudo colors that show the brightness of the
values being converted.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 supports only the Logarithmic,
mr Photographic, and Pseudo Color exposure controls.
Left: Linear exposure control maps intensity evenly.
Right: Logarithmic exposure control maps most intensities to low and mid tones.
Exposure Controls | 6733
Tips:
■
If the primary lighting from your scene comes from standard lights (rather
than photometric lights), use the Logarithmic exposure control and turn
on Affect Indirect Only.
■
Use Automatic exposure control for rendering still images. This method
is also useful for first-draft renderings.
■
Use Logarithmic exposure control for animations with a moving camera.
(Automatic and Linear exposure control with a moving camera can cause
excessive flickering.)
■
For rendering high-dynamic-range images with mental ray, use the mr
Photographic exposure control.
■
For outdoor scenes that use the Daylight system, turn on the Exterior toggle
to prevent overexposure.
Exposure and Attenuation for Standard Lights
When you use standard lights that are not attenuated, renderings tend to have
a low dynamic range, because light intensities don't vary greatly across the
scene. In this situation, adjusting light values might be all you need to do to
get a good rendering.
On the other hand, when lights are attenuated the illumination might be too
bright on near surfaces or too dim on distant surfaces. In this situation, the
Automatic exposure control can help, because it adjusts the larger dynamic
range of the (simulated) physical scene, into the smaller dynamic range of the
display.
Interface
Drop-down list Choose the exposure control to use.
6734 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Active When on, the exposure control is used in rendering. When off, the
exposure control is not applied.
Process Background and Environment Maps When on, the scene background
and environment maps are subjected to exposure control. When off, they are
not.
Preview thumbnail The thumbnail displays a preview of the rendered scene
with the active exposure control applied. Once a preview has been rendered,
it updates interactively when you changed exposure control settings.
Render Preview Click to render the preview thumbnail.
Automatic Exposure Control
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Exposure Control rollout > Choose Automatic Exposure
Control from the list. > Automatic Exposure Control rollout
Auto exposure can affect the lighting of the whole image.
Automatic Exposure Control samples the rendered image and builds a
histogram to give good color separation across the entire dynamic range of
the rendering. It can enhance some lighting effects that would otherwise be
too dim to see.
Exposure Controls | 6735
NOTE Automatic Exposure Control should not be used in animations, because
every frame will have a different histogram, causing your animation to flicker.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the Automatic
exposure control.
See also:
■
Environment Panel on page 6689
Interface
Brightness Adjusts the brightness of the converted colors. Range=0 to 200.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
Contrast Adjusts the contrast of the converted colors. Range=0 to 100.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
Exposure Value Adjusts the overall brightness of the rendering. Range=-5.0
to 5.0; Negative values make the image darker, and positive values make it
brighter. Default=0.0.
The exposure value is comparable to the exposure compensation setting in
cameras with automatic exposure. This parameter is animatable.
Physical Scale Sets a physical scale for exposure control to use with lights
that are not physically based. The result is an adjustment of the rendering
that approximates the eye's response to the scene.
Each standard light's Multiplier on page 8055 is multiplied by the Physical Scale
value to give a light intensity value in candelas. For example, with the default
Physical Scale of 1500, a standard omni light is treated by the renderer and
6736 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
radiosity as a photometric isotropic light of 1500 candelas. Physical Scale is
also factored into reflections, refractions, and self-illumination.
TIP You need to set the Physical Scale when you use ray-tracing with self
illumination. Set this value to the equivalent of the brightest light source in the
scene. This will set the appropriate conversion scale for reflections, self-illumination,
and all other non-physically based elements a material offers. In some cases, an
object might reflect or emit more light than the brightest light object in the scene;
in this case, use the object's Luminance value as the Physical Scale.
Range=0.0 to 200,000.0 candelas. Default=1500.0.
A single candle is approximately 1 candela (the unit can also be called a
"candle"). A 100-Watt (W) incandescent light bulb is approximately 139
candelas (cd). A 60W bulb emitting in all directions is about 70 cd, while the
same bulb with a reflector is about 4500 cd because the light flux is
concentrated into a narrow angle.
Photometric lights are unaffected by the Physical Scale value.
This parameter is animatable.
Color correction check box and color swatch When the check box is turned
on, color correction shifts all colors so the color displayed in the color swatch
appears as white. Default=off.
Clicking the color swatch displays a Color Selector on page 391 so you can
choose the color to adapt to.
You can use this control to simulate how the eye adjusts to lighting. For
example, even when the light in a room has a yellow hue from an incandescent
light bulb, we will continue to perceive objects that we know to be white,
such as printed pages, as white.
TIP For the best results, use a very pale color correction color, such as a pale blue
or pale yellow.
Desaturate Low Levels When on, renders dimly lit colors as if the light were
too dim for the eye to distinguish between colors. When on, renders even
dimly lit colors. Default=off.
Desaturate Low Levels simulates the eye's response to dim lighting. In dim
lighting, the eye does not perceive colors and sees tones of gray instead.
The effect of this setting is not apparent except at very low light levels, below
5.62 footcandles (lumens per square foot). When the illuminance is less than
0.00562 footcandles, the scene is completely gray.
NOTE 1 footcandle (fc) equals 10.76 lux (lumens per square meter).
Exposure Controls | 6737
Linear Exposure Control
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Exposure Control rollout > Choose Linear Exposure
Control from the list. > Linear Exposure Control rollout
Linear Exposure Control samples the rendered image and uses the average
brightness of the scene to map physical values to RGB values. Linear Exposure
Control is best used for scenes with a fairly low dynamic range.
NOTE Linear Exposure Control should not be used in animations, because every
frame will have a different histogram, causing your animation to flicker.
IMPORTANT The mental ray renderer on page 6230 does not support the Linear
exposure control.
See also:
■
Environment Panel on page 6689
Interface
Brightness Adjusts the brightness of the converted colors. Range=0 to 200.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
Contrast Adjusts the contrast of the converted colors. Range=0 to 100.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
6738 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Exposure Value Adjusts the overall brightness of the rendering. Range= -5.0
to 5.0. Negative values make the image darker, and positive values make it
brighter. Default=0.0.
The exposure value can be thought of as an exposure compensation setting
in cameras with automatic exposure control.
This parameter is animatable.
Physical Scale Sets a physical scale for exposure control to use with lights
that are not physically based. The result is an adjustment of the rendering
that approximates the eye's response to the scene.
Each standard light's Multiplier on page 8055 is multiplied by the Physical Scale
value to give a light intensity value in candelas. For example, with the default
Physical Scale of 1500, a standard omni light is treated by the renderer and
radiosity as a photometric isotropic light of 1500 candelas. Physical Scale is
also factored into reflections, refractions, and self-illumination.
TIP You need to set the Physical Scale when you use ray-tracing with self
illumination. Set this value to the equivalent of the brightest light source in the
scene. This will set the appropriate conversion scale for reflections, self-illumination,
and all other non-physically based elements a material offers. In some cases, an
object might reflect or emit more light than the brightest light object in the scene;
in this case, use the object's Luminance value as the Physical Scale.
Range=0.0 to 200,000.0 candelas. Default=1500.0.
A single candle is approximately 1 candela (the unit can also be called a
"candle"). A 100-Watt (W) incandescent light bulb is approximately 139
candelas (cd). A 60W bulb emitting in all directions is about 70 cd, while the
same bulb with a reflector is about 4500 cd because the light flux is
concentrated into a narrow angle.
Photometric lights are unaffected by the Physical Scale value.
This parameter is animatable.
Color Correction check box and color swatch When the check box is turned
on, color correction shifts all colors so the color displayed in the color swatch
appears as white. Default=off.
Clicking the color swatch displays a Color Selector on page 391 so you can
choose the color to adapt to.
You can use this control to simulate how the eye adjusts to lighting. For
example, even when the light in a room has a yellow hue from an incandescent
light bulb, we will continue to perceive objects that we know to be white,
such as printed pages, as white.
Exposure Controls | 6739
TIP For the best results, use a very pale color correction color, such as a pale blue
or pale yellow.
Desaturate Low Levels When on, renders dimly lit colors as if the light were
too dim for the eye to distinguish between colors. When on, renders even
dimly lit colors. Default=off.
Desaturate Low Levels simulates the eye's response to dim lighting. In dim
lighting, the eye does not perceive colors and sees tones of gray instead.
The effect of this setting is not apparent except at very low light levels, below
5.62 footcandles (lumens per square foot). When the illuminance is less than
0.00562 footcandles, the scene is completely gray.
NOTE 1 footcandle (fc) equals 10.76 lux (lumens per square meter).
Logarithmic Exposure Control
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Exposure Control rollout > Choose Logarithmic Exposure
Control from the list. > Logarithmic Exposure Control rollout
Logarithmic Exposure Control uses brightness, contrast, and whether the
scene is outdoors in daylight to map physical values to RGB values. You can
use it with either the default scanline renderer on page 6141 and the mental ray
renderer on page 6230. Logarithmic Exposure Control is best for scenes with a
very high dynamic range.
Left: The intensity of an IES Sun light completely overexposes a scene.
Right: Logarithmic exposure control corrects the overexposure.
Logarithmic Exposure Control is the best type of exposure control for
animations because it doesn’t use histograms.
6740 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
TIP If you're rendering to texture on page 6371, use the Logarithmic exposure
control, not the Automatic or Linear control.
See also:
■
Environment Panel on page 6689
Interface
Brightness Adjusts the brightness of the converted colors. Range=0 to 200.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
Contrast Adjusts the contrast of the converted colors. Range=0 to 100.
Default=50.
This parameter is animatable.
Mid Tones Adjusts the mid-tone values of the converted colors. Range=0.01
to 20.0. Default=1.0.
This parameter is animatable.
Adjusting the value of mid tones
Exposure Controls | 6741
Physical Scale Sets a physical scale for exposure control to use with lights
that are not physically based. The result is an adjustment of the rendering
that approximates the eye's response to the scene.
Each standard light's Multiplier on page 8055 is multiplied by the Physical Scale
value to give a light intensity value in candelas. For example, with the default
Physical Scale of 1500, a standard omni light is treated by the renderer and
radiosity as a photometric isotropic light of 1500 candelas. Physical Scale is
also factored into reflections, refractions, and self-illumination.
TIP You need to set the Physical Scale when you use ray-tracing with self
illumination. Set this value to the equivalent of the brightest light source in the
scene. This will set the appropriate conversion scale for reflections, self-illumination,
and all other non-physically based elements a material offers. In some cases, an
object might reflect or emit more light than the brightest light object in the scene;
in this case, use the object's Luminance value as the Physical Scale.
NOTE The mental ray renderer treats Physical Scale in the same way the scanline
renderer does in terms of its effect on reflections and refractions. Physical Scale
does affect the appearance of self-illuminated materials.
Range=0.0 to 200,000.0 candelas. Default=1500.0.
A single candle is approximately 1 candela (the unit can also be called a
"candle"). A 100-Watt (W) incandescent light bulb is approximately 139
candelas (cd). A 60W bulb emitting in all directions is about 70 cd, while the
same bulb with a reflector is about 4500 cd because the light flux is
concentrated into a narrow angle.
Photometric lights are unaffected by the Physical Scale value.
This parameter is animatable.
Color Correction check box and color swatch When the check box is turned
on, color correction shifts all colors so the color displayed in the color swatch
appears as white. Default=off.
Clicking the color swatch displays a Color Selector on page 391 so you can
choose the color to adapt to.
You can use this control to simulate how the eye adjusts to lighting. For
example, even when the light in a room has a yellow hue from an incandescent
light bulb, we will continue to perceive objects that we know to be white,
such as printed pages, as white.
TIP For the best results, use a very pale color correction color, such as a pale blue
or pale yellow.
6742 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Color correction can remove the color “cast” that comes from a light source.
Desaturate Low Levels When on, renders dimly lit colors as if the light were
too dim for the eye to distinguish between colors. When off, renders even
dimly lit colors. Default=off.
Desaturate Low Levels simulates the eye's response to dim lighting. In dim
lighting, the eye does not perceive colors and sees tones of gray instead.
The effect of this setting is not apparent except at very low light levels, below
5.62 footcandles (lumens per square foot). When the illuminance is less than
0.00562 footcandles, the scene is completely gray.
NOTE 1 footcandle (fc) equals 10.76 lux (lumens per square meter).
Affect Indirect Only When on, Logarithmic Exposure control is applied only
to areas of indirect lighting. Default=off.
Turn on this toggle when the primary lighting for your scene comes from
standard lights rather than photometric lights. When you use standard lights
and turn on Affect Indirect Only, radiosity and exposure control yield results
similar to the default scanline renderer. When you use standard lights but
leave Affect Indirect Only off, radiosity and exposure control yield results that
can be quite different from the default scanline renderer.
In general, you don’t need to turn on Affect Indirect Only when the primary
lighting for your scene comes from photometric lights.
Exterior daylight When on, converts colors for an outdoor scene. Default=off.
Exposure Controls | 6743
The exterior daylight setting compensates for the extreme intensity of an IES sun light.
mr Photographic Exposure Control
Set mental ray as the renderer. > Rendering menu > Environment >
Environment and Effects dialog > Environment panel > Exposure Control
rollout > Choose mr Photographic Exposure Control from the list. > mr
Photographic Exposure Control rollout
The mr Photographic Exposure Control lets you modify rendered output with
camera-like controls: either a general exposure value or specific shutter speed,
aperture, and film speed settings. It also gives you image-control settings with
values for highlights, midtones, and shadows. It’s intended for
high-dynamic-range scenes rendered with the mental ray renderer on page
6230.
NOTE The mr Photographic Exposure Control contains a built-in gamma corrector
(gamma 2.2), but this correction is disabled if the 3ds Max gamma correction on
page 7758 is enabled on the Preferences dialog, letting the Rendered Frame Window
apply the view gamma instead.
The Logarithmic exposure control on page 6740 also has a curve similar to a
gamma correction, but unlike the Photographic exposure control, it is not
designed to disable its gamma correction when overall gamma correction is
on. For that reason, combining gamma correction with the Logarithmic
exposure control is discouraged, whereas using it together with the
Photographic exposure control is encouraged.
6744 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Interface
TIP To see a definition of any numeric parameter on this rollout, hover the mouse
cursor over the parameter’s spinner.
Exposure group
This group comprises a drop-down list of exposure presets plus a choice of
Exposure Value or Photographic Exposure and associated parameters. Choosing
one method makes the other’s setting or settings unavailable, but they still
change based on adjustments you make to the available method. For example,
Exposure Controls | 6745
when Exposure Value is active, adjusting its value also changes the
Photographic Exposure > Shutter Speed setting.
Preset Choose from the available options based on setting and lighting
conditions. The presets affect all of the remaining settings in this group.
Exposure Value (EV) Choose this option to specify a single Exposure Value
setting that corresponds to a combination of the three Photographic Exposure
values (see following). Each increment or decrement in the EV value
corresponds to halving or doubling, respectively, the effective exposure, as
expressed in the resultant change in the Shutter Speed value. Thus, higher
values yield darker images, and lower values yield brighter images.
For example, as shown above, the combination of a shutter speed of 1/125 of
a second, f/16, and ISO 100 results in an EV of 15. The same EV results from
halving the shutter speed to 1/250 second and doubling the aperture size to
f/11.
Photographic Exposure Lets you set the exposure using standard
camera-oriented controls. These controls affect exposure only: Shutter Speed
has no effect on motion blur; Aperture doesn’t influence depth of field; and
Film Speed has no effect on graininess.
■
Shutter Speed The duration, in fractions of a second, that the “shutter”
is open. The higher this value, the greater the exposure.
■
Aperture The size of the opening of the “camera iris,” expressed as a
ratio. The higher this value, the lower the exposure.
■
Film Speed (ISO) The sensitivity of the “camera film,” expressed as an
index. The higher this value, the greater the exposure.
Image Control group
Use these controls to adjust the relative brightness or highlights, midtones,
and shadows in the rendered image. The combination of these three settings
is depicted in the graph on the right side of the rollout. Additional controls
available here let you adjust color saturation, whitepoint, and vignetting.
6746 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Rendering with default settings (with final gathering)
Highlights (Burn) Controls the level of the brightest areas of the image.
Higher values yield brighter highlights, while lower values darken the
highlights.
Exposure Controls | 6747
Darkened (burnt-in) highlights
Midtones Controls the level of the areas of the image whose brightness lies
between the highlights and the shadows. Higher values yield brighter midtones,
while lower values darken the midtones.
6748 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Elevated midtones
Shadows Controls the level of the darkest areas of the image. Lower values
yield lighter shadows, while higher values darken the shadows.
Exposure Controls | 6749
Lightened shadows
Color Saturation Controls the intensity of colors in the rendered image.
Higher values result in more intense colors.
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Color Saturation=2.0
Whitepoint Specifies the main color temperature of the light sources. This is
similar to white balance controls on digital cameras. For daylighting, a value
of 6500 is recommended, for incandescent lighting, a value of 3700 is
recommended.
For example, photographs taken indoors might be lit by incandescent lights,
which are relatively orange compared to daylight. Defining "white" as daylight
will give unacceptable results when attempting to color-correct a photograph
taken with incandescent lighting.
Vignetting Reduces the image brightness in the image periphery compared
to the image center, resulting in a circular fully exposed area in the center,
with darker edges.
Exposure Controls | 6751
Vignetting=25.0
Physical Scale Determines how the software calculates pixel values when
outputting HDR (high-dynamic-range) images. You can use the physical scale
inherent in the scene, or set an arbitrary physical scale for non-physically-based
lighting situations.
■
Physical Units: (cd/m2) Outputs physically correct HDR pixel values in
candelas per square meter. Use this option when lighting the scene with
photometric light sources.
TIP When you use this option, the renderer interprets all non-physical
(standard) illumination values in units of cd/m2. If you use as a background
image or texture map an HDR image with pixels correctly calibrated to cd/m2,
it will be correct in the scene. However, if you attempt to use a
low-dynamic-range photo such as a JPEG photo, it will appear too dark in the
rendered output. (The renderer interprets a white pixel in such an image as
"1 cd/m2" by default, which is darker than the deepest dungeon.) So you need
to increase the output on page 5774 of the image to match a useful cd/m2 value.
The sky can be around 3,000 cd/m2.
■
Unitless Lets you define how the renderer interprets the illumination
from standard lights, which are not physically based. Use the numeric
6752 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
setting to set the apparent illumination from these lights and the output
pixel values based on the scene lighting. For example, with the default
Physical Scale of 1500, a standard omni light is treated by the renderer as
a photometric isotropic light of 1500 candelas. Physical Scale is also factored
into the environment map and self-illumination.
NOTE This value does not affect apparent illumination of the rendered scene
with photometric lights. However, it does affect the apparent illumination cast
by non-physical (standard) lights. For predictable results, illuminate the scene
only with photometric or standard lights (not a mix), and use Physical Units
or Unitless, respectively.
Gamma/LUT Settings This group comprises text showing the status of the
current Gamma/LUT settings, and a Setup button that opens the Preference
Settings dialog to the Gamma and LUT panel on page 7758 so you can change
the settings.
Pseudo Color Exposure Control
Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog >
Environment panel > Exposure Control rollout > Choose Pseudo Color
Exposure Control from the list. > Pseudo Color Exposure Control rollout
Pseudo Color Exposure Control is actually a lighting analysis tool that provides
you with an intuitive way of visualizing and evaluating the lighting levels in
your scenes. It maps luminance on page 8029 or illuminance on page 8009 values
to pseudo colors that show the brightness of the values being converted. From
darkest to brightest, the rendering shows blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange,
and red. (Alternatively, you can choose a grayscale where the brightest values
are white, and the darkest are black.) The rendering includes the colored or
grayscale spectrum bar as a legend for the image.
After rendering the scene with pseudo color, 3ds Max displays a Rendered
Frame Window on page 6073 labeled “Illuminance,” with a legend of illuminance
values below the rendered image.
NOTE The Illuminance frame is not displayed if antialiasing is turned off.
NOTE You can use the Pseudo Color exposure control with the mental ray renderer
on page 6230.
Exposure Controls | 6753
Pseudo color exposure of a scene with radiosity. Areas in red are overlit, areas in blue
are underlit, and areas in green have a good lighting level.
In the Rendered Frame Window labeled “illuminance,” a legend appears below
the image.
If you render a scene using this exposure control, the software creates a special
render element on page 6349 named Illuminance that helps obtain accurate
luminance and illuminance data.
TIP If you get a file write error when you try to render a pseudo color image,
check the path and file name of the Illuminance element, or the permissions of
the PNG file that saves the illuminance data.
6754 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Three spheres at an equal distance from a light source. The sphere on the left has a
matte material, the sphere in the middle is glossy, and the sphere on the right is glossy
but has a much darker color.
A display of illuminance shows that it is the same for all three spheres.
A display of luminance shows that the two spheres on the left reflect about the same
amount of light, but the darker sphere on the right reflects little light except for its
highlight.
Exposure Controls | 6755
See also:
■
Environment Panel on page 6689
Interface
Display Type group
Quantity Chooses the value being measured.
■
Illuminance (the default) displays values of light incident on surfaces.
■
Luminance displays values of light reflected off surfaces.
Style Chooses the way to display values.
■
Colored (the default) shows a spectrum.
■
Grayscale shows gray tones that range from white to black.
The spectrum bar displays the values the rendering will use.
6756 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Pseudo color display style:
Left: Grayscale
Right: Colored scale
Scale Chooses the technique used to map values.
■
Logarithmic (the default) uses a logarithmic scale.
■
Linear uses a linear scale.
The Logarithmic scale is useful when the illumination of the surfaces of
interest is low compared to the maximum illumination in the scene.
Left: Linear scale
Right: Logarithmic scale
Display Range group
Minimum (Min.) Sets the lowest value to measure and represent in the
rendering. Values at this quantity or below it all map to the leftmost display
color (or grayscale level).
Maximum (Max.) Sets the highest value to measure and represent in the
rendering. Values at this quantity or above it all map to the rightmost display
color (or grayscale value).
Exposure Controls | 6757
Physical Scale Sets a physical scale for exposure control to use with lights
that are not physically based. The result is an adjustment of the rendering
that approximates the eye's response to the scene.
Changing the value of Physical Scale is an optional step. Use it as a last resort
when the materials or maps are not rendering correctly. Changing this setting
will not affect anything in the scene unless your scene has an Ambient Color
different than black. If you do adjust it, set the Physical Scale value to the
equivalent of the brightest light source in the scene.
The software multiplies each standard light's Multiplier on page 8055 by the
Physical Scale value to produce a light intensity value in candelas. For example,
with the default Physical Scale of 1500, a standard omni light is treated by
the renderer and radiosity as a photometric isotropic light of 1500 candelas.
Physical Scale is also factored into reflections, refractions, and self-illumination.
TIP When you use ray-tracing with self illumination, set Physical Scale to the
equivalent of the brightest light source in the scene. This sets the appropriate
conversion scale for reflections, self-illumination, and all other non-physically based
elements a material offers. In some cases, an object might reflect or emit more
light than the brightest light object in the scene; in this case, use the object's
Luminance value as the Physical Scale.
Range=0.0 to 200,000.0 candelas. Default=1500.0.
A single candle is approximately 1 candela (the unit can also be called a
"candle"). A 100-Watt (W) incandescent light bulb is approximately 139
candelas (cd). A 60W bulb emitting in all directions is about 70 cd, while the
same bulb with a reflector is about 4500 cd because the light flux is
concentrated into a narrow angle.
Photometric lights are unaffected by the Physical Scale value.
This parameter is animatable.
Adjusting the range to analyze:
6758 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Above: Correct range for a scene
Middle: Too narrow a range
Below: Too great a range
Narrowing the range to focus on a single object
General Guidelines for Physical Scale Values
■
If you use only Photometric lights on page 5005, IES Sun on page 5154, and
IES Sky on page 5157, the Physical Scale value is disregarded, and you don't
need to change it.
■
If you use Standard lights on page 5049, the Physical Scale value acts as a
conversion scale that the radiosity engine uses to calculate energy. Set it
to the equivalent of the brightest light source in the scene. This will set
the appropriate conversion scale for reflections, self-illumination, and all
other non-physically based elements a 3ds Max material offers.
However, if you use the Affect Indirect Only flag in the Logarithmic
Exposure Control on page 6740, you don’t need to worry about the physical
scale setting.
Spectrum bar Shows the spectrum-to-intensity mapping. The numbers below
the spectrum range from the Minimum to the Maximum settings.
When rendering with pseudo color, the spectrum bar is displayed beneath
the pseudo color image, labeled either Luminance or Illuminance.
Lighting Data Exporter Utility
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > Lighting Data Export
The Lighting Data Exporter renders the active viewport to images that include
luminance on page 8029 and illuminance on page 8009 data that can be used for
lighting analysis.
The Lighting Data Exporter does not render the files unless you have applied
an exposure control on page 6732 to the scene.
Exposure Controls | 6759
You can render to either the TIFF file on page 7372 format. If you export to a
TIFF file, the utility renders a single image file that has separate channels for
luminance and illuminance (the file is of the 32-bit SGI LogLUV image type).
You can also render to the PIC file on page 7359 format. If you export to a PIC
file, the utility renders two images: one containing luminance data, and the
other containing illuminance data (see the description of the File Name button,
below).
Interface
File Name Click the button to specify a file name for the rendering.
When you export to the PIC format, the Lighting Data Exporter renders two
files. It appends the string “_Illuminance” to the name of one file, and
“_Luminance” to the other. For example, if you type house as the file name,
the exporter renders to house_illuminance.pic and house_luminance.pic.
Image Size group
Width Sets the output width, in pixels. Default=640.
Height Sets the output height, in pixels. Default=480.
Export Click to render luminance and illuminance data.
WARNING Unlike the renderer, if you click Export more than once, this overwrites
previously rendered files.
6760 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Atmospheric Apparatus
Create panel > Helpers > Atmospheric Apparatus (from drop-down list)
You can create three types of atmospheric apparatuses, or gizmos on page 7996:
box, cylinder, and sphere. These gizmos contain the fog or fire effect in your
scene.
BoxGizmo Helper on page 6762
CylGizmo Helper on page 6765
SphereGizmo Helper on page 6768
See also:
■
Fire Environment Effect on page 6696
■
Fog Environment Effect on page 6707
■
Volume Light Environment Effect on page 6721
Add Atmosphere Dialog
Select Atmospheric Apparatus object. > Modify panel > Atmospheres & Effects
rollout > Add button
The Add Atmosphere dialog lets you associate an atmosphere with the
Atmospheric Apparatus on page 6761.
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6761
Interface
List of atmospheres Displays the atmospheres that you can associate with
the apparatus.
New or existing group
These radio buttons choose between new or existing atmospheres.
New Lists only new atmospheres.
Existing Lists only atmospheres that have been already assigned to other
apparatuses in the scene.
Adding an existing atmosphere creates a new atmosphere whose settings are
initially identical to the previous one.
BoxGizmo Helper
Create panel > Helpers > Atmospheric Apparatus (from drop-down list) >
BoxGizmo
Create menu > Helpers > Atmospherics > BoxGizmo
6762 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
BoxGizmo lets you create a box-shaped gizmo in your scene. Clicking the
BoxGizmo button displays the Box Gizmo Parameters rollout.
Box gizmo with volume fog
Procedures
To create the BoxGizmo:
1 Drag in a viewport to define the initial length and width, then release
the mouse and drag vertically to set the initial height.
2 Click to end BoxGizmo creation.
To add a new atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel, on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add.
This displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
4 Click OK.
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6763
This associates a new atmosphere with the apparatus.
To add an existing atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel, on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add.
This displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 In the dialog, choose Existing.
4 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
5 Click OK.
This creates a duplicate atmosphere for the apparatus. Its settings are
initially identical to the atmosphere you chose. You can adjust them
using Setup.
Interface
Name and Color rollout
The Name and Color rollout on page 7631 lets you rename objects and change
their wireframe color.
Box Gizmo Parameters rollout
Length, Width, and Height Set the dimensions of the box gizmo.
6764 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Seed Sets a base value used to generate the atmospheric effect. Each apparatus
in the scene should have a different seed. If more than one apparatus uses the
same seed and same atmospheric effect, they will produce nearly identical
results.
New Seed Click to generate a random number automatically and place it in
the seed field.
Atmospheres & Effects rollout
The Atmospheres & Effects rollout, available from the Modify panel, allows
you to add and set up atmospheres directly to the gizmo.
Add Displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761 from which you can
add an atmosphere to the BoxGizmo.
Delete Deletes a highlighted atmospheric effect.
Setup Displays the Environment panel on page 6689, where you can edit the
highlighted effect.
CylGizmo Helper
Create panel > Helpers > Atmospheric Apparatus (from drop-down list) >
CylGizmo
Create menu > Helpers > Atmospherics > Cylinder Gizmo
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6765
CylGizmo lets you create a cylinder-shaped gizmo in your scene. Clicking the
CylGizmo button displays the Cylinder Gizmo Parameters rollout.
Cylinder gizmo with volume fog
Procedures
To create the CylGizmo:
1 Drag in a viewport to define the initial radius, then release the mouse
and drag vertically to set the initial height.
2 Click to end CylGizmo creation.
To add a new atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add. This
displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
4 Click OK.
6766 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
This associates a new atmosphere with the apparatus.
To add an existing atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add. This
displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 In the dialog, choose Existing.
4 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
5 Click OK.
This creates a duplicate atmosphere for the apparatus. Its settings are
initially identical to the atmosphere you chose. You can adjust them
using Setup.
Interface
Name and Color rollout
The Name and Color rollout on page 7631 lets you rename objects and change
their wireframe color.
Cylinder Gizmo Parameters rollout
Radius and Height Set the dimensions of the cylinder gizmo.
Seed Sets a base value used to generate the atmospheric effect. Each apparatus
in the scene should have a different seed. If more than one apparatus uses the
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6767
same seed and same atmospheric effect, they will produce nearly identical
results.
New Seed Click to generate a random number automatically and place it in
the seed field.
Atmospheres & Effects rollout
The Atmospheres & Effects rollout, available from the Modify panel, allows
you to add and set up atmospheres directly to the gizmo.
Add Displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761 from which you can
add an Atmosphere to the CylGizmo.
Delete Deletes a highlighted atmospheric effect.
Setup Displays the Environment panel on page 6689, where you can edit the
highlighted effect.
SphereGizmo Helper
Create panel > Helpers > Atmospheric Apparatus (from drop-down list) >
SphereGizmo
Create menu > Helpers > Atmospherics > Sphere Gizmo
6768 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
SphereGizmo lets you create a sphere- or hemisphere-shaped gizmo in your
scene. Clicking the SphereGizmo button displays the Sphere Gizmo Parameters
rollout.
Sphere gizmo with volume fog
Procedures
To create the SphereGizmo:
1 Drag in any viewport to define the initial radius.
2 Adjust the radius with the spinner.
To add a new atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add. This
displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
4 Click OK.
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6769
This associates a new atmosphere with the apparatus.
To add an existing atmosphere:
1 Select the apparatus gizmo.
2 In the Modify panel on the Atmospheres & Effects rollout, click Add. This
displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 6761.
3 In the dialog, choose Existing.
4 Choose an atmosphere from the list.
5 Click OK.
This creates a duplicate atmosphere for the apparatus. Its settings are
initially identical to the atmosphere you chose. You can adjust them
using Setup.
Interface
Name and Color rollout
The Name and Color rollout on page 7631 lets you rename objects and change
their wireframe color.
Sphere Gizmo Parameters rollout
Radius Sets the radius of the default sphere.
Hemisphere When turned on, the bottom half of the SphereGizmo is
discarded, creating a hemisphere.
6770 | Chapter 21 Effects and Environments
Seed Sets a base value used to generate the atmospheric effect. Each apparatus
in the scene should have a different seed. If more than one apparatus uses the
same seed and same atmospheric effect, they will produce nearly identical
results.
New Seed Click to generate a random number automatically and place it in
the seed field.
Atmospheres & Effects rollout
The Atmospheres & Effects rollout, available from the Modify panel, allows
you to add and set up atmospheres effects directly to the gizmo.
Add Displays the Add Atmosphere dialog on page 5106 from which you can
add an Atmosphere to the SphereGizmo.
Delete Deletes a highlighted atmospheric effect.
Setup Displays the Environment panel on page 6689, where you can edit the
highlighted effect.
Atmospheric Apparatus | 6771
6772
Video Post
22
Video Post, available from the Rendering menu, lets you combine (composite) and render
output of various types of events, including the current scene, bitmap images, image-processing
functions, and so on.
A video post queue can include scene geometry, background images, effects, and masks for compositing
them.
6773
The result of video post: a composited frame
Video Post is a self-contained, modeless dialog, similar in appearance to Track View. The
edit window of the dialog shows when each event occurs in the finished video. Each event
is associated with a track that has a range bar.
The Video Post dialog contains the following window components:
Video Post Queue on page 6774: Shows the sequence of post-production events.
Video Post Status Bar/View Controls on page 6776: Shows information about the active Video
Post controls and lets you control the display of tracks in the event tracks area.
Video Post Toolbar on page 6797: Provides Video Post commands.
Video Post Queue
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Video Post Queue
Video Post Queue provides a hierarchical list of the images, scenes, and events
to be composited.
6774 | Chapter 22 Video Post
The Video Post queue in the Video Post dialog is similar to other hierarchical
lists in the Track View and Material Editor. In Video Post, the list items are
images, scenes, animations on page 7907, or external processes that together
make up the queue. The items in the queue are called events.
The order that the events appear in the queue is the order in which they are
executed, from top to bottom. Consequently, to correctly composite an image,
the background bitmap must appear before, or above, the image that is to
overlay it.
There is always at least one item in the queue (a placeholder labeled Queue).
It is the queue's parent event.
The queue can be linear, but some kinds of events, such as Image Layer,
combine other events and become their parent.
Procedures
To add an event to the queue:
■
Click an event button.
When you add an event, a dialog displays where you can specify settings
for that event. The settings offered on the dialog depend on the type of
event; some events have different kinds of subtypes.
In general, the new event appears at the end of the queue - but some kinds
of events require that you first select one or more events in the queue. An
Video Post Queue | 6775
event button is unavailable if the selection in the queue (or the absence
of one) is not legal input to the button's type of event.
To highlight an event already in the queue, click its icon, label, or range-bar
area.
To delete any event in the queue:
Select the event and press the Delete key.
You can delete both enabled and disabled events, which are unavailable.
■
To switch the positions of two events in the queue:
1 Highlight both events.
2
Click Swap.
This operation might not be allowed if the result would be impossible to
execute. At the top level of the queue, you can almost always swap events;
at lower levels, an event's output must be legal input to its parent event.
To edit an event in the queue, do one of the following:
1 Select the event and click Edit Current Event on page 6799.
2 Double-click the event name.
3 Double-click the event's range-bar area in the edit window.
Use one of the second two methods for disabled events.
Video Post Status Bar / View Controls
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post Status Bar
The Video Post Status Bar contains an area for prompt and status information
and for buttons to control the display of tracks in the event tracks area.
Interface
Prompt Line
6776 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Displays instructions for using the currently selected function.
Status (Start, End, Frames,Width, Height)
Displays the Start frame and End frame for the current event, the total number
of frames and the output resolution of the entire queue.
S/E Shows start and end frames of the selected track. If no track is selected,
shows the start and end frames of the entire queue.
F Shows the total frames in the selected track or for the entire queue.
W/H Shows the width and height of the image that results from the rendering
of all the events in the queue.
Pan
Lets you drag horizontally in the event tracks area to shift the view left
and right.
Zoom Extents
Adjusts the size of the event-track area horizontally so that all the frames
of the longest track bar are visible.
Use Zoom Extents to quickly reset the display to show all frames after zooming
in on a selection of frames with the Zoom Time button.
Zoom Time
Displays a greater or lesser number of frames in the event tracks area,
allowing you to scale or zoom the display. The time ruler displays the current
time display unit.
Drag horizontally in the event tracks area to zoom time.
Drag right to display fewer frames in the track area (zoom in).
Drag left to display more frames in the track area (zoom out).
