How can i do a galaxy

[nikkolazo]

Well i really need this, i dont know how to do it i just met this software yesterday but i cant find a tutorial or help, i hope you can help me guys..

the thing is i need a galaxy (in fact i need a lot of them but i supose i can clone it right?) in a space escene.

For giving it some movement etc.

thank you very much

[shashanks18]

hey actually, if ye need a 3D, moving Galaxy full ov stars n all, den its better to use sum compositing sftwr like After Effects n all. the particle effect plugins gv n easy n fast spacy sort ov thing.

if ye gotta jus show a few galaxies here n thr as a simple backgrnd, den in 3Ds max, ye cn use a mix ov Swirl Map for the galaxy feel, n Noise or Splat Map for the stars, on a plane. Use dese maps in diffuse, self-illumination n opacity slots :)

[nikkolazo]

wow im sure that will work, but im totally new on this haha can oyu explain me again but assume that im dumb please =).

pd: by the way im learning english to so waht is "sftwr"

[shashanks18]

hahaha...okk okk, so i'll hv to explain nicely...

firstly, the word "sftwr" is a short form for Software...

explaination in next post... :)

[nikkolazo]

haha thanks man

[shashanks18]

here ye go...

take a plane, of length n width, say, 130X130. now goto material editor by pressing shortcut key 'M'. now drag and drop 1 ov the slots to the plane. this will apply the material to the plane.

Now, you'll b able to c sumwhr in this material slot, small section for "opacity". click on the square box given wid it, and select 'gradient'. this will apply, technically speaking, Gradient Map to the Opacity of the Plane. Now, in this Gradient Map, goto the "gradient parameters" section, and choose "Radial" as Gradient Type. You'll also b able to c a black color, a gray as well as a white color, jus abv this. What this is, dat whichever part on the plane comes in black, is 100% Invisible, the part in gray is 50% visible, n part in white is 100% visible; and this combination in Radial means a Ring ov Black, a Ring ov Gray, n in the center, a Ring ov White., so the edges ov the square plane will nt b visible.

now, go back up, whr ye saw the Opacity section, and click on the similar square box wid Diffuse section, and choose Mix Map. In this map, for Color 1, click on the box sayin none, and select a swirl map. this map has orange n deep blue color by default, so if ye want keep dat, or change it to any color dat ye want yer galaxy to be. Ye cn play around wid the 'Twist' amount and everything thr, to get sum nice swirly texture on the plane.

Now again got back up to Mix Map, and in color 2 section, select a Splat Map. Splat has colors light n dark blue by default, so change the light color to black, n deep blue color to white. Give size 3, Threshold 0.13, and, Iterations 6. This will gv ye a nice starry feel, wid small stars in black space.

again goto Mix Map, and gv Mix Amount as 26 or sumthing. Nw wat mix map is, dat it applies a mix ov 2 different texture maps to 1 single object. The mix amount is the percent dat ye want the 2 maps to blend.

Now, lastly, go to the root again, whr ye saw Diffuse n Opacity secitons, and right-click on the square box ov Diffuse(which wud nw be saying "M" as thr's a Material on it) and say Copy. Goto the self illumination section's similar square box and right click on it and say Paste(instance). Instance ensures dat any changes done to the copied material, will be automatically updated to the pasted or "Instanced" material. Self Illumination is useful in illuminating the object's textures, evn if thr r no lights in the scene.

Nw take a nice angle and render tis plane to get a simple galaxy.

I made 3 different planes, 3 different galaxy textures, and den put behind them, a large plane, on which i gave a texture of only Splat(very small size, 0.1 or sumthin) to gv starry space feel, whr 3 different galaxies r visible

hope this helped ye.. the After Effects 3D galaxy is a longer task, whr ye hv to dwnld a few addtional plugins fr particles n all :)

[nikkolazo]

oh man thank you im at the university right now but in the night i will test it .
just a question how can i do the spirals with particles ?
something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbXaV924Ag

[shashanks18]

hmmm....hey actually its a nice thing....i cn work wid particles, so i'll test my skills out tmrw, n let ye knw IF n wat i cm up wid :)

but if ye're a proper starter, den particle might b quite heavy fr ye :)....neways i'll still post smthing if i cm up wid sm idea tmrw :D

cheers!!!

