Autodesk 3ds Max ® ® 2008 Help: Volume 3
© 2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder. Portions Copyrighted © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Portions Copyrighted mental images GmbH 1989-2005. This software contains source code provided by mental images GmbH.
Rendering 18 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 Scene dialog on page 5878 to create renderings and save them to files. Renderings are also displayed on the screen, in a rendered frame window on page 5885 .
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.
Keyboard > F10 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 scene dialog has multiple panels. The number and name of the panels can change, depending on the active renderer.
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 5949 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 5963 and radiosity on page 5976 .
To choose between production or ActiveShade renderings, use the radio buttons described in the “Interface” section below. To change the renderer assigned to production rendering, use the Assign Renderer rollout on page 5943 . See also: Render Scene on page 5898 ■ Procedures To render a still image: 1 Activate the viewport to render. 2 Click Render Scene. The Render Scene dialog appears, with the Common panel active.
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 5892 , 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.
Render Presets drop-down list Lets you choose from among a set of preset rendering parameters, or load or save rendering parameter settings. See Preset Rendering Options on page 5922 . 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.
Rendering Progress dialog 5884 | Chapter 18 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.
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. 1 Hold down Ctrl and then click to zoom in, right-click to zoom out. 2 Hold down Shift and then drag to pan. If you have a three-button mouse, you can use its third button or its wheel to zoom and pan: 1 Roll the wheel to zoom in or out. 2 Press the wheel, and drag to pan.
Interface Rendered Frame Window toolbar Save Bitmap Allows you to save the rendered image displayed in the rendered frame window. Copy Bitmap 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 5888 is on, the copied data consists of an eight-bit grayscale bitmap.
image. You can clone the rendered frame window any number of times. If the image is cropped because the window is zoomed in or resized, only that part of the image is copied to the clipboard. 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. Enable Blue Channel Displays the blue channel of the rendered image.
■ 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 245 .) 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.
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.
Blue The blue component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value. The alpha component value (0 to 65535) and the floating-point value. Alpha Mono The monochrome values of the pixel, using the same formula used by monochrome material map channels such as bump and opacity maps.
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 > Render dialog > Common panel > Common Parameters rollout > Render Output group > Click Files.
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. 6 On the Render Scene dialog, click Render to render and save the file. NOTE If a file of the same name already exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite it. Enable the check box if you want to automatically overwrite this file without being prompted for the duration of the session.
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 51 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 5894 | Chapter 18 Rendering 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.
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.
Image thumbnail turned on. Displays a thumbnail of the selected file. Preview must be 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 7284 . Another way to invoke some of these commands is to use the default Rendering menu on page 7278 , which contains other commands related to rendering.
Render Scene Main toolbar > Render Scene Rendering menu > Render Keyboard > F10 Rendering "fills in" geometry with color, shadow, lighting effects, and so on. This command opens the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 , 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.
In these cases, 3ds Max is unable to render the scene completely. It displays a Missing Mapping Coordinates dialog on page 5618 that lists the objects the renderer couldn't map. To resolve the problem apply a UVW Map modifier on page 1849 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.
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 5892 is displayed. 7 Use the file dialog to specify a name and a type for the animation file, and 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.
Render Type lets you render only a portion of the scene. The Render Type list lets you specify the portion of the scene that will be rendered. Procedures To render selected objects: 1 From the Render Type drop-down list at the right end of the toolbar, choose Selected. 2 Activate the viewport to render. 3 Select the objects. 4 Click Render Scene or Quick Render (Production). 3ds Max displays a progress dialog that shows the progress of rendering and the rendering parameter settings.
A window is displayed in the active viewport, and an OK button appears in the viewport's lower-right corner. 4 Drag in the middle of the window to move it. Drag the window's handles to adjust its size. To preserve the window's aspect ratio, you can hold down Ctrl while you drag a handle. 5 Click OK. 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 View (The default.) Renders the active viewport. Selected Renders the currently selected object or objects only, and leaves the remainder of the rendered frame window intact.
TIP Use the Clear button before rendering to remove any existing image from the window. Region Renders a region within the active viewport, and leaves the remainder of the rendered frame window intact. Use this option when you need to test render a part of the scene. TIP Use the Clear button before rendering to remove any existing image from the window. NOTE Region rendering is meant to create a draft rendering of a selected area of a view.
Crop Lets you specify the size of the output image using the same region box that appears for the Region and Blowup categories . Blowup Renders a region within the active viewport and enlarges it to fill the output display. A rectangular selection region appears when you render with either Blowup or Region selected in the Render Type list. You can change the size of the region by dragging its handles.
Box Selected Calculates the aspect ratio of the current selection’s bounding box, and then displays the Render Bounding Box/Selected dialog on page 5907 , which lets you specify a width and height for the rendering, and provides the option of maintaining the aspect ratio. Region Selected When an object or objects are selected, renders those objects and other objects within the selection's bounding boxes, but does not change the rendering outside the bounding boxes.
Objects within the bounding boxes, including objects in front of or behind the selection, are rendered. When no objects are selected, Region Selected renders the entire frame. Crop Selected When an object or objects are selected, renders those objects and other objects within the selection's bounding boxes. The rendering is cropped around the region defined by the bounding boxes. Objects within the bounding boxes, including objects in front of or behind the selection, are rendered.
See also: ■ Render Type on page 5900 Interface Width and Height Let you set the size of the rendering, in pixels. Constrain Aspect Ratio When on, constrains the original aspect ratio of the selection's bounding box. Changing the Width value also changes Height, and vice versa. Default=on. Selection Aspect Ratio bounding box.
Quick Render (ActiveShade) ■ The Quick Render buttons let you render the scene using the settings without displaying the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 . Choosing one of these buttons also changes which rendering settings are active in the Render Scene dialog. By default, all the rendering options use the default scanline renderer on page 5949 . You can change the renderer assigned to Production or ActiveShade by using the Assign Renderer rollout on page 5943 on the Render Scene dialog > Common panel.
You assign which renderer to use for ActiveShade rendering on the Assign Renderer rollout on page 5943 of the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 > Common panel. See also: ■ Quick Render on page 5909 ActiveShade main toolbar > Quick Render flyout > Quick Render (ActiveShade) Right-click viewport label. > Views > ActiveShade ActiveShade gives you a preview rendering that can help you see the effects of changing lighting or materials in your scene.
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 | 5911
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.
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 5188 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 7300 displays an ActiveShade menu.
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.
To display a free-floating ActiveShade window: ■ Choose Quick Render (ActiveShade) from the Quick Render flyout on page 5908 . NOTE As with Quick Render, the ActiveShade window respects the Output Size setting in the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 . To use a different render size, set it first in Render Scene, 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.
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 7545 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 5885 .
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 > Quick Render flyout > Quick Render (ActiveShade) Menu bar > Rendering > ActiveShade Floater Click ActiveShade Floater to create an ActiveShade rendering in its own window. Only one ActiveShade window can be visible at a time.
See also: ■ ActiveShade on page 5910 ■ ActiveShade Commands (Quad Menu) on page 5919 ■ ActiveShade Initialize and Update on page 7703 ActiveShade Viewport Right-click viewport label. > Views > ActiveShade Creates an ActiveShade rendering on page 5910 that is "docked" in a viewport. Only one ActiveShade rendering can be displayed at a time.
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 5917 .
Interface Render quadrant (upper right) These are general-purpose commands. Show Last Rendering Displays the last rendering in a rendered frame window on page 5885 . Not available if no rendering has been made during this session. Render Displays the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 . When you use the ActiveShade quad menu, initially Render Scene is set to render the ActiveShade window. Render Last rendered. Repeats the last render, using the last viewport from which you Material/Map Browser 5261 .
