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● The tutorial files are in
the Stop Press section of
www.3dworldmag.com
3DS MAX/PHOTOSHOP
Getting dirty
Life, as everyone knows, is dirty. It’s the accurate simulation of years of grime, scratches and contact with the
physical worlds that can lend some essential realism to an otherwise pristine, antiseptic model BY STEFAN MORRELL
ften it’s the small details like scratches, scuff as a mask for filling new layers. This map can be multiplied above
EXPERT TIP i
Render to texture
Take time to explore the options in the
Render to Texture dialog. Rendering
different elements can be a great help
when it comes to texturing: if we had,
for example, parts laid out onto a UV
template, we could assign colours to
each part and render a diffuse map.
Then the colour could act as a mask in
Photoshop. The benefit of rendering
an occlusion map is to bake an
expensive rendering effect into the
Load up the droid_start.max scene with 3ds Max 8. With ‘hullfront’ selected, open the Render to Texture
texture. This way, you no longer need
01 This scene contains a droid model that is UV mapped 02 dialog (Render > Render to Texture) and, under the
to use the more expensive rendering
and ready for texturing. However, before baking an Output rollout, select Add > Ambient Occlusion (MR).
option. When laying out your UVs, try
ambient occlusion map, we need to change the render engine Change the map size to 1024 and Samples to 32: the default
to avoid overlapping faces: these will
from the default scanline to mental ray. Press [f10] and scroll of 16 will render faster, but 32 will offer a finer result. Now
appear as black in your baked texture..
down to Assign Renderer. Click the Production box and assign create a path to save the rendered image and hit Render.
mental ray as the renderer.
While in 3ds Max, we can render a UV template that Open the occlusion map and template in Photoshop, Create a layer called ‘Scratches’. With the Brush tool
03 can be used as a guide when painting in Photoshop. 04 copy the template onto the occlusion map and 05 selected, press [F5] to open Brush Options and select
With ‘hullfront’ selected, add a UVW modifier change its Blending Mode to Screen. Change the ‘Chalk 11 pixels’ from the Brush Tip Shape dropdown.
(Modifiers > UV Coordinates > Unwrap UWV) and in the opacity of the Occlusion layer to 35%, then create a new layer Activate Shape Dynamics if you have a tablet, select Scattering
modifier options, click Edit. With the Edit window open, select and fill it with 50% gray (R:128; G:128; B:128). Name this and apply the values: Scatter: 209% (Both Axes, Pen Pressure
Tools > Render UVW Template, and set both width and height layer ‘Base’, and make sure it is below the Occlusion layer. The Control); Count: 4; Count Jitter: 36% (Control Off). Activate
to 1024. Click Render UV Template and save the image. template should be at the top of the stack. Texture with the default settings, and select Wet Edges.
Set the Scratches layer to Screen, and scribble the Because you want to paint these scratches in logical Create a new layer called Grime and, using any soft
06 lines in very quickly and roughly. Imagine you’re 07 areas, such as along exposed edges, it’s a good idea 08 brush, lightly paint in some dirt along areas that
rough-sketching something with a pen and paper. to have the 3ds Max scene open, with an Unwrap might be expected to collect it. Apply a 10% vertical
They have to look natural and unplanned, after all. These lines UVW modifier applied and the Edit window open. You can now motion blur to the layer, then paint over the grime again using
are to simulate aging and general wear and tear along exposed select faces of the model and see what parts of the texture a slightly darker shade and a smaller brush. Apply the same
edges of the droid, so keep them loose. They’ll also be used they correspond to when viewing the UVs. motion blur, change opacity on this layer to around 80% and
▲
later for both bump map and flood fill masks. set the Blend Mode to Overlay.
EXPERT TIP i
All Layers
The All Layers option can be very
effective at quickly creating aged
paint. The way it reads the contrast of
all the layers means you can control
where paintwork may be aged and
worn away from everyday exposure.
With our texture, we’ve assumed the
edges of the droid are more worn, and
the contrast offered by the Scratch
layer means any flood fills we apply
will avoid that area. All Layers can be
Open photosource_Concrete.jpg and copy it to a new Create a new layer below the Paint layer and call it
used with several Photoshop tools and
09 layer called ‘Grunge’. Set the Blend Mode to Soft 10 ‘Undercoat’. Hold [Ctrl] and click on the Paint layer.
can create various effects. It’s also a
Light and change opacity to 25 per cent. Turn off the This will make a selection based on the previous
good idea to keep this effect as subtle
Template layer. Now create a new layer called Paint and select paint fill. Expand this selection by two pixels (Select > Modify
as possible, because it’s very easy to
the Bucket Fill tool, check the All Layers option and apply the > Expand) and, with the Undercoat layer selected, fill with a
overdo things.
fill. These fills are affected by the contrast of all the other darker shade (R:124; G:88; B:6). You won’t need the All Layers
layers, so the scratch edges are not receiving any fill. To have a option selected for this fill.
more subtle effect, raise the Tolerance value.
