Autodesk 3ds Max Design Training - Day Two

US CAD, Steve Bennett Instructor

• Need to be in modify tab to get Graphite Modeling Tools to show up for an object.
• Look at creating a tool to create Topology lines instead of hand drawing them. Create polyline around area and then draw lines spaced a distance apart.
• Cool terrain tools and simplifying terrain surfaces.
• Draw 2D in AutoCAD and bring it into 3ds Max, instead of drawing it in 3ds Max. Easier to draw 2D lines there.
• Vertice Types
• Corner
• Bezier - Adds curves to the lines (similar to a spline)
• Bezier/Corner
• Always choose to close the spline if you want a closed object.
• Can go back in and add vertex types to the vertices.
• Yellow vertices indicate the vertices are not connected. First vertex it is called young jedi.
• Make sure when using the Lathe modifier that it is closed.
• Boolean is named after mathematician George Boole.
• Don't have coplanar objects when doing boolean faces.
• Sweep - Single Shape.
• Loft - Multiple shapes.
• Align first vertex at the same location.
• If snap active (2D/3D) the move gizmo does not work.
• P to get perspective.
• Link FBX File: http://2d-or-not-2d.blogspot.com/2009/01/link-fbx-file-like-dwg-file-in-3ds-max.html
• Freezing is like a lock in AutoCAD. Can still see the object, but it's not editable.
• Use materials to create textures, Bump file darker farther away lighter closer. Adjust color scale based on object types.
• Need to make sure to rename the material when creating a new material by dragging to an empty material default.
• ProMaterials get you started out quickly when using Mental Ray.
• Page 3-95 of book to look at ProMaterials for types and explanation.
• Reflectance is the amount of light that bounces off a surface, page 3-85 has a list of typical values.
• Missed about an hour of the class for a conference call regarding a project. Missed a bunch of stuff on materials.
• Objects, Materials, Maps - Map Scaling Explicit over entire site one, Map Scaling Continuous individual bitmap applied many times to an object.
• Material that has map modifier need same real world scale.
• Places materials are saved: Material Editor, Material Library, Viz Render Material File (Abandoned Product).