Making Crystal Cherry with 3DS MAX5.0

There is no one who doesn't like crystal clear. Do you want to make this effect yourself? Today, I will introduce the method of making crystal cherry with 3DS MAX5.0 (hint: this example focuses on learning the editing method of crystal material, using the newly added skylight lighting in 3DS MAX5.0).

make a model

First, make a model of cherry. (Hint: In this example, the model is not important, and any model can be used to make it. ) After running 3DS MAX5.0, click the Line button in Shapes in the build command panel and draw the cherry outline in the left view (as shown in figure 1).

Select a section to enter the Modify command panel, and then click the Vertex button in the Selection rollout to display the vertices of the section. Select all vertices in the working view, right-click and select Bezier in the shortcut menu, and adjust the shape of the section by moving the handle of each vertex (as shown in Figure 2).

Then add a Lathe modifier in the Modify command panel, rotate the shape of the cherry, select Maximum under the Alignment item in the Parameters rollout, and modify the Segmentation to 30.

Let's start making cherry stalks. Return to the Create command panel, click the Cone button in Geometry, and drag the mouse in the top view to create a cone. Select the cone, enter the modify command panel, and set the radius 1 parameter as 4, radius 2 as 3.6, height as 260, height segment as 10, and edge as 12. Then add the Edit Mesh modifier, click the Polygon button in the Selection rollout, select the top surface of the cone, and add the Bend modifier to the Modify command panel to bend the cherry handle. In the Parameters rollout, set the Angle to 45 and the Direction to-90. Add another Bend modifier and set the Angle to 30 in the Parameters rollout. Put the cone on the cherry and a cherry model will be made. Copy a cherry model and use the rotation tool to rotate some angles in the left view (as shown in Figure 3).

Scenery and lighting

Create a box in the working view, confirm that the box is selected, enter the Modify command panel to add the Edit Mesh modifier, click the Polygon button in the Selection rollout, select all faces of the box, and click the Flip button in the Surface Properties rollout to flip the normal. Put the cherry model in the center of the bottom of the cuboid, and let the cuboid be the reflection environment of the cherry. (Tip: When simulating glass, crystal and other materials, the reflector is essential. ) Continue to create three cuboids in the working view, rotate each cuboid and put it in the position shown in Figure 4 as a mirror.

Click the skylight button in Lights in the command panel to create a skylight in the center of the scene, and then click the floodlight button in Lights to create a floodlight in the position shown in Figure 5. This floodlight is used to assist scene lighting and cast shadows. Select the floodlight to enter the Modify command panel, set the Multip parameter to 0.5, select the Enable item in the General Parameters rollout, expand the Shadow Map Parameters rollout, and set the size to 1024.

Edit material

Finally, let's edit the material, open the material editor, select the first material ball, set the color of ambient light and diffuse reflection to pure white, check the color and set it to pure white, and give this material to all reflectors in the scene. Select the second shader, expand the Maps rollout, click the None button after Diffuse, and then double-click the vortex map in the pop-up window. In the Parameters rollout of Vortex, set the Base Color to black, and set the color of Vortex to "RGB= 190, 190, 190" to give materials to the environment frame.

We need to put another material at the bottom of the environment box, select the box, enter the Modify command panel, click the Polygon button in the Selection rollout, select the bottom of the box, set the ID number to 2 in the Surface Properties rollout, and then press the 2 button in the Smoothing Group project.

Select the third shader in the Material Editor, and then press the Material Effect Channel button to select 2. The remaining parameters of the material will remain unchanged, and the material will be given to the bottom surface of the environment box.

Select the fourth shader, click the Standard button, and then select Ray Tracing. Set the diffuse color to "RGB = 30,30,30", the transparent color to "RGB = 255,64,64" and the refractive index to 2. Expand the Maps rollout, click the None button after Reflection, and then double-click the attenuation map in the pop-up window. As shown in Figure 6, adjust the curve in the "Blending Curve" rollout to give the edited material to the cherry.

Hold down the Shift key in the Material Editor and drag the fourth material ball onto the fifth material ball, copy the edited cherry material, set the transparent color to "RGB=20 1,105,2", and give the cherry a handle with other parameters unchanged.

Create a camera in the scene, activate the perspective, press the C key on the keyboard to switch to the camera view, and render the view to get the final effect (Figure 7).

Summary: This is only to introduce the most basic editing method of glass material in 3DS MAX5.0. When making glass material, the reflector and surrounding environment play a key role in the final effect. I believe that you will make better achievements after you have a further understanding of the material of light tracing and the use of lighting.