8

Mapped Material 1061
different map channels to have different mapping
types (planar, cylindrical, spherical, and so on).
If you apply a map that uses a certain map channel
to an object that has no mapping coordinates for
that channel, the map doesn’t appear on the object.
When you render, a
Missing Map Coordinates
(page 2–1433)
dialog appears to w arn you of the
problem. The dialog lists the map channel and the
object name.
See also
Coordinates Rollout (2D) (page 2–1434)
Coordinates Rollout (3D) (page 2–1472)
M apped Mat eri al
Amappedmaterialisa material (page 3–1065)
that contains one or more maps (page 2–1426) .
Typically, it contains a
bitmap (page 3–1011) as a
Diffuse map, but having any map or maps applied
qualifies a material as mapped.
In order for a mapped material containing a
2D m ap (page 3–995) to appear properly in the
viewports and in the rendered image, any object
to which it’s applied generally needs mapping
coordinates. By default, most paramet ric objects
in 3ds Max already have mapping coordinates
applied; you can also use the
UVW Map
modifier (page 1–905)
(link) or Unwrap UVW
modifier (page 1–867)
(link) to prov ide mapping
coordinates.
Note: Objects with materials that contain only
3D maps (page 3–996) do not need m apping
coordinates.
Ma ppin g Coor dinates
Decoration on the vase is a map positioned by rotating the
UVW Map Modifier gizmo.
Mapping coordinates specify the placement,
orientation, and scale of a map on the geometry.
Coordinates are often specified in terms of U, V,
and W, where U is the horizontal dimension, V is
the vertical dimension, and W is the optional third
dimension, representing depth.
If you apply a mapped material to an object
that has no mapping coordinates, the Renderer
assignsdefaultmappingcoordinates.Thebuilt-in
mapping coordinates are designed for each object
type. The box mapping coordinates place a
duplicate map on each of its six sides. For the
cylinder, the image is wrapped once around its
sides, and duplicates of the image are distorted at
the end caps. A sphere has the image wrapped