Creating Multi/Sub-Object Materials

Introduction to Materials and Mapping

Texturing the Chessboard

 

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

Using Raytrace Materials and Maps

Raytrace materials are perfect for reflective materials like shiny metal and glass.

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

Set up the lesson:

1. Continue from the previous exercise or load bottlematerials.max.
2. Change the Camera viewport back to Smooth + Highlights.
3. Turn off Views > Shade Selected, if it's currently turned on.

Make green glass using a raytrace material:

1. Open the Material Editor and access the green bottle material within the multi/sub-object material.
2. Change the material type from Standard to Raytrace.

   The bottle changes to a gray color in the viewport.

3. In the Material Editor, make the Diffuse color a rich forest green.

   The bottle changes to a green color in the viewport.

4. Click the Transparency color swatch. Change the color to light gray by setting Value to 119.
5. Set the Reflect color swatch to a darker gray: Value=100. Close the Color Selector dialog.

   

6. Drag the wood countertop material to the counter (base) object.
7. Render the Camera01 viewport.

   The bottle shows the reflections of adjacent objects.

   

Raytrace reflections in the scene:

There are several ways to make objects appear reflective. You choose a method of creating reflection based on the main source of an object’s color and the quality you want to achieve. For objects that derive their color primarily by reflection, such as polished metal or glass, you will probably want to use a raytrace material. If an object has a strong local color or texture as part of its material, you might add a reflection map to the Reflection map component instead.

1. Press H and choose [knife]. The knife and its handle are grouped together.
2. Choose Group > Open.
3. Select the knife blade in the viewport.
4. From the Material Editor, drag the knife blade material to the knife blade (Line02).

   This is another Raytrace material. It’s a lot like the Raytrace green glass material except that it's not transparent.

5. Drag the knife handle material to the knife handle.
6. Click the wood countertop material. On the Maps rollout, click the None button of the Reflection map component.
7. In the Material\Map Browser, double-click the Raytrace map type. In this case you're adding a raytrace only to the Reflection component.
8. Name the Reflection component counter reflection.
9. Click Go to Parent. On the Maps rollout, set the Reflection amount to 44 and the Diffuse Color amount to 90. This will keep the reflection from overpowering the wood texture.
10. Render the Camera01 viewport, and examine the reflections in the knife blade and countertop.

    

11. Save your file as mymaterials4.max.