3ds Max 2019: Advanced Materials

Course details

Physically-based rendering (PBR) simulates the way light works in the real world. It achieves greater realism with less effort than traditional 3D rendering. This course is updated for 3ds Max 2019, and focuses on PBR shading techniques. The Physical Material simulates surfaces such as stone, glass, and metal. Instructor Aaron F. Ross also looks at building shading networks, and combining and adjusting maps in interesting ways. Procedural maps such as Substance deserve special attention, and you'll also see how to bake them out to bitmap files for cross-application and renderer compatibility. By the end of the course, you'll have a firm foundation in advanced shading workflows in 3ds Max.

Learning objectives
Streamlining material editor workflow
Managing assets
Referencing materials with XRefs
Rendering the Physical Material
Controlling highlights with Roughness
Directing reflections and refractions
Simulating translucency and scattering
Building a shading network
Combining and color correcting maps
Baking maps with Render to Texture
Procedural mapping
Using relief maps: bump, normal, and displacement

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Using the exercise files

1. Material Editor Tips and Tricks

03 - Using preview windows
04 - Setting Material Editor options
05 - Creating multiple view tabs
06 - Storing materials in sample slots
07 - Lay Out and Select commands
08 - Understanding XRefs and materials
09 - Display Map Output Selector nodes

2. Hard Surface Materials

10 - Rendering the Physical Material
11 - Balancing reflections with Roughness
12 - Adjusting Metalness and Reflection Color
13 - Using Index of Refraction (IOR) to control reflectance
14 - Setting a custom reflectance function
15 - Stretching highlights with Anisotropy
16 - Mapping the bump channel
17 - Adding a clear coat

3. Ray Tracing Techniques

18 - Controlling physical transparency
19 - Tinting with Transparency Depth
20 - Backlighting with thin-walled translucency
21 - Sub-surface scattering for physical translucency
22 - Light emission from a surface

4. Building Shading Networks

23 - Future-proofing material presets
24 - Layering and masking with a composite map
25 - Color adjustment with a color correction map
26 - Preparing for texture baking
27 - Materials for texture baking
28 - Baking maps with Render to Texture
29 - Rasterizing textures with Render Map
30 - RGB curves adjustment with an output map

5. Advanced Mapping

31 - Mapping a gradient ramp
32 - Procedural mapping with Substance
33 - Simulating relief detail with Normal Bump
34 - Deforming surfaces with Displacement
35 - Combining maps with RGB Multiply

Conclusion

36 - Next steps

3ds Max 2019: Advanced Materials

Authors

Aaron F. Ross