848 | APPENDIX B ModIFIers, MaPs, and MaterIals than just a sub-object selection, first apply another Selection modifier; then, without making a sub-object selection, apply the next modifier. The entire object is again affected by any modifiers applied to the top of the stack. me S h Se l e c t The Mesh Select modifier allows you to gain access to the sub-object level of an object to select part of the object. You can then apply another modifier to affect only what you selected with Mesh Select. For example, you could use Mesh Select to select part of an object, and then you could apply the Taper modifier to only the selected part. You can use Mesh Select to pass selec- tions up the stack to other modifiers or to gain access to mesh sub-object selection for Patch and NURBS surfaces. You can also use Edit Poly and Edit Mesh modifiers to select sub-object levels like you do when using Mesh Select. Pa t c h Se l e c t The Patch Select modifier allows you to gain access to the sub-object level of an object to select part of the object. It works in a similar manner to the Mesh Select modifier, but Patch Select treats objects as if they were editable patches rather than meshes. SP l i n e Se l e c t The SplineSelect modifier lets you affect sub-object selections of splines. Much of the functional- ity of the SplineSelect modifier is also found in the Edit Spline modifier. Po l Y Se l e c t The Poly Select modifier is similar to the Mesh Select modifier as it lets you select sub-objects of Editable Poly objects to be passed up the stack. Vo l . Se l e c t The Vol. Select modifier lets you make sub-object selections based on a volume. You have the choice of four volume types: Box, Sphere, Cylinder, and Mesh Object. A Selection gizmo in the shape of the volume type you select appears in the design. You can then select the sub-object level of the Vol. Select modifier to move the Volume gizmo into place to make the selection. This is very powerful because you can base the selection on an object. For example, you can animate an object moving across a terrain and have the vertices in the terrain selected based on the posi- tion of the object. nSu r F Se l NSurf Sel allows you to place sub-object selections anywhere in the stack of NURBS objects. This is similar to the Mesh Select modifier but is available only for NURBS objects. World-Space Modiers World-Space modifiers (WSMs) are modifiers that use the World Space as their point of refer- ence, as opposed to the Object Space of the object to which they are bound. The MapScalar ModIFIers | 849 modifier is a good example of a WSM, because it associates the map of an object with the World Space and isn’t affected by the Object Space of the object to which it’s attached. An object using the MapScalar modifier can be scaled to any size or shape, and any maps attached to the object won’t be scaled. Identifying the Modifier Types The World-Space modifiers can be recognized by their (WSM) postfix. ca m e r a ma P (wSm) At times, you may want an object to be invisible while it maintains a presence in a scene. For example, suppose you have a fairly detailed background image that shows a garage, and you want to create the illusion of a car entering the garage. You can create a simple box with an opening similar in shape to the background garage opening, and then use the Camera Map modifier to blend the box into the background. Once you do that, you can animate the car to drive into the box. The net effect is that the car appears to drive into the garage in the back- ground image in your final animation. This allows you to keep the geometry simple yet still have an animation that shows a fair amount of detail. The Camera Map modifier applies a planar UVW map to an object, and it aligns that map so that it’s perpendicular to a specified camera. The map is typically the same as the background, giving the illusion of an invisible object. Because the object can cast and receive shadows, you can create different effects. For example, if you’re using the Camera Match tool to match a build- ing design to a photo of a building site, you can use the Camera Map modifier to include shad- ows on buildings in the background. This modifier can be used when a camera is in motion, as it updates the map at each frame. There is also an Object-Space modifier (OSM) version. di S P l a c e me S h (wSm) Displace Mesh lets you deform a surface using a bitmap image. It’s similar to including a dis- placement map in a material to an object, but instead of simply creating the illusion of a bumpy surface by changing the surface normals, Displace Mesh actually changes the geometry to a bumpy surface. See Chapter 9, “Enhancing Models with Materials,” for a detailed description of the Displace Mesh modifier. If you assign a displacement map to an object, you usually won’t be able to see the effects of the map until the object is rendered. The Displace Mesh modifier allows you to see the effects of a displacement map while you’re editing. Displace Mesh can also let you convert a displacement map into an Editable Mesh, as described in Chapter 9. di S P l a c e nurbS (wSm) The Displace NURBS modifier performs the same function as the Displace Mesh modifier, but it is applied to NURBS objects. 