Video Post Status Bar / View Controls | 6777
Zoom Region
Magnifies a region that you define by dragging a rectangle in the event
tracks area.
Troubleshooting Video Post
While Video Post offers many useful functions and creative effects, invariably
you will set up a queue that looks like it should work or even appears to render
correctly only to give you an animation that does not include the desired
effect. Here are some troubleshooting tips to reference when a queue just isn't
doing what you expect.
There are two key things that can cause a Video Post queue to fail. The first
is incorrect ordering and nesting of events in the queue. The second is faulty
positioning and/or overlapping of the range bars.
When you come up again a problem, especially if you're attempting to set up
a very complex queue, the best way to diagnose the problem is to create a new
queue that should only result in the effect that is failing. If you can get the
simplified queue to work, you can compare it to the structure of the failing
queue to see what might be out of order.
Here are two very common scenarios that look like they should work but
ultimately don't give you the result you expected. These examples are shown
in their simplified state, but could very easily be buried in more complex
queues.
■
The object simply disappears instead of fading out.
The first example illustrates a problem where you expect the scene to render
for fifteen frames before fading to black to finish the animation. However,
at frame sixteen, the scene abruptly goes black.
6778 | Chapter 22 Video Post
This queue shows all the correct events in the proper order in the queue.
The problem is the timing and positioning of the range bars. The most
likely cause of this problem is using the Abut Selection on page 6808 when
it's not necessary. In order for the Fade event to work properly, it needs to
overlap the animation for the amount of time you want to fade to occur.
You need to take into account the number of frames where the scene
actually fades.
To fix this queue, you have to decide how many frames over which the
fade will occur. Let's say you want the scene to fade to black over ten
frames. You would need to drag the right end of the Perspective event
range bar ten frames to the right to overlap the Fade event.
■
The object glows during rendering, but not in the animation.
This second example is even more misleading than the first. The infuriating
thing about this problem is that while the scene is rendering, the object
in the scene shows the glow effect. When the resultant animation is played
back, the Glow effect is not present.
Troubleshooting Video Post | 6779
Once again, this queue shows all the correct events, but the problem here
is the ordering of the events in the queue. This problem is commonly
caused when an event is selected while other events are being added. In
this case, the Perspective event was select when the Lens Effects Glow and
output events were added.
There are two ways to create this queue to give you the correct results. You
can recreate the queue and add each event so there is no nesting, or you
remove the current output event and add it again, making sure no other
events are selected. The following images show the two ways this queue
could be set up to successfully show the glowing object.
6780 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Useful Video Post Procedures
Rendering menu > Video Post
There are some tasks that you will use Video Post for more than others. This
primer describes some of the more common sequences you'll find yourself
using Video Post to create. The procedures are outlined in their simplest forms.
The following procedures are outlined:
■
Make an object glow on page ?
■
Create an animation from a series of still images on page ?
■
Render a scene with a starfield on page ?
■
Set up a simple cross fade between two images on page ?
■
Resize a series of images on page ?
■
Composite two image sequences on page ?
■
Render a scene over an image sequence or an animation on page ?
■
Join two animations – end to end on page ?
■
Switch between views on page ?
■
Render a scene in reverse on page ?
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6781
Procedures
Example: Make an object glow:
One of the most common things you'll want to do with the Glow filter is
make an object glow. Here's how to do it in its simplest form.
1 In the Perspective viewport, create a Sphere with a radius of about 30.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
3
Click Add Scene Event on page 6808 and set the view to Perspective.
Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog.
4
Click Add Image Filter Event on page 6821 and choose Lens Effects
Glow from the Filter Plug-In list.
Click OK to close the Add Image Filter Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format to BMP Image File and enter a filename like
MyGlow.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Click OK to accept the default setting on the BMP configuration dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
8 Right-click the Sphere to bring up the Quad Menus and select Properties.
9 Set the Object Channel in the G-Buffer group to 1 and click OK.
10
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
11 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
You'll see the a glowing sphere in the render window.
6782 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Example: Create an animation from a series of still images:
Another common process you'll use Video Post to achieve is taking a series of
still images you've rendered and convert them to an animation. To accomplish
this task, you need an IFL file on page 7339.
1 Use the IFL Manager Utility on page 7344 to create an IFL file containing
the sequentially number image files you want to process.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
3
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose the IFL file you created at step 1 and then click Open to close the
selection dialog.
4 Click OK to close the Add Input Image Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format to AVI File on page 7326 and enter a filename
like MyAnimation.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Select a codec on page 7936 from the Video Compression dialog and click
OK.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6783
8
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
9 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
The final product is an animation.
Example: Render a scene with a starfield:
At some time, you'll want to create a night scene that requires a starry sky.
The key thing to remember when creating a star field is adding a camera to
the scene. The Starfield filter only works with a camera. Here are the steps to
set that up.
1 In the Top viewport, create a Sphere with a radius of about 30 and a
Target Camera.
Place the camera to one side and have it pointing at the center of the
sphere.
2 Right-click in the Perspective viewport and press C to change the viewport
display to Camera01.
3 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
4
Click Add Scene Event on page 6808 and make sure the view is set to
Camera01.
Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Filter Event on page 6821 and choose Starfield from
the Filter Plug-In list.
6784 | Chapter 22 Video Post
6 Click the Setup button to open the Stars Control dialog. Make sure Source
Camera (at the top) is set to Camera01, and then click OK.
7 Click OK to close the Add Image Filter Event dialog.
8
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
9 Set the output file format to BMP Image File and enter a filename like
MyStarfield.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
10 Click OK to accept the default setting on the BMP configuration dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
11
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
12 Set the time output to Single and click Render on the Execute Video Post
dialog.
The final product is a rendered image of a sphere against a starry
background.
Set up a simple cross fade between two images:
Sometimes you want to transition from one view or animation to another.
This set of steps with show you how to set up a cross fade from one image to
another. For this example the complete cross fade will occur over 20 frames
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6785
displaying the first image for five frames, cross fade for ten frame and then
display the second image for the last five frames.
The resulting animation produced by this process could be used as an Image
Input Event for a different Video Post sequence.
1 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
2
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose your first image and click Open and then click OK to close the
Add Image Input Event dialog.
3
Click Add Image Input Event again and click Files.
Choose your second image and click Open and then click OK to close
the Add Image Input Event dialog.
4
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
5 Set the output file format to MOV File and enter a filename like MyXFade.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
6 Click OK to accept the default setting on the Compression Settings dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
7 Select the first Image Input Event and then hold down the Ctrl key while
selecting the second Image Input Event.
Both events will highlight in gold.
8
Click Add Image Layer Event on page 6824 and choose Cross Fade
Transition from the list of compositors and transitions.
Click OK to close the Add Image Layer Event dialog. Notice how the
Image Layer Event becomes the parent of the two Image Input Events.
9
Click Zoom Extents to view the entire set of tracks.
10 On the Queue track bar, click and drag the right-hand end of the range-bar
to frame 20.
This adjusts all the tracks.
6786 | Chapter 22 Video Post
11 Select the Cross Fade Transition event and drag the left-hand end of the
range-bar to frame 5 and then drag the right-hand end of the range-bar
to frame 15.
This sets the period in time when the cross fade occurs.
12 Select the track for the first Image Input Event and the right-hand end
of the range-bar to frame 8.
By setting the end to frame 8 instead of 5, you'll have three frames during
which the first image will fade to black.
13 Select the track for the second Image Input Event and the left-hand end
of the range-bar to frame 12.
Similarly, setting this end to frame 12 ensures that the second image will
fade in over three frames and display in full color for the last five frame
of the transition.
14
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
15 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
Example: Resize a series of images:
Perhaps you've rendered a series of still images but it turns out they were at
the wrong resolution. You might normally think you have to re-render the
entire scene again which will tie up all the systems to do the same work they
just completed. Video Post can be used to resize the images without having
to use all the systems.
1 Use the IFL Manager Utility on page 7344 to create an IFL file containing
the sequentially number image files you want to resize.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6787
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
3
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose the IFL file you created at step 1 and then click Open to close the
selection dialog.
4 Click OK to close the Add Input Image Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format for the new set of still images to TGA and enter
a filename like MyResize.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Click OK to accept the default setting on the Targa Image Control dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
8
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
9 On the Execute Video Post dialog, set the new output resolution you
want for the images and then click Render.
When the rendering is complete, you will have a new series of resized
images that have a name prefix of MyResize. So, if there were ten images
listed in the IFL file, there will be ten new images named MyResize0000.tga
through MyResize0009.tga stored in your image folder.
6788 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Example: Composite two image sequences:
Compositing two sets of images together is one of the “workhorse” operations
of Video Post. This is commonly done when a project is nearing completion
and it lets you combine all the images your artists have been rendering.
1 Use the IFL Manager Utility on page 7344 to create an IFL file for each set
of images sequences you want to composite.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
3
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose your first IFL file and click Open and then click OK to close the
Add Image Input Event dialog.
4
Click Add Image Input Event again and click Files.
Choose your second IFL file and click Open and then click OK to close
the Add Image Input Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format to MOV File and enter a filename like
MyComposite.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Click OK to accept the default setting on the Compression Settings dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
8 Select the first Image Input Event and then hold down the Ctrl key while
selecting the second Image Input Event.
Both events will highlight in gold.
9
Click Add Image Layer Event on page 6824 and choose Alpha
Compositor on page 6909 from the list of compositors and transitions.
Click OK to close the Add Image Layer Event dialog. Notice how the
Image Layer Event becomes the parent of the two Image Input Events.
10
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
11 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6789
Example: Render a scene over an image sequence or an animation:
This process in similar to the last one except you might have an animation
or series of still images you want to use as the background for your existing
scene.
1 Use the IFL Manager Utility on page 7344 to create an IFL file for the set of
images that will be the background for your current scene.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
3
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose your IFL file or animation and click Open and then click OK to
close the Add Image Input Event dialog.
4
Click Add Scene Event on page 6808 and set the view to Perspective
or a Camera you have in the scene.
Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format to AVI File and enter a filename like MyScene.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Select a codec on page 7936 from the Video Compression dialog and click
OK.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
6790 | Chapter 22 Video Post
8 Select the first Image Input Event and then hold down the Ctrl key while
selecting the Scene Event.
Both events will highlight in gold.
9
Click Add Image Layer Event on page 6824 and choose Pseudo Alpha
on page 6911 from the list of compositors and transitions.
Click OK to close the Add Image Layer Event dialog. Notice how the
Image Layer Event becomes the parent of the two Image Input Events.
10
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
11 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
Notice that the Image Input Event in this example is only ten frames
long. Normally, you'd choose a set of background images that equals the
number of frames in your scene. When this sequence is executed, as is,
the images in the IFL file will only appear for the first ten frames and
then disappear.
12 Select the Image Input Event just under the Pseudo Alpha layer event.
13
Add a Loop Event and set the number of times to 4.
The Image Input Event becomes further nested in the queue. If you want,
you can use the default Loop setting or change it to Ping Pong then click
OK to close the Add Loop Event dialog.
14
Click the Execute Sequence button again and render the scene.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6791
Join two animations—end to end:
If you're working in a production environment, you probably do not work on
an entire animation by yourself. Instead, you might work on one part while
other artists are working on other parts. At the end of the project, everyone's
animations need to be joined together.
1 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
2
Click Add Image Input Event on page 6814 and then click Files.
Choose your first animation file and click Open and then click OK to
close the Add Image Input Event dialog.
3
Click Add Image Input Event again and click Files.
Choose the next animation file and click Open and then click OK to close
the Add Image Input Event dialog.
4 Repeat the last step for any other animations that need to be joined.
5
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
6 Set the output file format to MOV File and enter a filename like MyFinal.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
7 Click OK to accept the default setting on the Compression Settings dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
6792 | Chapter 22 Video Post
8 Select the first Image Input Event and then hold down the Ctrl key while
selecting the second Image Input Event.
Both events will highlight in gold.
9
Click the Abut Selected button on page 6808.
10 Repeat the last two step with subsequent Image Input Events.
11
Click Zoom Extents to view the entire set of tracks.
12 Select the Image Output Event and drag the right end of the range-bar
to match the total number of frames in the queue.
13
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
14 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
Switch between views:
It's not often that a final scene shows views from only one viewpoint. Either
the camera moves or there are multiple cameras from which images are
rendered. This sequence shows you how to switch from one camera view to
another.
1 In the Perspective viewport, create a Box with a length of 15, a width of
30 and a height of 15.
2 In the Top viewport, create two Target Cameras pointing at the box from
different angles.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6793
3 Right-click the viewport label in the Left viewport and choose Views >
Camera01.
4 Right-click viewport label in the Perspective viewport and choose Views
> Camera02.
5 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
6
Click Add Scene Event on page 6808 and set the view to Camera01.
Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog.
7
Click Add Scene Event again and set the view to Camera02.
Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog.
8 Select the first Scene Event and then hold down the Ctrl key while
selecting the second Scene Event.
Both events will highlight in gold.
9
Click the Abut Selected button on page 6808.
10 Click in an empty part of the queue to deselect the two Scene Events.
11
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
12 Set the output file format to MOV File and enter a filename like MyViews.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
13 Click OK to accept the default setting on the Compression Settings dialog.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
14
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
15 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
6794 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Render a scene in reverse:
It's not commonly done but when you need to render a scene in reverse you
could spend hours trying to accomplish it. Video Post makes it easy.
1 Choose Rendering > Video Post.
2
Click Add Scene Event on page 6808 and set the view to Perspective
or a camera in the scene.
3 In the Scene Range group, turn off Lock To Video Post Range and set the
Scene Start value to the last frame of animation.
4 Turn off Lock Range Bar To Scene Range and set the Scene End value to
0.
Useful Video Post Procedures | 6795
5 Click OK to close the Add Input Image Event dialog.
6
Click Add Image Output Event on page 6828 and then click Files.
7 Set the output file format to AVI File and enter a filename like MyReverse.
Click Save when you've set the name and format
8 Select a codec on page 7936 from the Video Compression dialog and click
OK.
Then click OK to close the Add Image Output Event dialog.
9
Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6802.
6796 | Chapter 22 Video Post
10 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
Video Post Toolbar
Rendering menu > Video Post toolbar
The Video Post Toolbar contains tools for handling Video Post files (VPX files
on page 8165) and for managing the individual events displayed in the Video
Post queue and event tracks area.
New Sequence
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > New Sequence
The New Sequence button creates a new Video Post sequence by clearing
existing events from the queue.
You'll be prompted to confirm the deletion of any entries in the current queue.
Procedures
To create a new Video Post file:
■
Click New Sequence.
Video Post Toolbar | 6797
WARNING This command erases all the current Video Post data.
Use New Sequence after you have saved to a different Video Post (VPX) file.
Choosing Video Post from the Rendering menu displays the Video Post data
(if any) saved with your 3ds Max scene.
Open Sequence
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Open Sequence
The Open Sequence button opens a Video Post sequence stored on disk.
Video Post sequences contain all the information relating to the queue and
all associated settings and references. VPX files on page 8165 have the file
extension .vpx and are stored by default in the \3dsmax\vpost folder.
Procedures
To open an existing Video Post file:
Click Open Sequence.
Use the file selection dialog that appears to choose the VPX file you want
to execute or edit.
■
To import an existing Video Post sequence:
You can also use Open Sequence to import the Video Post queue from a 3ds
Max scene (MAX file).
1
Click Open Sequence.
2 On the Open Sequence dialog, change the Files Of Type setting to All
Files (*.*)
3 Browse to the folder where you store your MAX files.
4 Select the MAX file that contains the Video Post sequence you want to
execute or edit and click Open.
Video Post loads only the Video Post data from the existing .max file,
leaving your current scene unchanged.
6798 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Save Sequence
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Save Sequence
The Save Sequence button saves the current Video Post sequence to disk.
All of the Video Post configuration data, the queue events themselves, and
any queue event external data are saved in the MAX file. You can also save
the Video Post sequence to a separate file for sharing with other 3ds Max users.
Video Post sequence files contain all the information relating to the queue
and all associated settings and references. VPX files on page 8165 have the file
extension .vpx and are stored by default in the \3dsmax\vpost folder.
Procedures
To save the active Video Post data:
■
Click Save Sequence.
A file selection dialog appears to let you enter a name for the new Video
Post file.
By default, Save Sequence stores the VPX file to the \3dsmax\vpost
subdirectory. You can change the default path to another directory via the
Configure User Paths dialog > File I/O panel on page 7733.
Edit Current Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an event. > Video
Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Edit Current Event button displays a dialog that lets you edit the properties
of the selected event. The dialog depends on the type of event you've selected.
The controls in the edit dialogs are the same as those in the dialog you use to
add that type of event.
The top field in each event dialog is an editable label field. If the field is left
blank, the event uses its assigned label. If you enter an event name, the Video
Post Queue displays your event name in the field.
You can edit the following types of events:
Save Sequence | 6799
Add Scene Event on page 6808
Add Image Input Event on page 6814
Add Image Filter Event on page 6821
Add Image Layer Event on page 6824
Add Image Output Event on page 6828
Add External Event on page 6831
Add Loop Event on page 6834
Procedures
To edit an event in the queue, do one of the following:
1
Select the event and then click the Edit Current Event button.
2 Double-click the event name.
3 Double-click the event's range-bar area in the edit window.
Use the second or third method above withdisabled events.
Delete Current Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an event. > Video
Post toolbar > Delete Current Event
The Delete Current Event button deletes the selected event from the Video
Post Queue.
You'll be asked to confirm event deletion.
Procedures
To delete any event in the queue:
■
Select the event and press the Delete key.
You can delete both enabled and disabled events, which are unavailable.
6800 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Swap Events
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select two events. >
Video Post toolbar > Swap Events
The Swap Events button switches the position of two selected events in the
queue.
This is useful if you have images in the wrong order for compositing. The
background image has to be first and the foreground image with the alpha
channel on page 7905 has to be second.
Procedures
To switch the positions of two events in the queue:
1 Highlight both events.
2
Click Swap.
Swap Events might not be allowed if the result would be impossible to execute.
In this sample queue, the two top level events, Front and Fade, could be
swapped. You can almost always swap events at the top level.
Swap Events | 6801
However, at lower levels, where events start getting nested, the output of a
lower level event must be valid input to its parent event. In the sample queue,
the output of the Loop Once event would not be recognized by the Fade event,
so the Swap Events button remains inactive and you cannot swap them.
Execute Sequence
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Execute Sequence
You execute the Video Post queue as the final step in creating a post-produced
video. Execution is different from rendering because rendering is done for
scenes only and you can use Video Post to composite images and animations
without including the current 3ds Max scene.
Although the Execute Video Post controls are similar to those of the Render
Setup dialog, the setting are independent, and do not affect each other.
During execution, you can move or close the rendered frame window, but
you cannot use the rest of 3ds Max until the execution is completed or
cancelled.
The rendering time for the last rendered frame in the Video Post sequence is
displayed in the prompt line of the main 3ds Max window.
Procedures
To execute the queue:
1
Click Execute Sequence.
An Execute Video Post dialog appears.
2 Set the time range and output size, and then click Render to create the
video.
3 When execution is done, click Close to dismiss the Video Post progress
dialog if it is still open.
6802 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
Time Output group
Select the frames to execute:
Single Current frame only.
You can execute a single frame only if it falls within the current range.
Range All the frames between and including the two numbers.
Every Nth frame Regular sample of frames. For example, enter 8 to execute
every 8th frame.
Output Size group
Format Choose Custom or a standard film or video format from the list. For
Custom, you can set the aperture width of the camera, the rendering output
resolution, and the image aspect ratio or pixel aspect ratio. When you choose
a standard format, the aperture width and aspect ratios are locked, but you
can change the resolution.
Width/Height Specify the width and height of the image, in pixels. For
Custom, you can set these two spinners independently. For other formats,
the two spinners are locked to the specified aspect ratio, so changing one
changes the other.
Resolution Buttons Specifies a preset resolution. Right-click a button to display
a subdialog on page 6804 that lets you change the resolution specified by that
button.
Execute Sequence | 6803
Image Aspect Sets the aspect ratio of the image. As you alter the Image Aspect,
you also alter the Height value to maintain the correct aspect ratio. For standard
formats, the image aspect ratio is locked, and this spinner is replaced by a text
display.
If you lock the Image Aspect (by clicking the Lock button), Width and Height
are locked to each other, so that changing one changes the other to maintain
the image aspect ratio, and changing the Pixel Aspect value changes the Height
value to maintain the image aspect ratio.
Pixel Aspect Sets the aspect ratio of the pixels of the image. For standard
formats, the pixel aspect ratio is determined by the format and this spinner
is replaced by a text display.
If you lock the pixel aspect ratio (by clicking the Lock button), the Pixel Aspect
spinner is replaced by a text display. The Lock button is available only for the
Custom format.
Output group
Keep Progress Dialog Forces the Video Post Progress dialog to remain displayed
when the Video Post sequence has finished executing. By default, it closes
automatically. If this option is selected, you must click the Close button to
close the dialog.
Rendered Frame Window Displays the Video Post execution in a window
on the screen.
Net Render Enables network rendering on page 8057. If Net Render is turned
on, when you render you'll see the Network Job Assignment dialog on page
6481.
Configure Presets
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Execute Sequence >
Right-click any Resolution button. > Configure Presets dialog
If you use the Custom format for Execute Sequence on page 6802, you can change
the values for any preset resolution button by right-clicking the button.
If you use one of the standard formats, the Width and Height spinners are
locked to the standard's image aspect ratio, and the Aspect Ratio spinner is
replaced by a text display.
After you change these values and exit the Configure Presets dialog, you must
click the button to apply the new values to the Execute Sequence dialog.
6804 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
Width Specifies the width of the image, in pixels.
Height Specifies the height of the image, in pixels.
Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect ratio of the image. As you alter the Image Aspect
value, you also alter the Height value so that the correct aspect ratio is
maintained for the resolution.
Edit Range Bar
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Edit Range Bar
The Edit Range Bar provides editing functions for the range bars that appear
in the event tracks area.
When Edit Range Bar is on, you can:
■
Select any event by clicking its range bar (it turns red when selected).
■
Move the range bar while maintaining its range by dragging in the middle
of the bar.
■
Change the start or end frame of the range by dragging either end of its
bar.
Procedures
To select a range bar, do one of the following:
1 Click the range bar in the event tracks area.
2 Click the associated event name or icon in the queue.
Edit Range Bar | 6805
To select multiple range bars:
1 Click a range bar.
2 Hold down Ctrl and click additional range bars.
To select multiple contiguous range bars:
1 Click a range bar.
2 Hold down Shift and click another range bar.
Both range bars you clicked and all range bars between them, if any, are
selected.
NOTE In a multiple selection, the last range bar you select becomes the
current event, displayed with red squares in its endpoints. The align
commands use the current event.
To move a range bar:
■
Click and drag the center of the range bar left or right.
To change the length of a range bar:
■
Click and drag one of range bar's endpoints left or right.
If multiple range bars are selected, dragging one endpoint changes all
selected range bars.
To change the number of frames in an event:
1 Double-click the range bar in the event tracks area or select the event and
click the Edit Current Event button.
2 Change the VP Start Time or VP End Time values.
Align Selected Left
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select two or more range
bars. > Video Post toolbar > Align Selected Left
The Align Selected Left button left-aligns two or more selected range bars.
6806 | Chapter 22 Video Post
When you select two or more range bars, the last one selected is the current
event. The end boxes of the other events are white, while the end boxes of
the current event are red. When you click Align Selected Left, the current
event stays in place, and the remaining selected events are aligned to its left
end.
Procedures
To change the number of frames in an event, do one of the following:
1 Double-click the range bar in the event tracks area.
2 Click the Edit Current Event button in the toolbar.
Align Selected Right
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select two or more range
bars. > Video Post toolbar > Align Selected Right
The Align Selected Right button right-aligns two or more selected range bars.
When you select two or more range bars, the last one selected is the current
event. The end boxes of the other events are white, while the end boxes of
the current event are red. When you click Align Selected Right, the current
event stays in place, and the remaining selected events are aligned to its right
end.
Procedures
To change the number of frames in an event, do one of the following:
1 Double-click the range bar in the event tracks area.
2 Click the Edit Current Event button in the toolbar.
Make Selected Same Size
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select one or more
events. > Video Post toolbar > Make Selected Same Size
Align Selected Right | 6807
The Make Selected Same Size button makes all selected events the same size
as the current event.
When you select two or more range bars, the last one selected is the current
event. The end boxes of the other events are white, while the end boxes of
the current event are red. When you click Make Selected Same Size, the current
event stays in place, and the remaining selected events are expand or shrink
to cover the same number of frames.
Procedures
To change the number of frames in an event, do one of the following:
1 Double-click the range bar in the event tracks area.
2 Click the Edit Current Event button in the toolbar.
Abut Selected
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select events in the
queue. > Video Post toolbar > Abut Selected
The Abut Selected button places the selected events end-to-end, so that when
one ends the next one starts.
The selected events are placed end-to-end according to their order in the
queue.
Add Scene Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure no events
are selected in the queue. > Video Post toolbar > Add Scene
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a scene from the
Video Post Queue. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Add Scene Event button adds the scene in the selected camera viewport
to the queue. A Scene event is a view of the current 3ds Max scene. You can
choose which view to display and how to synchronize the scene with the final
video. Like Image Input events, Scene events place an image in the queue, but
a Scene event is the current 3ds Max scene and it must be rendered when you
execute the Video Post queue. The scene is rendered exactly as it would be by
6808 | Chapter 22 Video Post
the scanline renderer on page 8116, with the additional options listed below.
The resulting scene image has an alpha channel on page 7905.
You can use multiple Scene events to show two views of the same scene
simultaneously or to cut from one view to another. If you have more than
one Scene event in the queue, and they occupy the same time range, composite
them with an Image Layer event on page 6824 such as Cross Fade or Simple
Wipe. Otherwise, the second Scene Event overwrites the first even though
your system has spent the time processing both events.
Procedures
To add a Scene event:
1 Make sure no events are selected in the queue.
2
Click Add Scene.
An Add Scene Event dialog appears.
3 Choose a view to use from the View list.
4 Click Render Setup to change rendering settings from the way you have
set them in the Render Setup dialog.
NOTE Unlike settings in the Execute Video Post dialog, changes you make
to the Scene event rendering options change the Render Setup dialog settings,
and vice-versa.
5 Set the Scene Range options and click OK.
The Scene event appears at the end of the queue.
To match the scene's frames with Video Post frames:
■
Make sure Lock To Video Post Range is selected.
Lock To Video Post Range is the default. Frames in the scene match Video
Post frames and have the same frame number. That is, frame 0 in the scene
is frame 0 in the Video Post dialog, frame 15 in the scene is frame 15 in
Video Post, and so on. The range bar for the Scene event represents which
portion of the scene is selected. If the range bar covers Video Post frames
25 to 35, executing the queue renders scene frames 25 to 35. Moving the
range bar for the scene is like moving a time window within the scene.
Other Scene Range options are disabled when Lock To Video Post Range
is selected.
Add Scene Event | 6809
To offset the scene in time:
■
Select Lock Range Bar To Scene Range.
The Scene Start control is enabled but the Scene End control remains
disabled: synchronization is controlled by the Scene Start value and the
length of the range bar.
The Scene Start value is the scene frame number where playback begins.
If Scene Start is 0, frame 0 of the scene is the first frame played back; if
Scene Start is 12, frame 12 is the first frame to play, and so on.
The range bar length determines how many frames of the scene to play.
Dragging the end point of the range bar changes the length of the playback
range. Although Scene End is unavailable, its value updates to show the
frame number of the last scene frame that will be played.
Dragging the range bar changes where the scene is played within the final
video. For example, if you set Scene Start to 5 and move the range bar to
begin at Video Post frame 20, frame 5 is played at frame 20 of the final
video, and so on.
To offset the scene and change scene playback rate:
■
Turn off Lock Range Bar To Scene Range.
With Lock Range Bar to Scene Range off, both Scene Start and Scene End
are enabled. As before, Scene Start specifies the first scene frame to play.
Scene End specifies the last scene frame to play, and the length of the range
bar determines playback speed.
If the range bar specifies the same number of Video Post frames as there
are corresponding scene frames, then playback is at the scene's playback
rate. If the range bar specifies fewer frames, the scene is sped up. If the
range bar specifies more frames, the scene is slowed down. When it
executes, Video Post automatically skips frames or adds frames to control
the speed of scene playback.
For example, if Scene Start is frame 5 and Scene End is frame 35, the range
bar represents 30 frames overall. If the range bar covers only 10 Video Post
frames, scene playback is sped up to fit 30 frames into 10 of the final video.
If on the other hand, the range bar covers 120 frames, scene playback is
stretched to slow it down.
To render the full scene backwards:
1 Turn off Lock To Video Post Range.
2 Turn off Lock Range Bar To Scene Range.
6810 | Chapter 22 Video Post
3 Set Scene Start to the last frame in the scene.
4 Set Scene End to the first frame in the scene.
The length of the range bar also determines the playback speed of the
reversed scene.
To add scene motion blur:
1 Select Scene Motion Blur in the Scene Event dialog.
2 Set the scene motion blur parameters.
The Scene event generates motion blur by simulating a camera with an
open shutter. It interpolates and then renders movement within a frame,
to generate a series of images of the moving object, instead of the default
single image.
Interface
The Add Scene Event and Edit Scene Event dialogs have the same controls.
Add Scene Event | 6811
View group
Label Lets you edit the event name. A unique name can make the scene event
easier to distinguish in a long list of events.
Viewport Select the viewport you want to render.
Scene Options group
Enables various rendering effects.
Render Setup Displays a subset of the Render Setup dialog on page 6067
parameters. Changes you make here affect the Render Setup dialog as well.
6812 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Scene Motion Blur Turns on the scene motion-blur on page 8117 effect for the
whole scene. This is different from object motion blur on page 8063, which
creates motion blur for individual objects in the scene.
When you render with Scene Motion Blur activated, the Render Progress dialog
tells you which subsample is being rendered. The information appears in
parentheses to the right of the "Rendering Image" text.
Duration Sets the virtual shutter speed for motion blur. When set to 1.0, the
virtual shutter is open for the entire duration between one frame and the next.
When set to a smaller number, such as 0.25, the number of subdivisions
specified in the Duration Subdivision field will be rendered within the specified
portion of the frame (in this example, in the first fourth of the duration
between one frame and the next).
Duration Subdivisions Determines how many sub-frame slices are rendered
within the Duration. The default is 2 slices, but you'll want at least 5 or 6 to
get a decent effect.
Dither % Sets the amount of dithering on page 7956 between blurred pixels of
overlapping frame slices. If Dither % is set to 0, no dithering occurs.
Scene Range group
Scene Start/End Sets the range of scene frames to be rendered.
Lock Range Bar to Scene Range Becomes available when you deselect Lock
To Video Post Range. When it's available, the End spinner is disabled and
locked to the Video Post range. When you change the Start spinner it
automatically updates the End spinner based on the Video Post range set for
this event.
If you turn off Lock Range Bar To Scene Range, you can change either Start
or End spinners to whatever you want. This allows you to keep your scene
range locked to its native length, and still provides flexibility for mapping an
arbitrary scene range to an arbitrary Video Post range.
Lock to Video Post Range Renders the same range of scene frames as Video
Post frames. You can set the Video Post range in the Execute Video Post dialog.
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Sets the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Add Scene Event | 6813
Enabled Toggles the event. When off, the event is disabled and Video Post
ignores it when rendering the queue. You must disable each event individually.
For example, disabling a composite layer event does not disable the composited
image events. The range bars of disabled events are unavailable in the event
track area.
Add Image Input Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure no events
are selected in the queue. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Input Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an Image Input
Event. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Add Image Input Event adds a still or moving image to the scene. Image
Input events place an image in the queue, but unlike Scene events, the image
is either a file that was saved beforehand or a device-generated image.
The image can be in one of the following file formats:
AVI Files on page 7326
BMP Files on page 7328
CIN (Kodak Cineon) Files on page 7328
CWS (Combustion Workspace) Files on page 7329
GIF Files on page 7334
HDRI Files on page 7334
IFL Files on page 7339
MOV (QuickTime Movie) Files on page 7348
MPEG Files on page 7348
JPEG Files on page 7347
PNG Files on page 7360
PSD Files on page 7361
RLA Files on page 7364
RPF Files on page 7366
RGB (SGI Image) Files on page 7369
6814 | Chapter 22 Video Post
TGA (Targa) Files on page 7370
TIFF Files on page 7372
YUV Files on page 7374
DDS Files on page 7330
Procedures
To add an Image Input event:
1 Make sure no events are selected in the queue.
2
Click Add Image Input Event.
An Add Image Input Event dialog appears.
3 Click Files to choose a bitmap or animation as the image, or click Devices
to choose an image-generating device.
If you click Files, a file dialog appears to let you choose the bitmap or
animation file.
If you choose Devices, a Select Image Input Device dialog appears. This
dialog has a list of installed device options.
4 Click Options to choose the size and placement of the image in the final
video frames.
An Image Input Options dialog appears.
5 Adjust other Image Input settings, and then click OK.
The Image Input event appears at the end of the queue.
TIP Think of images that share the same time range as layers, comparable
to matted film images in a compositor. Images that share a time range must
be composited with an Image Layer event on page 6824; otherwise, the second
image in the queue "overwrites" the first.
To align the input image, do one of the following in the Image Input Options
dialog:
1 Choose Presets and then click one of the preset alignment buttons.
2 Choose Coordinates and then enter the X,Y coordinates for the image's
location.
Add Image Input Event | 6815
The upper-left corner is (0,0) for both the input image and the output
frame. Increasing X moves the image to the right, and increasing Y moves
the image down. Negative values move the image in the opposite
direction. X and Y values specify pixels.
To set the input image size, do one of the following in the Image Input
Options dialog:
1 Choose Do Not Resize to maintain the image's original resolution.
2 Choose Resize To Fit to change the image size to match the output frame.
This can change the image resolution, causing it to be rescaled for every
frame.
3 Choose Custom Size and then enter the width and height of the image
in the output frame.
To control playback of an animated image:
1 In the Frames group of the Image Input Options dialog on page 6818, set
the input animation frame range and speed.
2 Turn on Loop At The End if you want the animation to repeat. Turn off
Loop At The End if you want the animation to stop after playback.
This option applies only when the input animation is shorter than the
final video.
Interface
The Add Image Input Event and Edit Image Input Event dialogs have the same
controls.
6816 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Image Input group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make the
image event easier to distinguish in a long list of events.
Files Lets you choose the bitmap or animation image file.
Devices Lets you choose an installed hardware input device; for example, a
digital disk recorder.
Options Displays the Image Input Options dialog on page 6818 to allow you to
set up alignment, size, and frame range for the input image.
Cache Stores a bitmap in memory. If you are using a single-image bitmap,
you can choose this option. Video Post won't reload or scale the image for
each frame.
Image Driver group
These buttons are available only when you choose a device as the image source.
Add Image Input Event | 6817
About Provides information on the source of the image-handler software used
to bring the image into 3ds Max.
Setup Displays a setup dialog specific to the plug-in. Some plug-ins might not
use this button.
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Sets the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When this box is off, the event is
disabled and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must
be disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Image Input Options
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure no events
are selected in the queue. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Input Event >
Select a file for input. > Options
The Image Input Options dialog contains controls for setting the image's size
and placement relative to the frames of video output. For animated input,
you also use it to synchronize the Image Input event with the frame sequence
of video output. The same dialog appears when you click Options from the
Mask area of the Filter Event and Layer Event dialogs.
Procedures
To align the input image, do one of the following in the Image Input Options
dialog:
1 Choose Presets and then click one of the preset alignment buttons.
2 Choose Coordinates and then enter the X,Y coordinates for the image's
location.
The upper-left corner is (0,0) for both the input image and the output
frame. Increasing X moves the image to the right, and increasing Y moves
the image down. Negative values move the image in the opposite
direction. X and Y values specify pixels.
6818 | Chapter 22 Video Post
To set the input image size, do one of the following in the Image Input
Options dialog:
1 Choose Do Not Resize to maintain the image's original resolution.
2 Choose Resize to Fit to change the image size to match the output frame.
This can change the image resolution, causing it to be rescaled for every
frame.