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.
Keyboard shortcut: Spacebar NOTE The Keyboard Shortcut Override toggle on page 7646 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.
TIP The Render Shortcuts toolbar on page 7291 lets you quickly switch between active presets. In addition to the default presets that ship with 3ds Max, you can also create your own settings. 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 displays a file selector dialog that lets you choose the RPS file to load. Each category corresponds to one panel of the Render Scene dialog.
Each category corresponds to one panel of the Render Scene 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 in the Common panel of the Render Scene dialog, renderer assignments are not saved with the Common category in the RPS file. The current renderer assignment has its own category in the Select Preset Categories dialog.
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 Wizard The Print Size Wizard feature is useful when you plan to print a rendered image.
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.
■ 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 .
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 7164 support DPI information.
Common Rendering Parameters Common Panel (Render Scene Dialog) Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Common panel Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Common panel The Render Scene dialog's Common panel contains controls that apply to any rendering, regardless of which renderer you have chosen, and that lets you choose renderers.
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. 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.
Interface Common Parameters Rollout (Render Scene Dialog) | 5931
Time Output group Select which frames you want to render. Single Current frame only. Active Time Segment The Active Time Segment on page 7702 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.
■ 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.
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.
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 7863 , 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.
Video Color Check Checks for pixel colors that are beyond the safe NTSC on page 7863 or PAL on page 7882 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 7560 of the Preference Settings dialog on page 7534 . Render to Fields Renders to video fields on page 7777 rather than frames when creating animations for video. Render Hidden Geometry if they are hidden.
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.
■ ActiveShade rendering They are not created by the following kinds of rendering: ■ The Quick Render button ■ 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 7138 . ■ Legacy 3ds max Image File List (.
Interface Width Height Sets the output width, in pixels. 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.
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.
To Enter the email address of the person who needs to know the rendering status. SMTP Server server. Enter the numeric IP address of the system you use as a mail Scripts Rollout (Render Scene Dialog) Rendering menu > Render Scene dialog > Common panel > Scripts rollout Main toolbar > Render Scene button > Render Scene dialog > Common panel > Scripts rollout The scripts rollout lets you specify scripts to run either prior to rendering, or after rendering.
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.
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 Main toolbar > Render Scene button > Render Scene dialog > Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene 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.
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 5944 . Chooses the renderer used to render graphic output. ■ Production ■ Material Editor Chooses the renderer used to render sample slots on page 5208 in the Material Editor.
Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Common panel > Assign Renderer rollout > Click a Choose Renderer (“...”) button. This dialog appears when you click one of the Choose Renderer (“...”) buttons on the Assign Renderer rollout on page 5943 . Procedures To change the renderer assigned to the category you picked, do one of the following: 1 Click to highlight another renderer's name in the list, and then click OK.
Renderers Renderer Panel (Render Scene Dialog) Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Render panel Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel The Render Scene dialog's 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 5949 and the mental ray renderer on page 6039 each have their own capabilities.
Interface When the Default Scanline Renderer Is Active The Renderer panel contains a single rollout: Default Scanline Renderer Rollout on page 5949 Additional panels are: ■ Advanced Lighting Panel on page 5962 ■ Raytracer Panel on page 6030 ■ Render Elements panel on page 6144 Renderer Panel (Render Scene Dialog) | 5947
When the mental ray Renderer Is Active The renderer panel contains these rollouts: Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6083 Rendering Algorithms Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6118 Camera Effects Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6087 Shadows and Displacement Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6114 Additional panels are: ■ Indirect Illumination panel Caustics and Global Illumination Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6096 Final Gather Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on pa
Diagnostics Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6129 Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6131 When the VUE File Renderer Is Active The Renderer panel contains a single rollout: VUE File Renderer on page 6143 Default Scanline Renderer Rollout Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the active draft or production renderer.
This rollout sets parameters for the default scanline renderer on page 7918 . NOTE If your scene includes animated bitmaps, including materials, projector lights, environments, and so on, the animation file is reloaded once per frame. If your scene uses multiple animations, or if the animations are themselves large files, this can slow down rendering performance.
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 5538 . ■ Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture to an object using Camera Mapping on page 1154 . ■ Assign a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture using Environment/Screen projection (see Coordinates Rollout (2D) on page 5620 ).
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.
Interface Default Scanline Renderer Rollout | 5953
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.
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.
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.
Supersample Maps Default=on. Turns on or off supersampling for mapped materials. 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 5285 in the Material Editor.
The effect of changing duration. 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.
Left: Same value for Samples and Subdivisions. Right: Samples value is less than Subdivisions. Image Motion Blur group You determine which objects have image motion blur on page 7814 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.
NOTE Image motion blur doesn't work for NURBS objects that are animated so their tessellation ( surface approximation on page 2469 ) changes over time. This happens when sub-objects are animated independently of the top-level NURBS model on page 7865 . 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.
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.
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.
Character lit by Skylight and one spotlight, and rendered with light tracing Model by Sonny Sy — orange_3D@yahoo.com — www.geocities.
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 4940 . Unlike radiosity on page 5976 , 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.
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 245 to disable light tracing (or radiosity solving) for objects that don't have a great impact on the final effect.
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 4940 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 6531 is essential. 3 Choose Rendering > Advanced Lighting. On the Select Advanced Lighting rollout, choose Light Tracer from the drop-down list.
Interface General Settings group Global Multiplier Controls the overall lighting level. Default=1.0.
Right: Higher Global Multiplier value Object Multiplier Default=1.0. Controls the level of light reflected by objects in the scene. 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: 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.
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. Changing the Filter Size value Increasing Filter Size reduces noise in the rendering.
TIP If your scene has transparent objects such as glass, increase Bounces to be greater than zero. Be aware that this increases rendering time. 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.
For volumetric lighting to work with light tracing, Bounces must be greater than 0. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Top: A scene rendered without radiosity. Bottom: The same scene rendered with radiosity.
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 7976 . 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 7896 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
5 3ds Max updates the viewports by taking all the energy from the faces and spreading it to the closest vertex. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lighting Analysis After you generate a radiosity solution, you can use the Lighting Analysis tool on page 6028 to analyze the lighting levels in your scene. This dialog provides data on material reflectance, transmittance, and luminance. You can also interactively visualize the light levels in the scene by using the Pseudo Color Exposure Control on page 6552 . Rendering to a rendered frame window displays an additional rendered frame with a legend below the image.
Logarithmic Exposure Control on page 6540 , making sure to turn on Affect Indirect Only. The Brightness and Contrast controls of the exposure control will only affect 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 On the Create panel, click Lights. Create and position standard lights on page 4925 in your scene. 3 Click Render Scene to preview the lighting.
Summary The following table will help you obtain good results with radiosity. Physically Based Non Physically Workflow Based Workflow Lights Photometric Lights on page 4951 Standard Lights on page 4925 Daylight IES Sun on page 4969 and IES Sky on page 4973 Directional Light on page 4932 and Skylight on page 4940 Exposure Control Any Logarithmic on page 6540 − turn on Affect Indirect Only. Units Make sure your scene is set to the appropriate scale.
TIP Before launching a lengthy animation with radiosity, you should process a radiosity solution manually for a single frame to make sure the results are acceptable. TIP If you animate only your camera (as in an architectural walkthrough) then you can calculate a radiosity solution for only the first frame of the animation, and reuse it in all subsequently rendered frames by turning off Compute Advanced Lighting When Required on the Common Parameters rollout of the Render Scene dialog.