850 | APPENDIX B ModIFIers, MaPs, and MaterIals ha i r a n d Fu r (wSm) The Hair and Fur (WSM) modifier can be applied to objects to create a number of effects, including grass, in your rendered scenes. See Chapter 15, “Finishing It Off: Atmosphere, Effects, and Compositing,” for an explanation on the use of the Hair and Fur (WSM) modifier. lS co l o r S (wSm) Lightscape was a stand-alone Autodesk product for calculating radiosity solutions. Lightscape is no longer available or supported by Autodesk, but legacy scenes can be imported into 3ds Max. The LS Colors modifier converts Lightscape radiosity mesh colors to Autodesk 3ds Max vertex colors. This is useful when you import a lighting solution (*.ls file) from Lightscape into 3ds Max. Utilizing Lightscape Materials You can also use the Lightscape Materials utility to aid in the conversion of lighting solution data into 3ds Max. ma P Sc a l e r (wSm) Apply this version of the modifier when you want the material map to maintain its original scale, regardless of the scale of the object to which it is applied. This modifier allows you to “lock” a map’s scale so that changes to the object don’t affect the associated map. Use the Object- Space modifier (OSM) version to lock the associated map’s scale to Object Space instead. Pa t c h de F o r m (wSm) This modifier allows you to deform an object based on the form of a Patch object. A Patch object is an object that can be formed into a smooth, curved surface by editing its vertices. You can, for example, create a plane and then convert the plane into an editable patch. The vertices of the editable patch can then be edited to shape the plane into a smooth, curved surface of any shape you want. Such a surface can be used to deform other objects, using the PatchDeform modifier. The object moves to the location of the patch with the WSM version. See also the OSM version of this modifier. Pa t h de F o r m (wSm) The PathDeform modifier works in a way similar to the PatchDeform modifier but uses a spline or NURBS curve instead of a Patch object. For example, you can use this modifier to deform an object along the path of the spline. An example of this would be the curving of text to conform to the shape of a round column or sphere. The object moves to the path used for the deformation in this version of the modifier. See the OSM version also. ModIFIers | 851 Su b d i V i d e (wSm) The Subdivide modifier allows you to manually apply a radiosity mesh to an object. Subdivide works in a similar way to the Radiosity Meshing parameters, but instead of applying a mesh globally, Subdivide lets you apply a mesh to single objects or even sub-object levels. Because it’s a modifier, it can be edited directly from the modifier stack. The size of the subdivided mesh is locked to World Space with this modifier; if you scale the object, the mesh stays the same size. Su r F a c e ma P P e r (wSm) The UVW Map modifier has a fixed set of seven mapping options that allow you to apply a map to most forms. But what happens when none of those options will work for your design? If you have an organic form that requires custom mapping, you can use the Surface Mapper modifier. The Surface Mapper requires that you create a NURBS surface that you edit to the form of the required map. You form the NURBS surface around the object to which you are applying the map and assign the same material to both the NURBS surface and the object. Once this is done, you apply the Surface Mapper modifier to the object or objects. The map is projected onto the modified object(s), based on the direction of the normals on the NURBS surface. In this version of the modifier, the scale of UVW space is tied to World Space; if you scale the object, the UVW coordinates remain in their original size. Su r F de F o r m (wSm) The SurfDeform modifier works in a way similar to the PathDeform modifier but uses a NURBS surface instead of a curve. You can use this modifier to deform an object, based on the shape of a NURBS surface. This version stays locked to World Space. Object-Space Modiers Object-Space modifiers directly