How to make cool renders

[Guy with a wrench]

This is honestly the easiest way to make some cool renders in 3DS MAX. I will go step by step through this, I learned about this quite a while ago, but its just such a cool thing to play around with that I thought I should at least try to share it for those of you who don't know about this.

 

First lets start with the Background, pick an image, I chose this one...

http://www.sanluissodaclean.com/media/img/...iti-Clean-d.jpg

 

Now just to make things easier for later lets make that picture as our background for our perspective viewport.

 

To do this go to "views/viewport background" Then click files and pick your picture.

 

Now you should have something like this...

 

Also before rendering you must do this, go to "Render/Environment" on "Background" where it says None, click it and use your picture as the background.

 

Next let's create a camera from this view port, this is just so have a static position from where you can render things. Do this by clicking "Cntrl + C" while in the perspective viewport.

 

Now we have to create the "Matte/shadow" layer, first look at the shapes of your background and start to mimic them with models. Here I will use simple planes.

 

Now rotate and scale it so it looks right.

Don't mind the opacity I just did that so I could see if the plane was where I wanted it.

 

Next you have to apply a "Matte/shadow" material to it. Do this by going to the Material Editor, click on one of the spheres, then click standard.

Don't worry about changing anything there, just leave it as it is.

 

Next step you should have your plane selected and then you can apply this material to it, once applied your plane should appear as white.

 

Next you need the lighting, first create a "Skylight".

In "skylight" have these settings.

 

Then create another light source, this time make it "mr Area Spot" and match it to the light source inside the picture. Also Under intensity make it 0.6

Your scene should look something like this.

 

Now for your object, I will make things very simple. Here is a sphere...

 

Now we render, Click F10, and when your happy with the resolution, hit "Render" at the bottom.

And here it is...

Now it takes a while to render so be patient, obviously if you want to make high quality shadows, you need to spend a lot of time getting the "mimic model" I call it, to be very detailed, plus you must also spend quite a bit of time adjusting the Light source to match the background. Just remember this the "mr Area Spot" is the light that controls the actual shadows, the "sky light" does not, so if you want to move the shadows move the "mr Area Spot" light source.

[Guest Tom]

Thanks for this, Always nice to learn something new.

Edit: Reders?

Edited August 12, 2010 by Tom