[nikkolazo]

well this is my results haha is nice i thing but yours galaxies are better xD

[shashanks18]

haha, no man, your results are same as mine....i lyk the greenish color on the outer part. dnt knw if ye playd wid colors intentionally or it came up wid contrasts n stuff, but look really gr8, lyk a bundle ov gas 'round the galaxy :)

m at ma office, n quite free, so will try to do the particle system galaxy n mayb a few more starry stuff wid particles :)

cheers!!!

[shashanks18]

hey Nikkolazo....well i saw the youtube videos yestrday,as i already replied to ye. Well the things ye saw wr mostly on Maxscripts....n i dnt knw a heck ov scripting

but still, i tried sumthin on my own fr the galaxy, wid particle system ov 3Ds Max

so here it is.

First draw 2 lines like the 1st pic here, by goin on shapes menu(besides geometry whr box n sphere n all r found). Now, goto each ov the lines' modifier panel, and click on Enable in Viewport. This will give ye nice firm shapely cylinder sort ov objects. Now Right click on each ov dese n say Convert to Editable Poly. Now, y are v doing tis is coz v'll be putting sum particles on dese objects, the the particle systems dat v'll use, don't accept splines, but only accept proper objects. Until ye make a proper volume object out of the lines, its nt acceptd as an object.

Now, goto the geometry menu, n click on "standard primitives"; a list will open, whr ye have to choose Particle Systems. Click on PFSource, and drag to bring it on the workspace(viewport). Now, goto its modifier n click on Particle View. Ye'll c a new window, wid sum flowchart sort ov a thing on it. Its the settings for the PFSource particle System dat ye just made. From this flowchart, delete Speed n Position Icon entities. Nw, do sum value changes.

Birth: Emit Start: 0, Emit Stop: 0, Amount: 1300(particles will start emitting as well as end at the 1st frame itself, and a total ov 1300 particles will emit)

Shape: Shape: Sphere, Size: 1, Scale: 6%

Nw frm the list below, drag n drop Position Object and Material(static). In Position Object, goto Emitter Objects, n click on "by list" n choose 1 ov the objects dat ye jus creatd thru the line. Scroll dwn to Location, choose Surface, Surface Offset: Min 0, Max 6(means maximum 6 units frm the object)

Goto Material(static) n click on "none" in Assign Material, frm the list, select Standard. Now wid this window open, open the Material Editor as well, and drag n drop the Material ye just selectd in the Particle window to 1 ov the slots in Material Editor, and choose Instance.

Now, in this material slot, choose white as diffuse color, n give the same in self Illumination as well. In Opacity, ye cn put a Falloff Map.

Now make another PFSource Particle System, and do the same procedure, wid the other object dat ye creatd wid the othr line.

Render it frm a nice angle n hopefully ye'll get sumthing lyk a galaxy.

I hv Vray Renderer, so i used a VRay Light Material to gv the glow to the particles rather dan the standard particles, n got sumthin seen in the 2nd pic here.

I took 3 different images ov this galaxy(from a lil far, den bit near, den bit more near) and took dese images together to After Effects software(to gv a nice deep n quantity feel). Gave dem Brightness, as well as Glow to get sumthin seen in the 3rd pic.

hope ye'll b able to make this thing...i tried to make it as simple as i cn knwing dat ye r a proper beginner particles are taught in the end ov 3D max training generally...hehe

[nikkolazo]

yeah man nice! thank you very much! i really appreciate cause i need this for my university ;)

[nikkolazo]

i will show you my results in the night

[shashanks18]

sure...wud luv to see :)

[nikkolazo]

i cant do it man =(