Creating a Building

Modeling Level Design

Merging the Building into a Neighborhood

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Modeling Level Design > 

Adding Mapping and Materials for the Building

You are going to use three different mapping and material channels to create the look of this building. First, you will map the bricks and windows to the walls. Then you'll hang a sign on the front of the garage and add a black tar roof.

Drag materials to box:

You'll drag materials from the Asset Browser to the box to transform it into a garage.

1. From the menu bar, choose Rendering > Environment. The Environment dialog appears. In the Global Lighting group click the Ambient color swatch. Drag the Whiteness slider down to a light grey and click Close. Close the Render Scene dialog.

   This will lighten up the scene so you can see the results of any change to materials and rendering tests.

2. Select the box in the viewport if it isn't still selected, and open the Modify panel. Open the Modifier List and apply a UVW Map modifier.
3. In the modifier stack display, drag the UVW Mapping modifier downward, placing it between the Taper and the Box.

   

   TipYou can drag and drop modifiers to rearrange them in the stack display. Hold down the Shift key to make a copy; hold down Ctrl to make an instance.

   

4. In the Parameters rollout, change the Mapping style from Planar to Box.

   Now any mapping you apply will appear on each side of your building.

5. Turn off the Show End Result On/Off Toggle.
6. Press the plus button to expand the UVW Mapping modifier in the modifier stack and choose Gizmo.

   You'll see the original box without the Taper or Bend.

7. From the Parameters rollout, adjust the Length and Width of the gizmo so it conforms more closely to the box. If necessary, move the gizmo to encompass the box.
   ImportantThe gizmo needs to be resized so that it almost has the same dimensions of the box. If the gizmo isn't fitted properly, the mapping will not be correct.

   

   Gizmo is resized so that it fits the box like a glove

8. On the Utilities panel, click Asset Browser.
9. Navigate the Asset Browser to the \tutorials\level_design directory.

   Minimize the Asset Browser for now. You'll need it later when you apply a map to your box.

10. Open the Modify panel and click Bend in the modifier stack display to select the top of the stack.
11. Go to the Modifiers menu, choose Mesh Editing > Edit Mesh.

    The Edit Mesh modifier appears at the top of the stack.

12. On the Modify panel, in the Selection rollout, click Polygon.
    TipIf you expand the Edit Mesh in the stack display, the sub-object levels are displayed and Polygon sub-object mode is selected.
13. Turn on Ignore Visible Edges.
14. Click the side of the box that will be the front of the garage. All the polygons turn red.

    

15. Maximize the Asset Browser. Drag bfrontgarage.jpg to the selected polygons.

    The box will change to a white color once you assign the map. This is normal.

16. Click the other side of the box that will be the side of the garage.

    Once you select the other side, the previous bfrontgarage.jpg map appears on the box.

17. In the Asset Browser, drag bsidegarage.jpg to the selected polygons.

    You can now minimize the Asset Browser.

18. In the Selection Rollout, click the Polygon button to deselect it.
    TipYou can also choose Edit Mesh from the modifier stack.

    

    Your building shows the front and side mapping.

Add a garage sign texture:

You'll now use the Material Editor to create a multi/sub-object material that consists of the materials that will transform the box into a “cartoony” garage.

1. On the toolbar, click the Material Editor button.
2. In the Material Editor, click the Pick Material From Object button and then click anywhere on the box.

   The garage materials you applied appear in the first sample slot.

3. The material is a bit dark. To make it easier to see, you can increase the multiplier of the lighting of the sample spheres. Right-click on the highlighted sample sphere and choose Options. On the Material Editor Options dialog change the Top Light and Back Light Multipliers to 2.0 and then click OK.

   Name the material Garage.

   

   Garage material shown on sample sphere

4. Change the sample sphere to a box by clicking the box on the Sample Type flyout on the toolbar on the right side of the Material Editor.

   The sample is now a box. If you don't see the two different sides of the mapped box, right-click in the sample sphere and choose Rotate, then rotate the box within the Material Editor sample.

   

   Magnified view of the Garage material

   TipDouble-click the sample to magnify the sample slot. This will give you a better view of changes you make to the material.

   Next you will replace one of the standard materials with a blend material within the multi-sub/object material.

5. On the Modify panel, click the Polygon button and select the side of the box that is the front of the garage. In the Surface Properties rollout, in the Material group, make a mental note of the ID number.
6. Click Polygon again to deselect it.
7. In the Material Editor, in the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, locate the material ID for bfrontgarage, then click its material button.

   The Material name changes to the name of the material with the selected ID.

8. Click the Standard button to display the Material/Map Browser.
9. Select Blend, then click OK. In the Replace Material dialog that displays, click OK to keep the old material as a sub-material.

   This creates a blend material that will consist of the bfrontgarage bitmap and the garage sign bitmap you'll add in the next step.

10. Open the Asset Browser again. Drag garagesign.jpg to the Material 2 button in the Blend Basic Parameters rollout in the Material Editor.
11. Next drag bfrontgaragemask.jpg to the Mask button labeled None.

    The button label changes to reflect the filename.

12. Name the material Garage Front with Sign.

    

    You will now make modifications to the size of the garage sign bitmap so that it fits within the opaque area in the mask.

13. Click the Material 2 button.
14. In the Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, click the button labeled M next to the Diffuse color swatch.
    TipIf you hold the mouse over the button, garagesign.jpg should appear.
15. In the Bitmap Parameters rollout, in the Cropping/Placement group, turn on Apply, then click Place.
16. Click View Image to display garagesign.jpg in the Specify Cropping/Placement dialog.

    Here you'll change the overall dimensions of the bitmap so that it will fit within the area specified in the mask.

17. Enter the following values in the U, V, W, H fields:

    U=.11

    V=.45

    W=.80

    H=.15

    The garage sign changes size. Close the window after entering the values.

    

    Garage sign bitmap resized

18. Click the Go to Parent button three times.
19. On the toolbar, click the Quick Render button or press F9 to render the scene.

    

    You can see the Blend material displayed in the Material editor and in the rendering. But you can't see the Blend material in the viewport, unless you happen to have the right combination of drivers and graphics card.

Make a black material for the roof:

1. In the Material Editor, in the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click the Material button for ID #1.
2. In the Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, click the Diffuse color swatch.

   The color selector appears.

3. Drag the Whiteness slider up to create a black color, then close the color selector.
4. Name the material Black Roof.

   The roof of the garage turns black in the viewport.

   

5. Click the Go to Parent button. Close the Material Editor.
6. Render the scene to see the final results.
7. Save your work as mygarage.max.