3 Choose Custom Size and then enter the width and height of the image
in the output frame.
To control playback of an animated image:
1 In the Frames group, set the From, To and Step values.
2 Select Loop at the End if you want the animation to repeat. Clear Loop
at the End if you want the animation to stop after playback.
This option applies only when the input animation is shorter than the
final video.
Image Input Options | 6819
Interface
Alignment group
Presets Positions the image according to one of the preset buttons: Top-left,
Center, Top-right, and so on. Mutually exclusive with Coordinates.
Coordinates Positions the image according to coordinates you enter. Mutually
exclusive with Presets.
Size group
Do Not Resize Retains the image's original, stored dimensions.
Resize to Fit Resizes the image to the size of the Video Post rendered image
(default).
Custom Size Resizes the image according to width and height units you enter.
6820 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Frames group
From/To Specifies the range of frames to use if the image input file is an
animation or video.
Step Sets the interval between the frames you want to use. For example, if
this spinner is set to 7, 3ds Max uses every seventh frame.
Loop at End Plays the frames from the beginning when the last frame is
reached. This will take effect if the frame range used is less than the Video
Post frame range.
Add Image Filter Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure no events
are selected in the queue. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a filter from the
Video Post Queue. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Add Image Filter Event provides image processing for images and scenes.
Several kinds of image filters are provided, see list below. For example, the
Negative filter inverts the colors of an image and the Fade filter fades an image
in or out over time.
An Image Filter event is usually a parent event with a single child (which can
itself be a parent with children), for example, a Scene event, an Image Input
event, a Layer event that contains Scene or Image Input events, or a Filter
event that contains Scene or Image Input events. You can also add an Image
Filter without a child event, in which case the Image Filter processes the result
of the previous events in the queue.
Available Image Filters
Contrast Filter on page 6837
Fade Filter on page 6838
Image Alpha Filter on page 6839
Lens Effects Filters on page 6840
Negative Filter on page 6841
Pseudo Alpha Filter on page 6842
Add Image Filter Event | 6821
Simple Wipe Filter on page 6843
Starfield Filter on page 6844
Procedures
To add an image filter event:
1 Either select a valid child event, or make sure no event is selected in the
queue.
2
Click Add Image Filter Event.
An Add Image Filter Event dialog appears.
3 Choose the kind of filter you want from the Filter Plug-In list.
4 If the Setup button is enabled for this kind of filter, click Setup to set the
filter options.
5 Choose a mask if you want the filter to be masked or if the kind of filter
you're using requires it.
6 Adjust other Image Filter settings, and then click OK.
If you selected a child event, the Image Filter event becomes its parent.
If no event was selected, the Image Filter event appears at the end of the
queue.
To choose the mask file:
1 Click Files.
2 Use the file dialog to choose the mask file, and then click OK.
3 Choose the channel to use from the drop-down list of channels.
To position or resize the mask:
■
Click Options.
An Image Input Options dialog appears, identical to the dialog you use
with Image Input events.
If the mask is animated, you also use this dialog to specify its time range
and playback speed.
6822 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
The Add Image Filter Event and Edit Filter Event dialogs have the same
controls.
Filter Plug-In group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make the
filter event easier to distinguish in a long list of events.
Filter List Lists the filter plug-ins on page 8092 you have installed.
See the separate help topics for a description of the filters that come with 3ds
Max by clicking any of the filters listed above.
About Provides version and source information specific to the plug-in.
Setup Displays a setup dialog specific to the plug-in. Some plug-ins might not
use this button.
Add Image Filter Event | 6823
Mask group
Channels If you are using a bitmap as the mask file, you can use the Alpha
channel, the Red, Green, or Blue channel, Luminance, Z-Buffer, Material
Effects, or Object ID.
Files Select a file to use as a mask. The name of the selected file appears above
the Files button.
Options Displays an Image Input Options dialog on page 6818 where you can
set alignment and size, relative to the frames of video output. For animated
images, you can also synchronize the mask with the frame sequence of video
output. This is the same dialog used for Image Input Event options.
Enabled Enables the mask. If turned off, Video Post ignores any other mask
settings.
Inverted When turned on, the mask is inverted.
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Set the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When turned off, the event is disabled
and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must be
disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Add Image Layer Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer EventRendering menu
> Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Layer Event. > Video Post toolbar
> Edit Current Event
The Add Image Layer Event adds a compositing plug-in on page 8092 to layer
the selected images in the queue.
Provides compositing plug-ins that use the previous event in the queue as a
source, and composite the next event, using the parameters of the plug-in
6824 | Chapter 22 Video Post
compositor. The list might include plug-ins for special transformations, such
as wipes, etc.
An Image layer event is always a parent event with two children. The children
can themselves be parents with children. The children of an Image Layer event
can be Scene events, Image Input events, Layer events that contain Scene or
Image Input events, or Filter events that contain Scene or Image Input events.
Available Image Layer Event Filters
Alpha Compositor on page 6909
Cross Fade Compositor on page 6910
Pseudo Alpha Compositor on page 6911
Simple Additive Compositor on page 6912
Simple Wipe Compositor on page 6913
Procedures
To add an image layer event:
1 Make sure the two child events are in the order you want the Image Layer
event to use them.
2 Select the two events.
Click to select the first event, then hold Ctrl and click to select the second.
3
Click Add Image Layer Event.
An Add Image Layer Event dialog appears.
4 Choose the kind of layer event you want from the Layer Plug-In
drop-down list.
5 If the Setup button is enabled for this kind of layer event, click Setup to
set the options.
6 Choose a mask if you want the layer event to be masked.
7 Adjust other Image Layer settings, and then click OK.
The Image Layer event becomes the parent of the two child events you
selected.
Add Image Layer Event | 6825
To choose the mask file:
1 Click Files.
2 Use the file dialog to choose the mask file, and then click OK.
3 Choose the channel to use from the drop-down list of channels.
To position or resize the mask:
■
Click Options.
An Image Input Options dialog appears, identical to the dialog you use
with Image Input events.
If the mask is animated, you also use this dialog to specify its time range
and playback speed.
Interface
The Add Layer Image Event and Edit Layer Event dialogs have the same
controls.
6826 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Layer Plug-In group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make it
easier to distinguish the layer event in a long list of events.
Layer List Selects the compositor 3ds Max uses for layering the rendered
images in the queue. Alpha is the default compositor, but you can also choose
from any others you have installed. See the separate help topics for descriptions
of the compositors that come with 3ds Max.
About Provides version or source information specific to the plug-in on page
8092.
Setup Displays a setup dialog specific to the plug-in. Some plug-ins might not
use this button.
Mask group
Channels If you are using a bitmap as the mask file, you can use the Alpha
channel, the Red, Green, or Blue channel, Luminance, Z-Buffer or Material
Effects channel, or Object ID.
Files Select a file to use as a mask. The name of the selected file appears above
the Files button.
Options Displays the Image Input Options dialog on page 6818 where you can
set alignment and size, relative to the frames of video output. For animated
images, you can also synchronize the mask with the frame sequence of video
output. This is the same dialog used for Image Input Event options.
Enabled Enables the mask. If turned off, Video Post ignores any other mask
settings.
Inverted When turned on, the mask is inverted.
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Set the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When turned off, the event is disabled
and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must be
disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Add Image Layer Event | 6827
Add Image Output Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Output Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an Image Output
event. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Add Image Output Event provides controls for editing an output image
event.
Image Output events send the result of executing the Video Post queue to a
file or a device. You must add an Image Output event to the end of the queue
if you want to save the final video. Otherwise, the results are displayed in the
rendered frame window only. The Image Output event's range bar must include
the entire range of frames you want to output.
The rendered output can be a still image or an animation, in one of the
following file formats:
AVI Files on page 7326
BMP Files on page 7328
CIN (Kodak Cineon) Files on page 7328
EPS and PS (Encapsulated PostScript) Files on page 7332
HDRI Files on page 7334
JPEG Files on page 7347
PNG Files on page 7360
MOV (QuickTime Movie) Files on page 7348
RLA Files on page 7364
RPF Files on page 7366
RGB (SGI Image) Files on page 7369
TGA (Targa) Files on page 7370
TIFF Files on page 7372
You also have the option to direct the output to a VTR controller output
device. If you have multiple output image events, you can output to different
devices. This lets you monitor your queue with VTR output devices and view
your output at any level of the Video Post queue during rendering.
6828 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Procedures
To add an image output event:
1
Click Add Image Output Event.
Image Output disregards whether any events in the queue are selected
or not.
2 Click Files to save the final video in a file, or Devices to send the video
to a device.
If you click Files, a file dialog appears to let you choose the bitmap or
animation file.
If you choose Devices, a Select Image Output Device dialog appears. This
dialog has a drop-down list of installed device options.
3 Adjust other parameters, and then click OK.
The Image Output Event appears at the end of the queue.
If you choose a device, its configuration controls are enabled:
Interface
The Add Image Output Event and Edit Output Image Event dialogs have the
same controls.
Add Image Output Event | 6829
Image File group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make it
easier to distinguish the output event in a long list of events.
Files Lets you choose the output image file and its format.
Devices Lets you choose the hardware output device; for example, a digital
video recorder. The device, its driver, and its 3ds Max plug-in must all be
installed on your system to use device output.
Image Driver group
The two buttons in this area are available only when you choose a device as
the image source.
About Provides information on the source of the image-handler software used
to create the image from 3ds Max.
Setup Displays device-specific setup options.
6830 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Set the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When turned off, the event is disabled
and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must be
disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Add External Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add External Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an External event.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
An External event is typically a program that performs image processing. It
can also be a batch file or utility that you want to run at a specific point in
the queue, or a way to transfer images from or to the Windows clipboard.
An External event is always a child event. If you select an event in the queue
before you add the External event, the External event becomes the selected
event's child. Child events are evaluated before their parents.
Procedures
To add an external event:
1 Select an event.
2
Click Add External Event.
An Add External Event dialog appears.
3 Click Browse.
A file dialog appears.
4 Use the file dialog to choose the external program you want to execute,
and then click OK.
Add External Event | 6831
5 If the external program accepts command-line options, enter these in
the Command Line Options field.
6 If you want the external program to read the current Video Post image,
turn on Write Image To Clipboard.
7 If you want Video Post to use the result of the external program, turn on
Read Image From Clipboard.
8 Click OK.
If you selected an event, the External event becomes its child. If no event
was selected, the External event appears at the end of the queue.
WARNING The image that the External event reads from the clipboard is placed
in the Video Post queue. If the external program does not do what you want, this
can erase or overwrite the result of all Video Post post-processing.
Interface
The Add External Event and Edit External Event dialogs have the same controls.
6832 | Chapter 22 Video Post
External Event group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make the
external event easier to distinguish in a long list of events.
Browse Lets you select an external program. For example, you can specify
Adobe Photoshop™ or another image-processing application.
Add External Event | 6833
Command-Line Options group
For external programs that accept command-line options, lets you send
real-time data to the external program. 3ds Max parses three special commands.
When found in a string, these commands are replaced with real-time data, as
follows:
■
%f is replaced with a 4-digit frame number (for example, 0001)
■
%w is replaced with a 4-digit image width (for example, 0640)
■
%h is replaced with a 4-digit image height (for example, 0480)
For example, if the given command-line option is:
-w%w -h%h -oframe%f.tga
The string sent to the external program might be:
-w0640 -h0480 -oframe0001.tga
Write image to clipboard When on, writes the current rendered image to
the Windows clipboard for retrieval by an external application.
Read image from clipboard When on, reads the contents of the Windows
clipboard after processing by the external application. When the processed
image is saved to the clipboard, it automatically appears in Video Post. With
an automated script, it is possible to run the image through any external image
processor and get it back automatically.
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Set the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When turned off, the event is disabled
and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must be
disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Add Loop Event
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Loop Event
6834 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Loop event. >
Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
Loop events cause other events to repeat over time in the output video. They
control sequencing, but perform no image processing.
A Loop event is always a parent event with a single child. The child itself can
be a parent with children. Any type of event can be the child of a Loop event,
including another Loop event.
The Loop event's range bar displays the original duration of the child event's
playback in color and the range of looped events in gray. You can change the
duration of the child event's playback by dragging the child's frame range or
the child's original range in the Loop event's track, but you can adjust the full
length of the loop (the gray part of the range bar) only by changing the
Number of Times parameter in the Edit Loop Event dialog.
Procedures
To add a loop event:
1 Select the child event.
2
Click Add Loop Event.
An Add Loop Event dialog appears.
3 Choose the loop settings, and then click OK.
The Loop event appears as the parent of the selected event.
The Loop event repeats the child event over the course of the Loop event's
range.
Interface
The Add Loop Event and Edit Loop Event dialogs have the same controls.
Add Loop Event | 6835
Order group
Label Lets you give the event a unique name. A unique name can make it
easier to distinguish the loop event in a long list of events.
■
Loop (The default.) Repeats the child event by starting it over when the
child event reaches the end of its range.
■
Ping Pong Repeats the child event by playing it first forward, then
backward, then forward, and so on. The last frame of the child event is
not repeated.
Number of Times group
Specifies the number of times to repeat the loop or ping pong, in addition to
the first time that the child event is played.
6836 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Video Post Parameters group
VP Start Time/End Time Set the starting and ending frames for the selected
event within the overall Video Post queue. Video Post renders the event over
the number of frames specified here.
Enabled Enables or disables the event. When turned off, the event is disabled
and Video Post ignores it when rendering the queue. Each event must be
disabled individually. For example, disabling a composite layer event does
not disable the composited image events. The range bars of disabled events
are unavailable in the event track area.
Filter Events
Contrast Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Contrast Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Contrast Filter.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event > Setup
The Contrast filter allows you to adjust the contrast and brightness of an
image.
Interface
Contrast Set the spinner between 0 and 1.0. This compresses or expands the
latitude between maximum black and maximum white by creating a 16-bit
Filter Events | 6837
look-up table for any given gray value in the image. The computation of the
gray value depends on whether you select Absolute or Derived.
Brightness Set the spinner between 0 and 1.0. This increases or decreases all
color components (red, green, and blue).
Absolute/Derived Determines the computation of the gray value for Contrast.
Absolute uses the highest value of any of the color components. Derived uses
an average of the three color components.
Fade Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Fade Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Fade Filter. >
Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event > Setup
The Fade filter fades an image in or out over time. The rate of the fade is
determined by the length of the Fade filter's time range.
Fade fades out to black or in from black, over time.
6838 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
In Fade in.
Out Fade out.
Image Alpha Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Image Alpha Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an Alpha Filter.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Image Alpha filter replaces the image's alpha channel with the channel
specified by the filter mask.
The filter takes whatever channel is selected in the channel options under
Mask (including g-buffer on page 7991 channel data) and applies it to the queue's
alpha channel, thereby replacing what's there.
If you don't choose a mask, this filter has no effect.
There are no setup options for this filter.
Procedures
To set an object's G-Buffer ID:
1 Select the object.
2 Right-click the object and then choose Properties on page 305 from the
popup menu.
3 In the Object Properties dialog, set G-Buffer Object Channel to a nonzero
value, and then click OK.
Image Alpha Filter | 6839
The G-Buffer ID can be any positive integer.
If you give the same G-Buffer ID value to more than one object, all these
objects will be post-processed.
Lens Effects Filters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose a Lens Effects Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
The Lens Effects filters add realistic camera flares, glows, gleams, glimmers,
and depth-of-field blurring to your scenes. Lens Effects can affect an entire
scene or can be generated around specific objects in your scene.
Lens Effects are applied through the Video Post interface. To learn about
adding scene and image filter events to the video post queue, see Add Scene
Event on page 6808, and Add Image Filter Event on page 6821.
Lens Effects includes the following filters:
■
Lens Effects Flare on page 6849: Creates the optical effect that occurs when
a bright light reflects across the lens of a camera.
■
Lens Effects Focus on page 6871: Creates a blur on objects based on their
distance from the camera. tracks an object’s distance from the camera
using a Z-Buffer. Focus uses the Z-Buffer information from the scene to
create its blurring effects.
■
Lens Effects Glow on page 6875: Creates a glowing light around any assigned
object, such as a laser beam or the thruster on a space ship.
■
Lens Effects Highlight on page 6887: Creates a bright cross star effect on a
designated object.
WARNING When you animate Lens Effects parameters, this creates pointers into
the actual scene, so Lens Effects animation is lost if you save the Video Post queue
in a VPX file on page 8165. To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data,
including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
Procedures
Len Effects like Glow and Highlight can be set to affect specific objects in your
scene based on their G-Buffer ID on page 7991. This lets you apply glows and
highlights to the object, or to the material, or both.
6840 | Chapter 22 Video Post
To set an object's G-Buffer ID:
1 Select the object.
2 Right-click the object and then choose Properties from the quad menu.
3 In the Object Properties dialog, set G-Buffer Object Channel to a non-zero
value, and then click OK.
The G-Buffer ID can be any positive integer.
If you give the same G-Buffer ID value to more than one object, all these
objects will be post-processed.
Negative Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Negative Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Negative Filter.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event > Setup
The Negative filter inverts the colors in the image, making it negative like a
negative color photograph.
Effect of negative filter
When you click the Setup button in the Edit Filter Event dialog for the Negative
filter, the Video Post dialog is replaced by a modeless Negative Filter dialog
with a Blend spinner. You can turn on Auto Key, move the time slider, and
change the Blend value to create keys. (You can also use other 3ds Max
functions; for example, you can create objects.) When you've set all the keys
you want, click the OK button to return to Video Post.
Negative Filter | 6841
After creating keys from the Video Post filter, you'll find the track for the new
keys as a child of the Video Post track in the Track View – Curve Editor.
Specifically, in the above example, you'll find the following hierarchy in the
Curve Editor:
Interface
Blend Sets the amount of blending that occurs.
Pseudo Alpha Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Pseudo Alpha Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Contrast Filter.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Edit Pseudo Alpha filter creates an alpha channel for the image based on
the image's first pixel (the upper-left corner pixel). All pixels that have the
same color as this pixel become transparent.
6842 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Because only one pixel color becomes clear, edges of the opaque areas are
aliased. The main use for this filter is when you want to composite a bitmap
whose format does not have an alpha channel.
There is also a layer event called the Pseudo Alpha Compositor on page 6911.
There are no setup options for this filter.
Simple Wipe Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Simple Wipe Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Simple Wipe
Filter. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event > Setup
The Simple Wipe filter reveals or erases the foreground image with a wipe
transition. Unlike the Wipe Layer compositor on page 6913, Wipe Filter wipes
across a fixed image.
Wipe reveals an image by wiping from one side to the other, over time.
This filter wipes from image to image (or from an image to black). The filtered
image stays in place, but is revealed or erased with a wipe across the image.
If you're using a Wipe as a filter event, you'll usually want to use an Alpha
Compositor as a layer event as well.
A typical queue sequence would be: Alpha Compositor (layer)
-->Image #1
-->Simple Wipe (filter)
------>Image #2
Simple Wipe Filter | 6843
The rate of the wipe is determined by the length of the Wipe filter's time range.
The area not covered by the image renders as black unless you use an Image
Layer event to composite the Wipe filter with another image.
Interface
Direction group
Right-pointing arrow Wipes from left to right.
Left-pointing arrow Wipes from right to left.
Mode group
Push Reveals the image.
Pop Erases the image.
Starfield Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Starfield Filter from the Filter Plug-In list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Starfield Filter.
> Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event > Setup
The Starfield filter generates a realistic starfield with optional motion blur.
The Starfield filter requires a camera view. Any motion of the stars is a result
of camera motion.
6844 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Procedures
To use the Starfield filter:
1 Create a camera and (optionally) animate the camera's or target's position,
field of view, and roll.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post and add a Scene Event, using the camera
for the view.
3
Select the Scene Event in the queue, click Add Image Filter, select
the Starfield filter, and click the Setup button.
4 In the Stars Control dialog, make sure that the selected camera matches
the camera used in the Scene Event.
If these don't match, the stars will not match the camera's motion. If
there is only one camera in the scene, the field will default to that camera.
5 Set the starfield parameters, then exit the Stars Control dialog and the
Edit Filter Event dialog.
6 Execute the Video Post sequence to see stars.
Starfield Filter | 6845
Interface
Source Camera group
Source Camera Lets you choose from a list of cameras in the scene. Choose
the same camera as the one being used to render the scene.
General group
Set the brightness range and size of the stars.
Dimmest Star Specifies the dimmest star. Range = 0 to 255.
Brightest Star Specifies the brightest star. Range = 0 to 255.
Linear/Logarithmic Specifies whether the range of brightness is calculated
linearly or logarithmically.
6846 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Star Size (Pixels) Specifies the size of the stars, in pixels. Range = 0.001 to
100.
Motion Blur group
These settings control the streaking effect of the stars when the camera moves.
Use When on, the starfield uses motion blur. When off, the stars appear as
dots, no matter what the camera's motion.
Amount The percentage of the frame time that the camera "shutter" is open.
Default = 75%.
Dimming Determines how the streaked stars will dim as their trails lengthen.
The default of 40 provides a good effect for video, dimming them a bit so they
don't appear to flash.
Star Database group
These settings specify the number of stars in the starfield.
■
Random Generates the number of stars indicated by the Count spinner,
using the random number Seed to initialize the random number generator.
Seed
Initializes the random number generator. By using the same Seed value in
different animations, you're guaranteed identical starfields.
Count
Specifies the number of stars generated when Random is chosen.
■
Custom Reads the file specified. A provided star database, earth.stb,
contains the brightest stars in Earth's sky.
Compositing group
■
Background
(The default.) Composites the stars in the background.
■
Foreground
Composites the stars in the foreground.
Starfield Filter | 6847
Lens Effects Filters
Animating Lens Effects Properties
Lens Effects lets you use Track View to control parameters which can be
animated while Video Post remains open. Any parameter with a green arrow
button next to it can be animated.
When the Auto Key button is selected, the associated spinner or variable is
displayed in Track View and can be animated. If it is not selected, the green
button turns gray to indicate the parameter can no longer be animated.
There are two ways to set Lens Effects parameters for use in animation:
■
Enable the Auto Key button, set the frame in which you want to create a
key, and set the value.
■
Use Track View.
Using Track View
To use Track View with Lens Effects, one of the Lens Effects dialogs for a
particular filter must be open when you start Track View.
NOTE If you open Track View without one of the Lens Effects dialogs being open,
the first Lens Effects object does not appear in the Track View List. If you have
more than one Lens Effects object in the scene, you will see multiple Lens Effects
objects in Track View.
When Track View is open, the Lens Effects filters you have applied are listed
under Video Post on the left side of the Track View interface. Under each filter
are the parameters which can be animated. These are displayed individually.
You can animate only the parameters you need to.
When viewing Gradients in Track View, notice that the first two flags have
only a color track associated with them. This is because they are the start and
end points of the gradient and never move. Any flags created after the first
two will also have a position track associated with them. This means that you
can animate not only the color of any flag in any gradient, but also its position
over time as well.
6848 | Chapter 22 Video Post
If you disable the animation capabilities for a particular lens flare parameter,
the corresponding entry in Track View immediately disappears. For more
information, see Track View on page 3503.
WARNING When you animate Lens Effects parameters, this creates pointers into
the actual scene, so Lens Effects animation is lost if you save the Video Post queue
in a VPX file on page 8165. To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data,
including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
Lens Effects Flare Filter
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup
The Lens Effects Flare dialog lets you add lens flare effects as a post process to
rendering. Flares are usually applied to lights in your scene. The lens flare will
then be generated around that object. You can control all aspects of the lens
flare in the Lens Effects Flare dialog.
Procedures
To save your flare settings, do one of the following:
You can save all of your lens flare settings to a file, so you can reload them
any time. Lens Effects Flare files are saved to an LZF file on page 8029 (.lzf).
1 Click the Reset button.
This resets Lens Effects Flare to its default settings.
2 Click the Load button.
This displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can
select the settings file you want to load.
3 Click the Save button.
This displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename.
Lens Effects Filters | 6849
Interface
Preview group
The large black window in the left corner is the main preview window. To the
right of this window are smaller preview windows for each part of the flare.
You can generate continual previews by clicking the Preview button under
the main preview window.
There are nine Lens Effects Flare preview windows. The main preview window
in the upper left corner of the Lens Effects dialog shows you the complete
scene. The eight smaller preview windows in the upper right corner show the
individual parts of the lens flare. Each small preview window has a check box
below the window to display the flare effect.
You might notice that an individual part of the lens flare effect might not
appear as bright in the smaller preview windows, compared to the main
preview. This is because the brightness of a lens flare in the main preview is
a result of combining the brightness of multiple effects, the total brightness
being greater than a single part.
All of the preview windows are multi-threaded to increase redraw speed and
take advantage of multi-processor systems. When you make an adjustment
6850 | Chapter 22 Video Post
to a lens flare property and the preview window is active, the preview updates
automatically. A white line at the bottom of the main preview window
indicates that it is updating a change made within the lens flare dialog.
Preview When you click the Preview button, the window displays your flare
in the upper left corner if your flare has automatic or manual secondary
elements. If your flare does not contain these elements, the flare is centered
in the preview window. If the VP Queue button is not on, the preview displays
a generic flare to which you can make adjustments. Each time you change a
setting, the preview automatically updates. A white line appears at the bottom
of the preview window to indicate the preview is updating.
Update Redraws the entire Main Preview window, as well as the smaller
windows each time you click this button. This function is critical when you
need to view changes you have made in the Video Post queue, such as moving
the Time Slider to a different frame, changing your geometry or a light, or
changing another filter that precedes the current one in the Video Post queue.
The VP Queue button must be on to preview the contents of the Video Post
queue. In this case, clicking the Update button causes a small dialog to appear,
with an indicator showing the progress of the update.
VP Queue Displays the contents of the Video Post queue in the main preview
window. The Preview button must also be turned on. Rather than having to
test render every time you want to see the result of the effect in the scene, VP
Queue displays a final composite, combining the effect you are editing with
the contents of the Video Post queue.
NOTE If you leave the Preview and VP Queue buttons active when you exit Lens
Effects Flare, it will take several seconds to re-render the scene in the main preview
window the next time you start Lens Effects Flare.
The view in the main preview window also depends upon which lens flare
options you have set in the Preferences panel on page 6854.
Lens Flare Properties group
Specifies global settings for the flare, such as the source for the flare(s), the
size, seed number, rotation, and so on.
Seed Gives the random number generator in Lens Effects a different starting
point, which creates slightly different lens flares without changing any settings.
Using Seed guarantees a different lens flare, even if the differences are very
small. For example, if you set up a ray effect for your lens flare, you will get
slightly different rays in the lens flare if you adjust the seed value.
Lens Effects Filters | 6851
Size Affects the size of the overall lens flare. This value is a percentage of the
size of the rendered frame. Default = 30.
Other parts of the lens flare, such as glow, ring, etc., also have size adjustments,
but this size setting affects the entire lens flare, including secondary flares.
Adjusting individual sizes does not affect this size variable, or vice versa. This
parameter can be animated on page 6848. Animating the Size parameter causes
flares to grow or diminish in size over the course of your animation.
Hue If Apply Hue Globally is selected, it controls the amount of Hue applied
to the Lens Flare effect. This parameter can be animated.
Apply Hue Globally Globally applies the Hue of the Node Source to the other
Flare effects.
Angle Affects the amount that the flare rotates from its default position, as
the position of the flare changes relative to the camera. This parameter can
be animated. The lock button to the right of the Auto Key button locks the
secondary flares so they do rotate. When the button is disabled, the secondary
flares will not rotate.
Animating the Angle parameter does not animate the manual and automatic
secondary flares unless you turn on the L button. The default behavior mimics
a camera, in which the aperture does not rotate.
Rays, stars, and streaks don't animate either unless you turn on their individual
Auto Rotate toggles.
Intensity Controls the overall brightness and opacity of the flare. Higher
values produce bright, more opaque flares, and lower values produce dim,
transparent flares. This parameter can be animated.
Squeeze Squeezes the size of the lens flare, either horizontally or vertically to
compensate for different frame aspect ratios. You can set Squeeze from 100
to -100. Positive values stretch the flare horizontally, and negative values
stretch it vertically. The value is a percentage of the size of the flare. This
parameter can be animated.
For example, if you convert a film for use on TV, applying Squeeze would
cause the lens flare to look correct on the smaller screen, and not thin and
tall, although a wide-screen 35-MM film image is much wider than a regular
TV.
Although Squeeze is a global setting, you can apply this effect to selected
portions of your flare through the Preferences panel on page 6854 so that only
the flare elements you want are distorted. The Squeeze spinner value is given
as a percentage of the size of the flare.
6852 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Node Sources Lets you select the source object for the lens flare effect. The
source of the lens flare may be any object in the scene, but is generally a light,
such as a target spot light, or an omni light. Clicking this button displays the
Select Flare Objects dialog. You must select a source for the flare to key off.
NOTE If you select a source object, then rename the object later, you must reselect
the object to ensure the correct generation of the lens flare.
Lens Flare Effects group
Controls specific effects for the flare, such as fades, brightness, softening, and
so on.
Brighten Lets you set an overall brightness that affects the whole image. When
a bright effect, such as a lens flare, appears in an image, the whole image
should appear brighter. This effect is available only when the Brighten option
is enabled under the Render section of the Preferences panel. This parameter
can be animated on page 6848. Animating the Brighten spinner is an easy way
to create flares that "flash" the scene as they appear.
Dist Fade Causes the effect of the lens flare to fade with its distance from the
camera. This option is used only when the Dist Fade button is turned on. The
values are in 3ds Max world units. This option is used when you want to create
the effect of flares disappearing at a certain point away from the camera.
Cent Fade Fades the secondary flares near the center of the row of flares along
the main axis of the flare. This is an effect that can be seen in many lens flares
seen through a real camera lens. This value is in 3ds Max world units. This
setting is only active when the Cent Fade button is selected.
Dist Blur Blurs the flare based on its distance from the camera. This value is
in 3ds Max world units. This parameter can be animated.
Blur Int Controls the strength of the blur when it is applied to the lens flare.
The value set in this spinner takes full effect as the flare reaches the Dist Blur
distance in your scene. Flares closer to the camera plane get a percentage of
the intensity setting. This parameter can be animated.
Soften Provides an overall softening effect for the lens flare This parameter
can be animated.
Flare Parameter tabs
Let you create and control the lens flare. Each of the nine tabs controls a
specific aspect of the lens flare.
Lens Effects Filters | 6853
WARNING When you animate Lens Effects parameters, this creates pointers into
the actual scene, so Lens Effects animation is lost if you save the Video Post queue
in a VPX file on page 8165. To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data,
including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
A flare is composed of eight basic parts. Each part of a flare is controlled on
its own panel in the Lens Effects Flare interface. Each part of the lens flare can
be individually activated and deactivated to create different effects.
Prefs on page 6854: This page lets you control which parts of a lens flare are
active and how they effect the overall image.
Glow on page 6857: A general glow centered around the source object of the
flare. You can control the color, size, shape, and other aspects of the glow.
Ring on page 6858: A circular color band that surrounds the center of the source
object. You can control the color, size, shape, and other aspects of the ring.
A Sec on page 6860: Auto Secondary Flares. The small circles you would normally
see coming out from the source of the lens flare. As the camera position
changes relative to the source object, the secondary flares move. The secondary
flares are automatically generated when this option is active.
M Sec on page 6861: Manual Secondary Flares. Additional secondary flares added
to the lens flare effect. They appear in the same axis as the automatic secondary
flares and look very similar.
Rays on page 6863: Bright lines that radiate out from the center of the source
object, providing the illusion of extreme brightness for the object.
Star on page 6865: Bright lines that radiate out from the center of the source
object, generally composed of 6 or more spokes, (instead of hundreds, like a
ray). Stars are generally thicker and extend out farther from the center of the
source object than rays.
Streak on page 6867: Wide horizontal bands that run through the center of the
source object.
Inferno on page 6869: Lets you add special effects, such as explosions, to your
flare effect.
Flare Preferences
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Prefs tab
6854 | Chapter 22 Video Post
In the Prefs panel, you can control whether or not specific parts of the lens
flare, such as the rays or the star are rendered by turning them on or off. You
can also control the axial transparency of the lens flare.
Interface
Affect Alpha Specifies whether or not the lens flare affects the alpha channel
of an image, when the image is rendered in a 32-bit file format. The alpha
channel is an extra 8 bits of color (256 colors) that indicate transparency in
an image. Alpha channels are used to composite one image seamlessly over
the top of another. If you want to composite a lens flare, or an image that
contains a lens flare, over the top of another image, enable this option. If you
are not rendering to a 32-bit file, do not enable this option.
Affect Z Buffer The Z-Buffer stores an object's distance from the camera. The
Z-Buffer is useful for optical effects such as fog. When this option is enabled,
the linear distance of the lens flare is recorded, and can be used in special
effects that make use of the Z-Buffer, for example, the Focus on page 6871 effect.
To use Focus with a lens flare, enable this option.
Lens Effects Filters | 6855
Occlusion Radius A radius around the center of the flare that determines
when the lens flare effect will begin to fade as it passes behind another object.
This radius is measured in pixels.
When the lens flare or scene is animated and the source of the lens flare goes
behind another object, if occlusion is enabled, the flare dies down and
disappears until the source object reappears on the other side of the hiding
object. The radius makes the flare gently fade when it is occluded, instead of
blinking out.
Motion Blur Determines whether or not an animated lens flare is rendered
using Motion Blur. Motion Blur renders multiple copies in short increments
to the same frame, which gives the illusion of a blurred object in motion.
When an object is moving rapidly across the screen, it animates more smoothly
if motion blur is turned on. Using motion blur can add considerable time to
your rendering.
You can set the amount of blur with the Motion Blur spinner. Values range
from 0 to 100, and are based on the number of samples the motion blur should
use.
Axial Transparency A standard circular transparency gradient that affects
the transparency of the lens flare secondary elements along their axis and
relative to their source. This lets your secondary elements be brighter on one
side than the other, adding extra realism to your flare effects.
Render Specifies whether or not each part of the lens flare is rendered in the
final image. Use this set of check boxes to turn parts of the lens flare on and
off.
NOTE Effects such as secondary flares are available in sets. The Render button and
Off Scene determine whether the secondary flares are present in the scene. The
individual secondary flare sets are controlled on their respective pages.
Off Scene Specifies whether or not lens flares that have their sources outside
the scene will affect the image. For example, if a lens flare source is just off
the edge of a frame, the secondary flares, and possibly the star or ring, could
still be showing on the screen. Without Off Scene, the lens flare does not
appear at all. You can turn this option on or off for each part of the flare.
Squeeze Specifies whether the Squeeze setting affects a particular part of the
lens flare. This setting depends on the Squeeze setting in the lens flare
properties.
Inferno Defines whether the inferno on page 6869 settings are active for this
portion of the lens flare.
6856 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Occlusion Defines the percentage of the flare part that appears when it is
occluded by another object. A value of 100 indicates that the whole object
will disappear. Lower settings cause the lens flare to wrap around the occluding
object, making it fade, but not disappear entirely. For example, if you look at
a cylinder with a bright light behind it, the light makes the cylinder appear
thinner at the brightest areas.
NOTE The Occlusion spinners work in conjunction with the Occlusion Radius
spinner in the top right of the Preferences panel.
Flare Glow Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Glow tab
The glow of a lens flare is centered around the source object of the flare. The
parameters on the Glow panel let you control each aspect of the glow.
Interface
Lens Effects Filters | 6857
Size Specifies the diameter of the glow of the lens flare as a percentage of the
overall size of the frame. This value is separate from the overall size value set
in the Flare Properties on page 6849. This parameter can be animated on page
6848.
Hue Specifies the gradation of color for the glow. Clicking the green arrow
button lets you animate this control. This parameter can be animated.
Hide Behind Geometry Places the glow behind the geometric forms.
Gradients Use radial, circular, transparency, and size gradients on page 6902.
Glow gradients are subtler than flare gradients, because they are glowing an
area larger than a pixel.
Flare Ring Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Ring tab
The ring is a circular color band that surrounds the center of the source object.
You set ring options on the Ring panel of the Lens Effects Flare dialog.