Radiosity is a technique to calculate indirect light. Specifically, radiosity calculates the interreflections of diffuse light among all the surfaces in your scene. To make this calculation, radiosity takes into account the lighting you’ve set up, the materials you’ve applied, and environment settings you’ve made. The radiosity processing of a scene is distinct from the rendering process. You can render without radiosity. However, to render with radiosity, you must always calculate radiosity first.
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, clear all the settings. Then turn on Vertex to set vertex snap. Close the dialog. 2 Choose 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.
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 Click Render Scene to preview the lighting. Make any changes you need to adjust the rendering. 10 Choose Rendering > Environment to display the Environment panel on page 6486 . 11 Click the Environment tab to display the Environment panel on page 6486 .
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.
10 On the Exposure Control rollout of the Environment panel on page 6486 , choose Logarithmic Exposure Control from the drop-down list. 11 On the Logarithmic Exposure Control rollout on page 6540 , 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 Click Render Scene to render the scene after radiosity processing.
Radiosity Processing Parameters Rollout on page 6001 Radiosity Meshing Parameters Rollout on page 6008 Light Painting Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6014 Rendering Parameters Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6016 Statistics Rollout (Radiosity) on page 6026 Radiosity Rollouts Radiosity Processing Parameters Rollout Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
NOTE Direct Light Filtering works only when you use Shoot Direct Lights on page 6013 . 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 control.
Radiosity Meshing Parameters Rollout Render Scene 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.
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 6016 .
Interface NOTE You can override the subdivision settings in this group with the Advanced Lighting panel on page 256 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To use the light painting tools, you must first select objects, and then select a particular 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. You can pick, add, or remove illumination through objects.
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.
Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from the drop-down list. > Rendering Parameters rollout Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene 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 that allow you to control how you want to render the radiosity-processed scene.
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 you turn on this option, the Regather Indirect Illumination option is disabled. The quality of shadows in the scene depends on the mesh resolution.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Bright spots have been reduced by clamping. TIP You can query the luminance of these surfaces by using the Lighting Analysis tool on page 6028 . TIP Use Render Region on page 5900 to render just the area of the bright spots to find rapidly the right clamp value to use.
Adaptive Sampling group These controls can help you speed up rendering time. 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.
Advanced Lighting rollout > Choose Radiosity from the drop-down list. > Statistics rollout Lists information about the radiosity processing. 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.
Mesh Elements Lists the number of elements in the mesh processed. 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.
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.
Selection Information group The name of the selected object. Object Name 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 > Render > Render Scene dialog > Choose Default Scanline Renderer as the active production renderer.
Interface Ray Depth Control group Ray depth is also known as recursion depth. This is how many times a ray is allowed to bounce before it is considered lost or trapped.
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.
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.
Above: No antialiasing Below: Antialiasing of reflections TIP Turning on Supersample for a Raytraced material (in the Raytrace Basic Parameters rollout on page 5397 ) 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 options: Chooses which antialiasing settings to use.
Global Raytrace Engine Options group These options are comparable to the local options on Extended Parameters rollout on page 5406 and the Raytracer Controls rollout on page 5411 . Their setting affects all Raytrace materials and Raytrace maps in the scene, unless you set local overrides. NOTE In versions prior to 3ds Max 5 , these controls were found on the Raytracer Options dialog, which is no longer present. Enable Raytracing Turns the raytracer on or off. Default=on.
Acceleration Controls Click to display the Raytracing Acceleration Parameters dialog on page 5423 , which lets you adjust settings. Exclude Click to display the Raytrace Exclude/Include dialog on page 5424 , 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.
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.
Above: Motion blur applied to wings of the flying dragon Below: Multiple passes appear in successive refreshes of the rendered frame window. TIP These effects are for the default scanline renderer. The mental ray renderer on page 6039 has its own depth-of-field and motion blur effects. See Motion Blur with the mental ray Renderer on page 6059 and Depth of Field with the mental ray Renderer on page 6061 .
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 6057 , caustics on page 6066 , and global illumination on page 6072 . NOTE mental images and mental ray are registered trademarks, and photon map is a trademark of mental images GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, Germany.
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.
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 6122 ). 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.
Now when you render, the Render Scene 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 a .mi on page 7848 file that you can render later, perhaps on a different system. Controls for choosing whether to render, save to a .mi file, or both, are on the Translator Options rollout on page 6122 .
solid-color background, and then composite the rendered scene with the background image. ■ Sometimes when you render objects that have zero 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 in the Render Scene dialog's Common Parameters rollout. If the streaks persist, give the object or the Extrude modifier a nonzero thickness.
whether to render, save to a .mi file, or both, are on the Translator Options on page 6122 rollout. 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.
■ The mental ray renderer disregards the bias parameters in the Shadow Map Params rollout and the Ray Traced Shadow Params rollout. ■ 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 you have to use it correctly within 3ds Max.
at the Maximum Trace Depth spinners. 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. 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.
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 page 6104 , and one each in the Caustics and Global Illumination (GI) groups of the Indirect Illumination panel > Caustics And Global Illumination rollout on page 6096 . These apply to all lights in the scene.
Backface Culling mental ray rendering correctly performs backface culling, and renders one-sided faces much as the scanline renderer does. 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.
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 6083 .
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. ■ 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.
Light Object Enhancements Along with the mental ray renderer, new area light objects and new light settings are provided. New Light Objects Area lights on page 7713 are a feature of the mental ray renderer. Instead of emitting light from a point source, they emit light from a broader area around the source. There are two mental ray area lights: mr Area Omni Light on page 4945 and mr Area Spotlight on page 4948 . Area lights create soft-edged shadows. This can help improve the realism of your rendering.
IMPORTANT To see the mental ray rollouts for lights, you must use mental ray Preferences on page 7579 to enable mental ray extensions. These rollouts appear only on the Modify panel. They don't appear on the Create panel. Camera Enhancements On the Parameters rollout on page 5123 , a “Depth Of Field (mental ray)” choice has been added to the Multi-Pass Effect drop-down list to support the mental ray renderer's depth-of-field effects.
Shaders are provided in shader library (MI) files on page 7848 . 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 5807 and mental images Shader Libraries on page 5805 .
Interface The Processing panel contains three rollouts: Translator Options Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6122 Diagnostics Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6129 Distributed Bucket Rendering Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6131 mental ray Messages Window Rendering menu > mental ray Message Window 6054 | Chapter 18 Rendering
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: Shows the number of CPUs in use. ■ Num. CPUs ■ Num. threads ■ mental ray version detail. Shows the number of threads being rendered.
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.
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. 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.
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. 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 7928 instead of ray-traced shadows. This can improve performance at a cost of accuracy.
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 6114 of the Render Scene dialog) but shadow maps are not enabled, then shadows for all lights are generated using the mental ray ray-tracing algorithm.
Motion blur added to rendering of an animated wheel as it speeds up and rolls forward To render motion blur with the mental ray renderer, you must turn on ray tracing (the Ray Trace parameter) on the Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6118 . 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.
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.
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 Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout on page 6118 . 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.
Focus plane in relation to a camera Here it is set to the middle apple, as in the previous renderings.
Focus plane in relation to a camera 6064 | Chapter 18 Rendering
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.
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 5142 . NOTE For Perspective viewports, which have no camera, the Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Camera Effects rollout on page 6087 has explicit Focus Plane and f-Stop settings.
Swimming pool rendered without caustics mental ray Renderer | 6067
Reflective caustics added to swimming pool To calculate caustics, the mental ray renderer uses the photon map technique on page 7894 . (Ray tracing can’t generate accurate caustics, and they aren’t provided by the default scanline renderer.) You enable caustics on the Render Scene dialog > Indirect Illumination panel > Caustics And Global Illumination rollout on page 6099 . In addition, you must designate: ■ Which light objects can create caustics. ■ Which renderable objects can generate caustics.
