Wednesday 3rd October- Applying Textures, Light and Shadow

Notes: 3D Modelling

Applying textures:

Create a box which is 48 by 48 by 48, do this by going to the right hand panel, selecting the create tool and typing these values in then click the 'Create' button

Go to modify and select unwrap UVW (acts as the axis) 

Click on the Open UV Editor… button to the right hand side of the screen

Click on the red cube button to select a side of the cube, once selected it will turn red

Pull the red grid to different areas and this will create a square for each side of the shape (you don't need to do this but you can)

Click CheckerPattern in the top right drop down menu to create a texture

Use Crl + A to make the checkered pattern larger and to Select all of the faces

To unfold the shape go to ‘mapping’ then ‘unfold mapping’, this will allow you to see how the shape is formed and will make it easier when trying to apply textures

Click Angle snap Toggle (in the main window) and rotate to get the top face of the cube at the top of the window

Click the grey cube at the bottom of the window to select the entire template

Go to Tools (in editor) - render UVW template and alter the resolution accordingly

Save as a JPEG and Zoom out to ensure all lines are intact

Open the JPEG image of the template which you just created in Photoshop 

Also open up all the images for the textures which you want to apply to your shape

Label up where the sections of the template are located (Photoshop) by going back into 3ds Max to check where each section of the cube is located on the template 

To do this use the text tool on Photoshop and write in where each section is on each square

Select all the text layers by clicking on them and holding down the shift key and select merge layers from the drop down arrow located just above within the same panel

Click on the background layer (if its locked double click it to unlock it) and click Ctrl and J to copy layer

Move the copied background layer to the top layer

Go to Image (located along the top of the window)- Select image- adjustments- desaturate 

Click Ctrl and I to make it black and white (invert the layer)

Go to the Drop down menu on the right panel- select multiply

Go to View (at the top of the window)  and select Rulers to view the rulers

Go to View- Snap- then uncheck to make line move smoothly

Place the ruler lines to match up with each line on the template

Go to  one of the textures and Grab (using the arrow) and ctrl A to select all of the texture, then press ctrl and C to copy

Select text layer and control and V to paste the image

Free transform to shape exactly to the template size

To rotate the shape you can select it (if its not already selected) and then hover your mouse over one of the corners, you should see a curved arrow symbol allowing you to rotate

Go to Edit- transform- warp whilst holding down shift to match up the details of the shape with other details which might continue around it. 

You can also alter the brightness, contrasts levels, colours ect to make the texture look more realistic, if you select all of the layers of texture have been merged together then when you change one of these levels it will be applied to all of the textures. 

Save it as a Photoshop document

Go back into 3ds Max- Click M-  Modes - Compact

Go to Maps- defuse colour- none

Select bitmap- select file- go back to maps

Unwrap UVW- Collapse All

Change map 1. to map default

Right click the snaps toggle and change the numbers to 8 and 16

Drag it onto the model and it should go grey

Click the Checkerboard with the light bulb to show the material

Hold the shift button and drag to copy

The button with a teapot icon on it located at the top of the window will render it

Right click the UV Modifier and Collapse to, a warning will come up saying Do this as a final change as it cannot be undone, check yes to the warning

Right click the snaps toggle and press option, change the grid space to 8 and the major lines to 16

Press 7 to bring up a poly count

Create a plane to do a floor

Maps- change tiling to change size of the texture itself

Hold down the hand and select the feet icon in the bottom right hand corner to get a first person view

Lights and Shadows:

Go to Create- Lights- Standard- Target Spot

Drag the light to move the position

Hold shift to duplicate the light

With the light selected- modify (blue arc)

Check on Spot

Check on Shadows

Intensity/colour/attenuation:

You can change the colour of the light (too much colour can make the light look unrealistic)

The Multiplier- alters brightness

Spotlight Parameters- Alter how far the light goes

Shadow Parameters:

You can change the colour of the shadow- grey is the most realistic colour

Dens. (density)- 0.7 for a realistic shadow  (alters how strong the shadow which has been cast is)

Add Effects:

Render the image with the tea pot icon- press the jellybeans shaped icon to duplicate the window

Open the material editor by pressing M 

Select material

Go to Default

Check Specular Level and Bump (Bump reflects the light from the surface)

By doing this you can experiment with different effects and see them more clearly without doing it on the main application, so you won't need to undo it if something goes wrong but you can still see what the effects do.