6858 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
Size Specifies the overall size of the ring as a percentage of the overall frame
and represents the diameter of the ring. The ring radius should be larger than
the glow radius to make the lens flare look convincing. This parameter is
separate from the overall size spinner in the Lens Flare Effects section of the
dialog. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Thick Specifies the overall thickness of the ring, as a percentage of the overall
size of the frame. When the ring is fairly thick, the size of the ring is measured
to the inner radius. The thickness controls how thick the ring is from that
point outward. This parameter can be animated.
Hue Specifies the gradation of color for the ring. This parameter can be
animated.
Gradients Use radial, circular, transparency, and size gradients on page 6902.
Lens Effects Filters | 6859
Automatic Secondary Flare Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > A Sec tab
Secondary flares are the small circles you would normally see coming out from
the source of the lens flare along an axis relative to the camera position. These
are caused by light refracting off the different lens elements in the camera. As
the camera position changes relative to the source object, the secondary flares
move. These secondary flares are automatically generated when this option
is selected in the Preferences section of the dialog.
You create sets of secondary elements that share common parameters instead
of building them one at a time. Many of the controls on the A Sec panel are
for individual sets of elements, not all sets.
Interface
Min Controls the minimum size of secondary flares in the current set. This
number is defined as a percentage of the overall image. This parameter can
be animated on page 6848.
6860 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Max Controls the maximum size of secondary flares in the current set. This
number is defined as a percentage of the overall image. This parameter can
be animated on page 6848.
Sets Specifies which set of secondary flares you are working with. You can
have as many sets of automatic secondary elements as you wish, each having
their own properties. By default, seven sets are available. You can scroll through
them by clicking the forward and reverse arrow icons beside the name of the
set.
To add another set to your flare, click the Add button beneath the On check
box. To delete a set, click the Del button.
Axis Defines the overall length of the axis the automatic secondary flares will
be distributed along. Increasing the value creates more space between the
flares, while decreasing the value creates less space between the flares. You
can set the axis from 0 to 5 degrees. This parameter can be animated on page
6848.
On Defines whether a group or set of secondary flares is active or not.
Fade Determines whether or not axial fade is active for the current set of
secondary flares.
Hue Specifies the gradation of color of the secondary flares. This parameter
can be animated.
Qty Controls the number of secondary flares that appear in the current set of
flares. This parameter can be animated.
Shape Controls the shape of the secondary flares for the current set. The
default value is circular, but you can choose from 3 to 8 sided secondary flares.
Gradients Defines the gradient on page 6902 for the secondary flare.
Manual Secondary Flare Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > M Sec tab
Manual secondary flares are additional secondary flares that are individually
added to the lens flare. These can be used in addition to, or in place of
automatic secondary flares on page 6860.
You use Manual secondary flares when you want to add unique flares that
you don't want repeated.
Lens Effects Filters | 6861
You can have groups of secondary flares, instead of just one set. Many of the
controls in this dialog are for a specific set of flares, not all sets.
Interface
Size Controls the size, as a percentage of the overall image, of the manual
secondary lens flare. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Plane Controls the distance, in degrees, between the flare source and the
manual secondary flare. By default, the flare plane exists at the center of the
chosen node source. Positive values place the flare in front of the source, while
negative values place the flare behind the flare source. This parameter can be
animated.
TIP In live camera work, there are often one or two secondary elements behind
the light source, so you should have one or two as well.
On Turns manual secondary flares on or off. This option must be selected in
both the Manual Secondary and Preferences tabs for the manual secondary
flares to render.
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Fade Specifies whether or not the current set of secondary flares has axial
fade.
Sets Specifies which set of secondary flares you are working with. You can
have as many sets of manual secondary elements as you wish, each having
their own properties. By default, seven sets are available. You can scroll through
them by clicking the forward and reverse arrow buttons next to the name of
the set.
To add another set to your flare, click the Add button beneath the On check
box. To delete a set, click the Del button.
Hue Specifies the gradation of color of secondary flares. This parameter can
be animated.
Scale Specifies how to scale secondary flares. This parameter can be animated.
Shape This menu controls the overall shape of the secondary flares.
Gradients Defines the gradient on page 6902 for the secondary flare.
Flare Ray Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Rays tab
Rays are bright single-pixel lines that radiate from the center of the source
object, providing the illusion of extreme brightness for the object. Rays let
you emulate scratches in the lens elements of a camera.
You control the parameters for rays in the Rays panel of the Lens Effects Flare
dialog.
Lens Effects Filters | 6863
Interface
Size Specifies the overall length of the rays as they radiate from the center, as
a percentage of the frame size. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Angle Specifies the angle for the rays. You can enter both positive and negative
values so, when animated, the rays rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise
direction. This parameter can be animated.
Group Forces the grouping of rays into eight equidistant groups of equal size.
Rays that are part of a group are evenly distributed within that group.
Increasing the number of rays makes each grouping more dense, and therefore
more bright.
Number Specifies the overall number of rays that appear in the lens flare.
Rays are randomly spaced around the radius. This parameter can be animated.
Auto Rotate Adds the angle specified in the Angle spinner on the Rays panel
to the angle set in the Angle spinner under Lens Flare Properties. Auto Rotate
also ensures that the rays maintain their relative position to the flare as it is
being animated.
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Hue Specifies the gradation of the color of the rays. This parameter can be
animated.
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the rays. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear rays. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary glow
look. Values range from 0 to 10. This parameter can be animated.
Gradients Defines the gradient on page 6902 for the rays.
Flare Star Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Star tab
A Star is larger than a ray effect and is composed of six or more spokes, instead
of hundreds like a ray. Stars are thicker and extend out farther from the center
of the source object than rays. You control the settings for stars on the Star
panel of the Lens Effects Flare dialog.
Lens Effects Filters | 6865
Interface
Size Specifies the overall size of the star effect, as a percentage of the overall
frame. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Angle Sets the starting angle in degrees in which the star spokes point. You
can enter both positive and negative values so, when animated, the star spokes
rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This parameter can be
animated.
Random Enables random spacing of star spokes around the flare center.
Qty Specifies the number of spokes in the star effect. Default = 6.
Spokes are spaced at equidistant points about the center of the flare. This
parameter can be animated.
Width Specifies the width of the individual spokes, as a percentage of the
overall frame. This option can be animated.
Auto Rotate Adds the angle specified in the Angle spinner on the Rays panel
to the angle set in Angle spinner under Lens Flare Properties. Auto Rotate also
6866 | Chapter 22 Video Post
ensures that the stars maintain their relative position to the flare as it is being
animated.
Hue Specifies the gradation of the color of the star. This parameter can be
animated.
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the star. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear stars. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary glow
look. This parameter can be animated. Range = 0 to 10.
Taper Controls the taper of the individual spokes of the star. Taper widens
or narrows the tips of the individual star points. Low numbers create a sharp
point, while high numbers flare the points. This parameter can be animated.
Default = 0.
Gradients The gradients on page 6902 are the same for the Star effect as for
others, except for two gradients: Section Color and Section Transparency.
These options are useful when you want to create a "soft" look to the spokes.
Both gradients work from the center of each spoke to the outer edge of the
spoke.
Flare Streak Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Streak tab
A streak is a wide horizontal band that runs through the center of the source
object. In real camera work, it is produced when using anamorphic lenses to
film a scene. You set streak options on the Streak panel of the Lens Effects
Flare dialog.
Lens Effects Filters | 6867
Interface
Size Specifies the overall size of the streak, as a percentage of the overall frame.
This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Angle Specifies the angle for the streak. You can enter both positive and
negative values so, when animated, the streak rotates in a clockwise or
counterclockwise direction. This parameter can be animated.
Axial Align Forces the streak to align itself to the axis of the secondary flares
and the lens flare itself.
Width Specifies the width of the streak, as a percentage of the frame. This
parameter can be animated.
Auto Rotate Adds the angle specified in the Angle spinner on the Streak panel
to the angle set in Angle spinner under Lens Flare Properties. Auto Rotate also
ensures that the stars maintain their relative position to the flare as it is being
animated.
Hue Specifies the gradation of the color of the streak. This parameter can be
animated.
6868 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Sharp Specifies the overall sharpness of the streak. Higher numbers produce
crisp, clean, and clear streaks. Lower numbers produce more of a secondary
glow look. Valid values are from 0 to 10. This parameter can be animated.
Taper Controls the taper of the individual spokes of the streak. Taper widens
or narrows the tips of the individual streak points. Low numbers create a sharp
point, while high numbers flare the points. Default = 0. This parameter can
be animated.
Gradients The gradients on page 6902 are the same for the Streak effect as for
others, except for two gradients: Section Color and Section Transparency.
These options are useful when you want to create a "soft" look to the streak
spokes. Both gradients work from the center of each spoke to the outer edge
of the spoke.
Flare Inferno Parameters
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose Lens Effects Flare from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Inferno tab
Infernos let you use lens flare to create explosions, fire, and smoke effects and
add a bit of fractal noise to any part of the lens flare. This noise comes in three
types: Gaseous, Electric, and Fiery.
Interface
Lens Effects Filters | 6869
You add the Inferno effect to other lens flare effects. Inferno is selected in the
Preferences panel. The lens flare effect you are adding Inferno to, such as glow,
must also be selected for Inferno to work correctly. The Inferno panel is divided
into two sections: Settings and Parameters.
Settings group
Gaseous A loose and soft pattern, often used for clouds and smoke.
Fiery Fractal patterns with bright, well-defined areas, often used for fires.
Electric Long, well-defined tendril pattern that can be used to produce arcing
electricity, when animated. By adjusting the quality of the pattern to 0, you
can create the effect of water reflection.
Lock Effect Locks the inferno effect to the lens flare. When the lens flare
moves across the screen, the inferno effect moves with it. Use this option
when you want the noise pattern to move with the flare for effects like torches.
Lock Noise Locks the inferno noise patterns into the screen. When the lens
flare is animated and moving across the screen, the noise pattern stays in one
spot and the flare moves through it. This is often used for creating plasma
trails and cloud patterns.
Motion When you animate the inferno, motion specifies how fast the inferno
patterns move in the direction set by the Direction spinner. For example, if
you want to simulate a raging fire, you want the fractal patterns to move
upward. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Direction Specifies the direction, in degrees, of the inferno effect motion. By
default, 0 is aligned in the 12 o'clock position, and works clockwise. This
parameter can be animated.
NOTE The Motion and Direction spinners control the motion of the fractal pattern
in the X and Y directions. You can control the Z direction using the Speed option
under Inferno Parameters.
Quality Specifies the overall quality of the fractal noise patterns in the inferno
effect. Higher values result in more iterations of the fractals, more detail in
the effect, and slightly longer render times. This parameter can be animated.
Reseed The number that the fractal routines use as a starting point. Set this
spinner to any number to create different fractal effects. The Reseed button
randomly selects a new number.
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Parameters group
Size Specifies the overall size of the fractal patterns. Smaller numbers produce
small, grainy fractals. Higher numbers produce larger patterns. This option
can be animated.
Speed Sets the overall speed of the turbulence in the fractal patterns as they
are animated. Higher numbers produce faster turbulence in the pattern. This
parameter can be animated.
Base Specifies the brightness of the colors in the inferno effect. Higher values
result in brighter color ranges and brighter infernos. Lower values result in
dark, softer effects. The Base spinner only affects Fiery and Electric inferno
types This parameter can be animated.
Amplitude With the Base spinner, controls the maximum brightness for each
portion of the fractal inferno patterns. Higher values result in fractal patterns
with brighter colors. Lower values result in the same patterns, with muted
colors. This parameter can be animated.
Bias Shifts the colors of the effect toward one end of the color range or the
other. At a setting of 50, Bias has no effect. Above 50, the colors are brighter,
and below 50, they are darker and softer. This parameter can be animated.
Edge Controls the contrast between the light and dark areas of the fractal
patterns. High values produce a high contrast and more well-defined fractal
patterns. Low values result in less defined, subtler effects. This parameter can
be animated.
Radial Density Controls the density of the inferno effect in a radial fashion
from the center of the effect to the edge. Wherever there is white in the
gradient, you only see inferno noise. Where the gradient is black, you can see
the underlying flare. If you set the right side of the gradient to black and the
left side to white, and apply the Inferno to the Glow effect of a flare, the
inferno effect appears toward the outer edges of the glow, while the center of
the glow is still visible.
Lens Effects Focus Filter
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Focus from
Filter Plug-In list. > Setup
The Lens Effects Focus dialog lets you blur objects based on their distance
from the camera. Focus uses the Z-Buffer information from the scene to create
Lens Effects Filters | 6871
its blurring effects. You can use Focus to create effects such as foreground
elements in focus and background elements out of focus.
Like Flare, Glow, and Highlight, you can load and save your focus settings for
future use. Focus settings are saved to LZO files on page 8030 (.lzo).
WARNING This filter is not supported by the mental ray renderer on page 6230.
Procedures
To save your focus settings, do one of the following:
You can save all of your lens focus settings to a file, so you can reload them
any time. Lens Effects Focus settings are saved as LZO files.
1 Click the Reset button.
This resets Lens Effects Focus to its default settings.
2 Click the Load button.
This displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can
select the settings file you want to load.
3 Click the Save button.
This displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename.
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Interface
The Lens Effects Focus dialog contains a preview window, and an area below
to control the parameters of Focus.
Lens Effects Filters | 6873
Preview group
Preview window Lets you quickly preview the Focus effect.
Preview Displays a generic scene to which you can quickly set up a Focus
effect. Appears light green when selected.
VP Queue Lets you preview the scene in the Video Post queue. Preview must
be selected for the VP Queue function to work.
Focus Control group
The settings on the left side of the panel let you select a method for blurring
your scene. The settings on the right side of the dialog let you determine how
much blurring is applied to the scene.
Scene Blur Applies the blurring effect to the entire scene, not just a portion
of it.
Radial Blur Applies the blurring effect to the entire scene in a radial fashion,
starting at the center of the frame. This is useful for emphasizing fish-eye lens
effects and effects where the edges of the frame are blurred. This type of Focus
depends on the Focal Range and Limit settings.
A scene with a radial blur is applied.
Focal Node Lets you select a specific object in the scene as the focal point for
blurring. The selected objects remains in focus, while objects outside of the
set Focal Limit are blurred.
Select Displays the Select Focal Object dialog so you can select a single 3ds
Max object to use as the focal object. The object you select can be animated
over time, which results in animated follow focus effects. You can also choose
your camera target as the focal object so its depth in the scene determines the
focus.
Affect Alpha When this option is selected, the blur effect is also applied to
the Alpha channel of the image when you render to a 32-bit format. Select
this option to composite the blurred image over another.
Horiz. Focal Loss Specifies the amount of blur applied to the image in the
horizontal (X-axis) direction. Values range from 0 to 100% focal loss. This
parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Lock Locks the horizontal and vertical loss settings together. When selected,
the vertical focal loss is automatically updated to match your changes to the
horizontal loss.
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Vert. Focal Loss Specifies the amount of blur applied to the image in the
vertical (Y-axis) direction. Values range from 0 to 100% focal loss. This
parameter can be animated.
Focal Range Specifies how far away from the center of the image (Radial Blur)
or from the camera (Focal Object) the blur effect begins. Increasing values
move the radius of the effect farther away from the camera or the center of
the image. This parameter can be animated.
Focal Limit Specifies the distance from the center of the image (Radial Blur)
or the distance from the camera (Focal Object) at which the blur effect is at
full strength. Setting a high Focal Limit with a low Focal Range, produces a
gradual increase in the amount of blur in the scene, while setting Focal Limit
and Range close together produces a rapid blur effect over a short distance.
This parameter can be animated.
NOTE Do not set Focal Range and Focal Limit to the same value. This produces
an abrupt change from a blur to a sharp focus, producing an undesirable visual
effect.
WARNING When you animate Lens Effects parameters, this creates pointers into
the actual scene, so Lens Effects animation is lost if you save the Video Post queue
in a VPX file on page 8165. To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data,
including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
Button group
Reset Resets Lens Effects Flare to its default settings.
Load Displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can select
the settings file you want to load.
Save Displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename. Lens Effects Focus settings are saved as LZO files.
Lens Effects Glow Filter
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Glow from
Filter Plug-In list. > Setup
The Lens Effects Glow dialog lets you add a glowing aura around any assigned
object. For example, for an exploding particle system, adding a glow to the
particles makes them seem as though they are brighter and hotter.
Lens Effects Filters | 6875
The Lens Effects Glow module is multi-threaded and will take advantage of
multi-processing machines.
Procedures
To save your glow settings, do one of the following:
You can save all of your lens glow settings to a file, so you can reload them
any time. Lens Effects Glow settings are saved to LZG files on page 8030 (.lzg).
1 Click the Reset button.
This resets Lens Effects Glow to its default settings.
2 Click the Load button.
This displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can
select the settings file you want to load.
3 Click the Save button.
This displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename.
6876 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
The Lens Effects Glow dialog contains a preview window, and an area below
to control the parameters of Glow.
Lens Effects Filters | 6877
Preview group
Preview window Lets you quickly preview the glow effect. The preview
window is multi-threaded to take advantage of systems with multiprocessors,
and updates every time you make a change to any of the glow settings that
might affect the scene.
Preview Displays a generic scene to which you can quickly set up a Glow
effect. Appears light green when selected.
VP Queue Lets you preview the scene in the Video Post queue. Preview must
be selected for the VP Queue function to work.
Focus Control tabs
The Lens Effect Glow dialog contains four tabs:
Properties on page 6878, Preferences on page 6882, Gradients on page 6902, and
Inferno on page 6884
Button group
Reset Resets Lens Effects Glow to its default settings.
Load Displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can select
the settings file you want to load.
Save Displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename. Lens Effects Glow settings are saved as LZG files.
Glow Properties
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Glow from
Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Properties tab
The Lens Effects Glow properties let you determine which pieces of geometry
in your scene will exhibit the effects of the glow filter, as well as how much
of a glow is applied.
Procedures
To set a material's Effects Channel ID:
1 In the Material Editor, make the material you want to be post-processed
the active material.
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2 Choose a non-zero ID from the Material Effects Channel flyout.
The Effects Channel ID can range from 1 to 15.
If you give the same Effects Channel ID value to more than one material,
all these materials will be post-processed.
NOTE For Multi/Sub-Object materials, post-processing applies at the
sub-object/sub-material level. The Effects Channel ID of the parent
Multi/Sub-Object material is ignored.
To set up an RLA file so it saves Object and Material Effects channel data:
1 Place an Image Output Event in the Video Post Queue.
2 In the Image Output Event dialog, click Files.
3 Choose the .rla file type on page 7364 and a file name, and then click Setup.
4 In the RLA Image File Format dialog, select Object, Material Effects, and
then click OK.
5 Click OK.
When the RLA file has saved the Object and Material Effects channels,
you can use the rendered scene file as an Image Input event or a Filter or
Layer mask, and continue to use the Object or Material Effects Channel
data.
Lens Effects Filters | 6879
Interface
The Properties panel is divided into two sections: Source and Filter.
Source group
Specifies the objects in the scene to which a glow is applied. You can select
more than one source option at a time.
Whole Applies a glow to the whole scene, not just a particular piece of
geometry. This makes each pixel in the scene a potential glow source. The
areas of the scene that have glow applied to them are determined by the
settings in the Filter section of the dialog.
Object ID Lets you apply the glow to an object or part of an object with a
specific Object ID (in the G-buffer on page 7991), if the object matches the Filter
settings. To apply an Object ID glow for an object, right-click the object and
select properties from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID. Set this
field to match, and Lens Effects glow will apply the glow to that object and
any other objects with the same ID. This parameter can be animated on page
6848.
Effects ID Lets you apply the glow to an object or part of an object with a
specific Effects ID, if the object or part of the object matches the Filter settings.
You apply a Effects ID in the Materials Editor by assigning the material to one
of the available Material Effects channels. This parameter can be animated.
The glow will be applied only to areas of the geometry where the ID is present.
6880 | Chapter 22 Video Post
NOTE To apply different glow settings to different pieces of geometry or IDs, add
more glow entries to the video post queue. Set each glow entry to affect a different
Effect or Object ID, and set the appropriate settings. This process will call the glow
routine multiple times, increasing your rendering time. Try to keep the number
of glow routines to a minimum per frame.
Unclamped An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255).
3ds Max keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that is glowed. Pure white has a pixel value
of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value above 255 will be
glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the
spinner. This parameter can be animated.
Surf Norm Glows part of an object, based on the angle of the surface normal
to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the screen. A value of 90
is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf Norm to 45, only
surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be glowed. You can
invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the spinner. This
parameter can be animated.
Mask Glows the mask channel of an image. The spinner value represents the
level of grayscale present in a Mask. When this is set, any part of the Mask
images larger than the set value will be glowed in the final image. You can
invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the spinner. This
parameter can be animated. Range = 0 to 255.
Alpha Glows the alpha channel of an image. The transparency of an alpha
channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask channel. This parameter can
be inverted, and can also be animated. Range = 0 to 255.
Z Buffer Hi and Lo Glows objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer distance)
from the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo value is
the minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will be glowed.
These parameters can be animated.
Filter group
Filters the Source selections to let you control how the glow is applied. For
example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the same Object
ID, but different colors. If you set the Source as the Object ID of the spheres,
which selects all of the spheres, that is the only place in your scene that Glow
applies an effect.
Lens Effects Filters | 6881
However, now that Glow knows where the pixels are that can be glowed, it
needs to know which ones to actually apply the Glow to. Glow uses the filter
controls to find out which source pixels to apply a glow to.
All Selects all source objects in the scene and applies a glow to them.
Edge Selects all source objects along a boundary edge and applies a glow to
them. Applying a glow along the edges of objects produces a soft halo that
exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Perimeter Alpha Applies a glow only to the perimeter of an object based on
its alpha channel. Selecting this option glows only the outside of an object
without any spill on the interior. Perimeter Alpha keeps all the edges clean
because it relies on the scene alpha channel for its effect.
Perimeter Applies glow effect only to the perimeter of an object based on
Edge inferencing. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might need
to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is unavailable.
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. Only objects
with a brightness above the spinner setting are selected and glowed. This
option can be inverted. This parameter can be animated.
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. The spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you
enter a variance level so that the glow can find several different hues in the
same range as the chosen color. This parameter can be animated. Range = 0
to 255.
Glow Preferences
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Glow from
Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Preferences tab
Glow Preferences define the size of the glow, its occlusion, and whether or
not it affects the Z-Buffer or alpha channels.
6882 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
The Preferences panel is divided into four sections: Scene, Distance Fade,
Effect, and Color.
Scene group
Affect Alpha Specifies whether or not the glow affects the alpha channel of
the image, when rendered to a 32-bit file format.
Affect Z Buffer Specifies whether or not the glow affects the Z-Buffer of the
image. When this option is enabled, the linear distance of the glow is recorded,
and can be used in special effects that make use of the Z-Buffer. For example,
Lens Effects Focus blurs objects based on their Z-Buffer information. To use
Focus with a glow, you must enable this option.
Distance Fade group
These controls fade the glow effect, based on its distance from the camera.
This is the same as distance fade for the lens flare.
Bright Lets you fade the brightness of the glow effect based on the distance
from the camera. This is ideal for submarine running lights and any other
effect where you want your glow to disappear into the distance. This parameter
can be animated on page 6848.
Size Lets you fade the size of the glow effect based on the distance from the
camera. In most circumstances, you want the overall size of the glow to
Lens Effects Filters | 6883
diminish as it gets farther away from the camera. This parameter can be
animated.
Lock When selected, locks the Bright and Size values together, so that the
size and brightness fading is synchronized.
Effect group
Size Sets the size of the overall glow effect. This parameter can be animated.
Softness Softens and blurs the glow effect. Values range from 0 to 100. This
control is enabled only when you use Gradients as the color method (see the
next section). Softness is only available when the Gradient option in the Color
area is selected. This parameter can be animated.
Color group
Gradient Creates the glow based on the settings in the Gradients panel. When
you use this method, you can use the Softness spinner in the Effect area.
Pixel Creates the glow based on the pixel color of the object. This is the default
method. It is very fast.
User Lets you select a color for the glow effect. Click the color swatch to display
the Color Selector on page 391 and choose a color.
Intensity Controls the intensity or brightness of the glow effect. Values range
from 0 to 100. This control is enabled only when Pixel or User is the chosen
color method.
Glow Inferno
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Glow from
Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Inferno tab
The Inferno panel lets you create explosions, fire, and smoke effects by
combining the lens flare glow with black and white fractal noise.
The Glow inferno effect is like the Inferno effect in Lens Flare on page 6869, but
it is applied to the Glow through the R, G, and B color channels.
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Interface
The Inferno panel is divided into two sections: Settings and Parameters.
Settings group
Gaseous A loose and soft pattern, often used for clouds and smoke.
Fiery Fractal patterns with bright, well-defined areas, often used for fires.
Electric Long, well-defined tendril pattern that can be used to produce arcing
electricity, when animated. By adjusting the quality of the pattern to 0, you
can create the effect of water reflection.
Reseed The number that the fractal routines use as a starting point. Set this
spinner to any number to create different fractal effects. The Reseed button
randomly selects a new number.
Motion When you animate the inferno, motion specifies how fast the inferno
patterns move in the direction set by the Direction spinner. For example, if
you want to simulate a raging fire, you want the fractal patterns to move
upward. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Direction Specifies the direction, in degrees, of the inferno effect motion. By
default, 0 is aligned in the 12 o'clock position, and works clockwise. This
parameter can be animated.
Lens Effects Filters | 6885
NOTE The Motion and Direction spinners control the motion of the fractal pattern
in the X and Y directions. You can control the Z direction using the Speed option
under Inferno Parameters.
Quality Specifies the overall quality of the fractal noise patterns in the inferno
effect. Higher values result in more iterations of the fractals, more detail in
the effect, and slightly longer render times. This parameter can be animated.
Red/Green/Blue Selects the color channel to use for the Inferno effect.
Parameters group
Size Specifies the overall size of the fractal patterns. Smaller numbers produce
small, grainy fractals. Higher numbers produce larger patterns. This option
can be animated.
Speed Sets the overall speed of the turbulence in the fractal patterns as they
are animated. Higher numbers produce faster turbulence in the pattern. This
parameter can be animated.
Base Specifies the brightness of the colors in the inferno effect. Higher values
result in brighter color ranges and brighter infernos. Lower values result in
dark, softer effects. The Base spinner only affects Fiery and Electric inferno
types This parameter can be animated.
Amplitude With the Base spinner, controls the maximum brightness for each
portion of the fractal inferno patterns. Higher values result in fractal patterns
with brighter colors. Lower values result in the same patterns, with muted
colors. This parameter can be animated.
Bias Shifts the colors of the effect toward one end of the color range or the
other. At a setting of 50, Bias has no effect. Above 50, the colors are brighter,
and below 50, they are darker and softer. This parameter can be animated.
Edge Controls the contrast between the light and dark areas of the fractal
patterns. High values produce a high contrast and more well-defined fractal
patterns. Low values result in less defined, subtler effects. This parameter can
be animated.
Radial Density Controls the density of the inferno effect in a radial fashion
from the center of the effect to the edge. Wherever there is white in the
gradient, you only see inferno noise. Where the gradient is black, you can see
the underlying glow. If you set the right side of the gradient to black and the
left side to white, and apply the Inferno to the Glow effect of a flare, the
inferno effect appears toward the outer edges of the glow, while the center of
the glow is still visible.
6886 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Lens Effects Highlight Filter
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Highlight
from Filter Plug-In list. > Setup
The Lens Effects Highlight dialog lets you assign bright, star-shaped highlights.
Use it on objects that have shiny materials. For example, a shiny, red car might
show highlights in bright sunlight.
Example of highlights
Another good example of an effect perfect for Highlight is the creation of
pixie dust. If you create a particle system and animate it moving in a straight
line with small four-point Highlight stars applied to each pixel, it will look a
lot like twinkling magic.
The Lens Effects Highlight module is multi-threaded and will take advantage
of multi-processing machines, making it one of, if not the fastest highlight
routines available.
Lens Effects Filters | 6887
Procedures
To save your highlight settings:
You can save all of your lens highlight settings to a file, so you can reload
them any time. Lens Effects Highlight settings are saved as LZH files on page
8030 (.lzh). Do one of the following:
1 Click the Reset button.
This resets Lens Effects Highlight to its default settings.
2 Click the Load button.
This displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can
select the settings file you want to load.
3 Click the Save button.
This displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename.
6888 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
When you select Lens Effects Highlight from the Image Filter Event drop-down
list and click Setup, the Highlight dialog is displayed.
Lens Effects Filters | 6889
The Lens Effects Highlight interface is almost identical to the Glow module,
with a large preview window, and tabs to control every aspect of your highlight
effects.
Preview group
Preview window Lets you quickly preview the glow effect. The preview
window is multi-threaded to take advantage of systems with multiprocessors,
and updates every time you make a change to any of the glow settings that
might affect the scene.
Preview Activates a generic cross star filter so you can quickly set up a
Highlight effect. However, as with the Glow module, it is more effective seeing
your entire scene and how your effect will interact with your geometry.
VP Queue Lets you preview the scene in the Video Post queue. Preview must
be selected for the VP Queue function to work.
Highlight Control tabs
Similar to the Glow settings, Highlight is also broken down into tabbed sections
for fine control over each aspect of the Highlight effect. The four tabs are:
Highlight Properties on page 6890
Highlight Geometry on page 6895
Highlight Preferences on page 6900
Lens Effects Gradients on page 6902
Button group
Reset Resets Lens Effects Highlight to its default settings.
Load Displays a Windows-standard file open dialog from which you can select
the settings file you want to load.
Save Displays a Windows-standard Save As dialog in which you specify a
directory and filename. Lens Effects Highlight settings are saved as LZH files.
Highlight Properties
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Highlight
from Filter Plug-In list > Setup > Properties tab
6890 | Chapter 22 Video Post
The Lens Effects Highlight properties enable you to determine which parts of
your scene will have highlights applied to them, as well as how the highlights
are to be applied.
Interface
The Properties panel is broken down into two sections: Source and Filter.
Source group
The Source section lets you select any G-Buffer data in the scene that will have
a highlight applied to it. Lens Effects Highlight will begin the process by
finding the source pixels from your scene that you want to glow.
Whole Lets you apply highlights to the whole scene, not just a particular
piece of geometry. This, in effect, makes each pixel in the scene a potential
highlight source. The areas of the scene that have highlights applied to them
are determined by the settings in the Filter section of the dialog.
Object ID The Object ID Lets you apply highlights to particular objects in
your scene that have a corresponding G-Buffer (or Object) ID. The G-Buffer
is a geometry buffer and can be defined when you right-click any 3ds Max
object and select Properties from the menu. Then, set the Object Channel ID
under the G-Buffer ID controls. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Effects ID The Effects ID lets you apply the highlight to an object or part of
an object with a specific Effects ID assigned to it. Effects ID's are applied in
the materials editor by assigning the material one of the eight Material Effects
Lens Effects Filters | 6891
channels that are available. See G-Buffer on page 7991. This parameter can be
animated.
The highlights are then only applied to areas of the geometry where that
particular ID is present.
NOTE In many instances, you may want to apply different highlight settings to
different pieces of geometry or ID's. To accomplish this, add additional Lens Effects
Highlight entries to the Video Post queue. Then set each different Highlight entry
to effect a different Effect or Object ID and proceed.
Unclamped An unclamped color is brighter than pure white (255,255,255).
3ds Max keeps track of these "hot" areas which tend to show up when your
scene contains bright metallic highlights or explosions. This spinner lets you
determine the lowest pixel value that is highlighted. Pure white has a pixel
value of 1. When this spinner is set to 1, any pixels with a value above 255
will be glowed. You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right
of the spinner. This parameter can be animated.
Surf Norm Highlights part of an object, based on the angle of the surface
normal to the camera. A value of 0 is coplanar, or parallel to the screen. A
value of 90 is normal, or perpendicular to the screen. If you set Surf Norm to
45, only surfaces with normal angles greater than 45 degrees will be glowed.
You can invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the spinner.
This parameter can be animated.
Mask Highlights the mask channel of an image. The spinner value represents
the level of grayscale present in a Mask. When this is set, any part of the Mask
images larger than the set value will be glowed in the final image. You can
invert this value by clicking the I button to the right of the spinner. This
parameter can be animated. Range = 0 to 255.
Alpha Highlights the alpha channel of an image. The transparency of an
alpha channel is interpreted opposite that of the Mask channel. Values range
from 0 to 255. This parameter can be inverted by clicking the I button to the
right of the spinner, and can also be animated.
Z Buffer Hi and Lo Highlights objects based on their distance (Z-Buffer
distance) from the camera. The Hi value is the maximum distance and the Lo
value is the minimum. Any objects between these two Z-Buffer distances will
be highlighted. These parameters can be animated.
Filter group
Filters the Source selections to let you control how the highlight is applied.
For example, you can have ten spheres in your scene, each with the same
6892 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Object ID, but different colors. If you set the Source as the Object ID of the
spheres, which selects all of the spheres, that is the only place in your scene
that Highlight will apply an effect.
However, now that Highlight knows where the pixels are that can be
highlighted, it needs to know which ones to actually apply the highlights to.
Highlight uses the filter controls to find out which source pixels to apply the
highlight to.
All Selects all source pixels in the scene and applies a highlight to them.
Edge Selects all source pixels along a boundary edge and applies a highlight
to them. Applying a highlight along the edges of objects produces a soft halo
that exists on both inside and outside edges of your object.
Edge highlights
Perimeter Alpha Applies a highlight only to the perimeter of an object based
on its alpha channel. Selecting this option highlights only the outside of an
object without any spill on the interior. Whereas highlighting by Edge
produces a spill onto the object, Perimeter Alpha keeps all of the edges clean
because it relies on the scene alpha channel to derive it's effect.
Lens Effects Filters | 6893
Perimeter alpha highlights
Perimeter Applies highlight effect only to the perimeter of an object based
on Edge inferencing. Although not as precise as Perimeter Alpha, you might
need to use the Perimeter option at times when the alpha channel is
unavailable.
6894 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Perimeter highlights
Bright Filters the source objects based on their brightness values. Only objects
with a brightness above the spinner setting are selected and highlighted. This
option can be inverted by clicking the I button next to the spinner. This
parameter can be animated.
Hue Filters the source objects by their hue. Select the hue by clicking the color
swatch next to the spinner. You can choose hue values from 0 to 255. The
spinner beside the Hue color swatch lets you enter a variance level so that the
glow can find several different hues in the same range as the chosen color
This parameter can be animated.
Highlight Geometry
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Highlight
from Filter Plug-In list > Setup > Geometry tab
The Geometry panel is where you set the initial rotation of the highlights as
well as how the elements are affected over time. The Geometry panel consists
of three areas: Effect, Vary, and Rotate.
Lens Effects Filters | 6895
Interface
Effect group
Angle Controls the angle of the highlight points over the course of the
animation. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Clamp Determines the number of pixels highlight must read to place a single
highlight effect. In many cases, you want to key your highlight effects off of
the brightness of objects that can produce a lot of pixels to generate from.
The end result is something that looks like stadium lights from a Monday
Night Football game, where each pixel has the highlight cross drawn on top
of it, which blurs the overall effect. When you want only one or two highlights,
use this spinner to adjust how highlight processes the chosen pixels. This
parameter can be animated.
6896 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Clamp value of 5
Clamp value of 15
Lens Effects Filters | 6897
As you can see, the Clamp value lets you maximize or minimize the overall
number of highlights drawn over the same image. This can be a tremendous
time saver.
Alt. Rays Alternates the lengths of points around the highlight. It works on
every other ray point, changing from the ray's full length to a smaller one
based on the percentage spinner beneath it. This parameter can be animated.
Alt. Rays turned off
6898 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Alt. Rays turned on and set to 40%
Vary group
The Vary group of controls adds randomness to your Highlight effects. You
can quickly adjust your effects so that no two look alike. In many instances,
you want to avoid having your Highlights rotate in formation, and the Size
and Angle buttons control that.