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.
Radius value explicitly set to 1.
Radius value increased to 2.5. Filter type changed to Cone.
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 6066 ). 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.
Scene rendered without global illumination mental ray Renderer | 6073
Same scene with global illumination 6074 | Chapter 18 Rendering
Global illumination made smoother by final gather To calculate global illumination, the mental ray renderer uses the photon map technique on page 7894 . 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.
and final gathering on the Final Gather rollout on page 6104 . 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 262 . By default, all objects in 3ds Max are set to generate and receive global illumination.
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 .
Procedures To apply volume shading to a camera: 1 On the Render toolbar, click Render Scene. 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.
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 5391 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.
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 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 5289 and on the mental ray material's Advanced Shaders rollout on page 5456 ). Then when you render, use the Camera Effects rollout on page 6087 to enable contours.
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 Render toolbar, click Render Scene. 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.
mental ray Renderer Rollouts Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer) Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Sampling Quality rollout Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Sampling Quality rollout Note: The Renderer panel appears only when the mental ray renderer is the currently active renderer. The controls in this rollout affect how the mental ray renderer performs sampling on page 7914 .
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. Interface Samples per Pixel group Set the minimum and maximum sample rate. 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.
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. 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.
6084 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 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.
TIP Always use Hilbert order when you use placeholders (see the Translator Options rollout on page 6122 ) or distributed rendering (see the Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout on page 6131 ). The buckets begin at the center of the image, and spiral outward. ■ Spiral ■ Left to right to right. Buckets are rendered in columns, from bottom to top, left ■ Right to left to left.
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.
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 Scene 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 under the Multi-Pass Effect group of a camera's Parameters rollout. 3 Increase the Shutter value to increase the blurriness caused by motion blur.
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.
Interface 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 5729 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.
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 6059 . 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.
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. The contour contrast component can be assigned the Contour Contrast following shader: Shader Library Contour Contrast Function Levels contour Contour Store This component stores the data on which contours are based.
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 5830 (Lens) 3ds Max Wrap Around lume Output Click to assign a camera output shader.
Shader Library Submerge lume NOTE You can also assign Volume shaders to the Volume component of the mental ray Connection rollout on page 5289 and the mental ray material (see Material Shaders Rollout (mental ray Material) on page 5449 ). 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.
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.
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.
Interface 6098 | Chapter 18 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 262 .
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.
TIP To preview global illumination, set Samples to 100, 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 1/10 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.
Maximum Num. Photons per Sample shade the volume. Default=100. Sets how many photons are used to Maximum Sampling Radius When the check box is on, the spinner sets the size of photons. When off, each photon is calculated to be one-tenth the size of the scene extents on page 7919 . Default: check box=off; value=1.0. This spinner is unavailable if the check box is turned off. Photon Map group These controls tell mental ray how to calculate the photon map for indirect illumination.
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=5. 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=5.
■ 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/distance 2. 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.
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.
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.
Preset Provides a quick, easy solution for final gather. The default presets are: custom (the default choice), draft, low, medium, high, and very high. Available only when Enable Final Gather is on.
■ 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. Basic group Enable Final Gather When on, the mental ray renderer uses final gathering on page 7782 to create global illumination or to improve its quality. Default=off. TIP Without final gathering, global illumination can appear to be patchy.
alternate method on page 6113 . 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 6113 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.
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.
In the next illustration, the same scene renders much brighter with Noise Filtering set to None. Note, however, the unevenness of the illumuniation.
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.
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.
TIP In general, increasing the point density on page 6108 is better than decreasing Min. Radius. TIP To minimize flickering in animations, keep the two Radius values as close to each other as possible.
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. Mode The shadow mode can be Simple, Sort, or Segments. Default=Simple. Causes the mental ray renderer to call shadow shaders in a random ■ Simple order. ■ Sort Causes the mental ray renderer to call shadow shaders in order, from the object to the light.
Shadow Maps group These controls specify a shadow map on page 7928 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.
■ ... [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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Raytrace Acceleration Group Method The drop-down list sets which algorithm to use for raytrace acceleration on page 7905 . 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 Methods on page 6141 . This method is the fastest on a single-processor system. Use it for small-to-medium size scenes on a single processor.
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.
Procedures To save the mental ray renderer settings: ■ When you have a set of rendering settings you want to keep, go to the Render Scene 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.
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. 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.
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. TIP When you use placeholders, 3ds Max always calculate buckets in Hilbert order. See Sampling Quality Rollout (mental ray Renderer) on page 6083 .
When off: ■ 3ds Max reads the textures from disk, and then sends individual pixel colors to mental ray as they are needed. 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).
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. 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.
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. ■ ...
■ 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).
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.
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.
Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene 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.
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 7907 .
“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 6122 Procedures To use mental ray distributed rendering: 1 On the Render Scene dialog, go to the Processing panel. On the Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout, turn on Distributed Render.
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).
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 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.
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.
[name field] Displays the RAYHOSTS file's on page 7907 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.
Add/Edit DBR Host Dialog The Add/Edit DBR (Distributed Bucket Rendering) Host dialog appears when you click Add on the Distributed Bucket Rendering rollout on page 6131 . 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 7907 . Interface Port Number Lets you enter a port number for the processor.
Ray-Trace Acceleration Parameters Ray-Trace Acceleration: Parameters for the BSP Methods Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout > Raytrace Acceleration group > Choose BSP or Large BSP as the Raytrace Acceleration method. Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout > Raytrace Acceleration group > Choose BSP or Large BSP as the Raytrace Acceleration method.
TIP For large scenes, increasing the Depth value to 50 or more can greatly improve rendering time. Ray-Trace Acceleration: Parameters for the Grid Method Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout > Raytrace Acceleration group > Choose Grid as the Raytrace Acceleration method. Main toolbar > Render Scene > Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Rendering Algorithms rollout > Raytrace Acceleration group > Choose Grid as the Raytrace Acceleration method.
VUE File Renderer Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Choose VUE File Renderer as the active production renderer. > Renderer panel > VUE File Renderer rollout The VUE File Renderer creates VUE (.vue) files. VUE files on page 7967 use an editable ASCII format. Procedures To create a .vue file: 1 Use the Render Scene dialog's Current 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.
Rendering Elements Separately Render Elements Panel and Rollout Main toolbar > Render Scene button > Render Scene dialog > Render Elements panel > Render Elements rollout Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Render Elements panel > Render Elements rollout Rendering to elements lets you separate various information in the rendering into individual image files. This can be useful when you work with some image-processing or special-effects software.
surface perpendicular to its normal. The illuminance data ignores material characteristics such as reflectance and transmittance. 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.
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.
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 255 . 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 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 5949 or the mental ray renderer on page 6039 . NOTE The default scanline renderer supports a maximum of 32 render elements per scene.
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.
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.
"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.
2 In the Render Elements dialog, do one of the following: ■ Click to 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.
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.
Interface Add Click to add a new element to the list. This button displays the Render Elements dialog on page 6157 .
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. Click to delete the selected elements from the list. Delete Elements Active Default=on. When on, clicking Render renders the separate elements. Display Elements When on, each separate element is displayed in its own rendered frame window on page 5885 when you render.
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 5954 to the rendered element. When off, the rendered element does not use the antialiasing filter. Default=on.
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. ... [ellipsis] The text box lets you enter a path and file name for the CWS file. Click the [...
Interface The scrollable list shows the names of elements you can render separately. These are described in Render Elements Panel and Rollout on page 6144 .