affect the object that they are applied to in the local coordinate system of the object itself. Object Space is generally described in UVW coordinates when deal- ing with texture maps. aF F e c t re G i o n The Affect Region modifier lets you apply a bulge to a surface. Two points control the bulge. One point sets the base of the bulge, while the other locates the tip of the bulge. Each point can be adjusted independently of the other. You can control the bulge’s shape through Falloff, Pinch, and Bubble parameters. au t o m a t i c Fl a t t e n uVS This is the same as the Unwrap UVW modifier. This modifier is automatically applied by the Render to Texture operation. be n d You can bend an object on any axis by using the Bend modifier. You can control the degree of the bend, the place where it occurs, and the axis about which it occurs. This modifier is demon- strated in Chapter 2, “Introducing 3ds Max Objects.” 852 | APPENDIX B ModIFIers, MaPs, and MaterIals be V e l Bevel allows you to extrude a 2D shape and add beveled edges. The Bevel Values rollout for this modifier allows you to set the height of the extrusion. You can use three levels of beveling. Each level has its own height and outline settings, so you can control beveling by adjusting the height and changing the outline value, and then expanding or contracting the shape of the outline at the selected level. The Surface parameters let you control the segments of the extrusion and whether the sides are curved or straight. Typically, Bevel is used to bevel text, but it can be used for other 2D shapes (see Figure B.1). be V e l Pr o F i l e Bevel Profile is like a simplified Loft tool. You can use it to extrude a shape along a path. This modifier is an excellent tool for creating extruded forms such as elaborate picture frames or curved stairs. To use it, you draw an outline of the object, using a spline. Draw another spline indicating the profile of the object. Select the outline and then apply the Bevel Profile modifier. In the Parameters rollout of the Bevel Profile modifier, click the Pick Profile button and select the spline you want to use as the profile. The outline is extruded to the shape of the profile (see Figure B.2). Figure B.1 A sample of the Bevel modifier used on text Bevel level 1 Bevel level 2 Bevel level 3 Figure B.2 An example of the Bevel Profile modifier Resulting surface Bevel profile Outline ModIFIers | 853 Once you’ve extruded a shape using the Bevel Profile modifier, you can modify the shape by adjusting either the profile spline or the original extruded shape. Bevel Profile is similar to the more powerful Sweep modifier discussed later in this appendix. ca m e r a co r r e c t i o n mo d i F i e r Wide-angle camera views tend to exaggerate the three-point perspective view of tall objects. The tops of buildings, for example, appear to taper to a sharp point too quickly. The Camera Correction modifier enables you to reduce this distortion. The Camera Correction modifier is unusual in that it isn’t found in the Modifier List drop- down. To use it, you must first select the camera you want to work on, right-click the camera, and then select Apply Camera Correction Modifier from the tools 1 quad menu, as shown in Figure B.3. Applying the Camera Correction Modifier You can also apply the Camera Correction modifier by first selecting the camera and then choosing Modifiers  Cameras  Camera Correction. Once you’ve done that, you can adjust the camera view using the options in the 2-Point Perspective Correction rollout that appears on the Modify tab of the Command panel. ca m e r a ma P (oSm) Similar to the Camera Map (WSM) modifier example earlier in this appendix, at times you may want an object to be invisible while it maintains a presence in a design. For example, suppose you have a fairly detailed background image that shows a garage, and you want to create the illusion of a car entering the garage. You can create a simple box with an opening similar in shape to the background garage opening, and then use the Camera Map modifier to blend the box into the background. Once you do that, you can animate the car to drive into the box. The net effect is that the car appears to drive into the garage in the background image in your final animation. This allows you to keep the geometry simple, yet still have an animation that shows a fair amount of detail. The Camera Map modifier applies a planar UVW map to an object, and it aligns that map so that it’s perpendicular to a specified camera. The map is typically the same as the background, Figure B.3 Accessing the Camera Correction modifier 854 | APPENDIX B ModIFIers, MaPs, and MaterIals giving the