Using Raytrace Materials and Maps

Introduction to Materials and Mapping

Using Displacement Mapping with Surface Properties

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials > Materials and Mapping Tutorials > Introduction to Materials and Mapping > 

Texturing the Chessboard

In Modeling a Chess Set , you learned how to create the pieces for a chess set. Chess pieces want to live on a chessboard. In this tutorial, you'll construct a chessboard that has a wood-grained, checkerboard pattern. You'll also add shininess and reflection to the chessboard.

• The files for this lesson can be found in the tutorials/intro_to_materials folder.

Set up the lesson:

• Load the file tut_knight.max.

Create the chessboard:

1. On the Create panel, click the Geometry button. Make sure Standard Primitives is chosen in the drop-down list.
2. Click the Box button.
3. If 2D Snap is on, turn it off.
4. In the Top viewport, drag to set the initial length and width of the box, then release the mouse and drag downward to set an initial height. Click to finish.

   Don't worry about the initial dimensions: you will change them soon.

5. Rename the box chessboard.
6. In the box's Parameters rollout, set the Length and Width to both equal 32cm, and set Height equal to –1cm.
   TipBecause the board is bigger than the chess pieces, you might need to zoom viewports and move either object before you can comfortably see both of them together.
7. Use the Move tool to position the box at the world origin: 0,0,0.

Create the squares:

1. Activate the Perspective viewport and click the Zoom Extents button.
2. Click the Field Of View button and zoom in so the chessboard fills the viewport.
3. On the toolbar, open the Material Editor by clicking the Material Editor button or use the M keyboard shortcut.
4. Click the first sample sphere and click the map button just to the right of the Diffuse color swatch.

   The Material/Map Browser appears.

5. In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Checker.

   3ds Max has a built-in checker pattern, which makes your work easier. The active sample slot now shows a sphere with the checker pattern.

   

6. In the Material Editor, click Assign Material To Selection, then click Show Map In Viewport.

   This lets you see the map in shaded viewports. (The viewport display of maps is only an approximate.)

   

   The default checker pattern is two by two, but a chessboard needs eight squares in each direction.

   NoteIf the checker pattern looks slightly skewed, right-click the Perspective viewport label and turn on Texture Correction.
7. On the Coordinates rollout, set both the U and V Tiling values to 4.0.

   Now the board has the right number of squares.

   

   If you render the Perspective viewport, you see that the checker pattern is more refined than the shaded viewport shows.

   

   NoteBecause the chessboard is made out of a box, the checker pattern is also applied to the sides. Since the chessboard is so thin, the pattern on the sides isn't obvious.

Give the checker pattern a wood texture:

1. Open the Utilities panel and click Asset Browser.

   The Asset Browser appears. Click OK to the copyright advisory it displays.

2. The Asset Browser is a large dialog. Move and resize it so you can see both it and the Material Editor.
3. Use the navigation tree at the left of the Asset Browser window to locate the tutorials/intro_to_materials folder.
4. In the Material Editor, make sure the Checker map's Checker Parameters rollout is visible.
5. In the Asset Browser, locate the file Oak1.tga. Drag the Oak1.tga thumbnail to the Color #1 map button on the Checker Parameters rollout. Then drag the Walnut3.tga thumbnail to the Color #2 map button.
6. Close the Asset Browser.

   Now if you render the chessboard, it has a contrasting wood pattern.

   

7. Save the scene as mychessboard.max.

Add polish to the chessboard:

1. In the Material Editor, click the Go To Parent button.
2. Open the Maps rollout.
3. Click the map button for the Reflection map component.

   The Material/Map Browser opens.

4. Double-click the Flat Mirror map.
5. Render the scene.

   The pieces are reflected in the chessboard, but the wood grain is washed out.

   

6. Click the Go To Parent button and, on the Maps rollout, change the Reflection Amount to 30.

   The wood grain is not as washed out as before but still looks faded.

   

7. On the Maps rollout, click the Checker map in the Diffuse Color component.
8. In the Checker Parameters rollout, click the Color #1 map and open the Output rollout.
9. Set the Output Amount to 1.5.
10. Click the Go Forward To Sibling button and make the same change to the Output Amount of the Color #2 map.
11. Render the scene.

    The wood grain looks much warmer and more realistic.

    

12. Save the scene as mychessboard01.max.