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.
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.
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 Displays controls for the selected file type. These vary with each different file format.
Preview When on, enables display of the image as a thumbnail in the Image Window. Image Window turned on. Displays a thumbnail of the selected file, when Preview is Statistics Displays the resolution, color depth, file type, and number of frames of the selected file. Displays the full path for the file.
Reflection When on, include reflections. Default=on. Refraction When on, include refractions. Default=on. Apply Atmosphere Apply Shadows When on, include atmospheric effects. Default=on. When on, include shadows. Default=on. Paint When on, include the Paint component of Ink 'n Paint materials on page 5580 . Default=on. Ink When on, include the Ink component of Ink 'n Paint materials. Default=on.
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. Indirect Light On When on, the render element includes information from ambient or bounced lighting in the scene. NOTE When using radiosity, you should expect things such as color bleed. Shadows On When on, the render element includes shadows.
Interface Effect ID Sets the material effects channel on page 5252 to include in the Matte render element. G-Buffer ID element. Sets the G-Buffer ID on page 7795 to include in the Matte render Include Opens the Exclude/Include dialog on page 5043 , where you can select objects in the scene to exclude or include in your Matte mask. 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.
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.
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 6166 . 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.
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.
Interface 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.
Banana object selected 3 Choose Rendering > Render To Texture. 4 A Render To Texture dialog on page 6195 appears. In this dialog, you choose which elements on page 6174 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 6181 for showing the baked texture in shaded viewports.
Lighting map of the banana By default, the texture type is Targa on page 7162 , 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 1769 , automatically applied.
■ A Shell material on page 5570 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.
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.
■ Render to Texture: Output Rollout on page 6204 ■ Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6208 ■ Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6211 ■ Render to Texture: Add Texture Elements Dialog on page 6213 ■ Shell Material on page 5570 ■ DirectX Manager Rollout on page 5297 ■ LightMap Shader Rollout on page 5598 ■ Metal Bump Shader Rollout on page 5599 Baked Texture Elements Select objects.
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.
■ 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 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 5599 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 5382 ).
8 On the Output rollout, add a NormalsMap element (see Baked Texture Elements on page 6174 ). 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.
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.
Default cage around high-res cylinder However, the normal bump map does not show the end indentations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 1574 . After you have generated the normal map, you can turn off the Push modifier.
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.
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.
Interface Renders the scene, or the elements listed in the Objects To Bake Render 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: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6211 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 exist.
Drop menu Lets you choose Load Preset on page 5922 . A Render Presets Load dialog appears where you can select an RPS file. Setup Displays the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 , 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 6279 displays where you can specify a server, or multiple servers, to take on the task. Default=off.
Interface 6200 | Chapter 18 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 6204 rollouts and the Projection Options dialog on page 6214 .
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. Lists the object's name. ■ Name column ■ 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.
object; when All Selected or All Prepared is chosen, the options apply to all selected or prepared objects. 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.
■ Use Automatic Unwrap (The default.) When chosen, uses automatic unwrapping, and applies an “Automatic Flatten UVs” (Unwrap UVW) modifier on page 1769 to the objects whose texture is being rendered. Sub-Objects These controls are for basing the rendered texture on a sub-object selection of the source object. When chosen, unwrapping uses an existing map ■ Use Existing Channel channel. ■ Channel When Use Existing Channel is active, lets you choose the channel to use for unwrapping.
■ Render to Texture: Objects To Bake Rollout on page 6199 ■ Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout on page 6208 ■ Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout on page 6211 Interface Render to Texture Dialog | 6205
Output List map slots. Shows maps names, element names, map sizes and designated Lists the name of the map that will be generated. ■ File Name column ■ Element Name column ■ Size column ■ Target Map Slot column Shows which map slot will be occupied by the baked texture in the material. Shows the element corresponding to the map. Displays the map size. The output list can display entries in black, gray and blank.
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 6208 , then the slots for the new baked material type will be displayed.
Map Type Components Specular Lighting Shadows Diffuse Lighting Shadows 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 6174 .
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.
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.
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 6197 .
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. NOTE These controls are also provided by the Unwrap UVW modifier's Flatten Mapping dialog on page 1821 . 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.
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 6204 . 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.
Interface Available Elements Lists the elements available for rendering. See Baked Texture Elements on page 6174 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. You can also double-click a single element name to add it to the list and close the dialog.
This dialog displays options for normal bump projection. 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. 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.
TIP You can reset the cage (on the Cage rollout on page 1563 ), 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. 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.
Normal Map Space group 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.
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 ■ Green Can be Left or Right. Default=Right. Can be Up or Down. Default=Down.
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. Rendering Previews A preview is an AVI file on page 7118 that can help you preview the animation in your scene.
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 7524 > Preview. Immediately after rendering the preview, the software runs Media Player with this animation loaded. 3 View the preview by clicking Play in Media Player.
Interface Preview Range group Specifies the frames to be included in the preview, either the active time segment on page 7702 or a custom range of frames. Frame Rate group Specifies the playback frame rate on page 7791 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. The output resolution is set in the Render Scene dialog. For example, if the rendering output resolution is 640x480, and you set the Percent Of Output spinner 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).
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.
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. NOTE You need at least one camera in your scene to use the Panorama Exporter. Panorama Exporter creates a 360-degree spherical rendering.
Interface The Panorama Exporter rollout has two buttons, which let you create or view a panoramic rendering. Render Opens the Render Setup dialog on page 6226 for the Panorama Exporter. Viewer Opens the Panorama Exporter viewer on page 6229 .
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 7718 . 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) buttons to choose a preset resolution.
Options group Atmospherics Renders any applied atmospheric effects, such as volume fog, when turned on. Render Hidden Geometry if they are hidden. Effects Renders all geometric objects in the scene, even 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Installing Autodesk Backburner with 3ds Max 3ds Max Install Guide (Click the Documentation link on the Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 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.
■ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: ■ In 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 Scene dialog on page 5878 , or the Render To Texture dialog on page 6195 .
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.
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 to display the Render Scene 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.
To submit a network rendering job: 1 Start the Backburner Manager and Backburner Server. 2 In 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.
Troubleshooting Guide This is a guide to solving common problems associated with network rendering.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Machine Name IP Address server254 192.100.100.254 Configuring TCP/IP From the previous step, Setting Up TCP/IP on page 6261 , 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On any one rendering job, use either a common or local output directory. They cannot be mixed. See also: ■ Mounting a Directory on page 6276 ■ Using Configure User Paths on page 6277 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.
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 7961 .
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.
instructions in the previous topics ( Setting Up Directories on page 6273 , Sharing a Directory on page 6275 , and Mounting a Directory on page 6276 ), 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.
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 ...
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.
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 6253 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.
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 7861 machine or its IP address.
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.
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 6291 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.
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. Uses only the servers that you have highlighted in the Server Use Selected list.
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.
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.
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.
Job Dependencies Dialog Rendering menu > Render > Render Scene dialog > Turn on Net Render (Render Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog > Connect to a Manager. > Priority group > Dependencies 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.
Interface 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 On list. Remove Adds all jobs in the Existing Jobs list to the Jobs Your Job Depends Removes highlighted 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 > Render Scene dialog > Turn on Net Render (Render Output group) > Render > Network Job Assignment dialog > Options group > Turn on Enabled Notifications.
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.
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 server.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
■ 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 Server Port Specifies the port number used by the network Manager. Specifies the port number used by the network Server(s). 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 page 6319 .
■ 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 6304 .
Interface TCP/IP group Manager Port Server Port Specifies the port number used by the Network Manager. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6334 , with settings for job-related functions such as frame range and output size.