Size Varies the overall size of the individual Highlights.
Angle Varies the initial orientation of the individual Highlights.
Reseed Forces Highlight to use a different random number to generate parts
of its effects.
Rotate group
These two buttons let you have your highlights automatically rotate based on
their relative position in the scene.
Distance Automatically rotates the individual highlight elements as they
recede into the distance. The faster your elements recede, the faster they will
rotate.
Lens Effects Filters | 6899
Pan Automatically rotates the individual Highlight elements as they move
laterally across the screen. If you have objects in your scene that are passing
by the camera, they can be automatically rotated based on their position. The
faster your elements move across the screen, the faster they will rotate.
Highlight Preferences
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Highlight
from Filter Plug-In list > Setup > Preferences tab
The Preferences panel defines the size and number of points on the highlight,
occlusion settings, and whether or not it affects the Z-Buffer or alpha channels.
Interface
Scene group
Affect Alpha Determines whether or not the highlight settings affect the
alpha channel of the image when you render to a 32-bit file format.
Affect Z Buffer Determines whether or not the highlight affects the Z-Buffer
of the image. When this option is selected, the linear distance of the highlight
is recorded, and can be used in special effects that make use of the Z-Buffer.
For example, the Focus module that ships with Lens Effects blurs objects based
on their Z-Buffer information. If you want to use Focus to blur a highlight,
6900 | Chapter 22 Video Post
you must select this option. If you are not sure about whether or not to select
this option, leave it disabled, because you probably don't need it.
Distance Fade group
Bright Lets you fade the brightness of the highlight effect based on the distance
away from the camera. This parameter can be animated on page 6848.
Lock Locks the Bright and Size spinner values together.
Size Lets you fade the size of the highlight effect based on the distance from
the camera. In most circumstances, you want the overall size of your highlights
to diminish as they get farther from the camera. This option takes care of that
for you. This parameter can be animated.
Effect group
Size Lets you determine the overall size of the highlight effect, and is calculated
in pixels. This parameter can be animated.
Points Controls the number of points to be generated for a highlight effect.
This parameter can be animated.
Color group
Gradient Lets you create the highlight based on the settings in the Gradients
panel.
Pixel Lets you create the highlight color based on the pixel color of the
highlighted object. This is the default method for Lens Effects Highlight and
is exceptionally fast.
User Lets you select a specific color for the highlights through the standard
3ds Max Color Selector on page 391. The color swatch shows you the currently
selected color.
Intensity Lets you control the intensity or brightness of the highlights. Values
range from 0 to 100. This spinner functions only when you are using either
the Pixel or User color methods to control the brightness of the highlight effect.
This parameter can be animated.
Lens Effects Filters | 6901
Lens Effects Gradients
Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event > Choose Lens Effects Highlight
from Filter Plug-In list > Setup > Gradients tab
A gradient is a smooth linear transition from one color or brightness to
another, as shown below. Lens Effects use gradients to control aspects of the
lens flares, such as colors and transparency. Lens Effects use several gradient
types on page 6907.
Lens Effects Gradients are always interpreted from left to right.
Gradient Flags
Gradients use Flags to indicate points along the gradient bar where you want
different colors or brightness values to be. The colors between the flags are
interpolated automatically by Lens Effects. Each Gradient inside Lens Effects
can contain up to 100 flags. The current flag is highlighted and green. The
position number above the gradient bar indicates the position of the current
flag, in relation to the overall length of the gradient.
A gradient always has non-moveable start and end flags. You can add up to
98 intermediate flags to alter the overall appearance of your gradients. You
can also change the color or brightness of the end flags to suit your needs.
When you place two gradient flags on top of one another, you create a sharp
break in the gradient. When a third flag is placed on top of the second flag,
a sharp edge appears in the gradient.
WARNING When you animate Lens Effects parameters, this creates pointers into
the actual scene, so Lens Effects animation is lost if you save the Video Post queue
in a VPX file on page 8165. To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data,
including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
6902 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Procedures
To add an intermediate flag:
■
Click the gradient bar where you want to place the new flag.
The flag uses the color of the gradient at the point where you placed it. To
adjust the color, double-click to display the Color Selector on page 177.
To adjust the position of a flag:
■
Drag the flag left or right.
The gradient updates to show you the changes.
To delete a flag:
■
Drag the flag outside the gradient bar.
The flag turns red, and the mouse point changes to a down arrow pointing
to a bucket. When you let go of the mouse button, the flag is deleted.
To change a flag's properties:
1 Right-click the flag to display a menu.
2 Click Properties and change any settings you want.
Interface
Right-clicking a gradient flag and selecting Edit Properties displays the Flag
Properties dialog. To change gradient options on page 6904, right-click the
gradient bar, not the flags.
Lens Effects Filters | 6903
The Flag Properties dialog lets you change the name of the flag, its color, and
its position.
Name By default, flags are named Flag #. You can enter a different name for
the current flag. The arrows to the right of the name box let you choose other
flags on the same gradient.
Color The Color swatch lets you control the color or brightness component
of the gradient at the position where the flag is located. Click the color swatch
to display the color picker and choose a different color. The green arrow to
the left of the color swatch indicates that this flag parameter can be animated
on page 6848.
Position Each gradient has 100 possible positions from left to right. The
number in the spinner represents the position of the flag along the gradient.
Gradients are read from left to right so a value of zero aligns the flag with the
left edge of the gradient. This flag parameter can be animated.
Gradient Options
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose a Lens Effects Filter from the Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Gradient
tab
Each gradient in Lens Effects has a set of common options. Right-clicking the
gradient bar displays a shortcut menu with the following options.
6904 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Interface
Reset Resets the gradient back to its default parameters. This action cannot
be undone.
Load Gradient Displays a file open dialog in which you can load a particular
gradient. Gradients are saved with a .dgr extension.
Save Gradient Displays a file save as dialog where you specify the path and
filename for the gradient.
Load UV Map Lets you load a bitmap image and use each row of pixels of
the bitmap as an animated gradient. When a bitmap is loaded into a gradient
control, Lens Effects reads the first 100 pixels across the top row of the image
(for the 100 divisions of its gradient controls) and makes them the gradient.
With each successive frame, Lens Effects reads in the next row of pixels as the
gradient. When you scrub the animation slider, you can see the gradient
change over time.
NOTE If the animation is longer than the chosen bitmap is tall, then the bitmap
pattern is repeated.
Load Bitmap Displays a 3ds Max file browser so you can select a bitmap to
use as your gradient. Unlike UV Map, the Load Bitmap option only reads the
first row of pixels for the entire animation. This is a good option when you
need to have a complex but static gradient.
Lens Effects Filters | 6905
Flag Mode Indicates you are using flags to set the colors of your gradient
instead of using a bitmap as the source. Flag Mode is selected by default.
Compositing Methods
The last five options on the shortcut menu are different types of compositing
methods. When you work with Color and Transparency gradient controls in
any of the Lens Effects filters, you must be aware of both the Radial and Circular
gradients. Both Lens Effects color gradients and both Transparency gradients
are "locked together" and will work together based on the compositing method
you choose to create an effect.
Each compositing method works on a pixel-by-pixel basis on the positional
value in both gradients. The compositing methods define how the colors and
brightness values are combined to form a single color. When combining the
colors, the algorithms evaluate each color channel of the color to find the end
result. This lets you create five very different looking effects with the same
two gradients.
High Value When this option is selected, the higher color or brightness value
between the two gradients is selected. For example, if you had a color with
RGB values of 255,210,255 and another with 225,240,225, the resulting color
would be 255,240,255. This option generally results in a slightly brighter lens
flare than the default settings.
This is the most common way of using only one gradient. Set one gradient to
the color or brightness you desire, then set the other gradient to pure black.
This assures that all of the values you set in one gradient are used exclusively
to achieve the effect.
Average Calculates an average value between the colors. In the example above,
the resulting color would be 175, 225, 225. This option is good if you want
to mix gradient values and results in effects that are not as bright as High
Value.
Low Value Selects the lower color values, resulting in a less intense lens flare
and a more subtle overall effect. In the example above, the resulting color
would be 100,210,295.
Additive Adds colors values together, pushing their composite value toward
pure white, producing the brightest but most washed-out effects. Additive
compositing is good when you want to burn effects out.
Subtractive Subtracts colors values from each other, resulting in slightly muted
and less intense colors.
6906 | Chapter 22 Video Post
These compositing methods may be applied to all types of gradients, except
size gradients. The type of compositing being used for a gradient is noted
above the gradient bar.
Compositing methods are applied to every gradient. Some gradients are linked
together, so if you assign a specific compositing method to one, the
compositing method is automatically assigned to the other.
Types of Gradients
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose a Lens Effects Filter from the Filter Plug-In list. > Setup > Gradient
tab
There are two different kinds of gradients in Lens Effects, Radial and Circular.
Between the two types, you can achieve almost limitless effects.
Interface
Radial Radial gradients work from the center point to the outer edge of a Lens
Effects feature, changing color or brightness in a straight line from left to right
as you scan the gradient bar. The left edge of the gradient is aligned with the
center of the effect and the right edge is aligned with the outer edge of the
effect.
Scheme of a radial gradient
Lens Effects Filters | 6907
Circular Changes colors in a circular manner, working clockwise around a
Lens Effects feature. If you mark North, East, South, and West on a circle,
these points represent the 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% marks of the gradient.
Each parameter panel in Flare, Glow, and Highlight that utilizes gradients
contain five gradient controls. The five controls are:
Scheme of a circular gradient
Color (Radial and Circular) Defines the colors used on page 6909 for an effect.
This is based on the RGB color system, but can also be set with HSV. Within
each set of gradient controls, there is a Radial and Circular Color gradient.
Radial Color works with Circular Color to produce the overall color for the
Lens Effects element.
Transparency (Radial and Circular) Varies the visibility of parts of the effect.
The transparency gradients only make use of brightness (or luminance) values,
which are essentially grayscale values. This black-to-white ramp of values
provides you with 256 levels of transparency for your effects. Just like the
Color gradients, both Transparency gradients are tied together to generate the
overall visibility of effect. See Gradient Options on page 6904.
Size Varies the size of specific parts of the Lens Effect. Most size gradients are
used to affect the radius of a lens flare part, such as a glow. Like transparency
6908 | Chapter 22 Video Post
gradients, only the brightness values are used to provide you with 256 different
sizes.
The Radial Size gradient, for example, works both like a Radial and Circular
gradient. This gradient is applied in a clockwise fashion, starting at 12 o'clock.
The values in the gradient are applied from the center of the effect toward the
outer edge, with brighter values producing bigger sizes and darker values
producing shorter sizes.
Gradient Colors
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Filter Event
> Choose a lens effects filter from the Filter plug-in list. > Setup > Gradient
tab
Colors in 3ds Max are interpreted in two different ways: RGB and HSV. In
RGB (red, green, blue), you can select one of 256 shades of red, green, and
blue, giving you a palette of 16.7 million colors (24 Bit). In HSV (Hue,
Saturation, Value), you can select one of 256 hues of color, then adjust the
saturation or the value of the color. The saturation can also be considered the
blackness of a color and value can be considered the whiteness of a color.
For transparent and size gradients, you adjust the vertical whiteness slider just
to the left of the RGB and HSV sliders. The white triangle on the right side of
the vertical bar is the slider. This controls the overall value of the color in
terms of HSV. In RGB terms, it is the same as adjusting all three colors equally
at the same time. Higher values on the whiteness scale represent more
transparency, or smaller sizes.
See also:
■
Color Selector Dialog on page 391
Layer Events
Alpha Compositor
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
Layer Events | 6909
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer Event > Choose Alpha
Compositor from the Layer Plug-in list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select an Alpha
Compositor > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Alpha compositor composites the two images using the alpha channel
on page 7905 of the foreground image. The background image appears in areas
where the foreground image's alpha channel is transparent.
Procedures
To use the Alpha Compositor filters:
1 Add two Scene or Image Input events to the queue.
2 Select both events and assign an Image Layer event consisting of the
Alpha Composite Filter.
3
Select the Image Layer event and click Edit Current Event.
Cross Fade Compositor
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer Event > Choose Cross
Fade Compositor from the Layer Plug-in list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Cross Fade
Compositor. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Cross Fade compositor composites the two images over time, cross-fading
from the background image to the foreground image. The rate of the cross
fade is determined by the length of the Cross Fade Transition filter's time
range.
6910 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Cross Fade fades one image into another over time.
There are no setup options for this compositor.
Procedures
To use the Cross Fade Compositor:
1 Add two Scene or Image Input events to the queue.
2 Select both events and assign an Image Layer event consisting of the
Cross Fade Compositor.
Pseudo Alpha Compositor
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer Event > Choose
Pseudo-Alpha Compositor from the Layer Plug-in list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Pseudo-Alpha
Compositor. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Pseudo-Alpha compositor composites a foreground image against the
background by creating an alpha channel for the foreground image based on
the foreground image's upper-left-corner pixel. All pixels in the foreground
image that use this color become transparent.
Pseudo Alpha Compositor | 6911
Pseudo Alpha compositing
Because only one pixel color becomes transparent, edges of the opaque areas
in the foreground image are aliased. Use this method when the foreground
image is a bitmap whose format does not have an alpha channel.
There are no setup options for this compositor.
There is also a Pseudo Alpha filter event on page 6842.
Procedures
To use the Pseudo Alpha Compositor:
1 Add two Scene or Image Input events to the queue.
2 Select both events and assign an Image Layer event consisting of the
Pseudo Alpha Composite Filter.
Simple Additive Compositor
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer Event > Choose Simple
Additive Compositor from the Layer Plug-in list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Simple Additive
Compositor. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Simple Additive compositor composites the two images using the second
image's intensity (HSV value) to determine transparency. Areas of full intensity
(255) are opaque; areas of zero intensity are transparent; and areas with
intermediate transparency are translucent.
6912 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Additive compositing
This layer event can be useful when the second image is a bitmap whose format
does not have an alpha channel.
There are no setup options for this compositor.
Procedures
To use the Simple Additive Compositor:
1 Add two Scene or Image Input events to the queue.
2 Select both events and assign an Image Layer event consisting of the
Simple Additive Compositor.
Simple Wipe Compositor
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Make sure the two child
events are in the order you want the Image Layer event to use them. > Select
the two events. > Video Post toolbar > Add Image Layer Event > Choose Simple
Wipe Compositor from the Layer Plug-in list.
Rendering menu > Video Post > Video Post window > Select a Simple Wipe
Compositor. > Video Post toolbar > Edit Current Event
The Simple Wipe compositor reveals or erases the foreground image with a
wipe transition. Unlike the Wipe filter on page 6843, the Wipe layer event moves
the image, sliding it in or out.
The rate of the wipe is determined by the length of the Wipe compositor's
time range.
Simple Wipe Compositor | 6913
Wipe reveals an image by wiping from one side to the other, over time.
Procedures
To use the Simple Wipe compositor:
1 Add two Scene or Image Input events to the queue.
2 Select both events and assign an Image Layer event consisting of the
Simple Wipe Compositor.
3
Select the Image Layer event and click Edit Current Event.
4 Click Setup to display the Simple Wipe Compositor Setup dialog.
Interface
6914 | Chapter 22 Video Post
Direction group
Right-pointing arrow Wipes from left to right.
Left-pointing arrow Wipes from right to left.
Mode group
Push Reveals the image.
Pop Erases the image.
Simple Wipe Compositor | 6915
6916
Managing Scenes and
Projects
23
These topics are concerned with managing scenes, projects, and the files that make them up.
Working with AutoCAD, Revit, and AutoCAD Architecture
3ds Max contains many features designed to streamline the design visualization workflow.
See Working with Drawing Files on page 6978. The File Link Manager on page 6987 allows you
to create a live link to a DWG file. You can then apply materials and animations in 3ds Max,
but still update your geometry if any changes are made to the original file.
File-Handling Commands
The principal commands for handling files on page 6919 are found on the default File menu
on page 7473, as in most Windows applications.
File-Handling Utilities
Several utilities help you manage files:
■
The Asset Browser on page 7132 provides another way to find and preview files and use them
in 3ds Max scenes
■
The Bitmap / Photometric Path Editor utility on page 7141 lets you view bitmap paths or
remove them from the scene file.
■
The File Finder on page 7143 is another resource for finding 3ds Max scenes.
■
The Resource Collector on page 7145 copies or moves a scene's bitmaps into a single directory.
■
The Fix Ambient utility on page 7147 resolves lighting issues with older versions of scene
files.
6917
■
The Bitmap Pager Statistics dialog on page 7150 provides information that helps you resolve
issues with scenes that require large amounts of memory for texture maps.
■
The Substitute modifier on page 1762lets you replace linked AutoCAD Architecture objects
with native 3ds Max geometry and objects.
Geometry File Formats
You can import a variety of geometry file formats on page 7161 into a scene.
Image File Formats
You can use image file formats on page 7324 in a variety of ways: as textures for materials, as
backgrounds to viewports, as background environments, as Image Input events in Video
Post, and as images projected from a light.
External References (XRefs) to Objects and Scenes
External references on page 6933 to objects and scenes are another powerful way to manage
a project, especially when it involves multiple contributors.
RAM Player
You can preview images by using the View File command on page 7127, or by using the more
interactive RAM Player on page 7374.
Scene Explorer
Scene Explorer on page 7379 is a powerful tool for organizing scene elements, selecting object
based on various criteria, changing object display properties, and creating and modifying
object hierarchies.
Scene States
The Scene States on page 7407 feature provides a fast way to save different scene conditions
with various properties that can be restored at any time and rendered to produce different
interpretations of a model.
Schematic View
Schematic View on page 7411 displays the scene as a graphic schema instead of as geometry.
It gives you an alternate way to select or rename the objects in your scene, and to navigate
among modifiers. It is especially useful for viewing objects in a hierarchy.
6918 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Layers
Layers on page 7438 are like transparent overlays on which you organize and group different
kinds of scene information. The objects you create have common properties including color,
renderability, and display.
File-Handling Commands
The main file-handling commands are on the default File menu on page 7473.
These commands are for creating, opening, and saving scenes; importing and
exporting other 3D file formats; viewing a 2D image file; displaying or changing
a scene file's properties; exiting 3ds Max and other operations.
New on page 6920
Reset on page 6921
Open on page 6922
Open Recent on page 6927
Save on page 6927
Save As on page 6928
Save Copy As on page 6930
Save Selected on page 6931
XRef Objects on page 6936
XRef Scene on page 6959
File Link Manager Utility on page 6987
Merge on page 7058
Merge Animation on page 7063
Replace on page 7070
Load Animation on page 7077
Save Animation on page 7080
Import on page 7096
Export on page 7097
Export Selected on page 7099
File-Handling Commands | 6919
Asset Tracking on page 7100
Archive on page 7121
Summary Info on page 7122
File Properties on page 7124
View Image File on page 7127
Exit on page 7129
See also:
■
Asset Browser Utility on page 7132
■
Geometry File Formats on page 7161
■
Image File Formats on page 7324
■
RAM Player on page 7374
New
File menu > New
Keyboard > Ctrl+N
New clears the contents of the current scene without changing system settings
(viewport configuration, snap settings, Material Editor, background image,
and so on). The New command also gives you the option, when you use it
while a populated scene is active, to reuse objects from the current scene in
the new one.
Procedures
To create a new scene:
1 Choose File > New or press Ctrl+N.
2 In the New Scene dialog, specify the types of objects to keep, if any.
3 Click OK.
6920 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
The New Scene dialog has the following controls:
Keep Objects and Hierarchy Keeps the objects and the hierarchical links on
page 8002 between them, but removes any animation keys on page 8020.
NOTE If the current scene has any file links, 3ds Max performs a Bind operation
on all linked files.
Keep Objects Keeps the objects in the scene, but removes any links between
them and any animation keys.
WARNING This option should not be used when working with a scene containing
linked or imported objects.
New All (Default) Clears the contents of the current scene.
Reset
File menu > Reset
Reset clears all data and resets the program settings (viewport configuration,
snap settings, Material Editor, background image, and so on). Resetting restores
the startup defaults, saved in the file maxstart.max, and removes any
customization you might have done during the current session.
Reset | 6921
Resetting has the same effect as exiting and restarting 3ds Max.
TIP To change the startup defaults, start 3ds Max and make the adjustments you
would like to see at startup. Then save the file to your scenes/ directory as
maxstart.max.
Procedures
If you have made changes since the last Save operation, a dialog prompts you
whether you want to save your changes.
To reset 3ds Max:
1 Choose File > Reset.
If you have made any changes since the last Save operation, a dialog
prompts you to save them. As further protection against data loss, a
confirmation dialog appears.
2 When asked if you really want to reset, click Yes.
Clicking No on this dialog cancels the Reset operation.
Open
File menu > Open
Keyboard > Ctrl+O
Open loads a scene file (MAX file), character file (CHR file), or VIZ Render file
(DRF File on page 7167) from an Open File dialog. You can also choose a
previously opened file and use command-line options on page 7468.
The MAX file type is a complete scene file.
A CHR file is a character file saved with Save Character. For more information
on the CHR file format, see Character Assembly on page 277 and Save Character
on page 303.
A DRF file is a scene file from VIZ Render, a rendering tool included with
AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Autodesk Architectural Desktop). The DRF
file type is similar to MAX files from previous versions of Autodesk VIZ.
If the file you're loading was created using plug-ins that are not installed, a
dialog lists them. You can still load the file, but any entities in the scene that
were created by the missing plug-ins are replaced with stand-ins; non-rendering
6922 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
boxes or placeholder modifiers. You can safely delete these from the scene,
unless you are sharing the scene with a user who has the plug-ins installed.
If the file you are loading contains bitmaps that cannot be located, a Missing
External Files dialog on page 7130 appears. This dialog lets you browse for the
missing maps, or continue opening the file without loading them.
Automatic Unit Conversion
When Respect System Units In Files is turned on in the System Unit Scale
group of the System Unit Setup dialog on page 7809, loaded files that have a
different scene unit scale display a File Load: Units Mismatch dialog on page
7815. This dialog lets you rescale the loaded scene to the current scene unit scale,
or change the current scene unit scale to match the one in the loaded file. No
conversion is done when loading files created in 3ds Max 1.x.
■
If you choose to match the units in the loaded file, the System Unit Scale
setting in the System Unit Setup dialog is changed to the setting in the
scene file.
This is the recommended choice, and it is the default in 3ds Max.
For example, if the current system unit scale is set to 1 unit = 1 inch, and
the incoming file was set to 1 unit = 1 foot, a sphere with a radius of 100
feet remains 100 feet.
■
If you rescale the file objects, the objects are scaled as if they had been
created using the current scene unit scale.
For example, if the current system unit scale is set to 1 unit = 1 inch, and
the incoming file was set to 1 unit = 1 foot, a sphere with a radius of 100
feet becomes 1200 inches in radius (assuming the unit display is set to
generic units).
If Respect System Units In Files is off (which is not recommended), 3ds Max
disregards the units chosen in the loaded scene file.
For example, a 100-unit radius sphere that was created in a 1 unit = 1 foot
scene becomes a 100-inch sphere in a 1 unit = 1 inch scene.
Procedures
To reopen a previously opened file:
■
From the bottom of the File menu, choose the file name.
You set the number of files listed by changing the Recent Files In File Menu
on page 7750 field on the Files panel of the Customize > Preferences dialog.
Open | 6923
To start 3ds Max and open a specific file:
■
In a command prompt window, specify the file name after the executable
name. For example:
“c:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\3dsmax.exe” myproject.max
To start 3ds Max and open the last file you worked on:
■
In a command prompt window, type -L after the executable name:
“c:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\3dsmax.exe” −l
Interface
The Open File dialog has standard Windows file open controls. At the right,
the Thumbnail area shows a preview of the scene whose file name is
highlighted in the list on the left.
TIP You can resize the dialog by dragging an edge or a corner.
Clicking the plus button appends a sequence number to the file name
you entered, or increments the sequence number if the name already has one,
and then opens the file of that name, if it is present.
For example, if you have highlighted a file named test00.max, clicking the +
button changes the name to test01.max and then opens that file.
6924 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Opening an Obsolete File
When opening a scene created in an earlier version of 3ds Max, you will see
an Obsolete File dialog.
If you resave the scene, you will overwrite the file. You can still edit it using
3ds Max, but you will no longer be able to edit it in earlier versions of the
software.
Don't display this message When turned on, you will not see the Obsolete
File dialog. The dialog is also controlled by the Display Obsolete File Message
switch on the Customize > Preferences > Files panel.
NOTE If you still need to open the scene using an earlier version of 3ds Max, use
File > Save As on page 6928 and save the file using a different name. Then you will
be able to open the orginal file with the earlier version.
Open from Vault
File menu > Open from Vault
The Open From Vault command lets you open a MAX file directly from
Autodesk Vault, the data-management provider included with 3ds Max. This
allows for secure control and versioning of assets used in the digital-content
creation process without the need to use the Vault client.
NOTE Open from Vault appears on the File menu only if you installed the Vault
plug-in, an optional part of the 3ds Max software installation
See also:
■
Asset Tracking on page 7099
Open from Vault | 6925
Procedures
To use Open From Vault:
1 Open the File menu and choose Open From Vault.
2 If you're not logged in to a provider, you're asked to log in via the Vault
Log In dialog on page 7105. Fill out the form and then click OK.
3 Use the Open File From Vault dialog to browse the vault and choose a
MAX file to open.
4 At this point, one of two things happens:
■
If the file is available for checkout, a dialog opens letting you know
that the file is under version control and asking you if you want to
check it out before making edits. Click Yes.
■
If another user has the file checked out, a dialog opens notifying you
of this and telling you that you won't be able to save edits. Click OK
to open the file in read-only mode. If you attempt to save this file, a
dialog appears notifying you that the scene file is read-only and will
not be overwritten.
5 If you attempt to open a different file or use the New or Reset command
while the file is checked out, a dialog appears asking if you want to check
the files back in. Enter a comment, if appropriate, and then click OK to
check the file in.
Alternatively, if you just want to create a new version on the provider,
turn on Keep Checked Out and then click OK. A new version will be
created, but the file will still be checked out to you.
Interface
NOTE If you haven't set a working folder, the following dialog appears when you
attempt to open a file from the vault:
6926 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
After you click OK, the Browse For Folder dialog opens, which you can use to
specify a working folder.
Open Recent
File menu > Open Recent
Open recent displays a list of recently opened and saved files. The list is sorted
in chronological order, with the most recent files at the top.
Procedures
To change the number of files displayed in the Open Recent list:
1 Choose Customize > Preferences > Files tab > File Handling.
2 Set a value for Recent Files In File Menu. The upper limit is 50.
Save
File menu > Save
Keyboard > Ctrl+S
Save updates the current scene by overwriting the last save of the scene. If no
scene was previously saved, this command works like Save As on page 6928.
See also:
■
Save As on page 6928
■
Save Copy As on page 6930
Saving to an Obsolete File
When you open a file that was created with an earlier version of the software,
and then attempt to save it in a current version of 3ds Max, an alert is
displayed, warning you are about to overwrite the obsolete file.
Open Recent | 6927
Choose Yes to go ahead and overwrite the original file, No to stop the Save.
If you choose No, you can use Save As on page 6928 to save the file under a
different name.
If you save to the original file name, you can still edit it using the current
version of the software, but you will no longer be able to edit it in earlier
versions of 3ds Max.
Interface
When you save a scene, you also save the program settings. When you open
the file again, it opens with the same viewport configuration, view and zoom
levels, snap and grid settings, and so on.
You can incrementally number saved files, and make automatic backup files
at specified time intervals. These options, Increment On Save and Backup On
Save, are on the Files panel on page 7750 of the Preference Settings dialog.
Save As
File menu > Save As
Save As lets you save the current scene filein MAX or CHR format under a
different file name.
A CHR file is a character file saved with Save Character. For more information
on the CHR file format, see Character Assembly on page 277 and Save Character
on page 303.
6928 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
NOTE 3ds Max lets you number saved files incrementally and make automatic
backup files at specified time intervals. The options to set up Increment On Save
and Backup On Save are on the Files panel on page 7750 of the Preference Settings
dialog.
See also:
■
Save on page 6927
■
Save Copy As on page 6930
Procedures
To save a file to a different name:
1 Choose File > Save As.
2 Do one of the following:
■
Enter a name in the File Name field.
■
Click the Increment button.
Interface
The Save File As dialog has standard Windows file save controls. At the right,
the Thumbnail area shows a preview of the scene whose file name is
highlighted in the list on the left.
TIP You can resize the dialog by dragging an edge or a corner.
Save As | 6929
Clicking the plus button appends a sequence number to the file name
you entered, or increments the sequence number if the name already has one,
and then saves the file to that name.
For example, if you have highlighted a file named test00.max, clicking the
plus button changes the name to test01.max and then saves test01.max.
Save Copy As
File menu > Save Copy As
Save Copy As allows you to save a copy of the current scene under a different
file name. It does not change the name of the file being worked on.
IMPORTANT Save Copy As does not update the original file name as Save does,
and Save does not update the file you last saved using Saved Copy As. For example,
if you make edits to a 3ds Max scene named filename.max, then use Save Copy
As with the file name filename01.max, make additional edits, and then click Save,
your second set of edits will be saved as filename.max but not as filename01.max.
See also:
■
Save on page 6927
■
Save As on page 6928
■
Auto Backup on page 7750
Procedures
To save a copy of the file to a different name:
1 Choose File > Save Copy As.
2 Browse or type the name of the file you want to create or update.
3 Click the Save button.
6930 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
Save Copy As displays a standard Windows save dialog. Save Copy As
increments the number at the end of the file name in order to propose unique
but similarly-named files each time the command is used.
Clicking the Save button saves the file to the name displayed in the File Name
text box.
TIP You can resize the dialog by dragging an edge or a corner.
Clicking the plus button saves the file with a name ending in a number
one increment greater than that displayed in the File Name text box.
Save Selected
Select objects to save. > File menu > Save Selected
Save Selected saves the selected geometry as a scene file under a different file
name.
Identically named bitmaps with different properties are stored as different
files. Objects linked to a selected object are also saved. The following
dependencies are preserved for a Save Selected operation:
■
Ancestors of selected child objects are saved, all the way to the root of the
hierarchy.
Save Selected | 6931
■
Space Warps to which selected objects are bound are saved.
■
IK follow objects to which selected objects are bound are saved.
Procedures
To save selected objects to a new file:
1 Select one or more objects.
2 Choose File > Save Selected.
3 Enter a name in the File Name field.
4 Click Save.
Set Project Folder
File menu > Set Project Folder
You can set a project folder when setting up a project, to provide a simple
way of keeping all of your files organized for a particular project. When you
open 3ds Max for the first time, the project folder defaults to the install folder,
but you can set the folder to a different location. When you set the project
folder, 3ds Max automatically creates a series of folders within it such as scenes
and renderOutput. Saving or opening files from the browser defaults to this
location.
Using a consistent project folder structure among team members is a useful
practice for both organizing and sharing files. You can also set the project
folder from the Asset Tracking Dialog on page 7100 > Paths menu.
Procedures
To set the project folder from the File menu:
1 Choose File > Set Project Folder.
2 Choose a path from the browser and click OK to set your project folder.
6932 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
Use the browser controls to navigate the disk structure to the project folder
to use, highlight the folder name, and then click OK.
Make New Folder Click this to create a folder named New Folder within the
highlighted folder. When first created, the folder name is highlighted so that
you can edit it; use the keyboard to rename the folder, or press Enter to accept
the default name.
External References (XRefs)
You can use two kinds of externally referenced files (XRefs): XRef Objects on
page 6936 and XRef Scenes on page 6959. Using these external references allows
for a team approach to animation, where the modeling, materials, transform
controllers, and animation can be handled in separate files by different artists.
External References (XRefs) | 6933
It can also make large files much easier to deal with through the use of proxy
objects.
You access the XRef Objects and XRef Scenes commands from the File menu.
The two types of references have distinct purposes:
■
An externally referenced scene displays the entire contents of an external
MAX file in the current scene. The objects within the external file are
visible as a reference but cannot be selected. This prevents accidental
changes to the referenced scene while allowing functionality such as Snap,
AutoGrid, and Clone and Align to position local objects in context, as well
as to pick objects as the target location for the clones. If you need to move,
rotate or scale the referenced scene, you can bind it to a local object.
Transforming the object the externally referenced scene was bound to will
transform all objects in the externally referenced scene. Scene externally
referenced objects can also be used as reference coordinate system on page
967. When changes to the externally referenced file are saved (such as objects
added, edited or deleted), an Update of Xref Scene will inherit those changes
locally.
■
Externally referenced objects appear in the scene and can be animated.
Depending on the object's XRef settings, you might or might not be able
to edit the object’s entities such as its transforms, materials, manipulators,
or modifiers. You can add modifiers and apply transform animation to the
referenced objects, but you cannot inadvertently change the model’s
structure. Referenced objects allow for the substitution of a proxy object,
so you can animate a low-polygon version of a complex model and then
render the polygon-intensive version.
You can also reference transform controllers externally in addition to
materials. This is part of the process of referencing objects, or you can also
use the special XRef controller on page 3269 or XRef material on page 5765,
respectively. By default, when referencing an object, its material and
transform controller is also referenced. Alternatively, you can create an
XRef controller or an XRef material that allows for referencing a transform
controller or a material from an external MAX file. These external references
can be assigned to any object in the scene, whether or not the object is
externally referenced.
NOTE Any atmospherics applied in an XRef object's source file will be carried
into the scene. Render Effects assigned to XRef objects are not externally
referenced.
6934 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
The use of referenced objects and scenes allows several people to work
collaboratively on the same objects as the work progresses, without having to
wait for the objects to be finalized. You can choose to have the objects update
automatically, as soon as changes are saved to the original file, or to update
manually, on demand.
There are also tools for easy conversion of scene objects into referenced objects,
and a button to merge referenced objects into the scene as normal objects.
Objects in a scene can be externally referenced, created and maintained by other users.
External References (XRefs) | 6935
XRef Objects
File menu > XRef Objects
Externally referenced objects, XRef objects, appear in your master (current)
scene, but are actually referenced from external 3ds Max files. As a result, the
source objects are protected from modifications you make to the XRef objects.
Updates or changes made to the source objects are also updated in the master
file when the source scene is reloaded. However, if an XRef object’s entities
are merged, the controls are local and can be modified. Therefore, they no
longer reference the original attributes.
For example, if you set the Modifiers option on page 6946 of the XRef Objects
dialog on page 6941 to XRef or Ignore, the only entry in the modifier stack will
be “XRef Object.” You can add additional modifiers to the object, but you
cannot access the original ones unless you merge the XRef object into the
scene. If you merge the modifiers into the master scene, you can edit them
in the stack. However, changes that you make to the modifier stack in the
master file have no effect in the source file.
An externally referenced object can be animated in the master file only if its
transform controller has been merged. In other words, no animation can be
added or blended with an XRef controller. However, an offset can be added,
but it then applies to the whole animation, and the offset cannot be animated.
NOTE The XRef behavior of world-space modifiers is different than the object-space
modifiers. World-space modifiers are not externally referenced. They are always
merged.
Transforms and manipulators in your source file will be treated according to
the Merge Transforms and Merge Manipulators setting in the XRef Objects
dialog.
6936 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Objects in a scene can be XRefs from other scenes. They can be transformed and
positioned in the scene using a local offset.
When an XRef object is loaded into the master file, it can have an XRef material
on page 5765 as well as an XRef controller on page 3269 assigned to it. You can
either merge the material and transform information or you can maintain it
as a live connection with the source file.
XRef objects can be modified or transformed in your master scene just like
any other object. XRef objects also allow the use of proxy objects to stand in
or substitute for geometry. Use XRef objects to manage the complexity of your
master scene during animation by substituting “lightweight” proxy objects
for more complex geometry.
You can create a proxy by simplifying a clone of your existing model or you
can build simple substitute objects like boxes or cylinders, or you can save a
External References (XRefs) | 6937
copy of the model in the early stages of modeling before you add the detail.
You can even use an object from another scene.
A proxy object is substituted in the scene, but the reference to the real object is always
available.
