Datasheet

Color value need not be expressed in values for red, green, and blue. It can also be set
on the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) channels of a color. Again, each channel holds a
value from 0 to 255 (in an 8-bit image) that defines the final color. The hue value defines
the actual tint (from red to green to violet) of the color. The saturation defines how much
of that tint is present in the color. The higher the saturation value, the deeper the color.
Finally, value defines the brightness of the color, from black to white. The higher the
value, the brighter the color.
HSV and RGB give you different methods to control color, allowing you to use the
method you prefer. All the colors available in 3ds Max, from textures to lights, are defined
as either RGB or HSV values for the best flexibility. You can switch from HSV to RGB def-
inition in 3ds Max at any time.
CMYK COLOR SPACE
A CMYK color wheel is used for print work. This is referred to as the four-color process.
Color inkjet printers produce color printouts by mixing the appropriate levels of these
inks onto the paper.
All output from a computer that is RGB-based to a printer goes through a CMYK con-
version as it is being printed. For professional print work, specially calibrated monitors are
used to better preview the CMYK color of an RGB image before it is printed. Fortunately,
only print professionals need to worry about this conversion process because most of it is
handled by graphics software to a fairly accurate degree.
VIEWING COLOR
The broadcast standard for North America is called NTSC, which stands for National
Television Standards Committee. Industry folks sometimes refer to the acronym as Never
The Same Color, calling attention to the fact that the color you see on one TV screen will
inevitably look different on another TV. The same is true for computer monitors, especially
flat panel displays. Unless made to do so, different screens are not calibrated to show the
same color the same way, so what you see on one screen will display differently on another
screen. If it is paramount that the color appear as you see it on a specific screen, it makes
sense to finalize the work and show it on that screen. You can also download color bars
from the Internet to display on monitors in an attempt to calibrate them to your eye. This
is not the best way to go, but at least it will help a little, without exacting the costs and
trouble of using color calibration equipment.
Resolution, Aspect Ratio, and Frame Rate
Resolution expresses the size of an image by the number of horizontal and vertical pixels
it contains, and usually is stated as “x × y”; an example of this would be 640 × 480. The
higher the resolution, the finer the image detail will be.
You will adjust your final render size to suit the ultimate medium for which you are
creating the animation. Table 1.1 lists some typical video resolutions.
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