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.
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 6324 . Disconnect See Disconnect on page 6324 . 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.
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 6339 . Right-click a job name to access the Jobs menu on page 6326 . Click a column title to sort the list by the column contents (alternating clicks sort in ascending and descending order).
Right-click the frame you wish to view under “Task ID” to view its output file. This is available only for completed tasks. Job Details settings. Lists the job's rendering parameters, scene statistics, and gamma 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 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).
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.
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.
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 report. Displays a file selector where you can specify a file path for the 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.
Interface Queue Monitor | 6335
Job Name group The job name cannot be changed from this dialog. Job Description keyboard. Displays a brief description of the job. Editable from 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.
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. 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.
Super Black Limits the darkness of rendered geometry for video compositing. Toggled by double-clicking the entry. Default=No. 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.
Notifications group These settings are covered in Notifications Dialog on page 6291 . 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.
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.
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. Includes only the column titles in the report. Short Record Delimitation group Specifies the type of delimiter used between the fields.
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 report. Displays a file selector where you can specify a file path for the 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.
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 6321 . Then you can choose to Edit Settings on page 6334 and restart the job.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2 Start 3ds Max, and load the first scene you want to batch render. 3 Open the Render Scene 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 6279 , click the Connect button. 6 Click the Submit button.
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 6352 . 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 \networ
8 Click Render. To assign network jobs: At this point, the Network Job Assignment dialog on page 6279 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.
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 Scene dialog on page 5878 . ■ Whether to render a specific camera view or the active viewport.
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.
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.
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 6358 . 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.
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.
Render Scene 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 7359 . 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.
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 5892 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.
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.
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.
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.
You can submit command-line rendering jobs that are rendered on a single workstation, or you can take advantage of network rendering on page 6231 and let the Backburner utility manage the jobs across multiple systems. The Batch Render tool on page 6352 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.
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\3dsmax9\3dsmaxcmd” “c:\program files\autodesk\3dsmax9\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.
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
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\3dsmax9\3dsmaxcmd” -o=“c:\program files\autodesk\3dsmax9\renderoutput\scene1.jpg” -w=320 -h=240 -frame=1-33 “c:\program files\autodesk\3dsmax9\scenes\scene1.
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.
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.
Switch Effect -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.
Switch Effect 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 3dsmaxcmd 3dsvizcmd -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.
Switch Effect -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.
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.
Switch Effect -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.
Switch Effect -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.
Switch Effect 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.
Switch Effect -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.
Switch Effect -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.
Switch Effect -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_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.
Effects and Environments 19 A variety of special effects, such as film grain, depth of field, and lens simulations, are available as rendering effects on page 6381 . Another set of effects, such as fog, are provided as environment effects on page 6484 . The fog environment effect adds atmosphere to a street scene. In 3ds Max, rendering effects and environments are both accessed from a single Environment and Effects dialog on page 6380 .
Environment and Effects Dialog Rendering menu > Environment Rendering > Effects You apply effects and environments by using the Environment and Effects dialog.
Environment Panel on page 6486 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 6383 on the Environment and Effects dialog, you can add various effects and view them prior to final rendering of an image or animation. Render Effects let you work interactively.
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 6383 on the Environment and Effects dialog, which lets you set parameters for post-rendering effects.
Effects Panel and Rollout Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > 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.
Effects Name effect. Displays a list of selected effects. Displays the name of the selected effect. Edit this field to rename the 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.
Merging Effects Rendering menu > Effects > Environment and Effects dialog > Effects panel > Merge The Merge button on the Effects panel on page 6383 lets you merge effects from other 3ds Max (.max) scene files. See also: ■ Merge on page 6854 ■ Replace on page 6866 ■ Merge Animation on page 6859 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 Select a .
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: Allows you to rename the incoming effect. ■ Name field ■ 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.
Interface Hair and Fur Render Effect | 6387
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).
■ 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 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.
■ 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.
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.
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 6397 , Ring on page 6404 , Ray on page 6414 , Auto Secondary on page 6421 , Manual Secondary on page 6429 , Star on page 6436 , and Streak on page 6443 . Procedures To add an effect: 1 Select the desired effect from the list on the left side of the Lens Effects Parameters rollout.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6039 .
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 Size Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. 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. Glow Behind your scene. Gives the effect the ability to be displayed behind objects in 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.
Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6450 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 6458 .
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 7795 (or Object) ID.
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.
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.
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 6039 .
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 Size Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on. 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 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.
Ring using radial colors as seen in lower left inset Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6455 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.
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.
Ring using radial and circular colors mixed 50/50 Falloff Curve Displays the Circular Falloff dialog on page 6450 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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 5252 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page 5254 . The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that particular ID channel is present.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6455 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.
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.
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 5252 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page 5254 . The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that particular ID channel is present.
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.
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 6453 . 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.
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.
is necessary to name them to make sure that when you change parameters you are changing the parameters to the correct effect. On Size Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. Default = on. 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.
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.
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.
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 5252 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page 5254 . The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that particular ID channel is present.
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.
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 6453 . 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.
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.
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.
Falloff Curve Displays the Radial Falloff dialog on page 6455 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.
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.
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 5252 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page 5254 . The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that particular ID channel is present.
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.
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 6453 . 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.
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 Size Applies the effect to the rendered image when activated. 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 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.
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.
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.
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 5252 assigned to it. Assign the Material ID channel in the Material Editor, using the Material ID channel flyout on page 5254 . The Lens Effect will be applied only to areas of the geometry where that particular ID channel is present.
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.
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 6453 . 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.
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.
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.
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 Zoom Vertically Zoom Scales the width of the Circular Falloff graph window.
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.
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 a selected point. Allows you to manually enter a vertical position value for 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Zoom Vertically Zoom Scales the width of the Radial Size graph. Scales the length of the Radial Size graph.
Object before and after adding midrange Blur effect.
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 turned on.
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.
is specified and Use Object Center is on, no blur is added to the rendered image. Affect Alpha on.
Blur Parameters rollout, Pixel Selections panel 6466 | Chapter 19 Effects and Environments
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.
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 to.
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 to. Blend Brightens the portion of the image that the Blur effect is applied Blends the Material Blur effect with the original rendered image. F.
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.
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.
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.
Interface The Color Balance Parameters rollout contains the following parameters: Cyan/Red Adjusts the red channel. Magenta/Green Yellow/Blue Adjusts the green channel. Adjusts the blue channel. Preserve Luminosity correcting the color. When on, retains the luminosity of the image while Ignore Background When on, allows you to image correct a model without affecting the background.
Interface Destination group Files Opens a dialog so you can save the rendered image or animation to disk.
JPEG File on page 7139 (JPG) Kodak Cineon on page 7120 (CIN) MOV QuickTime file on page 7140 (MOV) PNG Image File on page 7152 (PNG) RLA Image File on page 7156 (RLA) RPF Image File on page 7159 (RPF) SGI Image File Format on page 7161 (RGB) Targa Image File on page 7162 (TGA, VDA, ICB, UST) TIF Image File on page 7164 (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.
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.
Before and after applying Film Grain to a scene Film Grain Rendering Effect | 6477
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 enhances the movement of the sword. Motion Blur applies an image motion blur on page 7814 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.
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.
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.
Before and after applying Depth of Field effect to scene.
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.
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 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 7710 . ■ Use atmospheric plug-ins, such as volumetric light, in the scene. ■ Apply exposure controls to renderings.
■ Pseudo Color Exposure Control on page 6552 Environment Panel Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog > 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 7710 globally.
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.
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 5976 . 1 Choose Rendering > Environment. 2 Click the color swatch labeled Ambient. A Color Selector on page 331 appears.
