3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [220]
Mix map
You can use the Mix map to combine two maps or colors. It is similar to the Composite map, except that it uses a Mix Amount value to combine the two colors or maps instead of using the alpha channel. In the Mix Parameters rollout, the Mix Amount value of 0 includes only Color #1, and a value of 100 includes only Color #2. You can also use a Mixing Curve to define how the colors are mixed. The curve shape is controlled by altering its Upper and Lower values.
Figure 17.30 shows the Mix map with Perlin Marble and Checker maps applied as sub-maps and Mix values of (from left to right) 25, 50, and 75.
FIGURE 17.30
The Mix map lets you combine two maps and define the Mix Amount.
RGB Multiply map
The RGB Multiply map multiplies the RGB values for two separate maps and combines them to create a single map. Did you notice in the preceding figure that the Mix map fades both maps? The RGB Multiply map keeps the saturation of the individual maps by using each map's alpha channel to combine the maps.
The RGB Multiply Parameters rollout includes an option to use the Alpha from either Map #1 or Map #2 or to Multiply the Alphas.
Figure 17.31 shows three samples of the RGB Multiply map. Each of these images combines a Wood map with (from left to right) a Checker map, a Gradient map, and a Stucco map. Notice that the colors aren't faded for this map type.
FIGURE 17.31
The RGB Multiply map combines maps at full saturation using alpha channels.
Color Modifier maps
You can use this group of maps to change the color of different materials. Color Modifier map types include Output, RGB Tint, and Vertex Color.
Color Correction map
The Color Correction map lets you change the colors of a texture. The corrections are applied using a stack approach. The Color Correction map includes four rollouts: Basic Parameters, Channels, Color, and Lightness, as shown in Figure 17.32, and each of these settings is in order starting from the top rollout.
The Basic Parameters rollout includes a color swatch and a map button that you can use to specify the color to affect the map. In the Channels rollout, you can select to make the map Normal, Monochrome, Invert, or Custom. If Custom is selected, then you can specify a specific color for each of the RGB and alpha channels. The available channel options are Red, Green, Blue, Alpha, the inverse for each, Monochrome, One, and Zero.
In the Color rollout, you can adjust the Hue Shift, Saturation, Hue Tint, and Strength for the map, and the Lightness rollout gives you two options: Standard and Advanced. In Standard mode, you can adjust the Brightness and Contrast using simple sliders, but Advanced mode gives you control over the Gain, F-Stops, and Printer Lights settings for each channel.
FIGURE 17.32
The Color Correction map lets you work with textures as if you had a photo lab.
Output map
The Output map provides a way to add the functions of the Output rollout to maps that don't include an output rollout. Details on this map type are presented in the earlier section that covers the Output rollout.
RGB Tint map
The RGB Tint map includes color swatches for the red, green, and blue channel values. Adjusting these colors alters the amount of tint in the map. For example, setting the red color swatch in the RGB Tint Parameters rollout to white and the green and blue color swatches to black creates a map with a heavy red tint. You can also load maps in place of the colors.
Vertex Color map
The Vertex Color map makes the vertex colors assigned to an Editable Mesh, Poly, or Patch object visible when the object is rendered. When an Editable Mesh, Poly, or Patch object is in Vertex subobject mode, you can assign the selected vertices a Color, an Illumination color, and an Alpha value. These settings are in the