What’s New with Max 6

With each new revision of Max, I’m always amazed at the new features that Discreet includes. Max is a large and complex

piece and software, and just about the time that it doesn’t seem it can hold any more, a new revision with a host of new features appears. Max 6 is no different.

You can find the real coverage of the new features in the various chapters, but this appendix provides a quick overview of these new features along with references on where to learn more about them. Throughout the book, the New Feature icon identifies the features that are new to 3ds max 6.

mental ray Rendering System

Perhaps the biggest addition to Max 6 is the inclusion of the mental ray rendering system. mental ray isn’t new; it has been available as a plug-in to Max for several years now, but with revision 6, the product is integrated within Max and available right out of the box.

The benefit of mental ray is that it is capable of creating amazing renderings involving detailed lighting, raytracing, reflections, caustics, and global illumination based on physically accurate algorithms.

The mental ray renderer can be selected from the Render Scene dialog box and, along with the default Scanline Renderer, offers a second option for rendering scenes.

Cross-	Chapter 44, “Raytracing and mental ray,” covers the mental ray
Reference	rendering engine in detail.

Particle Flow

The Particle Flow interface offers a way to control the flow of particles in a scene using events and actions. This method of controlling particles lets you program, using a visual flow metaphor, how particles react in different situations. For example, you could specify that when particles reach a certain age, they all change directions, or that when a particle strikes a deflector, it explodes and releases additional particles.

A AP P E N D I X

In This Appendix

A quick guide to new features

A list of minor enhancements

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Using Particle Flow, you can create advanced scripted animation sequences that respond to their environment without having to manually set keyframes.

Cross-	To learn more about the Particle Flow interface, see Chapter 18, “Creating Particles and
Reference	Particle Flow.”

reactor 2.0

Max 6 includes many new enhancements to the physics-based simulation engine known as reactor 2.0. These enhancements build upon the already impressive utilities for creating realistic soft and rigid body motion, cloth and rope simulation, and fluid dynamics. The new features include the ability to fracture objects realistically and the ability to interact with simulation models such as cars and rag dolls.

Cross-	Chapter 40, “Animating with reactor,” covers all of reactor’s new features.
Reference

Schematic View

The Schematic View window has been radically improved with a newer look that makes it easier to locate different nodes. You can now add a background image to the window to help as you connect links together. Schematic View can now be used to wire parameters, include and exclude lights, and apply constraints and controllers.

Cross-	For all the details on the Schematic View window, see Chapter 9, “Working with the
Reference	Schematic View.”

BlobMesh

The new BlobMesh object can be used to simulate water, using metaballs that flow into one another and regulated by a tension setting. The BlobMesh object can be found in the Compound Objects category.

Cross-	To learn about BlobMesh objects — along with the rest of the compound objects — see
Reference	Chapter 17, “Building Compound Objects.”

Spline and Patch Features

Editable splines have several new valuable features. With the Cross Connect feature, spline objects can be extruded while maintaining a links to the original spline edge. The Cross Section feature lets you interactively combine several cross-section splines without having to use the Cross Section modifier. Handles that have been altered can be copied and pasted between vertices.

Editable Patch objects include a new Handle subobject mode that let you display and work with handles exclusively.

Appendix A What’s New with Max 6 1191

Cross-	For the details on spline features, see Chapter 13, “Drawing and Editing 2D Splines and
Reference	Shapes.” For information on patches, turn to Chapter 15, “Creating and Editing Patches.”

Import and Export

Max can now export to the Shockwave format (W3D) for use on the Web. In addition, Max 6 includes better support for Autodesk VIZ and AutoCAD DWG files, including support for the VIZ Render (DRF) files.

Cross-	Chapter 3, “Working with Files and XRefs,” covers all the import and export features.
Reference

Shell Modifier

The new Shell modifier can be applied to objects to add a thickness to them. For objects with holes, the inside of the object is visible.

Cross-	For an introduction to the Shell modifier and several other modifiers, see Chapter 11,
Reference	“Introducing Modifiers for Basic Object Deformation.”

Vertex Paint and Channel Info

The Vertex Paint modifier has been vastly improved with the creation of a floating paint palette that provides easy access to several color settings. Vertex painting can be made symmetrical with a mirror feature. Each vertex can support up to 99 different map channels and multiple layers. Vertex colors are animatable.

The Channel Info utility shows all the mapping information for each channel and gives you access to manipulate this data to simplify object mapping for games.

Cross-	To learn about the Vertex Paint features and the Channel Info utility, see Chapter 50, “Max
Reference	and Games.”

Architectural Primitives and Materials

The Create AEC Objects submenu includes a host of parametric objects used to enhance architectural scenes including trees, plants, railings, walls, doors, windows, and stairs. In addition, the Material Editor includes an Architectural material, which provides physically realistic surface properties.

In addition to the AEC Objects, the Material Editor includes several new physically-based architectural materials for creating everything from glass and brick to wood and marble.

Cross-	Chapter 51, “Max and Visualization,” covers using Max for architectural scenes.
Reference

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Minor Improvements

In addition to the major improvements are many minor improvements that make working with objects, materials, and other facets of Max easier. Minor improvements found in version 6 include the following:

Expanded Create Menu: Almost every object that can be created in the Create panel has an associated menu command in the Create menu.

Layer Manager: Improvements include the ability to see and work with individual objects included within the layers.

HDRI File Support: Max now supports importing and exporting High Dynamic Range Image (HDRI) files.

Skin Modifier Mirror Mode: Envelopes and vertex weights defined for the Skin modifier can be symmetrically mirrored between various sides of a model.

Clean Multi-Material: This option in the Material Editor removes any unused materials from a Multi/Subobject material.

Instance Duplicate Maps utility: This utility replaces all duplicate maps with an instance of the map.

Tabbed Render Scene dialog box: The Render Scene dialog box includes several tabs that make locating the various settings easy.

Command-Line Rendering: Rendering commands can be run from a command line making it possible to write scripts that execute the rendering process.

Print Size Wizard: This wizard displays an interface allowing you to select the paper size and DIP settings to output the file.

Panorama Exporter utility: This utility exports a scene to a format that allows you to view a full panorama of the scene in 360 degrees.