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.
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 7768 displays the name of the map, or “None” if none has been assigned. The map must use Environmental mapping coordinates on page 7838 (spherical, cylindrical, shrink wrap, and screen).
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.
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.
■ You can Merge the incoming object without renaming, resulting in two objects in the scene with the same name. ■ 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.
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. NOTE In earlier versions of 3ds Max, Fire was known as the "Combustion effect." 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.
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 5046 of your lights, and turn on Atmosphere Shadows. 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.
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. 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.
Interface Fire Environment Effect | 6497
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 6561 , SphereGizmo on page 6567 , and CylGizmo on page 6564 . 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.
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.
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. Comparing Tendril to Fireball Above=Tendril, Below=Fireball 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
■ If you turn on Explosion, Phase controls the churning of the fire and the explosion timing, using values between 0.0 to 300.0. The Phase function curve for a typical explosion starts steep and flattens out. Phase values control explosion timing in the following way: Value Explosion Effect 0–100 Explosion begins and builds to peak density at 100. 100–200 Explosion burns. Effect turns to smoke if Smoke is turned on. 200–300 Explosion clears and is completely gone at 300. > 300 No effect.
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. 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.
Fog added to a scene This command provides fog and smoke atmospheric effects. This plug-in on page 7896 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.
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.
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 331 .
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 7838 (spherical, cylindrical, shrinkwrap, and screen).
TIP If you turn on Exponential, this increases the Step Size value to avoid banding. 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.
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 7896 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Noise group Left: Original scene Right: Noise added to the fog Noise options for volume fog are comparable to the noise options for materials. Choose one of three types of noise to apply. Type Regular Fractal The standard noise pattern. An iterative fractal noise pattern. Turbulence Invert versa. An iterative turbulence pattern. Reverses the noise effect. Dense fog becomes translucent and vice Noise Threshold Limits the noise effect. Range=0 to 1.0.
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.
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 moves the fog volume in the specified direction over time.
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 7896 provides effects such as radial glows for omni lights on page 7870 , 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.
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.
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.
Interface The Volume Light Parameters rollout appears when you select Volume Light under Effects in the Environment dialog. It has the following controls.
Lights group Pick Light viewport. Click the light that you want to enable for volume light in any 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 331 .
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 7710 setting.
Low The image buffer is not filtered but directly sampled instead. This option is fine for 8-bit images, AVI on page 7118 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.
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 7719 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.
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.
Links the noise effect to its light object, rather than to world Link To Light 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. The standard noise pattern.
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 moves the fog volume in the specified direction over time.
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 5976 , and when dealing with high-dynamic-range (HDR) imagery. Exposure control compensates for the limited dynamic range of monitors. Monitors have a dynamic range of about two orders of magnitude.
Left: Linear exposure control maps intensity evenly. Right: Logarithmic exposure control maps most intensities to low and mid tones. 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.
Interface Drop-down list Choose the exposure control to use. 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.
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. NOTE Automatic Exposure Control should not be used in animations, because every frame will have a different histogram, causing your animation to flicker.
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.
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.
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 6039 does not support the Linear exposure control.
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 7859 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.
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).
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 Physical Scale Sets a physical scale for exposure control to use with lights that are not physically based.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
Elevated midtones Shadows Controls the level of the darkest areas of the image. Lower values yield lighter shadows, while higher values darken the shadows.
Lightened shadows Color Saturation Controls the intensity of colors in the rendered image. Higher values result in more intense colors.
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.
Vignetting=25.0 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 7550 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.
After rendering the scene with pseudo color, 3ds Max displays a rendered frame window on page 5885 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 6039 . 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.
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.
See also: ■ Environment Panel on page 6486 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.
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.
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.
Adjusting the range to analyze: 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 4951 , IES Sun on page 4969 , and IES Sky on page 4973 , the Physical Scale value is disregarded, and you don't need to change it.
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 7833 and illuminance on page 7813 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 6531 to the scene. You can render to either the TIFF file on page 7164 format.
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. Atmospheric Apparatus Create panel > Helpers > Atmospheric Apparatus (from drop-down list) You can create three types of atmospheric apparatuses, or gizmos on page 7800 : box, cylinder, and sphere. These gizmos contain the fog or fire effect in your scene.
Interface List of atmospheres the apparatus. Displays the atmospheres that you can associate with 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 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 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 6560 . 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.
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.
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 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 6560 . 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.
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 6560 from which you can add an Atmosphere to the CylGizmo. Delete Deletes a highlighted atmospheric effect.
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 6560 . 3 Choose an atmosphere from the list. 4 Click OK. 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 6560 . 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.
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 5074 from which you can add an Atmosphere to the SphereGizmo. Delete Deletes a highlighted atmospheric effect.
Video Post 20 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.
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 6573 : Shows the sequence of post-production events.
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 7711 , 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6607 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.
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.
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.
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 6607 and set the view to Perspective. Click OK to close the Add Scene Event dialog. 4 Click Add Image Filter Event on page 6620 and choose Lens Effects Glow from the Filter Plug-In list.
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 7131 . 1 Use the IFL Manager Utility on page 7136 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 6613 and then click Files.
8 Click the Execute Sequence button on page 6601 . 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.
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 6627 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.
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 6613 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.
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.
2 Choose Rendering > Video Post. 3 Click Add Image Input Event on page 6613 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 6627 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.
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 7136 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 6613 and then click Files.
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 7136 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 6613 and then click Files.
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 6623 and choose Pseudo Alpha on page 6709 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 6601 . 11 Click Render on the Execute Video Post dialog.
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 6613 and then click Files. Choose your first animation file and click Open and then click OK to close the Add Image Input 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 the Abut Selected button on page 6607 . 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 6601 .
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 6607 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.
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 6607 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.
5 Click OK to close the Add Input Image Event dialog. 6 Click Add Image Output Event on page 6627 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 7740 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 6601 .
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 7967 ) 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.
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.
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.
Add Scene Event on page 6607 Add Image Input Event on page 6613 Add Image Filter Event on page 6620 Add Image Layer Event on page 6623 Add Image Output Event on page 6627 Add External Event on page 6630 Add Loop Event on page 6633 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.
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 7709 has to be second. Procedures To switch the positions of two events in the queue: 1 Highlight both events. 2 Click Swap.
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.
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 every 8th frame. Regular sample of frames. For example, enter 8 to execute Output Size group Format Choose Custom or a standard film or video format from the list.
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.
Interface Width Height Specifies the width of the image, in pixels. 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.
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.
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.
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.
the scanline renderer on page 7918 , with the additional options listed below. The resulting scene image has an alpha channel on page 7709 . 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 6623 such as Cross Fade or Simple Wipe.
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.
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.
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 Options Displays a subset of the parameters in the Render Scene dialog.
page 5949 help topics. Changes you make to the Scene Event Render Options affect the Render Scene dialog, as well. Scene Motion Blur Turns on the scene motion-blur on page 7919 effect for the whole scene. This is different from object motion blur on page 7867 , which creates motion blur for individual objects in the scene. Scenes created with previous versions of 3ds Max that use both Object Motion Blur and Scene Motion Blur may not render correctly, due to changes to Object Motion Blur.
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 clear, 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.
PSD Files on page 7153 RLA Files on page 7156 RPF Files on page 7159 RGB (SGI Image) Files on page 7161 TGA (Targa) Files on page 7162 TIFF Files on page 7164 YUV Files on page 7166 DDS Files on page 7122 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.
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.
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 6617 to allow you to set up alignment, size, and frame range for the input image. Cache Stores a bitmap in memory.