Choosing XRef Objects displays the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941, where
you add externally referenced objects, transforms, and materials to your master
scene, and control their visibility, merge states, and other options.
If your XRef object relies on another object in the source scene, the relationship
will not be automatically preserved in the destination file. Examples of this
include objects with path constraints, atmospherics, particle arrays with object
emitters, or space warps bound to an object. To preserve the relationship
between the source objects in the master file, in the XRef Merge dialog, enable
Display Influences and select the object's influences. Objects that influence
each other must be referenced in the same record to maintain the relationship.
NOTE Render effects such as glow or flare are not carried in XRefs. To use render
effects from the source file, merge them in using the Merge buttons found in the
Environment And Effects dialog.
6938 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Procedures
To add an XRef object:
1 Choose File > XRef Objects.
The XRef Objects dialog enables you to choose to Merge Transforms,
Merge Materials, and Merge Manipulators.
NOTE If you want to maintain externally referenced entities (transforms,
materials, manipulators, or modifiers), make sure Merge Transforms, Merge
Materials, and Merge Manipulators are off and the Modifiers setting is set to
XRef before you proceed to the next step.
TIP To include all objects, including influences, transforms, and materials,
and bypass the XRef Merge dialog, turn on Include All on the XRef Objects
dialog before you click Create XRef Record From File.
2
Click the Create XRef Record From File button in the XRef Objects
dialog. The Open File dialog appears. Choose the file you want by
highlighting it in the list, then click Open. The XRef Merge Dialog on
page 6956 appears.
If the Merge Manipulators toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record
From File, manipulators applied to XRef objects are linked to the
(externally referenced) source file. In a similar way, the Modifiers
drop-down list gives you three alternatives for how to handle object
modifiers.
If the Merge Materials toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record
From File, materials applied to XRef objects are linked to the (externally
referenced) source file. If Merge Materials is on, the materials are merged
with the master scene.
If the Merge Transforms toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record
From File, transforms applied to XRef objects are linked to the (externally
referenced) source file and cannot be keyframed in the master file. If
Merge Transforms is on, the transforms are merged with the master scene
and can be keyframed.
3 Select the objects that you’d like to appear in your master scene as XRef
objects.
You can choose as many as you want by holding down the Ctrl key and
highlighting them in the list. If the source scene has a lot of object types
you don't need to include, you can filter the list by using the List Types
External References (XRefs) | 6939
radio buttons. Use the All button to select all of the entries, the None
button to select no entries and the Invert button to highlight the opposite
of your current selection. You can also choose to display Influences and
Select Influences.
4 The XRef record appears in the upper list of the XRef Objects dialog and
has the same name as its source file. The externally referenced entities
appear in the lower list, where an entity can be either an object, a
controller, or a material. Make additional choices at this time if you like.
You can control how the objects will update (either automatically or on
demand). Updating is done at the XRef record level: all objects, transforms,
and materials from a single XRef record are updated at the same time.
To substitute an XRef object with a proxy object:
With proxy objects, you can avoid loading your detailed model in memory,
and speed up the time of test renderings.
1 Select an XRef object.
2
On the Modify panel > Proxy rollout, click the Browse button, and
use the File Open dialog to choose the file that contains the proxy.
The XRef Merge dialog appears.
3 Pick the object to use as a proxy.
When you have picked the proxy object, the Enable toggle should turn
on.
4 Turn on Use In Rendering to use the proxy object in renderings.
To add objects to an XRef record:
1 In the XRef Objects dialog, highlight an XRef record (in the top list) that
contains objects that have not already been added to the scene.
2
On the Entities List toolbar (the lower toolbar), click Add Objects.
This button is not available if all of the objects in the source file have
already been added to the XRef record.
The XRef Merge dialog appears.
3 Highlight the objects that you want to add as XRefs, and then click OK.
6940 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
The selected objects are added. Depending on the dialog settings,
transforms and materials might also be added as external references.
To change an XRef object into a scene object:
■
Highlight the XRef object in the Entities list (the lower list), and
then click Merge In Scene. The XRef object becomes a full-fledged object
in the scene, giving you access to its modifier stack.
TIP This button is also available in the upper Records list, where it merges all
entities from the highlighted source record into the master (current) scene.
XRef Objects Dialog
File menu > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog
The XRef Objects dialog provides the interface for loading XRef entities into
your master scene (the scene where you create the XRefs) from a source scene
(the scene file that contains the entities that you want to externally reference).
XRef entities can be XRef objects, transform controllers, materials, and
manipulators. An XRef record can be made up of one or more XRef entities.
The XRef Objects dialog is divided into the XRef Record section at the top
and the XRef Entities section at the bottom. The XRef Objects dialog provides
controls to add and remove XRef objects, controllers, and materials.
When you create XRefs, the mapping between each externally referenced item
and their source items is unique. This allows correct external referencing of
source items with identical node names. However, if you retarget an externally
referenced item by choosing a source object name that is not unique in the
source scene, 3ds Max might not map the externally referenced item to the
desired source object.
External References (XRefs) | 6941
Interface
TIP You can resize the XRef Objects dialog. This can be useful if you want to see
all of the columns in the XRef Entities list. You can also adjust the relative height
of the two lists in the dialog: Drag the horizontal line that is just above the XRef
Entities toolbar (the lower of the two toolbars).
XRef Record toolbar
Use these tools to create and update XRef records.
Create XRef Record from File Launches an Open File dialog so you
can select the source file for your XRef record. When you a select a file, the
XRef Merge dialog on page 6956 appears.
Any transform animation assigned to the source objects can be merged along
with the XRef object, but it will not be updated with the source object.
NOTE If you want to maintain externally referenced transforms, materials, and
manipulators, make sure Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, and Merge
Manipulators in the XRef Objects dialog are off before you click Create XRef Record
from File.
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Remove XRef Record Deletes the highlighted XRef record(s) after you
confirm the action. All entities associated with the highlighted record(s) are
removed from the scene.
NOTE Once you have removed an XRef record, you cannot undo this action.
Combine XRef Records Click to combine the contents of more than
one XRef record from the same source file into one record. This is useful when
you want to clean up the organization of your XRef records. Rather than
having multiple records of the same file, you can group all of the objects,
controllers, and materials from that file under the same record. This button
is available only when you highlight two records that refer to the same file
name and path; both records must have identical settings. XRef records must
refer to the same file with the same XRef entities. Combine XRef Records only
allows you to consolidate all of the entities of one file into one XRef record
entry. It does not allow you to combine the contents of different files, even
if the files have the same name.
NOTE Nested externally referenced records cannot be combined.
Update Refreshes the contents of the selected XRef record. If the objects,
controllers, materials, or manipulators referenced have changed in the source
scene, you will see these changes in your master scene.
NOTE The changes must be saved in the source file before you see them in the
master file. If you remove externally referenced entities from the master file using
the Delete XRef Entity button, these entities will not be externally referenced when
you update the XRef record, even though they continue to exist in the source
scene.
NOTE Reloading XRef items works correctly even when an object in the source
scene has been renamed, or deleted and then re-created with the exact same
name, including character case. However, if the source scene contains several
nodes with the same name, an XRef item corresponding to a node whose name
is not unique in the source scene might not necessarily resolve as you expect
during the update process. For best results, maintain unique names for all nodes
in the source scene.
External References (XRefs) | 6943
WARNING If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity on page 6168, probably
this will invalidate the radiosity solution. After you update the XRef, reset the
radiosity solution and then recalculate it.
Merge In Scene Converts all XRef entities of the highlighted record
into native (local) entities in your master scene. The objects, controllers,
materials, and manipulators are no longer referenced from the source file but
become part of your master scene. A prompt appears so you can confirm the
action. Since a merged XRef entity becomes part of the scene and is no longer
an XRef entity, its name is removed from the XRef Entities list. This works on
a XRef record basis, so all entities belonging to the highlighted XRef record
are converted. The contents of the source file are not affected by this button.
Merging an XRef object loads the full modifier stack of the source object into
the master scene (your current scene), while maintaining any additional stack
items that were added while the object was an external reference. Thus, you
can use Merge In Scene to update an object that has been modified as an
external reference. Similarly, merging an XRef controller into the master scene
maintains any offset transformation you might have applied to the controller
in the master scene.
Convert Selected Object(s) to XRefs Creates a source file for currently
selected objects. This means that you can select objects in the current scene,
including their transform controllers and materials, and then save them to a
separate scene file. This file is then listed as an XRef record that contains the
entities you selected.
NOTE This option can be used on both—native (local) objects or externally
referenced objects. If you use it for an object that is already an XRef object, it
creates a nested XRef. Nested XRefs still behave as you expect, but they can reduce
performance when you open a scene or render it.
Select Selects all entities that belong to the currently highlighted XRef
record or records. To add highlighted records’ entities to the selection, hold
Ctrl while clicking Select. To remove highlighted records’ entities from the
selection, hold Alt while clicking Select.
Select by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 228, which
lists all objects and highlights those belonging to the currently highlighted
6944 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
XRef record, as well as objects selected in the scene. Use this dialog to select
XRef objects.
Highlight Selected Objects' XRef Records Based on the object(s)
selected in the scene, the corresponding record(s) that contain these objects
are highlighted in the XRef Objects dialog.
XRef Record list
Displays the names of the source files that contain the source objects used as
XRef objects in the current scene. These files are added using the Create XRef
Record button and removed using the Remove XRef Record button.
To see the full path of the source file, move the cursor over the name of an
XRef record. The full path is displayed in a tool tip.
If a source file itself contains external references, a plus/minus icon appears
to the left of its name. Click the icon to expand or collapse the display of
nested XRef entries. Nested XRef records that are missing and unresolved are
displayed in gray.
Right-clicking the XRef Record list displays a pop-up menu on page 6951 that
has additional options for managing the list and its records.
Enabled Turn off to disable all XRef objects referenced from the MAX files
currently highlighted in the XRef Record list. Disabled external reference files
and objects are are not loaded into memory. Default=on.
Include All If you turn this on before you add an XRef record, all the objects
in the source file are included as external references. This option bypasses the
XRef Merge dialog. Default=off.
If you create an XRef record when Include All is turned off, only those entities
selected for that XRef record (in the XRef Merge dialog) will be a part of the
record: any new objects created in the source file will not be part of the record.
If Include All is turned on when you create a record, any new objects created
in the source file will be included in the XRef record when you reopen or
Update the master file. If Include All is turned on before a record is updated
(after the first XRef), all new objects will be included in the XRef, but turning
if off later will not remove them from the record.
If the source scene includes nested external references, using Include All can
cause some confusion if you are not careful about your tree of scenes. Consider
the following arrangement:
master.max (Include All) --> a.max (Include All) --> b.max
External References (XRefs) | 6945
If you later open b.max, create objects, and save it, then open master.max
without first opening and saving a.max, you won't see the new objects created
in b.max. The scene master.max is simply reading a.max, and since a.max hasn't
changed, the new objects aren't present.
Automatic Update When on, changes made to externally referenced objects,
controllers, materials, and manipulators in the source scene are automatically
updated in the master file as soon as the source file is saved. There's no need
to click Update. Default=off.
NOTE You can change the state of Enabled, Include All, and Automatic Update
after a record is created.
Merge Transforms When on, combines all objects' externally referenced
transform controllers from the source file into the master file. This means that
the transform controllers will be loaded in the master file but will then no
longer have a live connection with the source file. This is useful if you don't
require the live connection, and want to alter the transform controllers in the
master scene without losing your edits upon Update. Default=off.
To use Merge Transforms, you must turn on this option before you add the
XRef record (source) file.
Merge Materials When on, combines all externally referenced materials from
the source file into the master file. This means that the materials will be loaded
in the master file but will then no longer have a live connection with the
source file. This is useful if you don't require the live connection, and want
to alter the materials in the master scene without losing your edits upon
Update. Default=off.
To use Merge Materials, you must turn on this option before you add the XRef
record (source) file.
When Merge Materials is on and there are name conflicts between materials
in the target scene and materials in the XRef source scene (or between materials
in two XRef records), 3ds Max displays a Duplicate Name dialog on page 5368
so you can resolve the conflicts.
Merge Manipulators When on, any manipulator on page 2636 applied to the
XRef object in the source file is combined into the scene. Manipulators are
applied to the XRef object and can be changed. However, these changes have
no effect in the XRef source file. Default=off.
To use Merge Manipulators, you must turn on this option before you add the
XRef record (source) file.
Modifiers Determines how modifiers from the source file will be loaded into
your master file. Modifiers are not listed as XRef entities. To see an XRef
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modifier on the Modify panel, you must use the Merge option. Otherwise,
you have the choice of either not merging the modifier information at all
(with the Ignore option) or merging the information with the object with the
XRef Modifiers option.
You must choose the Modifiers option before you add the XRef record (source)
file.
■
XRef Modifiers are contained within the XRef object and cannot be
changed in the master scene. When you load the external reference file,
you will see the results of the modifier but they will not be listed separately
from the object on the Modify panel. Additional modifiers can be applied
to the XRef object, and will be a part of the scene; however, they will not
be reflected back to the source file.
NOTE World-space modifers remain at the top of the modifier stack and are
not merged with XRef objects.
■
Merge Modifiers assigned to the XRef object (in the source file) are
merged into the master scene. When you load the external reference file,
you will see the changes caused by the modifier and they will appear in
the modifier stack in the Modify panel. The modifiers are copies of the
original source modifiers. Although they inherit their original state, updates
to the XRef will not overwrite changes made in the master scene. However,
these changes are not reflected in the source file.
■
Ignore Any modifiers assigned to the XRef object (in the source file) are
disregarded and the base object is brought into the master scene as an XRef
object. When you load the external reference file, the modifiers are not
applied to the object so the modifications in the source file will not be
reflected in the master file.
Although the Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, Merge Manipulators, and
Modifiers settings are disabled after you add a record, when you highlight the
record in the XRef Record list, the toggles and list field show the settings used
when the record was created.
XRef Entities toolbar
Add Objects Click to add further entities to the highlighted XRef record.
This button is available only when the highlighted XRef record contains
objects that you have not yet referenced externally. The XRef Merge dialog
External References (XRefs) | 6947
appears, with a list of the available objects. Highlight the objects to reference
externally, and then click OK.
NOTE If new objects have a relationship in the source file with objects that are
already in a record in the master file, update the record after Add Objects to refresh
the relationship. For example, if a car is referenced in a master scene, and the car
is later constrained to a new path in the source scene, adding the path with Add
Objects will not put the master car on the path. To do that, update the record.
Delete XRef Entity Click to delete the highlighted XRef. An alert
prompts you to confirm the action. All highlighted entities are removed from
the scene. You can delete XRef objects, controllers, or materials.
NOTE Deleting XRef controllers is equivalent to merging them into the master
scene. The reason for this is that nodes must have a transform controller at all
times, in order to be positioned in the scene. Deleting XRef materials is equivalent
to merging them into the master scene. This action could could impact all objects
in the master scene that use an XRef material, and could have implications difficult
to be foreseen.
Merge In Scene Merges the current selection in the XRef Entities list
into the master scene (the current scene). Use this button to change XRef
objects, controllers, or materials into objects, controllers, or materials that are
native to the current scene. The connection between the external entity from
the source scene and your master scene is broken, and the object, controller,
or material that you merged is no longer updated when the source scene
changes.
3ds Max prompts you to confirm the merge.
Since a merged XRef object becomes part of the scene and is no longer an
XRef object, its name is removed from the list.
Merging an XRef object loads the full modifier stack of the original object,
while maintaining any additional stack items that were added while the object
was an XRef object. Thus, you can use Merge to update an original object that
has been altered as an external reference. If you do this, use Convert Selected
Object(s) to XRefs to save out the “improved” original into a file, which then
can be merged back into the original source.
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NOTE It is also possible to merge into the master scene nested XRef entities. Once
they are merged, all externally referenced nesting levels are removed and the
scene entity from the lowest level source scene is merged into the master scene.
In case of XRef objects, modifiers applied in a nested source file are all merged
and present in the master scene.
List Objects When on, shows the XRef objects for the current XRef
record in the XRef Entities list.
List Materials When on, shows the XRef materials for the current XRef
record in the XRef Entities list.
List Controllers When on, shows the XRef controllers for the current
XRef record in the XRef Entities list.
NOTE You can enable any combination of the List buttons to show certain types
of entities and hide others.
Select Selects in the scene the XRef entities currently highlighted in
the XRef Entities list. To add highlighted entities to the selection, hold Ctrl
while clicking Select. To remove highlighted entities from the selection, hold
Alt while clicking Select.
Select by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 228, which lists
all objects and highlights the XRef objects selected in the XRef Entities list,
as well as any objects selected in the scene. If an XRef controller or XRef
material is highlighted in the XRef Entities list, the Select Objects dialog
highlights the object to which the XRef controller or material belongs to.
Highlight Selected Object's XRef Records When XRef objects are
selected in the scene, the XRef record to which they belong is highlighted in
the XRef Record list and the XRef objects and their XRef entities are highlighted
in the XRef Entities list.
External References (XRefs) | 6949
XRef Entities list
Displays the XRef objects, controllers, and materials that belong to the record
that is currently highlighted in the XRef Record list. If no source file is
highlighted, this list is empty.
Right-clicking the XRef Entities list displays a pop-up menu on page 6954 that
has additional options for managing the list as well as the objects, controllers,
and materials in it.
The XRef Entities list includes the following information for each XRef entity:
■
Scene Name Name of the entity in the master (current) scene. By default,
the name of the entity in the master scene is the same as the name of the
entity in the source file. If you change the name of the entity on the
command panel on page 7631, the name will update in the XRef Entities
list.
■
Source Name Name of the entity in the source file. You cannot change
this name from the master file. If the name of the entity changes in the
source file, the XRef in the master file will become unresolved.
■
Type
■
Status
Usually this field displays “XRef Resolved” to indicate that the XRef is
valid. When an external reference is unresolved this field displays
“Unresolved XRef” An unresolved XRef indicates that there is no longer a
connection between the entity in your master file and the source file. This
can happen for a number of reasons. For example, the entity in the source
file might have been renamed or deleted, or the file cannot be found.
Whether the entity is an XRef object, controller, or material.
NOTE If you resolve the cross reference, the XRef will be resolved again when
you click Update.
■
Proxy Whether a proxy is enabled for the entity. You enable and disable
proxies for XRef entities on the Proxy Object rollout. Displays “–––” when
the proxy is disabled and “Enabled” when the proxy is enabled.
You can assign a proxy object using the Proxy Object rollout on page 6974.
■
Proxy Render Whether the proxy will be used in the rendering. Displays
“–––” when the XRef object will be rendered and “Enabled” when the
proxy object will be rendered.
■
Proxy Name
object.
Name of the proxy object that will be used as the XRef
6950 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
■
Proxy File Name Name of the file that contains the proxy object to use
for the XRef object.
■
Proxy Path
Path of the file for the proxy object to use for the XRef object.
XRef Record List Right-Click Menu
File menu > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog > Right-click the list of XRef
Record list.
This contextual menu appears in the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941 when
you right-click the XRef Record list. It provides additional options for managing
the list.
Some of the options on this menu are unavailable unless you have highlighted
an XRef record.
Interface
Create XRef Record from File Launches an Open File dialog so you can select
the source file for your XRef record. When you a select a file, the XRef Merge
dialog on page 6956 appears.
Any transform animation assigned to the source objects can be merged along
with the XRef object, but it will not be updated with the source object.
NOTE If you want to maintain externally referenced transforms, materials, and
manipulators, make sure Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, and Merge
Manipulators in the XRef Objects dialog are off before you click Create XRef Record
from File.
Remove XRef Record Deletes the highlighted XRef record(s) after you confirm
the action. All entities associated with the highlighted record(s) are removed
from the scene.
NOTE Once you have removed an XRef record, you cannot undo this action.
File Submenu
Open Opens the source file. If you have not saved changes to the (current)
master file, 3ds Max prompts you to do so.
External References (XRefs) | 6951
Browse Displays the Open File dialog that enables you to browse for a new
source file. The file you choose replaces the highlighted XRef record in the
XRef Objects dialog. Available only when a single file is highlighted.
Reveal Location in Explorer Launches Windows Explorer, open to the folder
in which the highlighted source file resides with the source file highlighted.
Available only when a single file is highlighted.
Strip Path Removes path information from the file name, saving only the file
name. The source file location is saved relative to the master file location.
WARNING If you strip the path before you have saved the master file, the record's
XRefs can become unresolved. This is because there is no location for the Untitled,
unsaved MAX scene.
Resolve Path to UNC Location If the record's file name has had its path
stripped, this option restores the full path name.
Combine XRef Records Click to combine the contents of more than one
XRef record from the same source file into one record. This is useful when
you want to clean up the organization of your XRef records. Rather than
having multiple records of the same file, you can group all of the objects,
controllers, and materials from that file under the same record. This option
is available only when you highlight two records that refer to the same file
name and path; both records must have identical settings. XRef records must
refer to the same file with the same XRef entities. Combine XRef Records only
allows you to consolidate all of the entities of one file into one XRef record
entry. It does not allow you to combine the contents of different files, even
if the files have the same name.
NOTE Nested externally referenced records cannot be combined.
Update Refreshes the contents of the selected XRef record. If the objects,
controllers, materials, or manipulators referenced have changed in the source
scene, you will see these changes in your master scene.
NOTE The changes must be saved in the source file before you see them in the
master file. If you remove externally referenced entities from the master file using
the Delete XRef Entity button, these entities will not be externally referenced when
you update the XRef record, even though they continue to exist in the source
scene.
6952 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
WARNING If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity on page 6168, probably
this will invalidate the radiosity solution. After you update the XRef, reset the
radiosity solution and then recalculate it.
Select Selects the entities that belong to the currently highlighted XRef record.
Select by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 228, which lists all
objects and highlights those belonging to the currently highlighted XRef
record. Use this dialog to select XRef objects.
Highlight Selected Objects' XRefs Records Based on the object(s) selected
in the scene, the corresponding record(s) that contain these objects are
highlighted in the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941.
Highlight All Highlights all XRef records in the XRef Record list.
Highlight Inverse Highlights all XRef records in the XRef Record list except
the currently highlighted record(s).
Highlight None Turns off highlighting for any XRef records currently
highlighted in the XRef Records list.
Hide All Unresolved Hides all unresolved XRef records in the XRef Record
list.
Select All Unresolved Highlights all unresolved XRef records in the XRef
Record list.
Merge In Scene Converts all XRef entities of the highlighted record into native
(local) entities in your master scene. The objects, controllers, materials, and
manipulators are no longer referenced from the source file but become part
of your master scene. A prompt appears so you can confirm the action. Since
a merged XRef entity becomes part of the scene and is no longer an XRef
entity, its name is removed from the XRef Entities list. This works on a XRef
record basis, so all entities belonging to the highlighted XRef record are
converted. The contents of the source file are not affected by this option.
Merging an XRef object loads the full modifier stack of the original object into
the master scene (your current scene), while maintaining any additional stack
items that were added while the object was an external reference. Thus, you
can use Merge In Scene to update an object that has been modified as an
external reference. Similarly, merging an XRef controller into the master scene
maintains any offset transformation you might have applied to the controller
in the master scene.
External References (XRefs) | 6953
Convert Selected Object(s) to XRefs Creates a source file for the currently
selected objects. This means that you can select objects in the current scene,
including their transform controllers and materials, and then save them to a
separate scene file. This file is then listed as an XRef record that contains the
entities you selected.
NOTE This option can be used on both—native (local) objects or externally
referenced objects. If you use it for an object that is already an XRef object, it
creates a nested XRef. Nested XRefs still behave as you expect, but they can reduce
performance when you open a scene or render it.
XRef Entities List Right-Click Menu
File menu > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog > Right-click the list of XRef
entities (objects and materials).
This contextual menu appears in the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941 when
you right-click the XRef Entities list. It provides additional options for
managing the list.
Some of the options on this menu are unavailable unless you have highlighted
an XRef entity.
Interface
Add Objects Displays the XRef Merge dialog on page 6956 so you can add entities
to the XRef Entities list.
If all entities in the source scene are already externally referenced, this choice
has no effect.
Delete XRef Entity Deletes the highlighted XRef entities from the scene.
An alert prompts you to confirm the action.
NOTE Deleting XRef controllers is equivalent to merging them into the master
scene. The reason for this is that nodes must have a transform controller at all
times, in order to be positioned in the scene. Deleting XRef materials is equivalent
to merging them into the master scene. This action could impact all objects in the
master scene that use an XRef material, and could have implications difficult to
be foreseen.
Select Selects in the scene the XRef entities currently highlighted in the XRef
Entities list.
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Select by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 228, which lists all
objects and highlights the XRef objects selected in the XRef Entities list. If an
XRef controller or XRef material is selected in the XRef Entities list, the Select
Objects dialog highlights the object to which the XRef controller or material
belongs to.
Highlight Selected Objects' XRefs When XRef objects are selected in the
scene, the XRef record to which they belong is highlighted in the XRef Record
list and the XRef objects and their XRef entities are highlighted in the XRef
Entities list.
Highlight All Highlights all XRef entities in the XRef Entities list.
Highlight Inverse Highlights all XRef entities in the XRef Entities list except
the currently highlighted XRef entities.
Highlight None Turns off highlighting for any XRef entities currently
highlighted in the XRef Entities list.
List Objects Toggles the display of XRef objects for the current XRef record
in the XRef Entities list.
List Materials Toggles the display of XRef materials for the current XRef record
in the XRef Entities list.
List Controllers Toggles the display of XRef controllers for the current XRef
record in the XRef Entities list.
The state of List Objects, List Materials, and List Controllers is the same as the
state of the toolbar buttons in the XRef Objects dialog. Changing the state in
the menu changes the button state, and vice versa.
Merge In Scene Merges the current selection in the XRef Entities list into the
master scene (the current scene). Use this option to change XRef objects or
materials into objects that are native to the current scene. The connection
between the external entity from the source scene and your master scene is
broken, and the object, controller, or material that you merged is no longer
updated when the source scene changes.
3ds Max prompts you to confirm the merge.
Since a merged XRef object becomes part of the scene and is no longer an
XRef object, its name is removed from the list.
Merging an XRef object loads the full modifier stack of the original object,
while maintaining any additional stack items that were added while the object
was an XRef object. Thus, you can use Merge to update an original object that
has been altered as an external reference. If you do this, use Convert Selected
External References (XRefs) | 6955
Object(s) to XRefs to save out the “improved” original into a file, which then
can be merged back into the original source.
NOTE It is also possible to merge into the master scene nested XRef entities. Once
they are merged, all externally referenced nesting levels are removed and the
scene entity from the lowest level source scene is merged into the master scene.
In case of XRef objects, modifiers applied in a nested source file are all merged
and present in the master scene.
Apply XRef Material(s) to Object(s) Applies the original, externally referenced
material(s) to the highlighted objects. This can be useful if you have assigned
a local material to the object (for example, to use in renderings of the master
scene) and now want to restore the object's original material. It can also restore
the externally referenced source material if the material was originally merged
into the master scene.
Apply XRef Controller(s) to Object(s) Applies the original, externally
referenced controller(s) to the highlighted objects. This can be useful if you
have assigned a local controller to the object (for example, to use in renderings
of the master scene) and now want to restore the object's original controller.
It can also restore the externally referenced source controller if the controller
was originally merged into the master scene.
Reset PRS Offset Sets the PRS transformation on page 3271of the XRef object
to its transformation defined in the source file.
NOTE You can undo this action.
XRef Merge Dialog
File menu > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog > Create XRef Record From
File button > Open File > XRef Merge dialog
The XRef Merge dialog lets you choose which objects to add as XRef objects
to the scene. This behaves similarly to the Merge command on page 7058.
Controls on this dialog are similar to those on the Selection Floater on page
231.
The Merge dialog lets you load and save influences with or without their
dependents. In many cases, objects should be referenced with their influences,
but the display only makes you aware of the relationships, it does not force
you to externally reference them.
6956 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
When you select an item in the list window and click Influences, the object’s
influences are selected in the list window. When you select an item in the list
window and Display Influences is on, the object’s influences are shown in
blue in the list window. When you select an item in the list window and Select
Influences is on, the object’s influences are also selected in the list window.
Procedures
To show an object's influences in the XRef Merge dialog:
■
Select an object in the list window and enable Display Influences.
The influences are shown in blue.
To select an object's influences in the XRef Merge dialog, do either of the
following:
■
Select an object in the list window and click Influences.
■
Select an object in the list window and enable Select Influences.
External References (XRefs) | 6957
Interface
XRef Merge Objects list
Objects are listed according to the current Sort and List Types selections.
Influences When you select an object in the list window and then click the
Influences button, the selected object's influences are highlighted as well.
All, None, and Invert These buttons alter the pattern of selection in the list
window.
Display Influences When this is on and you select an item in the list window,
all of its influences are shown in blue. If you want to highlight these influences,
click Influences.
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Select Influences When this is on and you select an item in the list window,
all of its influences are highlighted as well.
XRef Scene
File menu > XRef Scene
An externally referenced scene, or XRef scene, appears in your current file,
but is actually loaded temporarily from another MAX file. As a result, the
source scene is protected from any modifications you might make to the XRef
scene via the master scene. Updates or changes made to the source scenes are
also updated in the master file once the changes are made and saved to the
source file.
The XRef scene feature allows team members working on the same project to
have access to each other’s work without the risk of changing the files. A
modeler can create a setting, while a second modeler might create a character.
The animator can externally reference the setting as a scene and animate the
character in the setting without being able to make changes to the setting. If
the setting file is changed, those changes will be reflected in the animator’s
scene.
Objects loaded in the master file via XRef scenes cannot be selected nor
modified, and do not appear in the Select From Scene dialog or Scene Explorer,
the modifier stack, or the Track View. You can animate them in the current
file only by using the Bind To Parent function in the XRef Scenes window.
You can snap to externally referenced scene entities. You can use Snap,
AutoGrid, and Clone and Align to position local objects in context, as well as
to pick objects as the target location for the clones. If you need to move, rotate
or scale the referenced scene, you can bind it to a local object. Transforming
the object the externally referenced scene was bound to transforms all objects
in the externally referenced scene. You can also use externally referenced
objects in the scene as the reference coordinate system on page 967. When you
save changes to the externally referenced file (such as objects added, edited,
or deleted), updating the XRef Scene inherits those changes locally.
External References (XRefs) | 6959
Importing the whole village model into the building model as an XRef
Radiosity solution data cannot be part of an XRef if objects have duplicate
names. To solve this, change the duplicate names. Also, to reference radiosity
data externally, the Save Scene Information In MAX File switch must be on
in the Radiosity panel on page 7786 of the Preferences dialog. (It is on by default.)
Be aware that render effects are not carried into the master scene by XRef
scenes. To use the render effects (such as glow or flare) from the XRef file,
merge them in using the Merge buttons found in the Environment And Effects
dialog.
NOTE Atmospheric effects assigned to objects in the source file are carried into
the master file when the source file is used as an XRef scene.
Choosing XRef Scene displays the XRef Scenes dialog on page 6967.
6960 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Overlays
Overlays allow multiple scene references without the risk of creating circular
dependencies. The scene XRef marked as overlay is loaded only into the master
scene that references it, and is not visible in other scenes that might XRef the
master file that uses the overlay. Consider two scenes that reference each
other:
Ordinarily, 3ds Max would recognize this as a circular dependency, and
disallow it. However, you can set up such a combination of XRefs by following
these steps:
1 In scene 2, XRef scene 1 and use the toggle to flag it as an overlay.
2 Save scene 2.
3 Open scene 1, and XRef scene 2.
Scene 2 is externally referenced into scene 1, without pulling scene 1 in
as a nested external reference.
The previous example is not particularly practical. But suppose you want to
mask off part of your scene so other artists who XRef the scene will not see
it. For example, you are working on a building and have XRefed a CAD file
that lays out the plumbing of the building, as well as a scene of ground terrain
that contains some XRefs to some trees. The XRef scene graph might look like
this:
External References (XRefs) | 6961
The building scene XRefs the terrain and the plumbing data. The terrain scene
XRefs the trees. You decide you are the only one who needs to see the CAD
plumbing data. The CAD plumbing data is needed only to line up where the
sinks need to be in the building, so you set up the CAD plumbing data XRef
to be an overlay. Other scenes that include the building scene won’t see the
plumbing. For example, another artist who is responsible for the lighting and
cameras sets up an XRef to the building scene. Now the XRef graph looks like
this:
6962 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
In this case, an overlay is used to simply hide data information from other
master scenes. Another use of overlays is to avoid circular XRefs. For example,
picture four artists working on a scene of a city block. Two of them are working
on individual buildings, one is working on a sky bridge that connects the two
buildings, and the fourth artist is setting up the cameras and the lights. The
graph of externally referenced scenes might look like this:
External References (XRefs) | 6963
But the artists working on Building A and the artist working on the sky bridge
need to see each other’s work to make sure everything lines up. The obvious
solution would be to externally reference each other’s scene file:
6964 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
However, 3ds Max detects a circular external reference and won’t allow this,
unless both the Building A scene and the Sky Bridge scene flag their external
reference as an Overlay.
External References (XRefs) | 6965
WARNING If you turn off the Overlay flag for an existing XRef scene, you can
cause circular external references to occur, that aren’t detected until you or another
user tries to open one of the scenes in the project.
Procedures
To add an XRef scene:
1 Choose File > XRef Scene.
2 Click the Add button. An Open File dialog appears that lets you locate
the MAX file you wish to reference. A thumbnail display is provided to
help you identify your file.
3 Click Open to bring the XRef scene into the current scene.
6966 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
4 The path and file name of the selected file appears in the XRef Files
window.
You can add as many files as you like; each one appears in the XRef Files
window.
5 Make additional choices in the XRef Scenes dialog if you want.
You can affect the display of the XRef scene, making it visible or not, or
making objects in the referenced scene appear as bounding boxes. You
can ignore the file's lights, cameras, shapes, helpers, or animation. You
can control when the file updates, either automatically or on demand.
You can have the file enabled or disabled, or you can merge it, severing
the XRef relationship and inserting the scene into your current file. You
can bind the scene to a Parent object to reposition or animate the XRef
scene.
To scale, rotate, or reposition an XRef scene:
1 Create an object in your current scene to be the parent object.
2 Choose the XRef scene from the XRef File window.
3 Click Bind (in the Parent group), and then select the parent object by
clicking it in the viewport.
4 Transform the parent object. The XRef scene will follow.
This works best if both the parent object and the XRef scene have their
pivot points positioned near the scene's origin (0,0,0).
If the XRef scene was created a large distance from the origin, you can
run into a problem. As you scale the parent object, the XRef scene will
move away from the center. To counteract this problem, you can create
a second parent object centered over the XRef scene. Then select and link
the original parent object to the centered parent object. You can then
scale the centered parent object and the XRef will not move toward or
away from the origin and use the original parent object to move the
externally referenced scene.
An alternative method for scale problems is to use the Rescale World
Units Utility on page 2682 on the original file.
XRef Scenes Dialog
File menu > XRef Scene > XRef Scenes dialog
External References (XRefs) | 6967
The XRef Scenes dialog lets you add and remove XRef scenes. It also gives you
tools to control the display of the XRef scene, options to ignore various
components of the scene, and the ability to bind to a parent object so you
can scale, rotate, or move the XRef scene.
Accessing XRef Scenes
Although XRefs are inaccessible “boxes” in the scene, they can be accessed in
various ways.
■
Cameras and lights in the XRef scenes can be accessed in the Viewports
list and assigned to viewports in the current scene.
■
Objects from the XRef scenes are included in the Summary Info dialog.
■
Objects can be snapped to or used for alignment purposes with AutoGrid
and Align.
■
AutoGrid works on XRef scene objects.
■
You can use objects from XRef scenes as target for cloning or reference
systems.
Nesting XRef Scenes
XRef scenes can be nested. That is, an XRef scene can contain other XRef
scenes, which can in turn contain other XRef scenes.
NOTE For a nested XRef scene to update automatically, all of its parent scene files
(files that include it as an XRef) must have Auto Update turned on.
