3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [211]
When a geometric object is created, you can enable the Real-World Map Size, which is generally next to the Generate Mapping Coords option. This option is also available when the UVW Mapping modifier is applied to an object. When enabled, this option lets you specify the size of the applied texture using scene units. When this option is enabled, it causes the texture maps to maintain their sizes as geometry objects are resized. Set the dimensions of applied texture maps in the Coordinates rollout.
Tip
You can select to have Real-World mapping enabled for all new objects by default by enabling the Use Real-World Texture Coordinates option in the General panel of the Preference Settings dialog box. •
Working with Maps
Maps are typically used along with materials. You can open most material maps from the Material/Map Browser. To open the Material/Map Browser if it isn't visible in the Slate Material Editor, select the Tools⇒Material/Map Browser menu or press the O key in the Slate Material Editor. You also can open the Material/Map Browser by clicking any of the map buttons found throughout the Parameter Editor panel, including those found in the Maps rollout. Figure 17.1 shows this browser with its available maps.
In the Material/Map Browser all available maps are displayed by default in the Maps/Standard rollout, but if you have the Quicksilver Hardware or the mental ray renderer enabled, rollouts for mental ray maps and MetaSL maps are also displayed. If you right-click within the Material/Map Browser away from any rollouts and choose the Show Incompatible option from the pop-up menu, all map rollouts including mental ray maps are displayed even if the mental ray renderer isn't enabled.
FIGURE 17.1
Use the Material/Map Browser to list all the maps available for assigning to materials.
To load a map node into the Node View panel of the Slate Material Editor, simply double-click on it or drag the material from the Material/Map Browser to the Node View panel. All map nodes are easily identified by their green title bars in the Node View and Navigator panels.
Connecting maps to materials
A map by itself in the Node View panel cannot be applied to objects in the scene. To add a map to a material it must be connected to one of the material properties. This is done by dragging on the map node's output socket and dropping the connecting line on the input socket for the material property where the map is being applied. For example, Figure 17.2 shows a connection between the Checker map node and the Standard material node's Diffuse Color. Once a connection is made, the material preview is updated to show that the applied map and the sockets at either end of the connection are highlighted green.
Tip
If you drag from a map node's output socket and drop anywhere on the blank Node View, a pop-up menu lets you choose to select and create a material, map, controller, or sample slot material node. •
FIGURE 17.2
Map nodes need to be connected to material properties in order to show up in the material.
Note
When some maps are connected to a material node, a Controller node also appears. This controller node provides a way to animate the material's parameters. More on animating materials is covered in Chapter 21, “Understanding Animation and Keyframes.” •
Double-clicking the map node's title opens the map's parameters in the Parameter Editor. Maps also can be applied by clicking on a map button in the Parameter Editor and selecting a map type from the Material/Map Browser that opens.
A single map node can be connected to several different material parameters on the same or on different nodes. Map nodes can also be connected to other map nodes. For example, Figure 17.3 shows a Marble and a Noise map connected to a Checker map node, which is connected to a standard material node.
FIGURE 17.3
Map nodes also can be connected to other map nodes.
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