illusion of an invisible object. Because the object can cast and receive shadows, you can create different effects. For example, if you’re using the Camera Match tool to match a build- ing design to a photo of a building site, you can use the Camera Map modifier to include shad- ows on buildings in the background. The Object-Space version of this modifier is a better choice when there is no camera motion. (See also the “Matte/Shadow” section later in this appendix.) ca P ho l e S Some editing procedures will leave openings in a mesh. You may, for example, use the Slice modifier to slice an object into two halves. Each half will have an opening at the Slice plane. The Cap Holes modifier can be used to close the openings. In 3ds Max, a hole is a closed loop of edges with a single face. Cap Holes works best on pla- nar holes, but it also works on nonplanar holes. Cap Holes is a very useful tool when used in conjunction with the STL Check modifier; if you find problems in a mesh with the STL (stereo- lithography) check, using Cap Holes may fix those problems. cl o t h The Cloth modifier is used for simulating cloth objects that must interact dynamically with other objects in your scenes. The Cloth modifier can be used to simulate flags, or tensile struc- tures in your projects. The Cloth modifier can also be used with the Garment Maker modifier. cr o S S Se c t i o n The CrossSection modifier is a powerful tool that lets you connect splines to form surfaces. (If you’re an AutoCAD user, you can think of CrossSection as a super Rulesurf or Edgesurf com- mand.) This modifier is called CrossSection because with it you can draw cross sections of an object and then join the cross sections together to form a surface. When used in conjunction with the Surface modifier, CrossSection lets you form elaborate patch surfaces by defining the surface edge with two or more 3D splines. First you draw the splines; then you attach them to form a single object, using the Attach option in the Modify tab. You then apply the CrossSection modifier, which connects the vertices of the separate splines. Finally, you can “skin” over the splines with the Surface modifier (see Figure B.4). Figure B.4 Creating a surface using the Cross- Section modifier and the Surface modifier Spline shapes CrossSection modifier applied to shapes Surface modifier applied to cross-sectioned shapes ModIFIers | 855 The order in which the splines are created is as important as the location of the starting vertex of the splines. You want to be sure that the splines point in the same direction, with the beginning vertex of each spline placed in the same orientation relative to the rest of the spline. Figure B.5 shows how all the splines are oriented with their starting points (the yellow vertices) to the left of the figure. If you collapse the stack of a surface created using the CrossSection and Surface modifiers, you have a patch surface that can be edited in the same way as any other patch surface. de l e t e me S h You can think of the DeleteMesh modifier as a tool that lets you try out deletions in a mesh before committing to the change. Because it’s a modifier, it can be placed anywhere in the modi- fier stack. Here’s how it works: go to the sub-object level of an object and make a selection of the item you want to remove. If it’s a surface patch or NURBS surface, you can isolate mesh surfaces for deletion by using the Mesh Select modifier. Once you’ve made your selection, apply the DeleteMesh modifier. The selection will be deleted. Because DeleteMesh is a modifier, you can restore the deleted items by removing DeleteMesh from the modifier stack. de l e t e Pa t c h You can think of the DeletePatch modifier as a tool that lets you try out deletions in a Patch object. Because it’s a modifier, it can be placed anywhere in the modifier stack. It works in a sim- ilar way to the DeleteMesh modifier (described in the previous section). Because DeletePatch is a modifier, you can restore the deleted items by removing DeletePatch from the modifier stack. de l e t e SP l i n e DeleteSpline is similar to DeleteMesh except that it works on splines rather than on meshes. Sub-object selections are limited to vertices, segments, and splines. di S P aP P r o x The Disp Approx modifier allows you to apply a displacement map to an object through a mate- rial channel. A tutorial for this modifier can be found in Chapter 9. Figure B.5 Aligning the spine vertices The splines are oriented in the same general direction. 