6968 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
XRef File list Displays all XRef scenes in the current scene, and lets you select
them for operations. XRefs that have been disabled (by turning off Enabled)
External References (XRefs) | 6969
are listed in gray rather than black. If an XRef is listed in red, that means its
file could not be loaded. Either the file is corrupted, or the path is not pointing
to the correct directory or file name.
XRef File path field Lets you change the path or file pointed to by a selected
XRef scene. To use, choose one of the XRef scenes in the list, and then change
the information in the field. You can either directly enter a new file name or
path, or you can click the Browse button to the right of the field, and then
choose a new file from the Open File dialog. The new XRef scene that you
choose replaces the one currently highlighted in the list.
Add Displays the Open File dialog from which you can choose a MAX scene
file to be loaded into the current scene as an XRef. The selected scene appears
in the list at left, and the geometry appears in the viewports.
You can also add a scene by dragging a MAX file from the Windows Explorer
into the list, or by dragging a MAX file into a 3ds Max viewport, whereupon
you're presented with a menu with the following options: Open File, Merge
File, XRef File, and Cancel.
Convert Selected Lets you take any selected objects in your scene and create
XRefs from them. Basically, this does a Save Selected for the objects, which
are automatically cut from the MAX file and pasted into a new file. A file
dialog lets you name the new file. They remain in the current scene but are
now scene XRefs.
Remove Removes the XRef scene currently chosen in the list, and removes it
from the current scene. To use, choose one or more XRef scenes in the list,
and then click the Remove button.
Select buttons
These standard buttons change the pattern of selection in the list.
All Selects all items in the list.
None Deselects all items in the list.
Invert Inverts the current selection pattern in the list.
XRef File group
Enabled Turn this off to disable the highlighted XRef. When an XRef is
disabled, it’s listed in gray in the list, and it’s not loaded into memory.
Overlay When on, treats the referenced source scene as an overlay on page
6961. Default=off.
6970 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Overlays allow multiple scene references without the risk of creating circular
dependencies. The scene XRef marked as overlay is loaded only into the master
scene that references it, and is not visible in other scenes that might XRef the
master file that uses the overlay. See Overlays on page 6961 for more information.
WARNING If you turn off the Overlay flag for an existing XRef scene, you can
cause circular XRefs to occur, that aren’t detected until you or another user tries
to open one of the scenes in the project.
Merge Click this to merge selected XRefs into the scene as real geometry. A
prompt appears so you can confirm the action. Since a merged XRef becomes
part of the scene and is no longer an XRef, its name is removed from the list.
Update File group
Determines how and when the XRef scenes are updated. These options are
applied to the selected XRefs; for example, one XRef can have automatic
updating, while another can have manual updating (using the Update Now
button).
WARNING If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity on page 6168, you will
likely invalidate the radiosity solution. After you update the XRef, reset the radiosity
solution and then recalculate it.
Automatic When this check box is turned on, the selected XRef scene is
automatically updated when its source scene is saved.
Update Now Click this to update a selected XRef scene when you’re not using
Automatic (or when several XRef scenes are selected and some of them are
not set to Automatic). When you click Update Now, the XRef is updated to
match the latest saved version of the source scene.
Display Options group
These options let you specify how the selected XRefs are displayed in viewports.
These options have no effect on the rendered scene.
Visible Turn on or off to display or hide the selected XRefs. This affects the
visibility of the XRef in the viewports only (not in renderings). Note, also,
that this behavior is different from the “Enabled” check box. Turning off
Visible does not remove the XRef from memory.
Box Turn this on to display the selected XRefs as bounding boxes. Turn off
to display the full geometry.
External References (XRefs) | 6971
Ignore group
This group box lets you specify categories that you do not want included with
the XRef scene. For example, if you turn on Lights, the lights in the XRef
source scene are not included in the current, target scene. You can switch
these categories on and off at any time, but if you Merge an XRef scene while
a category is turned off, that category of objects will not be merged into the
scene.
Lights Turn this on to ignore the lights.
Cameras Turn this on to ignore the cameras.
Shapes Turn this on to ignore the shapes.
Helpers Turn this on to ignore the helpers.
Animation Turn this on to ignore the animation. All animation in the scene
is disabled and the scene appears as it would at frame 0 of the source scene.
WARNING Children of an ignored object are also ignored. For example, if you
have mesh objects linked as children to a dummy object and ignore Helpers, then
the mesh objects are ignored as well.
Parent group
These controls let you position and animate XRef scenes within the current
scene by binding the XRef scene to a parent object.
Parent Name field Displays the name of the parent for the currently selected
XRef.
Bind Click this, and then pick an object in the current scene to become the
parent of the highlighted XRefs. Once an XRef is bound to a parent object,
the transforms of the parent are inherited by the XRef. Thus, you can animate
the XRef by animating the transforms of the parent.
Unbind Click to unbind the highlighted XRefs from whichever parent they’d
been bound to.
Binding XRefs to objects is similar to linking objects, as performed with the
Link/Unlink buttons on the toolbar.
If you Merge a linked XRef scene, converting it to objects in the current scene,
the objects in the XRef scene become linked children of the binding parent.
At this point, you could Unlink them (using the toolbar command), and they’ll
maintain their offset position to the parent.
Close Click to close the dialog.
6972 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
XRef Object Rollout
Select an XRef object. > Modify panel > XRef Object rollout
When you've selected an XRef object in a scene, the XRef Object rollout appears
along with the Proxy Object rollout on page 6974 on the Modify panel. The
modifier stack for the XRef object simply displays “XRef Object.”
Interface
These controls let you change the file path, file name, and object name of the
source of the XRef object.
IMPORTANT The specified file must contain an object of the specified name, or
no XRef object will appear in your scene. Instead, a small X appears as a
placeholder.
Highlight Corresponding XRef Record in the XRef Objects
Dialog Click to open the XRef Objects dialog on page 6941, with the selected
object's record highlighted.
File name field Displays the path and file name of the scene file containing
the source of the XRef object. You can edit this to point to a different path
and file.
File name display Displays the file name only, without the path.
External References (XRefs) | 6973
Path button Click to display the Open File dialog from which you can
specify a different path and file name for the source file.
Object name field Displays the name of the source object pointed to in the
source file. You can edit the name field to reference another object.
Object name display Displays the name of the source object.
Path button Click to display the XRef Merge dialog on page 6956 pointing
to the scene in the XRef File Name field. Here, you can specify a different
object to be used as the XRef object.
Proxy Object Rollout
Select an XRef object. > Modify panel > Proxy Object rollout
When you've selected an XRef object in a scene, the Proxy Object rollout
appears along with the XRef Object rollout on page 6973 on the Modify panel.
Use these controls to specify a low-resolution object to replace the original
XRef object for easier handling in the viewports, and optionally for test
rendering.
6974 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
Enable When on, displays the specified proxy object in the viewports. When
off, displays the original XRef object. Note: If you turn this on when no proxy
object has been specified, the XRef object appears in the viewports as a small
X.
Use in Rendering When on, the proxy object is also displayed in the rendering.
When off, the original XRef object is rendered.
File Name field Specify the path and file name of the scene file containing
the proxy object.
Path button Click to display the Open File dialog from which you can
specify the scene file containing the proxy object.
Object Name field Specifies the name of the proxy object in the specified
scene.
Path button Click to display the XRef Merge dialog listing the objects
in the specified scene file. From here, you can select an object to be used as
the proxy.
External References (XRefs) | 6975
Missing XRef Paths Dialog
File menu > Open > Open a file that references other missing files.
If you load or render a scene with XRefs, but the originally specified path of
the XRef object or scene can’t be found, or if the XRef object name doesn’t
match the object name in the source file, an alert appears telling you this. The
alert works in the same way as the missing bitmap dialog, and provides you
with three options, described below.
Interface
OK Lets you open the file. The referenced scene will have placeholders, but
will not exist in the scene.
Browse Displays the Configure XRefs Paths dialog which you can use to specify
the correct file path. This lets you modify, delete, add, and change the list
position of the paths 3ds Max uses to look for missing files.
This panel is similar to the one displayed by choosing Customize > Configure
User Paths > XRefs on page 7738.
If this problem occurs during network rendering, the dialog doesn’t appear,
but the errors are written to the network log file.
File Link
Data synchronization between drawing files created with AutoCAD, AutoCAD
Architecture (ACA), or Revit and 3ds Max is implemented using the File Link
6976 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Manager, which keeps drawing data linked to the scenes. It is best understood
through a few simple principles:
■
Changes in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit can change the data
viewed in 3ds Max, but changes in 3ds Max never change the data in
AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture or Revit.
Creating a file link is a one-way process that supports the central role of
AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture or Revit in developing and keeping a
record of your core design database. Many changes made in AutoCAD,
AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit will appear in 3ds Max after a file link
reload. These include adding or removing objects, moving objects, changing
material assignments (specific to ACA and Revit drawings), and enabling
Live Section objects (specific to ACA drawings). Changes made in 3ds Max,
such as moving objects, changing material assignments, and adding lights,
will never appear in your AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit
drawing.
■
Changes you can make in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit should
be made in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit.
Changes that you make in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit
become part of that database, whereas changes you make in 3ds Max appear
only in the renderings you produce.
■
Changes in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit aren't reflected in
3ds Max unless you choose them to be.
When you make changes to drawing files, those changes will not appear
in 3ds Max unless you use the Reload command on page 6987 on the File
Link Manager. When you reload a link in 3ds Max, you can choose to
update just the geometry from AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit,
you can reload only specific objects, or (with AutoCAD Architecture and
Revit drawings) you can choose to update both the geometry and the
material assignments.
NOTE After changing your Revit project, you must export a new DWG file and
then reload that file into 3ds Max. 3ds Max cannot link a native Revit project,
RVT file, directly.
You can transform (move, rotate, or scale) AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture,
or Revit objects and blocks that appear in 3ds Max, and these types of
changes are not lost upon reload. If you have moved, rotated, or scaled
linked objects and want the objects to resume the position and scale they
have in the original drawing file, use the Reset Position function on page
7024.
File Link | 6977
■
3ds Max integrates linked AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit data
with non-AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit data.
In addition to the linked AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit
geometry and material assignments, 3ds Max allows you to create or merge
into your scene many types of data from other sources, including:
■
Lighting objects for simulating light fixtures and daylight conditions.
■
Entourage objects such as surrounding buildings, terrain, trees, cars, and
people.
■
Advanced rendering material effects that simulate the rich visual variety
of any imaginable material. You can take advantage of materials that
appear on objects created in 3ds Max, and you can create your own
material effects using the Material Editor. Materials created with the
Material Editor can be assigned to any component in your scene.
■
Bitmaps for use as environment backgrounds. You can use still images
in a variety of formats, or even animated movies, as a rendering
background to create stunning photomontages that appear to place
your proposed design right into the actual location.
See also:
■
File Link Manager Utility on page 6987
■
Working with Drawing Files on page 6978
■
Resetting Transforms on Linked AutoCAD Objects on page 7024
Working with Drawing Files
You can attach any DWG file on page 7958 (or DXF file on page 7958) with the
File Link Manager on page 6987. This feature allows you to work in another
design software's environment, such as AutoCAD®, Autodesk® AutoCAD
Architecture, or Autodesk Revit® while maintaining a single design database.
NOTE For this documentation, the term “drawing” refers to DWG or DXF files
created with AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture, or exported from Revit.
6978 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Creating Links to Files
You can establish, reload, and detach links to any number of linked files. You
can also edit out unnecessary information by using layers and other filters.
The File Link Manager defines which geometry is included in the scene from
the linked file, how the geometry is organized, and when it's regenerated. You
can also create links to files using the drag and drop feature. The objects that
you bring in from linked files behave just like any other object created in 3ds
Max. You can scale, rotate, and move them as well as attach modifiers and
materials.
When 3ds Max stores linked file data, you'll need to decide how the objects
from the linked files will be organized in the scene. For example, drawings
are commonly organized by layers, blocks, and objects, and 3ds Max scenes
are organized by hierarchies of objects. For translating between systems, 3ds
Max includes object types called VIZBlocks on page 8165 and Block/Style Parents
on page 7928.
Working with VIZBlocks and Block/Style Parents
A VIZBlock and a Block/Style Parent is like a nested block; it has an
object/sub-object or parent/child hierarchy structure. In many cases, linked
drawing data initially appears as a VIZBlock or Block/Style Parent (depending
on the Derive AutoCAD Primitives By options on page 7004 you choose). Using
VIZBlocks is helpful when you're working with layering and color schemes.
You can create multiple links to the same linked file, so you can use the same
geometry in different combinations.
Dynamic Blocks in 3ds Max
Dynamic Blocks give blocks flexibility and intelligence. A dynamic block
reference can easily be changed in a drawing while you work. You can
manipulate the geometry through custom grips or custom properties.
The File Link Manager handles dynamic blocks much the same way as any
other block found in a DWG file. Dynamic block instances, even those that
have been grip-edited, display certain types of instance behavior such as
material propagation. For more detailed information about dynamic block
handling in 3ds Max, see Blocks on page 7048.
Reloading, Binding and Detaching Links to Files
You can also reload or detach linked files. When you reload a linked file, any
changes you've made to the linked file are applied to the reloaded geometry
in your scene. Note, however, that 3ds Max won't edit or change your original
File Link | 6979
linked file. The integrity of your other software's design database is never
compromised by the File Link Manager. Finally, if you decide to break a link
to a linked file, there are two options. You can use Bind to keep the objects
from the linked file in your scene, or you can use Detach to have them removed
along with the link. For more information, see File Link Tips on page 6981.
NOTE Both Detach and Bind are available from the Files panel of the File Link
Manager.
ObjectDBX Objects
3ds Max supports the display and use of custom AutoCAD objects. These
custom objects are created using the ObjectDBX™ or ObjectARX® APIs.
Applications and products that work with either of these APIs can read and
write to AutoCAD drawings, and ObjectARX products can extend the available
feature set of AutoCAD.
NOTE To improve file performance, some of the ObjectDBX rules have been
updated. This means that some DXF files, ones built by non-Autodesk products
or very old DXF files, may no longer import or file link into 3ds Max.
Object Enablers
AutoCAD and AutoCAD vertical applications, such as AutoCAD Architecture
(formerly Architectural Desktop or ADT), have custom objects that are unique
to the product. In order to view them in 3ds Max, you need the appropriate
Object Enabler (OE). Object Enablers let you access, display, and manipulate
these objects in 3ds Max, as well as the other vertical applications, including
3ds Max.
When you use the File Link Manager to Attach a DWG file to your scene, you
may encounter a Proxy Objects Detected dialog. This means there are custom
objects in the drawing that require special Object Enablers before you can edit
the objects in 3ds Max.
6980 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Do not show this message again Check this option to not display this message
the next time proxy objects are detected.
For a list of downloadable OEs, see the
http://www.autodesk.com/autocad-object-enablersAutodesk Web site
NOTE Drawings that are exported from Revit do not require Object Enablers.
File Link Tips
Here are some tips for choosing File Linking options and avoiding common
pitfalls.
Linked Data and Face-Normal Conventions
Face normals on page 8059 can be a source of confusion when linking to
AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit drawing files. In 3ds Max, every
face has a front and a back, corresponding to the inside or outside surface of
File Link | 6981
a solid object. In a cube, for example, there is seldom the need to view the
inside surface of any of the six squares that make up the cube. So for many
viewing and rendering operations, 3ds Max ignores a face if it's facing away
(that is, if its face normal is directed away) from a point of view.
When you create objects in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit, 3ds
Max generally understands which way faces should be oriented and manages
face normals accordingly. However, occasionally you may encounter linked
drawing geometry that displays correctly in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture,
or Revit, but doesn't strictly respect face-normal conventions. This can make
it appear as though elements visible in the drawing file are missing or appear
“inside-out” in 3ds Max.
If this happens, try one of these four options:
■
During file link or import of the DWG file, turn on the Unify Normals
switch in either the Basic panel of the File Link Settings dialog or the
Geometry Options group of the AutoCAD DWG/DXF Import Options
dialog.
■
If the drawing is already linked or imported, assign a Normal modifier on
page 1581 to the object that is not displaying properly. Turn on the Unify
Normals switch to force all the normals to face the same direction. If the
object then appears to be “inside-out,” turn on the Flip Normals switch as
well.
■
To render the faces correctly, turn on the Render Setup dialog on page 6067
> Force 2-Sided switch. Also, to display the faces correctly in the viewports,
turn on Viewport Configuration dialog > Rendering Method panel on page
7818 > Force 2-Sided.
■
Apply a material with the 2–Sided switch turned on.
NOTE Using the Force 2–Sided options can result in slower performance,
particularly when rendering. Using either of the Unify Normals options is the
preferred method of handling face normals.
If you experience a high volume of face normal problems in a particular file,
verify that the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 > Weld switch is on, and
then reload the drawing. Weld forces nearby faces to share edges and vertices.
Welding can still result in groups of face normals that are flipped in 3ds Max,
in which case, turn on Unify Normals as well.
6982 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
NOTE The disadvantage of welding is that it can be time-consuming when you
attach and reload the linked file. The time penalty is much greater when 3ds Max
is creating objects that have very large numbers of individual faces.
Linking Files with High Numbers of Linear Line Segments
Two-dimensional elements in drawing files, such as lines, polylines, circles,
and arcs, are represented as splines in 3ds Max. These splines carry much more
information at each vertex than typical AutoCAD 2D structures. Since some
drawing files contain large quantities of 2D data, exercise caution when linking
files containing a high number of discrete line segments. There are two ways
these elements can be left out of your 3ds Max scene:
■
by freezing their layers in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit before
you start 3ds Max and before each subsequent reloading process.
■
by excluding specific layers during the File Link Attach/Reload process or
Import process so you do not have to freeze layers in the drawing. This is
the preferred workflow.
If you need this type of 2D geometry in your visualization, try to use polylines
instead of connected lines to get cleaner geometry in 3ds Max and to reduce
the final size of your scene.
Linked 3D Solids Objects
3D Solids objects that you link from a drawing file into 3ds Max are tessellated;
that is, turned into mesh objects with faces. The fineness of the tessellation
is controlled by the Maximum Surface Deviation For 3D Solids setting on page
7001on the File Link Settings dialog. A high value results in coarser tessellation.
3ds Max uses less memory in the scene, but poor approximations of curved
surfaces could result. For acceptable performance, keep this value as high as
possible.
TIP You can change the value of the Surface Deviation For 3D Solids control at
any time by turning on Show Reload Options on page 6996on the Files panel of the
File Link Manager dialog, and then adjusting when you reload the file.
Linked Spline Objects
Splines are not rendered in 3ds Max unless they have rendering parameters
applied. Normally, you have to collapse a shape to an editable spline object
File Link | 6983
in order to apply rendering parameters; however, this is not possible with
spline objects from AutoCAD.
Instead, you can apply a Renderable Spline modifier on page 1652 to the spline.
This lets you set rendering properties without having to collapse to an editable
spline.
External References and Block Names
A linked AutoCAD or AutoCAD Architecture drawing can include xrefs that
reference files but use the same block names. 3ds Max keeps the blocks distinct
by prepending xref names to block names.
In Revit, a DWG, DXF or RVT file can be linked to the project. This kind of
link is called a RVT Link on page 8110. When the project is exported to a DWG
file, this type of link is represented in the exported drawing as an external
referenced drawing. In this case, more than one drawing file may be created,
with one referencing the other(s).
Circular References
An xref file that contains a sequence of nested references that refers back to
the xref file is considered a circular reference. 3ds Max resolves xrefs until it
detects a circular reference. For example, if you have the circular reference
A|B|C|A, 3ds Max detects and breaks the circularity between C and A. This is
consistent with the way AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture handle circular
xref dependencies.
Overlay External References
3ds Max treats overlay xrefs in the same way as AutoCAD when resolving
xrefs.
For more information regarding overlay xrefs, refer to your AutoCAD User
Reference.
Cloning Actively Linked Objects
If you want to clone actively linked objects, you should only use the Copy
option. Creating references or instances of actively linked objects is not
recommended, as reliability issues can arise when the instanced or referenced
object is deleted in the linked file.
When you copy actively linked objects, linked through the File Link Manager
on page 6987, the copies are automatically converted to editable mesh or editable
6984 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
spline objects. If your selection contains several objects which instance another
object, the resulting copies also instance the same object.
Compound Objects Containing Actively Linked Objects
If you use an actively linked object as part of a compound object, you should
always choose Copy when you specify how the linked object is transferred to
the compound object. Choosing Reference or Instance can cause instability
in the software.
Attaching Actively Linked Objects to an Editable Mesh, Poly, Patch,
or Spline Object
Actively linked objects should not be attached to editable objects, as this
introduces instability to the software. Instead, make a copy of the actively
linked object, and attach the clone to the editable object.
Creating Hierarchies with Actively Linked Objects
Creating parent-child links between actively linked objects AND 3ds Max
objects can cause unpredictable results. For this reason, 3ds Max does not
allow you to link an actively linked object to a 3ds Max object. However, you
can link a 3ds Max object to an actively linked object.
The existing hierarchies of linked objects cannot be broken in 3ds Max. This
would compromise the structure of Blocks and Styles. Any changes must be
made in the original DWG file.
Similarly, actively linked objects cannot be included in the creation of Group
on page 282 or Assembly on page 287 objects in 3ds Max.
Controller Assignments
Actively linked objects should not be included in any IK animation chains,
as they will cause unpredictable results. Likewise, animation controllers should
not be applied to actively linked objects.
Assignments to avoid include:
■
HI IK Solver on page 3392
■
IK Limb Solver on page 3444
■
Spline IK Solver on page 3445
■
HD IK Solver on page 3422
File Link | 6985
■
Inherit Link Info on page 3502
■
Link Inheritance Utility on page 3372
■
Assign Controller on page 3593
Interpreting Layer Data from AutoCAD,
AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit
3ds Max has its own Layer system that looks and operates like a simplified
version of the system you are familiar with from AutoCAD or AutoCAD
Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop). As in AutoCAD or AutoCAD
Architecture, you can hide and unhide layers, freeze and unfreeze them, and
change the display color for all objects on the layer.
NOTE Categories in your Revit project are similar to Layers in AutoCAD. When
you export your project to a DWG, categories are mapped to AutoCAD Layers via
the Export Layers table. For more information regarding Export Layers, refer to
your Autodesk Revit Help file.
Layer operations are accessed through the tools on the Layers toolbar, and
also on an object-by-object basis using the quad menu on page 7516.
Unlinked objects, such as 3ds Max objects or drawing geometry that has been
bound into the scene using the Bind command, may be assigned to any layer
you choose, including layers created by the File Link Manager.
Linked objects from AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit, with some
minor exceptions, will be assigned to the same layers they occupy in program
where the drawing was created.
Any changes made to the layer settings in 3ds Max (hidden/unhidden,
frozen/unfrozen, display color) affect linked objects just as they do unlinked
objects. Also, any changes you make to the layers are not reset when you reload
the drawing.
You can rename layers created by the File Link Manager. When the next reload
occurs, the renamed layer is not affected by the File Link Manager. Objects
on the renamed layer are updated; however, they remain on the same layer.
The original layer is only recreated when a new object has been created in the
DWG file. New objects are never placed on the renamed layer. You can also
delete layers imported by the File Link Manager on page 6987; but only if they
don't contain any objects.
6986 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
You can move actively linked objects between layers in 3ds Max. When the
next reload occurs, the objects are updated; however, they are not moved back
to their original layers. You can also place non-linked objects, such as 3ds Max
objects or drawing geometry that has been bound into the scene, on any of
the imported layers.
Objects contained in layers that are frozen in AutoCAD or AutoCAD
Architecture are not linked to 3ds Max. Objects that were originally linked to
3ds Max are removed if their layer is frozen in AutoCAD or AutoCAD
Architecture and the link is reloaded, but they are added again, upon reload,
after their layer is unfrozen in the program where the drawing is created.
NOTE This is only the case if Skip all Frozen Layers is active on the Select Layers
dialog on page 7017. If you select the layers individually from a list, you can bring
in data on frozen layers.
See also:
■
Using Layers to Organize a Scene on page 7438
Scale Synchronization
3ds Max automatically manages the scale conversion on linked geometry and
materials. 3ds Max has its own system unit for internal representation of
geometrical scale.
If you find that any geometry is not shown at the size you intended it to be,
it is because it was created at the improper scale in the originating program.
See also:
■
Using Units on page 2588
File Link Manager Utility
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > Click the More button. > Utilities dialog >
File Link Manager
File menu > File Link Manager
The File Link Manager utility allows you to work in either another design
software's environment (such as AutoCAD) or in 3ds Max while maintaining
File Link | 6987
a single design database. If you use AutoCAD drawings, this feature works
with drawings from AutoCAD Release 12 through AutoCAD 2005, including
the AutoCAD Mechanical/Architecture and Revit applications.
You can establish, refresh, and break links to any number of linked files. You
can also edit out unnecessary information by using layers and other filters.
The File Link Manager defines which geometry is included in the 3ds Max
scene from the linked file, how the geometry is organized, and when it's
regenerated.
The objects that you bring in from linked files behave just like any other object
created in 3ds Max. You can scale, rotate, and move them, as well as attach
modifiers and materials.
You can also refresh or break links to linked files. When you refresh a linked
file, any changes you've made to the linked file are applied to geometry in
your scene. Note, however, that 3ds Max won't edit or change your original
linked file. The integrity of your other software's design database is never
compromised with the File Link Manager.
Finally, if you decide to break a link to a linked file, you can either keep the
objects from the linked file in your scene or have them removed along with
the link.
TIP For optimal speed when bringing a DWG file that contains a lot of text into
3ds Max, use Import on page 7182 rather than File Link.
See also:
■
File Link on page 6976
■
File Link Tips on page 6981
■
Working with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit Files on page
7021
Support of Multiple Materials on Linked ACIS Solids
3ds Max supports multiple materials per object in DWG files exported as ACIS
solids from Revit Architecture/Structure/MEP 2008 and later, as well as solid
primitives created in AutoCAD Architecture 2008 (formerly ADT) and later.
Linked solids can have Multi/Sub-Object materials on page 5720 that you can
view and manipulate in the Material Editor.
6988 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
NOTE Previous versions of 3ds Max supported multiple materials for polymeshes
but only one material ID for each ACIS solid when linking a DWG file, regardless
of how many material IDs had been assigned to the solid.
Process
When 3ds Max links a ACIS solid DWG file from AutoCAD or Revit
Architecture (version 2008 and later) with either the Layer, Blocks as Node
Hierarchy, Split by Material” or the Entity, Blocks as Node Hierarchy derivation
methods, multiple material IDs are read and editable as Multi/Sub-Object
materials in the Material Editor.
3ds Max reads each face of a linked ACIS solid to determine if it contains any
material IDs that it can read. If more than one material ID is read from a solid,
each material ID is translated to a material ID on file link and re-assigned to
the object.
The program creates Multi/Sub-Object materials only if more than one material
ID is found; if an ACIS solid contains only one material ID, a standard
architectural material is created and assigned instead.
NOTE 3ds Max first evaluates the linked file to find any Revit material IDs, and
then looks for AutoCAD material IDs.
NOTE If you link a DWG file with the Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy, Split by
Materials” derivation method, the solid is not split to reflect its materials set.
Multi/Sub-Object Material Naming
In earlier versions, 3ds Max read the material ID information from the color
ID of the AutoCAD/Revit material ID’s face. Now, 3ds Max creates a
Multi/Sub-Object material for every translated per face material ID each time
you link a DWG file that contains an AutoCAD/Revit solid.
When the program finds multiple materials assigned to an ACIS solid and
creates a Multi/Sub-Object material, it consists of instances of standard
architectural scene materials.
Naming Conflicts
Material IDs are unique within one DWG file. However, the same material ID
may appear in two different files, such as Basic Wall: Generic – 12” Masonry.
If a naming conflict arises when two scenes are merged, the program applies
the last loaded material used in the Multi/Sub-Object material.
File Link | 6989
For example, if file1.dwg and file2.dwg both contain a material named Brick,
and they are both linked, the Brick material used is the one from the second
file (file2.dwg).
Or, if file1.dwg contains a material named Brick that is internally stored as
material ID 222 and file2.dwg contains a different material stored as ID 222,
the material used in the scene when they are linked is file2.dwg’s material.
If two solids share the same material ID, they will share the same
Multi/Sub-Object material.
Non-AutoCAD Materials
3ds Max does not link non-AutoCAD material IDs. The only non-AutoCAD
Architecture IDs it preserves are the Color IDs.
ACIS Solids
DWG ACIS solids link as solid objects in 3ds Max. You cannot separate faces
of an ACIS solid object unless you apply the Edit Poly on page 1363 or Edit Mesh
on page 1353 modifier.
TIP You can access the material ID value assigned to this face with the Edit Poly
modifier.
ACIS Solids and Materials
ACIS solid materials display in the Material Editor along with any other linked
material.
When you apply a bitmap material to an ACIS solid, it is applied to every side
of the object. For example, a brick bitmap material that you apply to a wall
object appears on both sides and all edges of the wall. If you want to apply a
material to each face ID, you can use a multi/sub object material so you can
assign sub-materials to each face ID.
When you link ACIS solids into 3ds Max, procedural textures are not supported,
only materials. For example, a brick wall in Revit may have mortar lines
procedurally drawn on it in red, but if the object is an ACIS solid, the mortar
lines, which are procedural hatches, are lost in 3ds Max.
When an ACIS object’s materials display as Multi/Sub-Object materials in the
Material Editor, each material name appears in the Material/Map Browser, for
example, Default wall or Basic Wall: Generic – 12” Masonry.
6990 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Polymesh
Polymesh DWGs link as polymesh geometry in 3ds Max. Unlike ACIS solids,
you can modify and edit any polymesh object’s face.
Polymesh Objects and Materials
When you link a polymesh DWG file, each polymesh face is considered as a
separate entity, with one material permitted per entity, which allows it to
contain multiple materials
You can apply a bitmap material to the different faces of polymesh geometry,
unlike ACIS solids, where you would need to use a Multi/Sub-Object material
to create the same effect. For example, you can select the outside face of wall
and apply a brick bitmap material and also apply a diffuse material on the
inside wall to simulate white paint.
When you link a polymesh DWG file, every material used in the scene appears
in the Material Editor as a separate material where you can edit it.
When a polymesh object’s materials are shown in the Material Editor, each
material name appears in the Material/Map Browser, for example, Default wall
or Basic Wall: Generic – 12” Masonry.
Procedures
To link a drawing file:
You can link drawings in the form of DWG or DXF files. A DWG is the native
file format for AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture, but you must first export
a DWG when working from a Revit project. The File Link Manager does not
recognize RVT files.
1 Choose File menu > File Link Manager.
2 On the Attach panel, click Files to select a file from the appropriate
directory on either your local or network system, and click Open.
3 Choose a Preset from the pull-down list, if you have one defined.
TIP If this is your first File Linking, and you have not defined any presets, you
may want to create one on the Presets panel on page 7013 of the dialog.
4 Turn on the Rescale switch and adjust the Incoming File Units, if
necessary.
5 Click Attach This File.
File Link | 6991
To reload a drawing:
Reload is most often used when your drawing or project has been changed in
AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit, or if the linked drawing file has
been moved and you have to tell the File Link Manager where to find the
drawing.
NOTE If your Revit project has been updated, remember to export a new DWG
file that can be reloaded.
1 On the Files panel of the File link Manager, click the file name in the
Linked Files list and click Reload.
Linked files that have been changed are prefaced with the
symbol.
TIP Turn on the Show Reload Options switch if you want to make changes
to the settings used to link the drawing. Otherwise, the reload process will
use the same settings you originally used when creating the link.
2 If Show Reload Options is turned on, the File Link Settings dialog on page
6998 is displayed where you can change your settings in the Basic and
Advanced panels.
NOTE You cannot change the sorting or layer options when reloading a
drawing.
3 Click OK to reload the file.
Interface
The File Link Manager dialog contains three panels for listing linked files:
■
Attach on page 6993
■
Files on page 6995
■
Presets on page 6997
These panels let you attach files, update attachments and settings, and change
presets used by File Link. The terminology is similar to the terminology for
managing AutoCAD external references, or xrefs on page 8176.
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NOTE An xref is an AutoCAD external reference. This is different from a 3ds Max
Xref on page 8177, which is an externally referenced file that can be a 3ds Max
object or scene.
Attach panel
File Displays an Open dialog that you can use the browse for DWG and DXF
files that you want to link. When a file is selected, its path and name appears
in the File list.
File list The file to be attached to your scene. You can enter the file location,
or you can expand the list to display a history of the last ten attached files.
NOTE You can resize the File Link Manager dialog by dragging any corner or
edge. This is useful for viewing a file path if it's too long to fit in the file list field.
Preset Displays a list of preset settings you can choose to use when attaching
the file. Each list entry in this list represents a unique collection of attach and
reload settings. You can create additional presets in the Presets panel of the
File Link Manager dialog.
Rescale Alters the scale of the geometry from a linked file to match the system
unit scale on page 7812 in 3ds Max. When Rescale is on, you can specify what
the base units should be for the geometry in the linked file. For example, if
the length of a line in the linked file is 2 units, you can specify that these units
File Link | 6993
be considered as any of the units listed under File Units (below), such as inches,
millimeters, or parsecs.
When Rescale is on, and the units you specify are different from the system
units currently set in the 3ds Max scene, the incoming objects are scaled
appropriately. For example, if a door measures 914 units in the linked file,
and you specify millimeters to convert from, the door will measure 36 inches
in the 3ds Max scene.
NOTE You can't change units when you reload a linked file.
NOTE By default, system units are inches in 3ds Max. Consider carefully before
changing the default system units. For more information, see Using Units on page
2588.
Incoming File Units Displays the unit of measure found in the original
drawing file and lists the units to which you can choose to rescale the attached
file. This is only active when Rescale is on.
Select Layers to Include Displays the Select Layers dialog on page 7017, which
you use to select the layers to import from the linked file.
Attach This File Attaches the selected file to your scene, using the settings
selected in the Preset list, if one was selected.
To cancel the File Link operation press Esc. You can do this at any time during
the process.
Cancelling the File Link operation removes every object the process has linked
to the scene until the moment you press Esc.
Close Cancels all changes to settings and closes the dialog.
6994 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Files panel
Linked Files Lists linked files. The File Link Manager displays an icon next
to the path name of each linked file. The icon reflects the status of the linked
file, as described below:
The linked file hasn't changed and there are no errors.
The linked file can't be found at the specified location.
The linked file has changed or another file has been selected by changing
the path or using the browser from this list. If you want to update your scene
with the changes in this file, you must reload on page 6995 your link.
You can change the path name by highlighting it and clicking again to enter
its location. This also displays a file browser button to the right of the file
name that you can use to locate a file. If the directory of a linked file is no
longer valid, then you must enter a new, valid path name.
Reload Refreshes the link between the file and the 3ds Max session. This
feature is useful when the file has been modified and you want to see the
changes reflected in your 3ds Max scene. If you turn on Show Reload Options,
the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 displays when you click this button.
Changes that have been made to the base file will be applied to the objects at
the bottom of the 3ds Max modifier stack. If you have 3ds Max materials
File Link | 6995
applied to walls in a floor plan in your scene, the same materials are applied
to the walls when you reload an updated version of the linked file.
To cancel the File Link operation press Esc. You can do this at any time during
the process.
Cancelling the File Link operation removes every object the process has linked
to the scene until the moment you press Esc.
NOTE This option is available only when the file is highlighted in the Linked Files
list.
Detach Removes an existing link to a file. Detach also removes all geometry
associated with or dependent on the link.
When you click this button, you receive a warning that you're about to remove
all objects associated with the linked file. You can either proceed or cancel
the operation.
NOTE This option is available only when the file is highlighted in the Linked Files
list.
Bind Removes the link to the file. The geometry in the scene remains
unchanged, but it's no longer linked back to the original file and, if the original
file changes, it can't be updated using Reload.
When you click this button, you receive a warning that you're about to break
the link between the objects in the current 3ds Max scene and the file.
NOTE This option is available only when the file is highlighted in the Linked Files
list.
Show Reload Options Displays the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 when
you click Reload, and uses these settings for reloading. When you turn off this
option, the File Link Manager uses the reload settings stored in the current
scene.
