3DM Tutorial: Making Convincing Reflective Shaders in 3DS Max 7.5

[Stryker]

Hey guys, my name is Erik Mjelde and I'm going to show you step by step how to make a convincing reflective shader using max 7.5 and up. The reason you need 7.5 and up is because we are using mental ray's “max bounce” option that is only available in 7.5 and higher versions. This tutorial should be easy to follow even if you are a noob, so lets get started.

Read more >>

[minimus]

Wow great tutorial thanks. were you from Erik Mjelde?

[GOOOFY]

Below is my render. I've got a few questions, but first I wanted to thank you for the awesome tutorial. With it I've learnt HDRI and mental ray rendering. Two things I did not know before. One suggestion I have for future tutorials, is maybe explaining a bit more why each step is done, not necessarily each step, but for example, I still don't know what shellac does. Maybe you could explain that, and why the chrome's material is different or rather how the different process makes the chrome. Anyways Im rambling, Im a noob, and I know I won't remember how to do this again unless I have a purpose for each action, and I can only do that, by knowing why it is Im doing it. Again, great tutorial, really easy to understand and follow.

Now my questions are:

As you can see with my render above yours, which I posted below just so it's easier to compare, I have a different HDRI. That's because I can't find the proposed "kitchen.hdr". So I'm wondering if maybe you can point me to it, or send it to me, thanks in advace :).

Secondly, You notice how my chrome ball reflects the floor from the hdr rather than the floor I gave it, the plane. Your's doesn't do that, so I did something wrong, I'm wondering what it is lol :(.

And Lastly, the most obvious mistake, is the artifacts, (I think that's what they're called) on the floor. Your floor is really nice and smooth with proper light bouncing from the objects. Mine has a sort of pattern to it that I did not desire in any way lol.

Those are the three main things, Again extremely useful tutorial and easy to follow, I know different users get different outcomes with the same directions, so Im in no way blaming you for not getting the same result, Im blaming myself, and hoping you can see where I went wrong.

Thanks SOOO MUCH in advance for any tips or feedback, I'm looking forward to more tutorials :D

P.S. sorry for the long post




Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

[Kon]

Hallo Stryker my name is Kon.

After reading your tutorial on Making Convincing Reflective Shaders in 3Dmax
I desided to try and do it my self. Soon after beging I ran into a problem.
After going to Material Editor and cliking on the "None" next to Diffuse
Color I reolized that my Material/Map Browser list dose not contain
ambient/reflective occlusion (base) shader. This is my question. Why dont I
have the ambient/reflective occlusion (base)? Is it because I have the triel
version for 30 some days or is it because that this option is only 3d max
7.5 has this(I have 3dmax 7).? Thx for your time. Hope to hear soon from
you.

PS- sorry for the spelling

[minimus]

i have the full max 8 but i havent it ether :S that realy piss me off.

[Kon]

did you comeplet the tut.? and if you did how?

[Darknos]

In reply to the ppl with finding the ambient map, first you have to go to the rendering and go to the bottom where it says assign render. Then assign a mental ray render. Go back to material editor and it should be there.

[minimus]

HAHAHAHA. damn :P why didn't i understand that.
by assigning to Mental ray i solved around 20 problems i have :P thanks dud

[Darknos]

Np Minimus glad to help. Btw it was a good tutorial and very easy to follow Stryker.:yaya:

[Kon]

wow i feel stupid now :devil: :idea2: ,….thx :coolp:

[Downesey]

OMG OMMg
soo kewl
im a noob and iv never done anything this complex. im only 16 and im in yr 11 and my dad came in while i was doing this and was amazed too.
can belive how good it looks, heres how mine turned out, i twaeked it a lil.

[Kage]

Hey kewl. On that render Downesey, have you simply made the reflective properties follow an Antistropic type reflection type thing where you can assign angles of specular light? :p

QUESITON ABOUT HDR:

Even though HDR is supposed to be hitting off now, and is becoming alot more common, why in the world can't I find many of them on the net? I can only find a couple of sites, who all have the same select few of about 6-8.

[minimus]

you can make your owne. not every one wants to upload there images.

[DylanHunt]

I did something wrong but don´t know what. As you see the environment reflection is a bit very bad ^^ anyone know what to do tried some other options with the environment but i can´t get a good result. This picture is made on the settings given in the tutorial.

[Merijn]

I've got the same problem. The reflection is not very nice.