856 | APPENDIX B ModIFIers, MaPs, and MaterIals di S P l a c e The Displace modifier allows you to apply a displacement map directly to an object without having to do it through a material. This is similar to the DispApprox modifier, but no materials are required. ed i t me S h Like the Edit Spline modifier, Edit Mesh seems a bit redundant, as it duplicates the parameters for Editable Meshes. However, Edit Mesh offers great flexibility in editing meshes by allowing you to position edits in the modifier stack. You can experiment with changes in a mesh, main- tain other modifiers and parameters that would otherwise be altered by mesh edits, or edit mul- tiple mesh objects. The Edit Mesh modifier uses much more memory than does a simple Editable Mesh object. For this reason, try to avoid using this modifier unless you really need the flexibility it offers. ed i t Pa t c h The Edit Patch modifier lets you edit an object as if it were an Editable Patch object. The Edit Patch modifier uses a good deal of RAM, as it must make a copy of the selected geometry in RAM in order to perform its functions. Nevertheless, Edit Patch is offered for those occasions when you want to try out options, or when prior modifiers or parametric options must be left in place. ed i t Po l Y The Edit Poly is yet another modifier that lets you edit an object as if it were a simple geometric object, an Editable Poly object in this case. Using the Edit Poly modifier gives you control of all of the Editable Poly tools without actually converting the mesh to an Editable Poly. Use this modifier only to experiment with the tools and then convert the object or collapse the modifier stack to save the edits and reduce the file size and RAM usage. Edit Poly is generally preferred over Edit Mesh because of its richer toolset. ed i t SP l i n e The Edit Spline modifier may seem redundant because it duplicates the parameters for Spline objects, with a few limitations. Edit Spline offers flexibility in editing splines by allowing you to position edits anywhere in the modifier stack. For example, you can use Edit Spline to test spline edits. Because it’s a modifier, you can easily discard changes made using Edit Spline by deleting it from the modifier stack—something you cannot do using the basic parameters for a spline. Edit Spline is also useful for applying changes to several shapes at once by applying a single Edit Spline modifier to a set of objects. You may also want to maintain other modifiers that would otherwise be affected by changes to the basic parameters of the shape. Consider Memory Usage with the Edit Spline Modifier The Edit Spline modifier uses much more memory than does a simple editable spline object. For this reason, try to avoid using this modifier unless you really need the flexibility it offers. ModIFIers | 857 ex t r u d e Extrude is used to extend 2D shapes into the third dimension in a linear fashion. 3ds Max shapes, NURBS curves, and shapes imported from CAD programs can all be extruded. The Extrude modifier offers the option to cap ends, which closes the openings formed by the top and bottom of an extruded, closed shape. You can also select the type of mesh that is created with Extrude. Fa c e ex t r u d e The Face Extrude modifier allows you to extrude only selected faces of a mesh. You must first make a selection of faces on the sub-object level of an object. You can then apply the Face Extrude modifier to affect the selected faces. Although you can use the Extrude option at the sub-object level of an Editable Mesh or Editable Poly, the Face Extrude modifier uses fewer resources and offers a few additional options, such as Scale and Extrude from Center. You can achieve a beveled effect with these options. A selection modifier must be placed below Face Extrude and a sub-object selection must be passed up to it. FFd (2 × 2 × 2, 3 × 3 × 3, 4 × 4 × 4) The Free Form Deformation (FFD) modifiers let you deform objects in a general way by offering lattice control points to pull and stretch objects. When you apply an FFD modifier, a lattice box appears around the selected object. You can use the control points on the box to push or pull the object’s form (see Figure B.6). The lattice box is a type of gizmo and doesn’t represent actual geomet r y. The FFD modifiers are offered in three types: 2 × 2 × 2, 3 × 3 × 3, and 4 × 4 × 4. Each type places a different box around the object. The FFD 2 × 2 × 2 modifier, for example, places a box with control points at each corner. FFd (bo x ) The FFD (Box) modifier is similar in function to the previous FFD modifiers but adds the capa- bility to control the number of control points. With FFD (Box), you aren’t limited to the 2 × 2 × 2 through 4 × 4 × 4 lattice of the FFD modifier, as shown in Figure B.7. Figure B.6 A chair with the FFD 4 × 4 × 4 modifier [...]