INSIDE 3DS MAX® 7 [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

1.

Open the Render Scene dialog. In the Options section of the Common Parameters rollout, check the Render Hidden Geometry check box (Figure 12.35). This will force the renderer to show Claymore's facial hair in the rendered image without displaying the hair in the viewports. Activate the Camera01 viewport, then render the scene (Figure 12.36).

Tip

If there is an object that you do want to see in your viewport but do not want rendered, select the object, then right-click in a viewport, and choose Properties from the Quad menu. In the Rendering Control section, uncheck the Renderable check box.

The default lighting has done its job, and you can see the clown and the wall behind it, but we need to bring more life into the scene. Properly placed and controlled lighting and shadows will do the trick.

2.

In the Create panel > Lights > Standard, click the Target Spot button. In the Top viewport, click at approximately (200, -200, 0)look at the transform type-ins at the bottom of the screen for guidanceto place the spotlight, then drag and release when the cursor is behind Claymore's left ear to create the target. This will place the light at about a 45-degree angle to the subject. Rename this light Spot Key.

3.

In the Front or Top viewport, raise the spotlight, but not the target, so that the light is cast downward at about a 15-degree angle. This will be the key light in the scene. In the Modify panel's Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout, set the Multiplier value to 1 (if it is not already), then render the Camera01 viewport.

Our lighting still has some work to be done. There are no shadows being generated; the left side of Claymore's face is too dark; and the perimeter of the spotlight may be showing (Figure 12.37).

4.

First we'll take care of the spotlight's perimeter. With the spotlight still selected, open the Spotlight Parameters rollout and check the Overshoot check box. Overshoot allows the illumination portion of a spot or directional light to act as if it were a non-shadow-casting omni light, while only casting shadows within its Falloff/Field cone.

5.

In the General Parameters rollout, check the On check box in the Shadows section and make sure Shadow Map is the selected shadow type. In the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout, set the Multiplier to 0.9. Click in the color swatch and change the light's color to a very pale yellow (255, 254, 241). A pure white light isn't realistic in most circumstances, and a little color goes a long way to add feeling to the scene. Render the scene again (Figure 12.38).

Raytraced shadows depict the actual shape of the object being illuminated while disregarding any smoothing that is being applied. Try changing the spotlight's shadow type to Ray Traced Shadows and rendering the scene. Every facet of the perimeter of Claymore's head will appear as a straight line in the shadow against the wall, and each shadow-casting hair will be distinct. Be sure to change the shadow type back before continuing.

1.

In the spotlight's Spotlight Parameters rollout, increase the Falloff/Field value to 85. The Hotspot/Beam value will remain grayed out as long as Overshoot is active. In the Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout, check the Use check box in the Far Attenuation section; then set Start to 200 and End to 650. This will cause the intensity of the light to begin decreasing 200 units from the source and completely disappear at 650 units (Figure 12.39).

2.

Let's take care of the left side of Claymore's face. In the Top viewport, select Spotlight, hold down the Shift key, and then drag a clone to about X = 200, Y = 200. In the Clone Options dialog, choose Copy and rename this light Spot Fill. This will be our fill light. In the Front or Left viewport, move the spotlight below the home grid to about Z = 40. Decrease the Multiplier to 0.3; then, in the Shadow Parameters rollout, change the shadow color to a medium gray(86, 86, 86) works well.

Lowering the position of the light in the scene will help fill in some of the dark areas created by the key light. The Multiplier was lowered so that those dark areas would not be entirely washed out, and the lighter shadow color allows the shadows to attract less attention.

3.

In the Spotlight Parameters rollout, uncheck Overshoot. This feature isn't needed for the fill light. In the Advanced Effects rollout, uncheck Specular to eliminate any large specular highlight that the light may have created against the back wall (Figure 12.40).

The clown is standing just in front of a light-colored wall, but there is no indication of reflected light from that wall illuminating the back of Claymore's shoulders. We'll fix this by adding a light from the back. This light is called a rim light, and it is often used to give a character some separation from the background.

4.

In the Top viewport, create an omni light directly behind the character. In the Front viewport, move the light so that it is located midway between the top of the clown's head and the top of the wall (Figure 12.41).

5.

Expand the omni light's Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout. Open the Material Editor, select the Background material, then expand its Blinn Basic Parameters rollout. Drag the Diffuse color swatch from the Material Editor and drop it in the light's color swatch. Choose Copy in the Copy or Swap Colors dialog to match the omni's light color to the wall's diffuse color. Alternatively, taking advantage of a feature new to max 7, you can copy and paste from the right-click menu. With the cursor over the Diffuse color swatch, right-click to copy. Then, with the cursor over the omni color swatch, right-click to paste.

Lower the Multiplier value to 0.2 so that the light is subtler.

6.

Make sure that Shadow Casting is not enabled for this light. If this were a shadow-casting light, the Box03 object would need to be excluded from the omni's shadow-casting calculations. Render this scene one last time (Figure 12.42).