Refer back to your 3ds Max scene with the UVW In Photoshop, create a new layer called ‘PaintColour’ Make a selection of the ‘eye’ part of the template
11 Editor open, and ensure you’re selecting the right 12 and select the soon-to-be red band. Turn All Layers 13 – refer to the UVWs in 3ds Max to ensure you’re
areas for this step. We want to put a stripe of colour back on and fill the selection with red. Move this new selecting the correct area – and, with the Base layer
around the edge of the droid, so select faces in the UVW editor layer above the Occlusion layer. Open Decal.psd, select the active, use levels to darken this area (Image > Adjustments
and see which parts of the model they correspond to – the red Barcode layer and drag it to your hullfront texture. Position > Levels). Save the selection for later use (Select> Save
areas in the screenshot. it on the droid and change its Blend Mode to Multiply. Do the Selection). This process will add variation to the texture. For a
same with the other decals, using the Normal blend mode. little more detail, add some text to the circular part of the lens.
Add an Adjustment layer at the top of the layer Open the previously saved layered .psd, which we Desaturate and adjust the brightness of the
14 stack and call this ‘Global Colour’ (Layer > New 15 will use to create the greyscale bump map. Select the 16 Undercoat layer so it is slightly darker than the
Adjustment Layer > Color Balance), following the Scratches layer and invert it (Image > Adjustments Paintfill layer, then reload the selection saved earlier
values in the screenshot to create a global colour adjustment > Invert), then change the Blend Mode to Multiply. Select the (Select > Load Selection). Adjust the brightness of the Base
to all the layers in the stack. Save a copy of the .psd file PaintColour layer and desaturate it (Image > Adjustments > layer – ensuring it’s light enough that the Scratches layer can
before flattening all the layers. Add a small amount (25%) of Desaturate) before adjusting the brightness so that the Paint be clearly seen. Invert the selection and lower the brightness
sharpening and save the image as ‘hullfinal_colour.tga’. Colour layer is brighter than the Paint Fill layer. of the Base layer so it is darker than both Paintfill layers.
[Ctrl]+click the Danger decal layer and create a new Using the same layered .psd, we can create a specular Lower the opacity of the PaintColor layer to 7% and
17 layer. Fill this selection with a shade that is slightly 18 map. Select the Scratches layer, set Blend Mode to 19 PaintFill to 35%. The Scratches layer should be the
lighter than the Paint Fill layer, which should help to Screen and invert it back to white: this will ensure brightest of all here but, essentially, we are trying
sell the decal as a sticker on the surface on the model. Raise this part of the model receives the most highlights. The rule dull down all the layers so there’s not too much contrast. If you
the opacity of the Grunge layer to 70% and convert the image with a specular map is that whatever is light will create strong want more reflection below the paint work, make the Base
to greyscale (Image > Mode > Greyscale). Save as ‘Hullfront_ highlights and whatever is dark will receive less: think about layer brighter. Lower the occlusion opacity to 20% and save
Bump.tga’ and ‘Hullfront_Bump.psd’. where dirt might collect for added realism. this file as ‘Hullfront_Spec.tga’.
Smaller elements on the model such as bolts, screws To see the final settings, open the Droid_Final.max omni lights placed inside the model to create a subtle sci-fi
21 and vents can be dressed with a generic tiling 22 scene. You can examine how each texture map has interior effect. For added realism, use the specular map as a
texture. This makes template creation easier, and been applied to the model using the Material/Map reflection mask, remembering that anything light on the map
saves time laying out UVs for parts that are rarely seen. Import Navigator. The high contrast of the greyscale bump map will cause more reflection and dark areas will show less. You
photosource_rust.jpg, and play around with it using flood fills means bump strength should be kept fairly low in this could even add some HDRI in your rendering if you have the
with All Layers. Save the result as a Pattern fill for quick access instance, suggesting grazes rather than gouges. Lighting has time and horsepower. Try using the specular map as a mask
(Edit > Define Pattern). also been kept fairly low-key, with the exception of some for the HDRI reflection. ●