Close Cancels all changes to settings and closes the dialog.
6996 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Presets panel
Named Presets Lists all existing presets.
Modify Opens the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998, letting you change
the settings of the selected preset.
New Opens the New Settings Preset dialog on page 7013, creating a new preset
with default settings.
NOTE New is only available when no preset is selected in the list. If a preset is
selected, this button changes to Copy.
Copy Opens the New Settings Preset dialog on page 7013, creating a new preset
with the same settings as the currently selected preset.
NOTE Copy is only available when a preset is selected in the list. If no preset is
selected, this button changes to New.
Rename Opens the Rename Settings Preset dialog on page 7015, letting you
change the name of the selected preset.
Delete Deletes the selected preset.
Close Cancels all changes to settings and closes the dialog.
File Link | 6997
File Link Settings Dialog
File menu > File Link Manager > Files tab > Turn on Show Reload Options. >
Click Reload.
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Files tab
> Turn on Show Reload Options. > Click Reload.
The File Link Settings dialog gives you control over the detailed aspects of
how geometry is translated from DWG or DXF files and interpreted in 3ds
Max. It also allows you to control whether only a portion of the 3ds Max
objects will be affected by subsequent reloading. The File Link Settings dialog
is displayed when Show Reload Options is turned on in the File Link Manager
dialog, or when editing a file link Preset.
The File Link Settings dialog lets you:
■
View and exclude layers in a linked file.
■
Control how geometry is converted.
■
Define how linked objects are converted to 3ds Max objects, referred to as
VIZBlocks.
The selections you make in the File Link Settings dialog can affect the amount
of memory used by 3ds Max to hold the linked data. Use the Select Layers To
Include option on page 7007 to reduce the amount of information added to
your scene.
In some cases, it might be more efficient to create multiple links to the same
file, making different file link settings for each file.
See also:
■
File Link Tips on page 6981
Basic File Link Settings
File Link Manager > Reload a linked file with Show Reload Options turned on.
> File Link Settings dialog > Basic panel
File Link Manager > Presets panel > Highlight a preset and click Modify. > File
Link Settings dialog > Basic panel
6998 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
The Basic panel of the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 defines how 3ds
Max converts the linked file’s objects into corresponding 3ds Max objects.
Interface
Weld nearby vertices Sets whether to weld nearby vertices of converted
objects according to the Weld Threshold setting. Welding smooths across
seams and unifies normals of objects with coincident vertices. Welding occurs
only on vertices that are part of the same object.
File Link | 6999
Weld threshold Sets the distance that determines whether vertices are
coincident. If the distance between two vertices is less than or equal to the
weld threshold, the vertices are welded together. To use the Weld Threshold,
turn on Weld.
Auto-smooth adjacent face Assigns smoothing groups on page 8130 according
to the Smooth-angle value. Smoothing groups determine whether faces on
an object render as a smooth surface or display a seam at their edges, creating
a faceted appearance.
Smooth-angle Controls whether smoothing occurs between two adjacent
faces. If the angle between the two face normals is less than or equal to the
smooth angle, the faces are smoothed (that is, put in the same smoothing
group).
Orient normals of adjacent faces consistently Analyzes the face normals of
each object and flips normals where necessary, so they all point in a direction
that is consistent with adjoining faces. If the imported geometry isn't properly
welded, or if the AutoCAD geometry did not contain or specify normal
information, normals might be oriented in the wrong direction. Use the Edit
Mesh on page 1353 or Normal on page 1581modifiers to flip normals.
When Unify Normals is off, normals are calculated according to the face vertex
order in the linked file. Face normals for AutoCAD solids are already unified.
Turn off Unify Normals when importing only AutoCAD solid models from
AutoCAD Architecture.
Cap closed splines Applies an Extrude modifier on page 1448 to all closed
objects, and selects the Cap Start and Cap End options of the modifier. The
Extrude modifier Amount value for a closed object with no thickness is set to
0. Capping makes closed objects with thickness appear solid and closed objects
without thickness appear flat. When Cap Closed Objects is off, the Extrude
modifier Cap Start and Cap End options for closed objects with thickness are
clear. No modifiers are applied to closed objects without thickness.
TIP Unless you chose the One-to-One sorting option, you won't immediately see
the Extrude modifier when selecting an object. To see it, look through the modifier
stack for the VIZBlock on page 8165 sub-objects. In a nested VIZBlock, the Extrude
modifiers appear at the bottom of the stack. You can then edit the Extrude modifier
parameters.
Texture Mapping The texture mapping setting can reduce the loading time
of models that have many objects with stored UVW Coordinates for texture
mapped materials.
7000 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
NOTE This setting applies only to geometry that is stored as a mesh in the scene.
Spline shapes marked as renderable have separate controls for UVW coordinate
generation; these are found on the Spline Rendering panel on page 7010.
■
Generate Coordinates For All Objects Automatically generates UVW
coordinates for all objects when the drawing is linked.
This option tells the File Link Manager to create UVW coordinates, but
loading time is increased while the coordinate generation occurs.
■
Generate Coordinates On Demand Does not generate texture coordinates
for linked mesh objects.
Actively linked objects generate UVW coordinates on demand, so if you
assign a material to an object and the material requires texture coordinates,
the texture coordinates are silently assigned to that object. If the material
or texture map is set to display in viewport, the coordinates are assigned
as soon as the material is applied; if not, the coordinates are assigned when
the scene is rendered.
This option gives you faster loading speed, but no UVW coordinate
generation.
NOTE Objects in drawings created in AutoCAD Architecture pass texture
coordinates explicitly to 3ds Max when you attach the drawing. If you specify
on-demand coordinate generation, they might not match the coordinates that
were specified in the original drawing. The map scaling is the same, but the
texture offsets may be altered.
Curve steps For objects such as splines, the number of knot points determines
the spline's shape and curvature. The Curve steps value defines the number
of segments between knot points. A low value gives you a more linear
interpolation between the knot points; a higher number gives you a more
accurate curve.
Maximum surface deviation for 3D solids Specifies the maximum allowable
distance from the 3ds Max surface mesh to the parametric AutoCAD solid
surface. Small numbers produce more accurate surfaces with a greater number
of faces. Large numbers produce less accurate surfaces with fewer faces.
Include group
This group allows you to toggle the inclusion of specific parts of a DWG file
during the file link process.
External references Imports xrefs attached to the DWG file.
File Link | 7001
Lights Imports lights from pre-AutoCAD 2007 DWG files.
Sun and Sky Imports Sun and Shadows position from the drawing file
(AutoCAD / AutoCAD Architecture 2008 and Revit 2008 only).
NOTE You must set mental ray as the default renderer for you to see the Sun and
Sky effect. To set mental ray as the default renderer, see Choose Renderer Dialog
on page 6136.
Hatches Imports hatches from the DWG file.
WARNING This stores each line or dot in the hatch pattern as a separate spline
that defines the hatch; this can create a very large number of objects in your scene.
Views and Camera Imports named views from the DWG file, and converts
them to 3ds Max cameras.
NOTE Orthographic views do not translate correctly in imported DWG files.
However, there are no problems with Perspective views.
Points Imports points from the DWG file.
NOTE The imported point objects are represented in 3ds Max as Point Helper on
page 2628 objects.
UCSs (grids) Imports user coordinate systems (UCS) from the DWG file and
converts them to 3ds Max grid objects.
Advanced File Link Settings
File menu > File Link Manager > Reload a linked file with Show Reload turned
on. > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced panel
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Select an existing preset and
click Modify. > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced panel
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Create a new preset. > Select
the newly created preset and click Modify > File Link Settings dialog >
Advanced panel
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Reload
a linked file with Show Reload turned on. > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced
panel
7002 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Highlight an existing preset and click Modify. > File Link Settings
dialog > Advanced panel
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Create a new preset. > Highlight the newly created preset and click
Modify > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced panel
The Advanced panel of the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 controls how
the software derives AutoCAD primitives and whether 3ds Max uses the scene
material definitions when linking to or reloading the AutoCAD drawing. It
also lets you selectively reload your scene, so that you reload only specific
objects, not the entire file.
File Link | 7003
Interface
Derive AutoCAD primitives by: Lists the options for deriving objects from
the linked DWG file. This setting is available only when modifying a preset
on page 7016.
NOTE This applies only to standard AutoCAD primitives. Specialized objects, such
as those from AutoCAD Architecture, are handled differently.
TIP For best results, use the Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy or Entity, Blocks as Node
Hierarchy options, except in special circumstances.
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There are six options to choose from:
■
Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy Linked objects on a given layer in the
AutoCAD drawing that aren't in blocks are combined into a single Editable
Mesh or Editable Spline object in 3ds Max. The name of each linked object
is based on the AutoCAD object's layer. The linked object name has a
“Layer:” prefix and is followed by the layer name. For example, all AutoCAD
objects residing on the layer Walls become part of the Editable Mesh named
Layer:Walls after they are linked in 3ds Max.
Each block is linked separately as a hierarchy, with the block itself as the
parent object and its constituent parts as child objects. The child objects
of the block are combined by layer.
TIP This is usually the best option for file linking. It preserves all ADT
information, and generally maintains the same granularity as you would expect
in AutoCAD.
■
Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy, Split by Material This works the same
as the Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy option, with the following additional
functionalities: The combination of non-block objects by layer, followed
by material and support for multiple materials assigned to ACIS solid and
polymesh geometry.
■
Non-block object layer combination:
For example, take an AutoCAD file with six objects in layer A: three have
a Brick material and three have a Stone material. Using this option, this
file would be linked to in the form of two objects, or nodes, one containing
the Brick material and the other with the Stone material.
Each block is linked to separately as a hierarchy, with the block itself as
the parent object and its constituent parts as child objects. The child objects
of the block are combined by layer.
■
Multiple material support
On import, ACIS solids and polymesh geometry can support multiple
materials. For polymesh geometry, one material is supported per face. For
an ACIS solid, if the solid has more than one material associated with it,
a multi/sub object material is created that contains the materials used. If
the solid has only one material associated with it, a standard/architectural
material is assigned instead.
File Link | 7005
NOTE Multiple material support for ACIS solids applies to DWG files imported
or file linked from Revit Architecture 2008 or AutoCAD Architecture (formerly
Architectural Desktop or ADT) 2008 and later.
NOTE This derivation method is intended for use with AutoCAD 2007 (and
later) format files. Using this method with DWG files created with previous
versions of AutoCAD could result in data loss.
■
Entity, Blocks as Node Hierarchy Every linked object not in a block is
represented as a separate object in the 3ds Max scene, without regard to
layers. The nodes are then placed on scene layers that correspond to the
drawing layers. Each block is imported separately as a hierarchy, with the
block itself as the parent object and its constituent parts as child objects.
The child objects of the block are combined by layer.
One benefit of this option is that you can apply instanced animation
controllers on page 3109 to block subcomponents and thus, by transforming
a single member, transform all members at once. For example, in a scene
containing a conference table with six chairs around it, you could move
all of the chairs simultaneously by moving a single chair.
Another advantage is that all geometry is instanced, so edited UVs and
normals and other modifications need be done only once.
NOTE This derivation method might cause unreliable material propagation
when importing drawings containing dynamic blocks. Materials might
propagate to some block instances and not to others.
WARNING This option has the potential to create an enormous number of
objects in your scene.
Multiple materials per object are supported with this option, if needed. If
the object is an ACIS solid, and has more than one material associated
with it, a multi/sub object material is created containing the materials that
can be edited in the Materials Editor. If the solid has only one material
associated with it, a standard/architectural material is assigned instead. If
the object is polymesh geometry, one material per face is supported.
NOTE Multiple material support for ACIS solids applies on the DWG files
imported or file linked from Revit Architecture 2008 or AutoCAD Architecture
(formerly Architectural Desktop or ADT) 2007 and later.
■
Layer Linked objects are combined in 3ds Max according to their layer.
Objects in each of the associated application's layers are combined into
7006 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
one object, with the exception of blocks, each of which is represented as
an individual VIZBlock (not a hierarchy). Multiple inserts of the same block
are represented using instances in the scene. Material assignments are lost
but material IDs are preserved.
■
Color Linked AutoCAD objects are combined in 3ds Max according to
their color. All objects of the same color are combined into one object,
with the exception of blocks, each of which is represented as an individual
VIZBlock (not a hierarchy). Multiple inserts of the same block are
represented using instances in the scene. Material assignments are lost but
material IDs are preserved.
NOTE Blocks can contain objects with different colors. However, when sorting,
3ds Max considers only the color of the block itself. Also, 3ds Max objects can
only display one color, unless a material is applied.
■
Entity Provides a one-to-one correspondence between AutoCAD objects
and 3ds Max objects. For each linked object or block in the imported file,
the File Link Manager creates an independent object or VIZBlock,
respectively, in the scene. Material assignments are lost but material IDs
are preserved.
WARNING This option has the potential to create an enormous number of
objects in your scene.
NOTE When working with drawings exported from Revit, it is recommended
that you do not use this setting.
■
One Object All linked objects are combined into a single VIZBlock.
Material assignments are lost but material IDs are preserved.
Select Layers to Include Displays the Select Layers dialog on page 7017, which
you use to choose layers to import from the linked file. Available only when
reloading a linked file.
TIP Excluding unnecessary objects from linking can improve the performance of
the reload operation.
Create Helper at Drawing Origin When on, 3ds Max inserts the user
coordinate system icon as an origin point helper. 3ds Max places this helper
at the world origin of the linked file. It's a reference point for all the geometry
of the linked file. After attaching, the helper is selected, allowing you to easily
File Link | 7007
move, rotate, or scale all the geometry that was just added to the scene. Each
linked file gets a unique helper object.
This setting is available only when modifying a preset on page 7016.
Use Extrude Modifier to Represent Thickness When on, linked objects with
thickness receive an Extrude modifier to represent the thickness value. You
can then access the parameters of this modifier and change the height
segments, capping options, and height value.
When off, objects with thickness (and closed capped objects) are converted
directly to a mesh.
This setting is available only when modifying a preset on page 7016, and not
using the Derive option Layer, Blocks as Node Hierarchy.
Create One Scene Object for Each ADT Object AutoCAD Architecture
(formerly Architectural Desktop or ADT) objects are linked as a single object
instead of being separated into their constituent components. This means
that if you link an AutoCAD Architecture door object, the door is represented
as one object instead of three. Turning on this switch make linking faster and
the scene size is smaller.
This setting is available only when modifying a preset on page 7016.
NOTE This switch presents several modeling concerns that you need to be aware
of.
■
Material assignments from AutoCAD Architecture are not translated during
the file link process.
■
If you want to assign materials to these objects, use Multi/Sub-Object
materials.
■
Depending on the Texture Mapping option you choose, UVW coordinates
are translated correctly.
Use Scene Material Definitions When on, 3ds Max checks the current scene
for any currently used materials with the exact same name as a material name
in the linked DWG file. If a match is found, File Link does not translate the
drawing’s material, but instead uses the material defined in the scene.
When off, the File Link Manager always uses the material definitions contained
in the DWG file, and will overwrite scene materials with the same name,
regardless of which objects the material is applied to. All material definitions
stored in the DWG file are reloaded (even when using a selective reload). If
you make changes to a linked material, in 3ds Max, then reload, those changes
will be lost (if the switch is off).
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If Use Scene Material Assignments on Reload is on at the same time as Use
Scene Material Definitions, standard/architectural materials, material
assignments, and face material IDs are left as they are.
If Use Scene Material Assignments on Reload is off at the same time as Use
Scene Material Definitions, only the material assignments and face material
IDs are updated and standard/architectural materials are not translated.
TIP When reloading a file, most of the materials from the DWG file will have
already been created in the scene by 3ds Max; they may not need to be
re-translated. If you want to update a scene material with the definition contained
in the drawing, turn this switch off.
NOTE Material name comparison is case-sensitive.
Use Scene Material Assignments on Reload When on, linked objects with
a material already assigned to them in the 3ds Max scene will not have that
material assignment changed. This is the case regardless of whether the material
was assigned automatically by the File Link Manager or manually by the user.
When off, linked objects have their material assignment “coordinated” with
the drawing, so that the two are in sync.
If Use Scene Material Definitions is on at the same time as Use Scene Material
Assignments on Reload, standard/architectural materials and material
assignments are left unchanged.
If Use Scene Material Definitions is off while Use Scene Material Assignments
on Reload is on, only standard/architectural materials are retranslated. Any
material assignments and Face Material IDs are left unchanged, so Multi/Sub
object materials are not retranslated but some sub-materials may have changed.
Selective Reload Lets you perform a partial reload of your linked file. Use a
partial reload when you know what has changed in the linked file, and want
to speed up the time it takes to reload the geometry.
The following options are available:
■
Selected in Scene
scene.
Reloads only the objects currently selected in your
■
Selected in List Reloads only the objects that you choose from a named
list. This list is defined by clicking Linked Objects.
Linked Objects Allows you to reload only objects that you choose from a
named list. The list is created from the objects linked in the file. When you
click Linked Objects, the Select Linked Object dialog on page 7019 is displayed.
File Link | 7009
Spline Rendering File Link Settings
File menu > File Link Manager > Reload a linked file with Show Reload turned
on. > File Link Settings dialog > Spline Rendering panel
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Select an existing preset and
click Modify. > File Link Settings dialog > Spline Rendering panel
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Create a new preset. > Select
the newly created preset and click Modify > File Link Settings dialog > Spline
Rendering panel
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Reload
a linked file with Show Reload turned on. > File Link Settings dialog > Spline
Rendering panel
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Highlight an existing preset and click Modify. > File Link Settings
dialog > Spline Rendering panel
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Create a new preset. > Highlight the newly created preset and click
Modify > File Link Settings dialog > Spline Rendering panel
The Spline Rendering panel of the File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 controls
how shapes will appear in the scene once the DWG or DXF file is linked. You
can control the appearance of the shape, its smoothing, mapping coordinates
and if they can be rendered.
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Interface
The controls on this panel are identical in name and operation to those found
on the Rendering rollout on page 615 for splines. The values of these settings
are set for all imported shapes. Once the import is complete, you can change
the settings as necessary for each object.
Enable in Renderer When on, the shape is rendered as a 3D mesh using the
Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In previous versions of the
program, the Renderable switch performed the same operation.
Enable in Viewport When on, the shape is displayed in the viewport as a 3D
mesh using the Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In previous
File Link | 7011
versions of the program, the Display Render Mesh performed the same
operation.
Use Viewport settings Lets you set different rendering parameters, and displays
the mesh generated by the Viewport settings. Available only when Enable In
Viewport is on.
Generate Mapping Coords Turn this on to apply mapping coordinates.
Default=off.
3ds Max generates the mapping coordinates in the U and V dimensions. The
U coordinate wraps once around the spline; the V coordinate is mapped once
along its length. Tiling is achieved using the Tiling parameters in the applied
material. For more information, see Mapping Coordinates on page 5279.
Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped
materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by
the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates
rollout on page 5782. Default=on.
Auto Smooth If Auto Smooth is turned on, the spline is auto-smoothed using
the threshold specified by the Threshold setting below it. Auto Smooth sets
the smoothing based on the angle between spline segments. Any two adjacent
segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is
less than the threshold angle.
Threshold Specifies the threshold angle in degrees. Any two adjacent spline
segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is
less than the threshold angle.
Viewport Turn this on to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the
shape as it will display in the viewport when Enable in Viewport is turned on.
Renderer Turn this on to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the
shape as it will display when rendered or viewed in the viewport when Enable
in Viewport is turned on.
Radial Displays the 3D mesh as a cylindrical object.
Thickness Specifies the diameter of the viewport or rendered spline mesh.
Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 100,000,000.0.
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Splines rendered at thickness of 1.0 and 5.0, respectively
Sides Sets the number of sides (or facets) for the spline mesh n the viewport
or renderer. For example, a value of 4 results in a square cross-section.
Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport or
renderer. For example, if the spline mesh has a square cross section you can
use Angle to position a "flat" side down.
Rectangular Displays the spline's mesh shape as a rectangle.
Length Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local Y axis.
Width Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local X axis.
Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport or
renderer. For example, if you have a square cross-section you can use Angle
to position a "flat" side down.
Aspect Sets the aspect ratio for rectangular cross-sections. The Lock check box
lets you lock the aspect ratio. When Lock is turned on, Width is locked to
Length that results in a constant ratio of Width to Length.
New Settings Preset Dialog
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Copy or New
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Copy or New
File Link | 7013
The New Settings Preset dialog creates a new preset in the File Link Manager
on page 6987. The settings of the new preset either use default values (if you
clicked New), or they inherit the values of a selected preset (if you clicked
Copy).
After creating the preset, you can change its settings by clicking Modify.
Procedures
To create a new preset:
1 On the Presets panel of the File Link Manager, click New.
NOTE New is available only if no named presets are highlighted.
2 On the New Settings Preset dialog, enter a name for your preset, and click
OK.
A new preset is created with default settings.
To copy a preset:
1 On the Presets panel of the File Link Manager, choose a named preset.
2 Click Copy.
NOTE Copy is available only if a named preset is highlighted.
3 In the New Settings Preset dialog, rename the preset, and click OK.
A new preset is created with the same settings as the selected preset.
NOTE If you do not rename the preset, it will cancel the command.
7014 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Interface
New Name The name of your preset.
Format The file type for the preset.
Rename Settings Preset Dialog
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Click a preset > Rename
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Click a preset > Rename
The Rename Settings Preset dialog lets you rename your preset.
NOTE You cannot use names beginning with 'Preset', so names like “Preset 1” or
“Preset with Welding” are not allowed.
Interface
File Link | 7015
New Name The name of your preset.
Format The file type for the preset.
NOTE By default, presets can be created only for AutoCAD file types (DWG, DXF).
Other file types might be available, depending on the third-party plug-ins you
have installed.
Preset Editing
File menu > File Link Manager > Presets panel > Click a preset > Modify
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Presets
panel > Click a preset > Modify
After you've created a preset, you can use this function to adjust its settings.
For instance, you might want to make sure Weld is on, or perhaps to include
lights or views (cameras).
Procedures
To edit or modify a preset:
1 On the Presets panel of the File Link Manager, choose a named preset.
2 Click Modify.
The File Link Settings dialog on page 6998 is displayed.
3 From the Basic, Advanced and Spline Rendering panels, make the settings
you want associated with the preset and click Save.
Differences Between Layers and Blocks in
AutoCAD and 3ds Max
AutoCAD has special handling for objects in the block definition that are
associated with layer 0. When a block contains objects on layer 0, and those
objects have a color property of "ByLayer" or "ByBlock", the color of the object
is determined either by the color of the block or by the layer assigned to the
block reference on page 7927 in AutoCAD. When blocks are nested, this color
system can get complex.
7016 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Select Layers Dialog
File menu > File Link Manager > Files panel > Reload button > File Link Settings
dialog > Advanced panel > Select Layers to Include button
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Files
panel > Reload button > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced panel > Select
Layers to Include button
This dialog lets you toggle a layer's include/exclude status and choose other
options, as described in this topic.
NOTE You toggle the include/exclude status of a layer by clicking anywhere on
a row in the list of layers. The dialog lists included layers with a check mark to the
left of the layer name. This list of included layers is retained for subsequent reloads
of the linked file. For informational purposes, the property icons display the state
of the layers' properties, but you can't change their status in this dialog.
See also:
■
Layer Properties Dialog on page 7451
Interface
File Link | 7017
Skip all frozen layers Excludes all layers frozen in the linked file. All active
files are included.
Select from list Lets you select individual active layers to include/exclude. A
check mark beside the layer name indicates the layer is selected.
All Includes all layers in the linked file by selecting all of them. You can then
deselect just the layers you want to exclude.
None Excludes all layers in the linked file by deselecting all of them. You can
then select just the layers you want to include from importing.
Invert Reverses the current selection of layers in the linked file.
Resolve External Reference File Dialog
The Resolve External Reference File dialog is displayed when 3ds Max can't
find the externally referenced files it needs in an attached DWG file.
See also:
■
File Link Tips on page 6981
Interface
7018 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Xref Stored File Name Displays the external reference path stored in the
attached drawing.
Referenced by Displays the path of the attached drawing.
As Block Name Displays the name of the block reference in the attached
drawing. The block name is usually the same as the xref name, but it can be
different.
File Name for File Link When 3ds Max can't locate the linked file, use this
field to enter another path and file name. 3ds Max verifies that the file exists
at that location and reports its status in the lower left of the dialog.
Browse Lets you use the file system to find another file for the link. Choosing
a file this way enters file path and name in the File Name For File Link field.
All Xref Files group
Controls whether and how 3ds Max resolves external references from File
Link.
Prompt Only if File Cannot be Found Searches for the externally referenced
file and all unresolved external references from File Link in the attached
drawing by using the stored file name in the locations listed in this dialog
and in the order they appear.
Do Not Resolve any Xrefs Doesn't resolve this externally referenced file or
any other unresolved external references from File Link in the attached
drawing. However, any external references from File Link resolved before you
turn on Do Not Resolve Any Xrefs will still be resolved.
OK Resolves this externally referenced file.
Don't Resolve This File Doesn't resolve this externally referenced file, but
will prompt for any other external references from File Link to resolve.
Select Linked Objects Dialog
File menu > File Link Manager > Files panel > Select file to reload. > Reload
button > File Link Settings dialog > Advanced panel > Turn on Selective Reload.
> Linked Objects
Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > File Link Manager > Files
panel > Select file to reload. > Reload button > File Link Settings dialog >
Advanced panel > Turn on Selective Reload. > Linked Objects
File Link | 7019
The Select Linked Objects dialog displays the linked objects associated with
the selected linked file, including VIZBlocks on page 8165, lights, and cameras.
You use this dialog when reloading a linked file so that you can include/exclude
specific objects from the reloading process. You might want to do this in order
to reload only the objects which have changed.
Interface
List of Objects Lists the VIZBlocks, cameras, and lights associated with the
selected linked file. A check mark beside the object name indicates the object
is selected; an X mark indicates the object is deselected.
All Selects all linked objects in the linked file. You can then deselect specific
linked objects by clicking their rows.
None Deselects all linked objects in the linked file. You can then select specific
linked objects by clicking their rows.
Invert Reverses the current selection of linked objects in the linked file.
7020 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
Working with AutoCAD,AutoCAD Architecture,
and Revit Files
3ds Max produces rich visualizations based on your drawing design data. In
order to produce high-quality visualizations, you need to add and adjust many
design variables that affect the visual impact of your design, but don't really
belong in your core AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit data. You may
want to test your design under different lighting conditions, experiment with
different texture and material effects, animate components, or move through
a space. 3ds Max allows you to enhance your design with this “extra” data
while maintaining the integrity of the underlying AutoCAD, AutoCAD
Architecture, or Revit design.
Using the File Link Manager on page 6987, 3ds Max maintains a live data link
to AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or drawings exported from Revit that
allows you to use the linked object data in your 3ds Max scene. You can
perform various operations on this linked data in 3ds Max for visualization
purposes, but nothing you do in 3ds Max will change the base data you see
in the source application. The data link allows you to periodically refresh your
3ds Max scene with revised drawing data.
File Link | 7021
If a live data link is not important to you, the DWG/DXF Import functionality
processes drawings, exported from Revit, in the same intelligent way as the
File Link Manager. You just don't have the benefit of the live data link.
See also:
■
Using Layers to Organize a Scene on page 7438
■
File Link on page 6976
■
Interpreting Layer Data from AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit
on page 6986
AutoCAD Geometry in 3ds Max
The basis of your model in 3ds Max is the geometry of the objects, blocks,
and other entities that are transferred through the file linking functionality.
In many cases, these objects behave just like the editable meshes and splines
you create in 3ds Max. But because the link to the source drawing plays such
a central role in your workflow, 3ds Max has special rules and tools for
handling linked AutoCAD geometry.
When you are working with linked objects and blocks from AutoCAD, you
will find that these are composed as groups of related objects in 3ds Max.
These groups are organized hierarchically below a 3ds Max VIZBlock object.
VIZBlocks are special objects created by the file linking functionality that are
used to contain other file linked objects in a group. VIZBlocks don't contain
any geometry directly, so for example it is meaningless to apply modifiers to
them. However, they do reference the components below them so that
transforms applied to a VIZBlock will be applied to all the component objects
it contains.
See also:
■
Styles on page 7054
■
Instanced Objects on page 7047
■
Blocks on page 7048
7022 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
AutoCAD Entities and Blocks in 3ds Max
AutoCAD blocks in 3ds Max are treated similarly to AutoCAD objects, though
the rules for propagation of transforms are slightly different to mirror the
behavior of blocks in AutoCAD.
As with AutoCAD objects, linked AutoCAD blocks, of any type, and externally
referenced drawings appear in 3ds Max as objects hierarchically grouped below
a VIZBlock to reflect the structure of the block or xref in AutoCAD.
When non-nested blocks, of any type, are linked to a scene, the naming for
the incoming block instances are based on the original block definition in the
form of Block: block_name where block_name is the actual name of the block
definition. For example, if you link a drawing containing a series of blocks
named office chair, their name will show as Block: office chair in 3ds Max.
Nested blocks in AutoCAD will be analogously nested in 3ds Max under nested
VIZBlocks. The grouping and naming follows the parent-child structure of xref
drawing name:block name:nested block name:entity.
NOTE Entities that lie on layer 0 of an AutoCAD block definition will appear as
Layer:0 in 3ds Max, even though they may appear to reside on a different layer
when they are inserted in AutoCAD.
With linked AutoCAD Architecture objects, material assignments to linked
AutoCAD blocks can propagate automatically to all other instances of those
block components in the 3ds Max scene, depending on how Propagate
Materials To Instances on page 5328 is set. Modifiers applied to block
components, however, propagate automatically to all other block instances,
regardless of how Propagate Materials To Instances is set.
If you transform (move, rotate, or scale) the top-level VIZBlock that contains
a block reference, all the components of that block will be transformed together
and no other VIZBlocks will be affected. If, however, you transform a block
component, including a nested VIZBlock, that transformation will automatically
propagate to all other instances of that block in the scene. This mirrors the
behavior of blocks in AutoCAD when reference-editing a block definition.
See also:
■
Blocks on page 7048
File Link | 7023
Resetting Transforms on Linked AutoCAD Objects
Select a linked AutoCAD object. > Modify panel > Linked Geometry rollout >
Reset Position
You can move, rotate, or scale linked AutoCAD objects in 3ds Max, and these
transformations will remain intact even after the linked AutoCAD drawing
has been reloaded. But you can choose to eliminate the transforms on an
object-by-object basis using the Reset Position function, available on the
Modifier panel.
NOTE The Reset Position functionality is only available for linked files. It is not
available when you Import a DWG file, or when you have bound a linked file.
Every linked AutoCAD object and component has a Reset Position function
associated with it. Clicking this button automatically resets all transformations
that have been applied to this object or component in 3ds Max, so that the
component resumes the location, rotation, and scale it held in the linked
AutoCAD drawing when it was last reloaded.
WARNING Transforms applied to block components are applied to all instances
of that component in all other linked block insertions in the 3ds Max scene.
Resetting the transformation of any instance will reset all of them.
To reset the transforms applied to a linked AutoCAD object:
1 Select a linked object in your scene.
2 On the Command panel, click the Modify tab to display the Modify
panel.
The name of the linked object appears at the top of the Modify panel,
and the modifiers that have been added to the object (if any) are shown
on the modifier stack.
3 At the bottom of the list of applied modifiers, click either Linked Geometry,
VIZBlock, or Block/Style Parent, whichever appears, if it is not already
highlighted.
A Linked Geometry rollout appears at the bottom of the Modify panel.
4 Click the Reset Position button
The linked object reverts back to its original location, rotation, and scale
in the linked AutoCAD drawing.
7024 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
NOTE When Reset Position is applied to a linked object that has been animated
(in other words, has transform keys for different frames) only the transform for
frame 0 is reset.
See also:
■
File Link on page 6976
Interface
Reset Position Resets the selected object's transforms to those of the original
AutoCAD object when the drawing was last reloaded.
Restrictions on Editing AutoCAD Geometry
Many operations that are allowed on mesh, spline, or shape objects in 3ds
Max are not allowed on linked AutoCAD geometry, and other operations
behave differently.
The following operations are not allowed on linked geometry:
■
Deletion
■
Altering the parent-child hierarchy
■
Collapsing the linked geometry into an editable mesh or an editable spline
If you must perform any of these operations, you must either do them in
AutoCAD or else bind the drawing data to 3ds Max, which breaks the link
back to AutoCAD.
Applying Modifiers to Linked AutoCAD Geometry
You can apply modifiers to linked AutoCAD geometry and these modifiers
will persist when you reload the geometry. This can be a very powerful way
File Link | 7025
to intelligently manage your design intent, but it can also lead to some
unexpected results, especially when using topology-dependent modifiers.
“Topology-dependent” simply means that the modifier is relying on the
particular arrangement and number of faces and vertices that comprise the
mesh representation of the object. It is common, for example, for the modifier
to cause an action to be performed on the nth element it encounters, say the
“twelfth” face or the “fourth through the twentieth” vertex. It is easy to
perform edits on the base object in AutoCAD that would cause the definition
of the nth element to change, which would result in the modifier yielding
unexpected results when the drawing is reloaded in 3ds Max.
Not all modifiers are topology-dependent. When you attempt to use a
topology-dependent modifier on linked AutoCAD geometry, a warning dialog
is displayed that gives you an opportunity to continue or abort the operation.
When you use modifiers on linked AutoCAD objects and blocks, remember
that the VIZBlock object you see in 3ds Max does not contain any geometry
directly; applying modifiers to VIZBlocks will never have any visible effect.
Instead, apply modifiers to the component objects below the VIZBlock in the
3ds Max object hierarchy.
Copying Actively Linked Objects
You can copy actively linked objects in 3ds Max; the copies are automatically
converted to editable mesh objects. If your selection contains several objects
that instance another object, the resulting copies also instance the same object.
However, it is recommended that you do not instance or reference actively
linked objects, as this can introduce instability to the scene.
See also:
■
Using Modifiers on page 1085
AutoCAD Architecture Files
DWG files from AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop or
ADT) often contain additional information, such as special objects, material
definitions, and styles. 3ds Max is thoroughly compatible with AutoCAD
Architecture, and it recognizes all of these specialized objects and definitions
during the file link process.
7026 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects
AutoCAD Architecture Objects in 3ds Max
Each instance of an AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop
or ADT) object is represented by multiple objects in 3ds Max. Whenever the
file link process detects a useful distinction between elements of an AutoCAD
Architecture object, it automatically separates, names, and groups the elements
in 3ds Max to make them easier to work with. The new objects created in 3ds
Max through file linking are grouped together hierarchically below a special
object called a VIZBlock, allowing you to deal with individual objects in the
hierarchy or with all of them as a group. You can view this hierarchy, but you
cannot change it in 3ds Max. You can only change the hierarchy indirectly
by editing the objects in AutoCAD Architecture, and then reloading them
into 3ds Max using the File Link Manager on page 6987.
Criteria for Subdividing AutoCAD Architecture Objects
The File Link Manager divides an AutoCAD Architecture object into multiple
objects in 3ds Max if it detects distinctions based on the following features:
■
Component name
■
Component subtype (for example, in sectioned bodies)
■
Layer
■
Material assignment
So, for example, if a window object in AutoCAD Architecture contained a
mullion component, but a portion of the component had a different material
assignment than the rest of it, the mullion component would appear as two
separate objects when linked into 3ds Max. The objects will be linked together
with all the other components of the window, but you could modify the
material properties of the two mullion objects separately. If you changed the
material assignments in AutoCAD Architecture so that the entire mullion
component only had one material assignment, then when you reloaded the
drawing in 3ds Max there would only be one mullion object present.
NOTE Material assignment and Layer are two of the properties used to separate
one component from another. When these are changed in the AutoCAD
Architecture drawing, new objects are created in 3ds Max, or geometry may move
from one object to another. In either case, some scene properties are changed,
such as assigned material or scene layer.
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3ds Max organizes and names file linked objects to reflect their structure in
AutoCAD Architecture, using a parent-child hierarchy. The parent object will
be a VIZBlock named object class