3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [349]
• Dust map: The Dust map option creates a grayscale map that identifies the areas that face upward as white and the underneath areas as black, as if the dust were to settle from above and land on all the white areas.
• SubSurface map: The SubSurface map is used to identify those areas of the mesh that are thickest as black and the thinnest areas of the mesh as white. This map type is used to show how likely light would pass through a given area. The Blur value is used to blur those areas between black and white.
• Selection to Bitmap: This map is used to identify a specific subobject selection. Each selected vertex is displayed as a white dot.
• Texture Wrap: The Texture Wrap feature lets you load in a texture that is wrapped about the object in a way to eliminate all seams. This texture could be a simple skin or hide texture. The Tile value is the number of times the texture is repeated end to end to cover the surface.
• Bitmap Select: This feature allows you to select specific subobject selections based on the color of the applied bitmap. For example, if you load a bitmap with white lines running through it, all polygon faces that touch those lines are selected.
To access the Render Surface Map panel, shown in Figure 32.14, select the Rendering⇒Render Surface Map. This feature works only on Editable Poly objects that have mapping coordinates. If any of these conditions are missing, a warning dialog box appears when you click one of the mapping buttons.
FIGURE 32.14
The Render Surface Map panel can create several different types of maps.
The Width and Height values set the resolution of the rendered bitmap. The Size button has several presets. You also can set the Map Channel and the Seam Bleed values. When you click the map type, the map is generated and displayed in the Rendered Frame Window. Figure 32.15 shows the Cavity map for the crocodile model. The jagged fins are all white because they stick out.
FIGURE 32.15
The Cavity map shows areas that are convex and concave.
Summary
This chapter covered a couple of key features for applying materials. The Viewport Canvas lets you paint directly in the viewport and have the results transferred to the selected object. Surface maps can be rendered to provide a map that gives information about the surface of the object.
In this chapter, you learned about the following:
• Painting on objects with the Viewport Canvas
• Using Vertex Colors to paint models
• Rendering a variety of surface maps
In the next chapter, you learn how the Unwrap UVW modifier can be used to customize the mapping coordinates for an object. You also explore one specific type of mapping a little closer. The Pelt mapping method lets you split and unwrap complicated models by using seams.
Chapter 33: Unwrapping UVs and Mapping Textures
IN THIS CHAPTER
Working with mapping modifiers
Applying decals with the UVW Map modifier
Using the Unwrap UVW modifier and the Edit UVW window
Creating seams
Using pelt mapping
Throughout the modeling chapter, as you created objects, the Generate Mapping Coordinates option appeared for almost all objects. Now you find out what mapping coordinates are and how to use them.
Mapping coordinates define how a texture map is aligned to an object. These coordinates are expressed using U, V, and W dimensions. U is a horizontal direction, V is a vertical direction, and W is depth.
When you enable the Generate Mapping Coordinates option for new objects, Max takes its best guess at where these coordinates should be located. For example, a Box primitive applies a texture map to each face. This works well in some cases, but you won't have to wait long until you'll want to change the coordinates.
Control over the mapping coordinates is accomplished using many different modifiers, including the granddaddy of them all—UVW Unwrap.
Peel and Pelt mapping are two additional mapping methods available within the Unwrap UVW modifier that let you stretch and smooth out mesh polygons onto a flat surface. You can access both from the Peel