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.
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.
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 (default). Resizes the image to the size of the Video Post rendered image Custom Size enter.
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.
Starfield Filter on page 6643 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.
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 7896 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.
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 6617 where you can set alignment and size, relative to the frames of video output.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Procedures To add an image output event: Click Add Image Output Event. 1 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Interface In Out Fade in. 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 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.
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.
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.
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 6709 . 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.
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 Wipes from left to right. Right-pointing arrow Left-pointing arrow Wipes from right to left. Mode group Push Pop Reveals the image. Erases the image.
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.
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.
Star Size (Pixels) 100. Specifies the size of the stars, in pixels. Range = 0.001 to 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.
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.
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 3426 . 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 7967 . To preserve the animation, save the Video Post data, including Lens Effects animation, in the MAX file.
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.
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.
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 6647 .
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.
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 7967 . 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6648 . This parameter can be animated on page 6647 . 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.
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 6647 . Thick Specifies the overall thickness of the ring, as a percentage of the overall size of the frame.
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.
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 6647 . 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.
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 6647 . 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.
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.
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 6647 . 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.
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 6699 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.
Size Specifies the overall size of the star effect, as a percentage of the overall frame. This parameter can be animated on page 6647 . 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 Qty Enables random spacing of star spokes around the flare center. Specifies the number of spokes in the star effect.
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. Interface Size Specifies the overall size of the streak, as a percentage of the overall frame. This parameter can be animated on page 6647 . Angle Specifies the angle for the streak.
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. 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.
Interface 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 Fiery A loose and soft pattern, often used for clouds and smoke. Fractal patterns with bright, well-defined areas, often used for fires.
you want to simulate a raging fire, you want the fractal patterns to move upward. This parameter can be animated on page 6647 . 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.
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.
Interface The Lens Effects Focus dialog contains a preview window, and an area below to control the parameters of Focus.
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.
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.
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 7834 (.lzg). 1 Click the Reset button. This resets Lens Effects Glow to its default settings. 2 Click the Load button.
Interface The Lens Effects Glow dialog contains a preview window, and an area below to control the parameters of Glow.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
Interface The Inferno panel is divided into two sections: Settings and Parameters. Settings group Gaseous Fiery A loose and soft pattern, often used for clouds and smoke. 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.
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.
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.
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 7834 (.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.
Interface When you select Lens Effects Highlight from the Image Filter Event drop-down list and click Setup, the Highlight dialog is displayed.
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.
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.
the materials editor by assigning the material one of the eight Material Effects channels that are available. See G-Buffer on page 7795 . 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.
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 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.
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. 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.
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.
Interface Effect group Angle Controls the angle of the highlight points over the course of the animation. This parameter can be animated on page 6647 . 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.
Clamp value of 5 Clamp value of 15 Lens Effects Filters | 6695
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.
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 Angle Varies the overall size of the individual Highlights. Varies the initial orientation of the individual Highlights.
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.
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 6647 . 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.
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 6704 . 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.
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.
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 6647 . 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.
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.
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.
Scheme of a radial gradient 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.
Scheme of a circular gradient Color (Radial and Circular) Defines the colors used on page 6707 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.
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).
The Alpha compositor composites the two images using the alpha channel on page 7709 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.
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.
There is also a Pseudo Alpha filter event on page 6641 . 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.
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.
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 Direction group Wipes from left to right. Right-pointing arrow Left-pointing arrow Wipes from right to left. Mode group Push Pop Reveals the image. Erases the image.
Managing Scenes and Projects 21 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 6774 . The File Link Manager on page 6783 allows you to create a live link to a DWG file.
■ The Bitmap Pager Statistics dialog on page 6947 provides information that helps you resolve issues with scenes that require large amounts of memory for texture maps. ■ The Substitute modifier on page 1691 lets 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 6958 into a scene.
Layers Layers on page 7224 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 7259 .
Asset Tracking on page 6897 Archive on page 6918 Summary Info on page 6919 File Properties on page 6920 View Image File on page 6923 Exit on page 6926 See also: ■ Asset Browser Utility on page 6928 ■ Geometry File Formats on page 6958 ■ Image File Formats on page 7116 ■ RAM Player on page 7166 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).
Interface The New Scene dialog has the following controls: Keep Objects and Hierarchy Keeps the objects and the hierarchical links on page 7806 between them, but removes any animation keys on page 7824 . 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.
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.
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 6926 appears. This dialog lets you browse for the missing maps, or continue opening the file without loading them.
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 2008\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 2008\3dsmax.exe” −l Interface The Open File dialog has standard Windows file open controls.
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.
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 6902 . 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.
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.
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 6724 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.
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 7541 of the Preference Settings dialog. See also: ■ Save on page 6723 ■ Save Copy As on page 6726 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.
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.
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.
■ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 5603 as well as an XRef controller on page 3194 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.
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 6737 , where you add externally referenced objects, transforms, and materials to your master scene, and control their visibility, merge states, and other options.
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 XRef Modifiers is selected before you proceed to the next step.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WARNING If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity on page 5976 , 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
objects that you have not yet referenced externally. The XRef Merge dialog 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.
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.
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 6750 that has additional options for managing the list as well as the objects, controllers, and materials in it.
■ 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 6737 when you right-click the XRef Record list. It provides additional options for managing the list.
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.
WARNING If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity on page 5976 , 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 168 , which lists all objects and highlights those belonging to the currently highlighted XRef record. Use this dialog to select XRef objects.
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.
Select by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 168 , 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.
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.
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.
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 window. These buttons alter the pattern of selection in the list Display Influences When this is on and you select an item in the list window, all of its influences are shown in blue.
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.
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 7578 of the Preferences dialog. (It is on by default.) Be aware that render effects are not carried into the master scene by XRef scenes.
Choosing XRef Scene displays the XRef Scenes dialog on page 6763 . 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Interface XRef File list Displays all XRef scenes in the current scene, and lets you select them for operations.
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.
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 6757 for more information.
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.
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 6770 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.
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 6752 pointing to the scene in the XRef File Name field.
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.
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.
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.
■ 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.
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.
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 6777 . NOTE Both Detach and Bind are available from the Files panel of the File Link Manager.
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.
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.
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.
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 7913 . When the project is exported to a DWG file, this type of link is represented in the exported drawing as an external referenced drawing.
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.
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.
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 6813 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2504 . 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.
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.
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.
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 6809 , 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 6811 , letting you change the name of the selected preset.
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 6777 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.
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. 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.
Auto-smooth adjacent face Assigns smoothing groups on page 7932 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).
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 6806 . ■ 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.
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 5944 . Hatches Imports hatches from the DWG file.
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.
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 6812 . 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.
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.
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.
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).
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 6812 . 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.
you make changes to a linked material, in 3ds Max, then reload, those changes will be lost (if the switch is off). 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.
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 6815 is displayed. 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.
Interface The controls on this panel are identical in name and operation to those found on the Rendering rollout on page 546 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.
previous 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 Default=off. Turn this on to apply mapping coordinates. 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.
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 Length Width Displays the spline's mesh shape as a rectangle.
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.
Interface New Name Format The name of your preset. 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.
New Name Format The name of your preset. 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.
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.
Skip all frozen layers files are included. Excludes all layers frozen in the linked file. All active 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.
Xref Stored File Name attached drawing. Referenced by Displays the external reference path stored in the 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.
The Select Linked Objects dialog displays the linked objects associated with the selected linked file, including VIZBlocks on page 7967 , 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 6772 Interface Reset Position Resets the selected object's transforms to those of the original AutoCAD object when the drawing was last reloaded.
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.
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.
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
