Render Node releases Siggraph 2004 Videos
by Joe Bird · in Artist Corner · 09/03/2004 (9:54 am) · 1 replies
http://www.rendernode.com/articles.php?articleId=192
Starting this semester I have been learning 3DS Max 6, which I am actually liking much more than Lightwave 7, mostly because of the modifier stack and the non-destructive way you can model in Max using the stack. Because of this I have been really interested in Max 7. Also, if I misinterpret any of these concepts please correct me because I am still very much a newb.
The 3DS Max 7 video from Render Node is really interesting as it only talks about the new Projection Modifier, specifically the Normal Map features of that tool. The Projection Modifier creates an editable Projection Cage around the mesh you want to project information onto. The default settings seem to work fairly well. The Normal Map feature of this modifier is only a plug-in and they are expecting this modifier to get used for a lot more things than just Normal Maps.
All of the pixel shader effects including Normal Maps can be viewed on meshes in the viewports using DirectX. Also, any pixel shaders you design in the Materials Editor can be saved out! The video shows a glimpse at the code that gets saved out. It would be nice if these could be dropped into TSE ;)
Bump Maps are a lot easier to paint than normal Maps. Max 7 lets you layer your Bump Maps as usual onto your mesh. Then when you are completed and make a Normal Map all the Bump Map information is converted as normals along with the mesh's surface normals. So I won't have to worry about the Bump Maps that come with my texture CDs becoming any less useful.
There are 3 types of Normal Maps you can make. Global for static objects, Local for animated objects, and Tangent for deforming meshes.
Maps can be saved to the Alpha channel to save texture memory. I guess this feature was added spefically for the new Unreal Engine's terrain.
Starting this semester I have been learning 3DS Max 6, which I am actually liking much more than Lightwave 7, mostly because of the modifier stack and the non-destructive way you can model in Max using the stack. Because of this I have been really interested in Max 7. Also, if I misinterpret any of these concepts please correct me because I am still very much a newb.
The 3DS Max 7 video from Render Node is really interesting as it only talks about the new Projection Modifier, specifically the Normal Map features of that tool. The Projection Modifier creates an editable Projection Cage around the mesh you want to project information onto. The default settings seem to work fairly well. The Normal Map feature of this modifier is only a plug-in and they are expecting this modifier to get used for a lot more things than just Normal Maps.
All of the pixel shader effects including Normal Maps can be viewed on meshes in the viewports using DirectX. Also, any pixel shaders you design in the Materials Editor can be saved out! The video shows a glimpse at the code that gets saved out. It would be nice if these could be dropped into TSE ;)
Bump Maps are a lot easier to paint than normal Maps. Max 7 lets you layer your Bump Maps as usual onto your mesh. Then when you are completed and make a Normal Map all the Bump Map information is converted as normals along with the mesh's surface normals. So I won't have to worry about the Bump Maps that come with my texture CDs becoming any less useful.
There are 3 types of Normal Maps you can make. Global for static objects, Local for animated objects, and Tangent for deforming meshes.
Maps can be saved to the Alpha channel to save texture memory. I guess this feature was added spefically for the new Unreal Engine's terrain.
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