... Maps Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 focuses on a few of the materials available in 3ds Max, and for 80 percent of your projects, your needs won’t go beyond the material types shown in the tutorials of this book For the remaining 20 percent, you’ll find the range of materials offered by 3ds Max indispensable This section provides a description of all the materials available in the 3ds Max Material/... the renderable parameters of spline objects, including those that are brought into 3ds Max through importing or file linking (see Chapter 5, “Working with External Design Data”) from an AutoCAD-based application, without collapsing the splines to editable splines 3ds Max versus Non -3ds Max Splines Splines made in 3ds Max do not require the use of the Renderable Spline modifier because they already have... create geometry in 3ds Max, the normals of the geometry are pointing outward and you don’t have control over their orientation You can gain control of the normals of 3ds Max geometry by collapsing the stack and reducing the geometry to an Editable Mesh Unfortunately, once you do that, the geometry loses its parametric functions The Normal modifier lets you control the normals of 3ds Max geometry without... in the background are actually in front of your 3ds Max building You can also use Matte/Shadow objects to add shadows to objects in a background image For example, suppose you are using the Camera Match tools to match a car design to a background image of the building’s site In the real world your design would cast shadows on the ground, but in your 3ds Max scene you would leave out the ground so that... add inverse kinematic controllers to a model of a light fixture 3ds Max Design 2011 also offers a full-featured scripting language called MAXScript This scripting capability enhances the functionality of the software beyond what can be accomplished with the predefined user interface Although it is beyond the scope of this appendix to teach MAXScript in depth, you will get a high-level overview of the... material for the scanline renderer 870  | Appendix B  Modifiers, Maps, and Materials mental ray If you’re going to use the stand-alone mental ray renderer, use this material It’s designed for rendering outside of 3ds Max Design 2011 Subsurface Scattering Fast Material, Subsurface Scattering Fast Skin, Subsurface Scattering Fast Skin+Displacement, and Subsurface Scattering Physical All the Subsurface Scattering... between 3ds Max Design and Revit This is a mental ray material new to 2011 It features an ease-of-use interface, with fewer controls and less confusion for the novice As with Standard materials, there are material libraries, with preset materials available for you to use This material was preceded by the ProMaterial type, a similar mental ray material Before there were ProMaterials, the Arch & Design. .. piece of wood You have the option of controlling two colors for the wood grain, the grain thickness, and the amount of noise or straightness in the grain Appendix C Inverse Kinematics and MAXScript 3ds Max Design 2011 offers a comprehensive system that allows for the animation of complex assemblies through the use of hierarchies, parent-child relationships that let groups of objects be animated as... Materials topic in the 3ds Max Design Help The mental ray materials included in this release are listed here Arch & Design This is the most widely used material by mental ray visualizer It has the most complete accessibility to all the functions you can control and consequently the most complex interface It uses templates like the Architectural Material When in doubt, use A&D materials Autodesk Ceramic This... accurate and designed to be used with the Radiosity Renderer See the 3ds Max Help System for more information on Architectural Materials; they are legacy materials If you have switched your default settings and custom UI using the non–mental ray settings, it will make these materials the default in the Material Editor DWG files may import with these materials if they come from older versions of Autodesk . other distortions during animation. Materials and Maps Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 focuses on a few of the materials available in 3ds Max, and for 80 percent of your projects, your needs. into 3ds Max through importing or file linking (see Chapter 5, “Working with External Design Data”) from an AutoCAD-based application, without collapsing the splines to editable splines. 3ds Max. Lightscape radiosity mesh colors to Autodesk 3ds Max vertex colors. This is useful when you import a lighting solution (*.ls file) from Lightscape into 3ds Max. Utilizing Lightscape Materials You